Workbench height

[custard]

Ask yourself which of these statements most closely fits your woodworking,

A. I often spend several straight hours thicknessing boards to finished dimensions with hand tools.

B. I have a machine that does the grunt work, I mainly use my bench for joint cutting.

If it's A. then be guided by the older books. Before the 1960's (or 70's...or 80's) few hobbyist woodworkers had access to machinery, so those older books are as appropriate for you as the day they were written.

If it's B. then in terms of the evolution of woodworking you're right at the cutting edge of modernity. Because it's such a conservative occupation there's a huge reticence to changing established custom and practise. My guess is that we're in the middle of seeing bench heights sprout up. Right now 38" is seen as daring, but in twenty years time 40" and 42" will be commonplace. The top of my Moxon vice is 45" above the floor...and I've never enjoyed dovetailing so much!

 

[pip1954]

hi i would say higher rather than lower
my misses came in the workshop (bringing tea) and watched me working at my bench and said no wonder you moan about your back hurts why is your bench so low (same height as saw table) so i have put 4" on the legs and saw table on back of bench, my back is a lot better , some times you just can't see the obvious(wood for trees)
that's my two penneth worth :lol:
piop

 

[Billy Flitch]

You know it really dosnt matter its a different height for every body but I`m not going to cut 6" off and then add it on later on.
All I do is change my height by working of a pallet board but in all of the discussion only Wellywood mentions the age old tradition of working off duckboards every shop I`v ever worked in has had them but out side of him no one has mentioned them.

 

[Mr_P]

All I do is change my height by working of a pallet board but in all of the discussion only Wellywood mentions the age old tradition of working off duckboards every shop I`v ever worked in has had them but out side of him no one has mentioned them.

Another good reason for having it a lot higher would be an insulated box to stand on.

Think I've mentioned mine is a tad low so my only option is a bit of carpet.

 

[pgbaker]

I'm 185 cm and my bench is 95 cm high. And that's pretty spot on where my wrists are.