workbench height

[Nelson Howe]

I realize this is subjective, but I'm gearing up to build myself a better bench, and I'm sorting out its height. Christopher Schwartz recommends where your pinky joins your hand as a good starting point. So I lowered my current bench to that height today for a trial as I was learning how to cut dovetails, and found it murderous on my back. This puts my bench about eight inches lower that it had been. I hadn't found planing at that height uncomfortable, though I'm very much in the learning stages of all this. I get the impression from Schwartz's book that lower is an advantage for planing.

I'm curious what others find comfy.

Nelson

[Joe Shinall]

Simple Solution:

Hydraulics

:D

[Bob Easton]

The Schwarz recommendation is definitely for planing, NOT for dovetail cutting. There are penty of photos in his "Workbenches..." book to support this. For cutting dovetails, he gets the workpiece up to elbow height.

It really does make a difference for planing ... if you do a lot of it. Getting your body weight over the plane eases the tension on your shoulders. My bench is higher than Schwarz recommends and my shoulders feel it. When I stack up some lumber beside the bench and walk on it, the shoulders are a lot happier.

[dan sherman]

You might find this blog post from Chris really interesting.

http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com/blog/The+Joinery+Bench+Has+Its+Time+Come.aspx

The plans can be found here.
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=986907428b4dc20b5d7adbd5b0238283

[Nelson Howe]

Thanks for the link. I had seen that blog, which probably got me thinking about the subject more. I kind of like the idea of the higher bench and then using a platform if necessary for an extended planing work out.

Nelson

[David Gendron]

I guess it depend of what you do the most, as a hand tool only woodworker, I do a lot of planing so a "low" bench is good thing, and I think I like the idea of having a dedicated bench for cuting joints like DT, a smaller bench like 24x 24 and in the 40" hight.

[harry strasil]

I have an extremely bad back and have always had flat feet, my work benchs are 36 inches tall and I am 6 ft tall and they are just right for planeing and I set on a stool to cut dovetails. Oh I don't use iron planes, I use Woodies or transitionals.

[Mike Siemsen]

The quest for one bench to do all things. A lower bench at the pinky height is great for many things but for dovetails and other detail work you might want it higher. Carving tends to require a taller bench too. Some people build a box to sit on their bench to give them both options. Chris just blogged about a joiners bench that was taller. It really depends on how you work. If you use handplanes and make moldings you would probably want it an inch or two lower yet than the pinky height.
Mike

[Don Dorn]

I'm with Harry - I'm about 5'11" and put mine at 36" and have no regrets at all. I primarily use hand planes and do quite a bit of dovetailing. My old one was shorter, but still a little taller than Schwartz's recommended height, but it was still low enough for me that any sharpening, long sessions of dovetailing transfered to my back after a very short time. No problems now. No bench I ever build will be under 36". If I ever find it too tall for a particular purpose, I can stand on something, but I'm done stooping.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I agree with Harry + Don......however......

At 6'2" (and shrinking, it seems) I would love to have my bench be 2-3 inches taller than its 35". But the way my shop is laid out precludes that. Wall with 24" back bench > 36" gap > 30" main bench > 24" gap > Unisaw. Both benches are the same height as the Uni table (on wheels), so I can lay a sheet of plywood across them all and line up the rip cuts. Have been known to span one or the other of the gaps with a case/carcass, etc. for assembly.

From wall to far end of TS outfeed extension table looks like about 100 yds :), so I have a (reasonably) level surface covering a large part of the central shop. Parts accumulator, assembly, finishing, yada, yada, yada. The back bench is waaaay long, but the main bench is just about dead-nuts the same width (length?) as the Uni with 52" Bies + table - bench dim is not by accident. Pull the rip fence, drop the blade and the main bench + TS gives me a roughly 7' x 7' flat surface (with that gap, of course - which has been spanned by an insert on occcasion).

So - bench height may be a compromise is my point, I guess.

[Prashun Patel]

I suggest you start on the high side, and then trim down as you use it and get to know it.

[Cliff Polubinsky]

Nelson,

One solution is to build a bench-top bench. FWW has plans for a small bench that sits on top of your bench for higher work like dovetailing http://www.finewoodworking.com/ProjectsAndDesign/ProjectsAndDesignArticle.aspx?id=30583 .

This way you can have the low bench for planing and a higher platform to save your back on other tasks.

Cliff

[Nelson Howe]

Thanks, I think I will start tall. I better make sure my stretcher is high enough to allow trimming later on. And I like the idea of using my torsion box beams (Josh Finn's article in FWW #202) to raise my height for planing when the time comes. That way, I'll still be getting use out of them. Just better be sure not to fall off.

[Ron Brese]

Ultimately if you are the type person that's going to be cutting dovetails by hand then you're also a person that's going to use hand planes as well. I'd build the bench the ideal height for planing and then incorporate an accessory bench that could be fastened to the main bench for cutting dovetails.

Another accessory as Harry mentioned that would eliminate the need for the accessory bench is another accessory..........a stool.:)

I've just built a bench and I think I would rather put the extra effort and money into really good work holding vises than yet another accessory bench that I have to find a place to store. I've already got a stool.:D

Ron

[Callan Campbell]

I modified my workbench for this very reason. I needed the "low" height to match the height of my Unisaw, and for hand plane work. But like the original height of 40" for alot of other work. My "Frankenbench" as I call it is another way to have those two goals in mind. You can buy the "Adjust-a-bench" system as well if you don't want to make a sub-top to get a taller working height. I based my bench on the adjust-a-bench design, with no need for an add-on height spacer.
I've also found with working with the same benches that I made in my 20s are not at the right heights anymore for me[sigh]. I'll be lowering my metalworking bench as a result and that one's 2 x 2 x 1/4" angle iron with a 3/16" thick plate top[lots more work].
I learned early on that YOU as the worker must BEST decide what height works for you. Alot like picking out our favorite block plane, very subjective. We're not all made the same way, don't age the same way, and often have some aliment like Harry described that can change the way you want to work around a bench if you're going to be at it for a few hours at a time, or more:D.
Don't expect to get it right the first time, you may find your feelings change based on more time at the bench. Or, you change your way of working with a newly bought tool, and this totally changes your outlook on the darn bench as well. Like darn, if I knew now that I'd be working THIS way instead of the way I WAS 3 years ago when I built this thing!!!:p
It's normal, instead making it a "concrete" decision, allow those add-ons of "up or down" to be part of the decision process. Keeps it free to let go of what we were "sure" of 20 years ago.. My 2 cents

[Glen J. Peterson]

I just built a bench top that I attached to a pair of Noden Adjust-a-Bench sides. I can adjust the height from about 30-45". I'm kind of tall and like it about about 38" for normal work, lower for assembly, higher for paring with chisels, etc.

[Callan Campbell]

I just built a bench top that I attached to a pair of Noden Adjust-a-Bench sides. I can adjust the height from about 30-45". I'm kind of tall and like it about about 38" for normal work, lower for assembly, higher for paring with chisels, etc.
Well there you go. How much is the leg set going for these days. I often wonder if the guy is making them alot, or they're gathering dust in a warehouse. Great idea, glad someone thought of it and made to the marketplace