Yet another router table question - height

[J. Scott Chambers]

So while I am waiting on hardware for my router table so that I can assemble it, I started thinking that maybe I don't have the height issue worked out. I stand just a hair under 6' tall, and with my arms extended along my sides, it's 29" to my finger tips. My current design has the top around 30-31". I realize this is probably going to encourage me to bend or slump over the table, which I hate the thought of doing. 30" is the height of my desk, but I don't stand and work at it.

Is there any disadvantage to raising the table top to say around 35-37"? I have a drafting table at work that is 37", and it seems like a very comfortable standing up working height to me.

[Perry Holbrook]

I picked up a used Onsrud inverted pin router a few months ago and was surprised at how tall it was. The table is about 38 - 40 inch from the floor. I find it much more comfortable than my old router table I built years ago.

As you age you'll want more of your machines to be taller. I just built a welding table and it's right at 40" tall.

Perry

[Lars A Stole]

It depends on the work you do, of course, but I raised my table to 38-1/2" and am very happy with the change (it was 34"). I'm about 6' tall. I do mostly edge profiles and template work on my table.

[pat warner]

Use the table on the drill press to determine best height.
Raise and lower; and with mock router fence attached, treat as a router table to find best comfort and utility (height).
More on the router table? See link. (http://patwarner.com/router_table.html)

[Laurie Brown]

So while I am waiting on hardware for my router table so that I can assemble it, I started thinking that maybe I don't have the height issue worked out. I stand just a hair under 6' tall, and with my arms extended along my sides, it's 29" to my finger tips. My current design has the top around 30-31". I realize this is probably going to encourage me to bend or slump over the table, which I hate the thought of doing. 30" is the height of my desk, but I don't stand and work at it.

Is there any disadvantage to raising the table top to say around 35-37"? I have a drafting table at work that is 37", and it seems like a very comfortable standing up working height to me.

I built my router table at a height of 36" or so with the casters on it. I am not that tall (5'2"), but this is a comfortable height for me, no bending ever. ;)

However, if I had it to do over I'd probably try to match the height to my saw table (which is a few inches shorter) so that it could double as an extra feed table when not in use.

[Frank Fusco]

My response is to do what works for you. I'm a shorty at about 5'7" but have my bench and lathe on blocks. With them lower at 'standard' height I find myself bending over and getting backaches. I just don't understand how a tall guy can work at a 30" or 32" bench. At my age, hunching over for a while makes it hard to straighten up again. Staying straight is far less tiring.

[Allen Bookout]

Pat Warner had a great idea to test for table height using the drillpress table.

I am about your same height and my router table top is 35" and I would not want it any lower. I picked 35" as all three of my movable tables are that height so that they are the same as my cabinet saw. Can come in handy from table to table or saw.

[Jason Morgan]

I would vote for higher rather than lower. The closer you can get to working completely upright, the less fatigue you will experience. I reacently built the "router table on 'roids" (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=35320) and am more glad each time I use it that I put the top at 36" (and I'm 5'11" tall maybe 6' even with shoes and shop mat). The only problem is it becomes a dedicated surface since it doesnt really match up with any other tools (bench is 34", TS is 35" etc). I have back problems and can use it all day long without much fatigue. Of course, I have my benchtop drill press up on a 35" table which puts its table at about 48"

Never ran into a situation when I would want either of them lower. If you are swinging that big of a panel, you should be taking the router to the piece instead of the piece to the router.

:D

Thanks

[Jody Malinich]

I'm a bit taller than all of you. At 6' 7" I know what back aches are like, I don't spend alot of time on the router table, maybe 5-7 hours a week, but at 46" off the floor I never get a stiff back even if I'm running it for an hour or so straight. I agree with the more upright you are the less fatigue you'll get, I'd think at 6' you'd wanna be fairly close to 40" if not a hair more.

Just my nickels worth.

[Jim Becker]

I prefer all my work surfaces in the shop to be at the same height...and that is about 36". I find it comfortable to work at that (normal counter) height and it makes for easy material handling when things get tight. My router table doubles as extra infeed/outfeed and assembly surface, too.

[JayStPeter]

Like Jim, my router table height matches my tablesaw so it can act as infeed support. My tablesaw is raised 3.5" to be more comfortable for my 6'4".

[J. Scott Chambers]

Thanks for all the input. Now I just need to devise a way to raise the overall height of the table and still use the panels I've already cut.

[glenn bradley]

Pat's advice is excellent (big surprise). I was going to say a stand alone RT would be more comfortable at about the same height a surface you could stand at and write a letter. Pat's idea let's you get a feel if that's correct for you. To use your pre-cut panels . . . I see . . . taller legs. It'll leave you room to sweep underneath ;-)

P.s. No hunching. We do enough of that at work - or - at the dinner table.

[Jim DeLaney]

I built mine at 37". Even though I'm fairly short (5'9"), I find the 37" height to be comfortable. My workbench, tablesaw, and Laguna bandsaw tables are all also 37".

[Ted Miller]

J, I have a very bad back from all those years of framing so I like to make my tables higher than average, I go around 42-44" for almost everything that I build, I even raised my RAS, Miter and Bandsaw up to not hurt my lower back...