Work bench ??

[Mike Jones NM]

The height of work benches have been covered ALOT here.
In putting the new shop together I have come upon a twist though.
I've heard the height should be anywhere from about 35" to 36 1/2" to belly button height. FYI my belly button is 46" from the ground.
The problem I have run into is the the "perfect" height is just that for SOME things.
My planer and joiner are great on the bench that is belly button high, the ridgid belt/drum sander is about 13 inches to high though.
The small band saw and the scroll saw face the same problem.
So I find myself having to make custom sized work areas for various pieces of equipment.
Anyone else have this problem or do you just run one bench/work area and just deal with the problem?
Thanks
Mike

[glenn bradley]

Plam flat on the table while standing for most 'general' use benches. Three inches lower for folks that do a lot of hand plane waord and the like. For example, I do hand work the least so my bench is 36". If I did more hand work I would go 33". Adjustable legs are the cure for both.

[David Giles]

In a big shop, you have the luxury of setting different work areas to different heights. In a small shop, everything has to fit together in the vertical dimension. Which usually means sliding some equipment under benches and tops. Making everything else level with the table saw keeps a small space from getting smaller.

[Jim Becker]

I went with an Adjust-A-Bench setup which solves the height issue completely. Low for assembly; somewhere in the middle for normal work and very high for detail work while standing. And as David points out, with a smaller shop, it's a bit more difficult to accommodate multiple benches.

That said, for assembly work you could make a torsion box surface and use several rectangular boxes for supports which would provide you with three different heights. Some folks are also using hydraulic table setups with a shop-built worktop for the same reason.

[Randal Stevenson]

Shopnotes had an adjustible assembly table that had holes in the legs you put dowels in. I've also seen (example in Eurekazones forum) tables where they use a scissor jack to raise the top. I've been thinking of some combination of the two, so I could raise it and secure it (ever had a jack fail on you?).

The shopnotes was issue #30 and a member of another forum I am a member of, got permission to distribute it, via requested email (can't post it directly online).

You can get his email address at a post by adding a www here
bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=29639&highlight=Shopnotes

[Mike Jones NM]

Appreciate the ideas. Been pondering this most of the day.
What it looks like I am going to do is have the roll around work top with the planer and joiner on it.
The sander will be on it's own bench, the scroll saw and small band saw will share a different bench. All 3 of these are different heights.
The last bench will be the work area and will be at what ever height I play with and is most comofrtable. I.E at this time I have no clue will have to see what it turns out at:D

[Bob Noles]

Mike,

One other option you may want to explore is to build a roll around bench like you mentioned and size it to your lowest sitting tool. You could then build extender bases for each of the other tools placing each one at it's optimum working height. This could save you from having so many benches for individual tools.

Just a thought and hope it helps.

[joe greiner]

How about a few pairs of auxiliary wooden soles for your shoes/boots? A sheet metal heel retainer at the back; straps across the ankle and the instep. Shape the outline with a bandsaw. Wouldn't be much worse than wearing snowshoes, and I'd guess up to 6 inches thick would be manageable. Others at 2 and 4 inches (say), for different tasks.

Back in the day of manual stand-up drafting, we stood on a wood soda crate to reach the top of the drafting board. Often subject to tipping. It's taken me 40 years to think of this "improvement;" I hope it doesn't take you that long to stop laughing.

Joe

[Mike Jones NM]

Joe, now that one got a good laugh.
I had considered the mobile bench with "risers" for the smaller stuff, still giving various options the once over.
Thanks

[Ted Jay]

How about a few pairs of auxiliary wooden soles for your shoes/boots? A sheet metal heel retainer at the back; straps across the ankle and the instep. Shape the outline with a bandsaw. Wouldn't be much worse than wearing snowshoes, and I'd guess up to 6 inches thick would be manageable. Others at 2 and 4 inches (say), for different tasks.

Back in the day of manual stand-up drafting, we stood on a wood soda crate to reach the top of the drafting board. Often subject to tipping. It's taken me 40 years to think of this "improvement;" I hope it doesn't take you that long to stop laughing.

Joe

OH..... You mean make different pairs of Herman Munster shoes?:D I'll bet you've already made these, haven't you? C'mon.... where are the pics?:p

Also, all the years of being humped over a drafting table too hasn't helped my back any either.
Ted

[joe greiner]

OH..... You mean make different pairs of Herman Munster shoes?:D I'll bet you've already made these, haven't you? C'mon.... where are the pics?:p

Not guilty, your honor. Just thought of them last night. Perhaps when/if.

Joe