Workshop cabinets..........

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Is there a standard height for base cabinets in a shop?


Is there a standard height for the bottom of a wall cabinet that is going to have a base cabinet under it?


Thanks for your help.l

[Dwayne Watt]

I would make them similar height as kitchen cabinets. I am tall, so my shop base cabinets/bench are 39" tall as opposed to a more typical 36". The wall cabinet would be roughly 16-18" above the base cabinet.

[glenn bradley]

Your kitchen will give you the North American standards (or a kitchen display at the BORG if your kitchen is unique). Depending on their location I will adjust slightly from the 36" top to match things around it; workbench, tablesaw, etc. to ease sharing surfaces.

One thing I did and have noticed others here doing as well . . . going for that really deep cabinet so I'll have lotsa room . . . What happens in reality is that the stuff in the back may as well be in the Twilight Zone. The solution to this is some handy pullouts ;-)

A web search on "standard furniture ergonomics" will give you a bunch-o-stuff as well.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I am considering a 36" bench height and 24" between the top of the base cabinets and the bottom of the wall cabinets.

I'm not sure I want the cabinets going all the way to the ceiling.

[Edward Warren]

I made the fixed base cabs along my wall a bit higher in order to put my "mechanics" toolbox under the counter. I think it ended up at 39" and this made my counter a little over 15’ long. It's kind of a nice working height for some tasks. Then I put my upper cabinets the standard 16 or 18" above that counter.

Then for my moveable workbench and other moving cabs, I made everything the same height as my table saw so I can combine these pieces for any odd jobs I might attempt. I even made it so my chop saw and planer would have the materials at that same table saw height (since their all on lockable rollers) so they could act as infeed/outfeed tables.

[JayStPeter]

I'm 6'3 and my shop cabinets are significantly taller than kitchen cabinets so I'm not bent over doing everything. I have a 4" spacer under my tablesaw and my cabinets match that height. My workbench and assembly table are at more normal heights based on the things I do at them.
The island in our kitchen is higher also by using tall wall cabinets as the base. I work there usually while my wife uses the normal height cabinets.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I may have to reconsider counter height. I'm 6'2". Since breaking my back, bending is a real pain for me. I'll have to check and see what my table saw height is. I'm planning on building a NYW mobile assembly table and making it the height of my t/s so it can double as an outfeed table.


I've got some measuring to do and some considerations to make.

[John Cooper2]

I built my the same height as my tablesaw. 42", but hey I am 6'6" and hate to bend over.

I built a base for my Unisaw to sit on from 8" channel iron with levelers below that. Maybe the worlds tallest Unisaw.

Point is, built it so YOU are comfortable.

[Joe Chritz]

John's point is good. Build it to fit you.

Most of my cab's in the shop are tests or left over's from something else but the height's are 36" which is about right for the average person. If I was a few inches taller I would build them 38 or 39" tall instead.

Love the sig line John. Can't tell you how many times I have said those words.

Joe

[Chase Gregory]

Dunno if you are planning on making things very permanent or not, but hanging your wall cabinets on a french cleat will allow easy vertical and lateral adjustment later if you find the need to rearrange.

A nearly continuous cleat will give you the ability to hang all manner of cabinets, racks, shelves around the shop and you can move them pretty simply.

Chaser

[John Pahl]

I agree with everyone that has said pick the height that is going to work for you. Lots of folks say that if you stand flat footed, arms at your sides, palms down. Your palms should just touch the top of your work surface. For me, I am average height (5'8") so the standard height of the TS workes for me. I don't know how big you shop is but mine is very small so all the surfaces in my shop are the same as my TS so I can use all surfaces together if need be. In your case I'd raise the TS up to your comfortable working height and use that as the height for your cabinets.

I like 18" between base and top cabinets. This gives plenty of room for storage on the counter top but doesn't get things too high out of reach but then again I'm short.

Can't wait to see pics when your done!!

John

[Lee Koepke]

I have several different heights. Some by design, some by the result of the cabinet bases I had in stock.

One set of work surfaces matches my TS all the way around.. the other my CMS station. With a few adjustments, I can pretty much work on all surfaces easily.

When I rebuild my router station, it most likely be the same height as the future joiner I get ....