Ideal Working Height? Sitting/Standing

[PrinceArmory]

Well I know any answers to this are going to be arbitrary but I figured it can't hurt to ask..

For those of you comfortable with your working setups; what height do you have your work surfaces for your various tasks? What things do you do sitting and what do you do standing?
I stand to grind. And I sit to buff though it doesn't feel right. I sit to work with my mill machine and to use a dremel and that feels about right. I don't have many hours behind my tools yet though so my preferences may change but I can't seem to be satisfied with my work surface height. I'm 6'3" so everythings probably just a few inches too short to feel 'just right' and I'm sure I'll experiment before building permanent work tables but mainly I'm curious what you guys have setup and what tasks you sit or stand for.

 

[mete]

Save your back ! You shouldn't be constantly having your back bent. For a kitchen counter for you a 38 or 39" height would be good. For a work bench a buffer or grinder adds a good bit of height so lower the top.

 

[Ed Caffrey]

Although some folks do it, I try to discourage anyone from sitting when working on any machinery, especially the grinder or buffer. Sitting while grinding or buffing is a time bomb, and its not a matter of if your gona get hurt....its WHEN. You simply have more of your body exposed, and can't even think about moving out of harms way in time. Of course if a person cannot physically stand for that duration, I can see sitting, but that doesn't mitigate the danger in my mind.
I think its very important to have your equipment set at a height that comfortable for YOU. Being 6'3" too, my grinder is set at a height thats generally too high for many, but it allows me to stand comfortably in front of it, with my elbows at 90 degrees, and the platen or contact wheel is right there....no reaching, stooping, bending, etc.

I sit for nearly all hand work tasks (hand finishing, carving, texturing, filing, etc), and for me, that bench is 40". I think its important to have a comfortable seat, because often times you will spend hours sitting there. I purchase one of those height adjustable bar stools that also swivels, tore off the cheap seat top, and replaced it with something more comfortable for me.

 

[gixxer]

I got somebody to help me by holding a tape measure to my fingertips to the floor with my arms bent 90deg while at my side. That is the bench I use for handsanding on my granite plate, bench vise work, and drill press. For my grinder bench I measured my arms up a hair past 90deg as if I was actually grinding a blade, measured the height of my grinder to the middle of the platen, then subtract that number from the arm measurement. Bingo, perfect grinder bench height. I have my buffer bolted to a barstool so I have mobility with it, and the wheels overhang the mounting surface. my theory might not be really accurate, but I keep the buffer low so if I lose control of a piece I would be more likely to get it in the leg instead of the gut. I stand to do everything except handsand on very few occasions.

 

[Josh Dabney]

I basically did the same thing as Gixxer to establish the height for my grinder bench. Arms comfortably 90 degrees pinned to the sides with shoulders relaxed and took a measurement of 41 inches as working height so I built my bench so center of the contact wheel is 41 inches from the floor.

Just a thought, in retorospect I wish I had screwed some 1/2" lag bolts into the bottom of the legs to give a little height adjustment and also level the bench perfectly.

-Josh