What height for work surfaces.

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golfer1

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Nov 24, 2016
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Setting up the new shop and was wondering at what height you like your work surfaces. I'm average height 5'10" so let me know if you are 6'6". Thanks for sharing and best wishes.
 
That's too personal.

You have to figure it out for yourself.
Don't assume one height will do all

It depends on your height, the glasses you wear or don't wear.
Some folks recommend to grind at belly level, but I find I crane my neck and bend over so I can see.

Go out and try different heights.
Carry a tape measure in your pocket


Try coffee shops, furniture stores, your own kitchen cabinets, the cabinet displays are Home Depot your friends', the tables at your bank,
Whatever you can find

make up some temporary heights with concrete blocks bricks and plywood and work on it for an hour then see how you feel
 
5'11" here. I prefer 30" for sitting. The only thing I consistently stand for is grinding. And the grinder is higher.
 
It really depends. I have different height benches and tables in my shop for different things. My grinders are on stands that are different heights yet...

Some prefer for a workbench to be at a height that, when standing straight up next to it, you can comfortably place your palm flat on the top without bending your back or elbows. Some like it right at waist level. I had one guy tell me they should be right above the family jewels, since he almost crushed his while lifting something heavy onto a bench once... :D
Some guys make it the same height has other tools (like a table saw) to use as an outfeed table. If you plan on sitting at it, it needs to be such that you can pull a chair up to in and still get your legs under it.
If you're putting something like a buffer, grinder, or other tool that you'll be standing at and using for a while, you want the the height such that when you have to bend your elbows, your hands and wrists are still below your elbows. Is there going to be a vice that you're using often? That's another height consideration.

Now, you can always make risers and additional spacers/platforms for tools to raise them up on a bench, but it's awfully tricky to make them lower.
 
I want my anvil 4" below my waist
A standing work table waist high
Vise jaws, grinder, drill press at elbow height


Sent via telegraph with the same fingers I use to sip whiskey.
 
Thanks guys, obviously its a personal thing and I will end up making adjustments. Thanks for the input relative to what is working for you, that gives me a starting place and you are so right, it is easier to raise than lower the machine.
 
What the count said.
I've cut legs and added blocks.
If you are going to be standing awhile, a pad on concrete helps I find.
 
I try to make everything a comfortable height for standing, and then use a tall shop stool if I want to sit.
 
kuraki: My plan also is to use a tall shop stool as I like to stand quite a bit. Great advice on the Anvil. So when you guys say waist hi or 30" are you talking about the center of you wheel on a disk grinder or the height of the center of you grinder wheel for example?
I plan to use horse stall mats for a little padding on the floor. Have used them before and they work pretty good.
Thanks again for all your help.
 
I'm 6'3", and use 37-39" height. I use a bar stool for sitting.
 
Stall mats are going to be a pain to clean dust from. I don't understand the desire for rubber floor mats. I've worked on concrete floors my entire life and I just don't get it. They make clean up more aggravating. They're a tripping hazard. Who knows how they react with acetone, mineral spirits, or the 100 other fluids you might spill in the shop.

When all that can be avoided and your feet kept comfy by some nice insoles in your boots. But, that's just me.
 
I use a 1000lb hydraulic lift table from Harbor Freight for my KMG. When grinding bevels on knives I like to sit in a rolling office chair and rest my elbows on my knees for stability. It's also easier on my back then standing and hunching over, looking down. When I need to use the surface grinder attachment I just jack the table up and throw it on.

I'm thinking about doing a flip to horizontal modification to it so that might force me to reevaluate things. I was thinking I might be able to just get a stand alone pedestal that I could place to the side of the table for the grinder to rest on while on it's side.
 
kuraki said:
Stall mats are going to be a pain to clean dust from. I don't understand the desire for rubber floor mats. I've worked on concrete floors my entire life and I just don't get it. They make clean up more aggravating. They're a tripping hazard. Who knows how they react with acetone, mineral spirits, or the 100 other fluids you might spill in the shop.

When all that can be avoided and your feet kept comfy by some nice insoles in your boots. But, that's just me.
Click to expand...

A good set of insoles accomplishes the same thing without the downside.
 
In my real life before the hospital tried to kill me, I was a developer and had responsibility for building over 10,000 houses. One input I can give is that the 'typical' cabinet heights you would have in a home are 36" to the top of kitchen cabinets--35" to the bottom of the surface tops, and 35" to the top of bathroom cabinets-34" to the bottom of the surface tops. I think those who posted have offered good advice about specific heights for certain items, but I would also encourage you to keep in mind what may go under your surfaces--somewhat typical drawer base counters are going to be close to 33-33 1/2" high, so a surface that is on top of them would be around 34" high so bear that in mind. I put some Butcher Block tops mounted on 6x6 legs and mounted to a 2x4 screwed to the wall that were 34" to the underside of them, in my shop, and I have subsequently put drawer sets underneath them which was very beneficial to me. These heights work well for me and I am 5'11"

PS--I was recommended strongly by my Doctor to get a cushioned floor pad for using while standing at my grinder or lathe. I bought a good quality one from McMaster Carr, and I can tell you that regardless of what type of shoes/boots I am wearing, I am more comfortable standing on the floor mat--I am a believer in them.

Good luck to you on your shop!
 
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I made mine about 30-32" and i'm almost 5'9". But the thing is my grinders platen sits a different heights. I made mine a little taller because i don't like bending over and craning my neck with a respirator on. And sitting while grinding has never worked for me.

On the mats thing, i totally agree. I do use them if i'm not going to be using much to spill on them, but i recently got some boots that are made for working on concrete. Wolverines i think. They work really well for the 3-6 hours i'll usually put in.
 
For generic rules:
Standing 36"
Seated - 30"
Low work drawer ( jewelers bench) - 24-26"

For custom personal height:
IIRC, the ergonomic formula for working while standing is to stand up with arms at sides. Bend your arms at the elbows with the thumbs pointing at the shoulders. Have someone measure from the elbow to the floor. Subtract 6" from that to get the correct work surface height.

For grinders, tuck your elbows in tight to your sides. Put your fists out in front of you like you were holding a knife sideways. That is where the center of the contact wheel or flat platen should be.

A really shop nice aid is the adjustable shop stool at Woodcraft. It has a strong five wheel base, a round seat with a low back support, and adjusts from 20-26", which is low enough to do a brake job to high enough to work at the grinder. These occasionally go on sale for $45.
https://www.woodcraft.com/products/woodriver-adjustable-height-shop-stool-with-casters-and-feet

HF sells a "biker"seat version of the same stool for $20-30 more. It goes from 20 to nearly 30" high. I haven't used one of theirs, so I don't know if it is as heavily built as the Woodcraft unit. HF always has a 20% off any item sale.
http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=biker+seat
 
When I built my standing desk I did a lot of research on ergonomics and the basic premise for a working height while standing is that your forearms should be at 90 degrees to the top of the surface in your normal stance. When you build it take into account if you have floor mats down, will put floor mats down, what type of shoes you are wearing when measuring vs when working etc.
 
I cabbged 22' of old, heavy arse kitchen cabinets years ago. There were no tops, so I put a double layer of plywood on top which brought the height back up to 36". That is the height for everything I got, work bench, grinders et al. I'm 5'11".
 
Dining room table = 28-30"
Kitchen counter = 36"
Bathroom vanity = 32", but I always asked customers about it, since most are too short for adults. As an apprentice cabinet maker many moons ago, I was told you should be able to stand at a counter & place your hand in the bottom of the sink without having to bend over. Works for me.

What I recommend is to set the machine work-table so you're comfortable looking at it while standing or sitting. My drill press table is higher than the work table on my grinder, but I'm looking across the drill press work & looking down from above on the blade at the grinder. Do a mock-up of the different things you will be using & make each one as close as comfortable as possible.

I got restaurant type rubber floor pads for standing on concrete. A restaurant supply house has them pretty cheap & they clean up well, about $10 each for a sink pad.
 
My standing benches are 36" and it fits perfect with my belt grinder. My anvil is to the height of my knuckles with a closed fist.
 
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