# Workbench



## Eagle1 (Jan 4, 2010)

I am planing on building a new bench. It seems that the ones that I'm looking is only about 34" to 35" tall. I'm 6'3". I'm kinda wondering what your bench heights are? Especially if you are a tall person.

Thanks for your imput..


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## BrandonW (Apr 27, 2010)

What type of bench are you building? The height depends a lot on the type of work you do in addition to how tall you are. Will you be working with hand planes and chisels or power tools mostly? The former are lower the latter tend to be a little taller.


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## poppatom (May 21, 2010)

A good rule of thumb is belt buckle high. That's the way I build everything in my shop, that way you're not half stooped over causing your back to hurt.


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## jmos (Nov 30, 2011)

From what I'e read, it's largely a matter of what you're doing; if you use hand planes a lot, you want it low to allow your legs to do most of the work. Say, top as high as the middle of your hand. If you don't do a lot of hand planing, as high as 36" works.


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## wolflrv (Nov 28, 2011)

I know I have my bench at 36" and it's a great height for me to set up and use power tools, but it's a bit too tall to get good torque when using a screwdriver by hand, or even for hand planing and sanding. I plan to probably drop the height about 3"..bringing it to 33", but then again, I'm a short guy(granddaddy was a frenchman)...LOL! I did hear of one guy on another forum that ended up with a 42" bench, because he was 6'6", so it just depends on back comfort and strain on the arms doing various functions. I've also heard bend arm at elbow and hold arm parallel over table and height should be 2-3" below elbow. I would definitely think if you're 6'3", then 34-35" would be a bit short for you.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Build what you think, on the tall side, with the plan to take some off if you need to. How tall is your table saw?


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

What height are you comfortable working at? Hold some tools and get a friend to mark the height of an average height for holding a plane, handsaw, cordless drill etc, then take an inch off for material thickness, vice holding and work to that.


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

HI Tim. I'm 6 ft and my workbench with my tool boxes and my chair is 38" high. I built my router station at 38" too. My assembly bench is 34". Make it comfortable for the work you will be doing at it.Taller person, taller workbench!
Merry Christmas, Tim….....................Jim


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## NJWiliam (May 16, 2011)

Better to start high with a design that allows you to shorten the legs if you're not sure. I use a lot of wooden planes, so it's even lower than is comfortable for metal planes . . .


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## JoeMcGlynn (Dec 16, 2011)

The Schwarz workbench books are a great investment, they cover dimensions. Your height will depend on your body size and the type of work you do.

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techniques/rules_for_workbenches


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

Mine is about waste high but it also depends on what you are going to do with your workbench. Before building it I would invest in one or two of the good workbench books. They'll give you some good ideas on what king of bench to build and all of the dimensions that you'll need to consider.


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## craftsman on the lake (Dec 27, 2008)

I used this rule of thumb, gotten from someplace online at a bench build site. For hand tool work stand up straight and put your arm to your side. Flatten your palm on the table. That's the height that will be the most comfortable.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Less than 1/4in below my TS, in order to serve as an outfeed table, an important consideration.


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## BTKS (Nov 30, 2008)

I set my table to outfeed height. As others have said, beltbuckle high is a good middle ground. Seriously, if your shop is cramped for space, having all benches and most stationary tools at the same height is a God send. Larger stock is much easier to work on and move. Just my two cents. Good luck, BTKS


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

I find that a workbench height that matches the outfeed height doesn't work for me. The workbench top will always be cluttered with tools, wood, etc to use it for an outfeed. Besides, I have a 1200 sq ft shop. I have been working on a design for an adjustable height workbench, using hydraulic jacks, but can't get it sturdy enough or cheap enough to build.


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

My workbench sets about 2' from my 18" bandsaw on the in feed side. The height of the workbench, 37.5", is the same as the height as the table on my bandsaw. That is not a coincidence. FYI - I try to keep this end of the workbench clutter free.

Despite only being 5' 10", I find this to be a comfortable working height.


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## therookie (Aug 29, 2010)

I am 6'5" now and my 38" and it is perfect still


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