Building Benchtop Height

[Dick Pacini]

I am thinking of raising my new bench by about 4 inches to facilitate building without having to bend my back too much.  Presently, it is 33.25" high.  I think a higher working surface will be easier on the back.  Any comments?

[Tim Wescott]

Tall-enough benches are very nice.  If you're tall, you're probably used to working on too-short benches.  If you're short, it's the other way around.  They really need to be made for you.

Go for it.

[larry borden]

I'm 6'2" and my benches are tall enough for me to work standing up or sitting on a bar stool.

[Douglas Ames]

Watchmakers love tall benches for that very reason.

[Steven Kientz]

  I'm 6'5" and my bench is about elbow height. Works great.

Steve

[Randy Powell]

Mine is right at the top of my hipbone.

[Neville Legg]

Is it connected to your..... thigh bone?

Cheers

[Joseph Lijoi]

Ergonomic load height for an operator on industrial equipment, like a guy putting parts into a machine that will automatically assemble the parts is 38"-42".  This is for someone who is standing.  Your hands will be a couple of inches above your waist.  The easiest on your back would be a bench that you could sit at for most assembly, and another one that was at 38"-42" inches.  Sounds like the easiest solution is a bench at 38"-42" and a height adjustable task or drafting chair on wheels, so you could sit or stand.  The drafting chairs have a ton of height adjustment.  Good luck.

[Douglas Ames]

I guess the only answer is to build what you are comfortable with, assuming a four hour build session. If no problems at that time, then the perfect height is there.  More often than not I go for about that time as time flys when building.  Then I really have to take a break. 

Don't you mean 8 bells?

[Fred Cronenwett]

My workbench is 37" tall and has rails on exposed edges so stuff doesn't fall off. When I recieved the workbench 2nd hand it was too short and had the same problem, now I can stand and don't have to bend over. Best move I ever made raising it to 37"

Fred C.

[Larry Fruits]

 Dick:
 My workbench is 37 inches tall. I am 5'9" and that puts the bench top right at my elbows. I can work at it comfortably standing or on an adjustable stool. 33" would be too low for me and cause back problems. I agree with other comments though, you have to find a height that is "comfortable" for you. As you can see, we all have different heights for our tables, which are probably comfortable for each of us. Don't hesitate to raise yours up. I bet you will be glad you did.

  Larry

[Mike Griffin]

Dick as you know, I am cursed with bad knees and a bad back but as a cottage kit manufacturer I am on my feet a lot.  My back hurts if I am standing or sitting and I have found it almost impossible to build kits lying down.   

So what I did was go to Sam's  Wholesale and bought me a butcher block workbench with steel legs which is 38" high.  Then I went to Sears and bought a high swivel stool with a back on it.  I prefer to build standing up because there are so many steps that require it but I have found when my knees and  back REALLY start to hurt, I can either lean against the stool or sit in it and be high enough above the work that I can see what I am doing and still build.

This works for me, I do not know how it would work for anyone else.  Hope this helped.

Mike

[Mike Griffin]

By the way Dick, if you raise your bench by 4 inches that would bring it to about the same height as mine and some of the other guys who posted on this.  I am 5'11" and it works for me.

Mike

[Will Hinton]

I'm 6'1" and my build island is at 38.5, and since I have a neck injury from long ago I wish it was 2 inches higher. 
If I work at my electronic bench at 36" I end up going to the bone cracker the next day, so I have padded lifts to lay the work on that raise it another 4'.  That works well and, as others have pointed out, a bar stool works fine.  I found two that were nicely padded at a garage sale for 5 bucks for both!  (That lets the cat set up there with me since I can only set on one at a time.)

[John Eyer]

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