cabinet/workbench height

[ed_v]

What to you guys find to be the ideal height for a work surface?

I'm debating between 36" and 42".

Ed

 

[crowldawg]

I like the 36" height

 

[reinhardt]

i am 6'2" and i went w/ 42" for my workbench. typical kitchen counters are 36". only issue i have run into w/ the taller bench is my vise. i have a large wilton vise on my bench that is about a foot high. if i clamp something in the vise to weld or drill into i need a step stool to work on. then again, with the vise being so tall, i would need a step stool even if the bench were shorter. i have had the bench built for about a year now, and i am considering cutting it down a little. maybe to 39" or so. 36" is too low and at times 42" is a bit high. i'm sure other, less **** retentive, people will chime in w/ simpler answers.

 

[Scout Driver]

Build a 42" bench with a portion of 36" bench. Best of both worlds. A friend of mine went into a local bar one evening with a tape measure and measured the height of the bar. His workbench got built the same height as the bar.

Scott

 

[Wanna Ride]

i am 6'2" and i went w/ 42" for my workbench.

Same here.

 

[Tommydogg]

I went 40" on mine. I have built two in this garage so far, I went taller in my last garage, by agout 4 inches and they were too tall.

 

[v7guy]

I'm 5'10" and I built mine at 37"... works for me.

 

[Mike14k]

Mostly they are 36", including my assembly table. But I have one 42" high I call the "detail" bench for fine work.

And I'm 6' tall.

 

[rwhite692]

I like "bellybutton, plus 2 inches" for benches that I stand at.

and my welding table is down at 27" because I sit there on an old swivel office chair.

 

[Mr.N]

I like "bellybutton, plus 2 inches" for benches that I stand at.

I go elbow height, dang near the same thing.

 

[Jeff]

42" is the industry standard for bar height.

I made 3 benches. Two of the benches are 38" tall and the bench which the vise sits is 33".

 

[Jack Olsen]

Desk height is usually 30". Counters and benches are usually 36". But you've got to try different heights to see what you want.

I'm 5'11" and I make all my benches 37".

 

[kngkong]

Im 5'10" and mine is at 40.5" which feels really great when setting things on the table. Makes it really comfortable to do detailed work. Like others have mentioned when things are in the vise they can be a little high for filing and some sawing. A two height workbench would probably be ideal for mounting the vise on the lower portion.

 

[28HopUp]

I'm glad to read that I'm not the only one who prefers a higher workbench. I'm 6'1", and a 36" surface top is too low for me.

Build a 42" bench with a portion of 36" bench. Best of both worlds.

I'm doing a similar thing in my basement. I'm building a corner workbench using mated 2x4's (instead of 4x4 posts). Most of the under-storage will have sliding doors rather than open shelves (too much sawdust for shelves), but one section will be open so I can slide my table saw under it. So the height of my main benchtop requires a 35.5" minimum opening on the underside for the saw. With 2x4 construction, 3/4" plywood (maybe double thickness), and a hardboard surface top, the highest surface top will be at least 40".

On one end of the bench, I've built a step-down&up to hold the compound miter saw flush with the bench. The other end has a step-down for a table-top bandsaw. I haven't figured out vise placement yet. The vise may be too high if I mount it to the surface top, so I may mount it with a receiver hitch under the top edge of the bench to get the right height.

 

[PaulR]

Building mine right now, I'm 5'11. 36" felt so short seeing the line scribed up against the wall, so when I went to a 36" counter it felt fine....back to the wall, re-measured, decided to go 39...now that I'm almost done I wish I went 36 or 37"

 

[NUTTSGT]

I believe mine is 40".

You have to decide whatever is the most comfortable for your height. Also keep in mind how deep you are making the work bench and if you are hanging anything over the workbench like pegboard or cabinets.

 

[kywildcat]

Im going to make mine 36" high and 24" deep. Im going to run a 2'x8' piece of pegboard on the wall right over the workbench.

 

[hh76]

I think mine ended up around 45. I concentrated on the height needed when I'm standing, which is how I typically work. I didn't really consider the height of my favorite stool though, so that needed a slight lift.

I like having it higher, alows a little more room underneath for some taller items.

 

[jwillis]

I am 6'1" and I like mine about 42". About the height of my naval. My arms are about parallel to the workbench. A little lower is OK. I put my lightswitches/outlets about 55" to the middle of the switch. Good luck.

 

[vlpronj]

Do you expect to stand or sit?
Do you work on big stuff or little stuff?
Do you want to be able carry something heavy over to the bench, and slide it on without lifting it much?
Do you like to rest your arms/elbows on your work surface?
Do you plan to store anything specific under it, that needs aset amount of clearance?

Not looking for you to answer, just trying to toss out how I'd make the decision, BTW.

 

[PCO6]

I'm 5'10" and I built mine at 37"... works for me.

I'm 5'9" and mine is 36". You're taller than me but our arms must be the same length.

 

[bazzateer]

I'm 6'2" and the last one I built was higher than 36", probably about 40". I have back issues so need the height to avoid leaning over too much. for my new garage I'm thinking of a similar height for standing at and maybe a lower one for sitting at.

 

[PCO6]

I'm 6'2" and the last one I built was higher than 36", probably about 40". I have back issues so need the height to avoid leaning over too much. for my new garage I'm thinking of a similar height for standing at and maybe a lower one for sitting at.

My back is pretty good but about 25 years ago I built my parts washer with the basin floor at the same height as my bench (36") specifcally to avoid getting a sore back when I used it. I have never regretted that - it works great.

 

[T1320T]

Something else to consider... If you're going to put shelving below or store things below the bench, you may want to measure the things you're going to store there. It'd **** to build your bench THEN find out that stuff won't fit under it. Just a thought.

 

[NJHandyGuy]

mine are set for 44" but i am also 6'6"

 

[transplant_wi]

I am 6'4" and have a 38" high bench - it is primarily for woodworking and works well for plane and chisel work.

 

[ed_v]

Something else to consider... If you're going to put shelving below or store things below the bench, you may want to measure the things you're going to store there. It'd **** to build your bench THEN find out that stuff won't fit under it. Just a thought.

This is the reason I posted this thread. I need 38" for my Snap-On roll cabinet to roll under it. The thing I worry about is the top being too high then. I plan on using the workbench surface as a welding table.

Thanks for all the great input so far guys.

Ed

 

[frankkl]

Mine are at 34''

 

[jethro29]

i like mine just a little bit above waist height which for me is40".it's 11 feet long 3 feet wide and 40 inches tall and it works out great for me.

 

[yzair]

40 1/2 " Here

 

[usmc_noma]

I'm about 5'9" and my bench is at 36". I'm happy with the way it is. I basically put mine at the same height as a countertop and figured it felt good standing at the counter so it should be good for a bench. Good sit down height too.

 

[PaulR]

Bench Building tip:

I'm in the process of building a 15 foot long bench, had a nice line scribed along the wall perfectly level to build off of.....Found out my floor was off almost an inch along the 15 feet, raised heck with my brain for a few hours until I figured out what the problem was (I'm a deck jockey not a carpenter).

CHECK YOUR FLOOR FOR LEVEL if your building a long bench. You'd be suprised how much it may slope.

 

[EdT]

Regarding floor slope. While there are plenty of floors out there sloped for the wrong reasons, around here the building code requires that garage floors slope toward the doors. I am winding up my build now, but when I was going through the permitting stuff we had to be real sure that everyone (especially the guys setting the forms and finishing the concrete)understood that this was a SHOP, not a GARAGE even though it has some big doors.

 

[V-10 Killer]

I'm 5'9" and built my first set of workbenches at 42". That was a little too high.
The ones I'm building right now are 40" which I think will be just right for standing or working on a stool.
I can work standing up all day long, but 10 minutes of "hunched over" work just kills my back/neck, so I'd rather err high.

 

[rdkc01]

I have a 42" roll around and all the other counter tops are at 36". I like the 36" best. Leverage and handeling is better for me. I am 6'-0"

 

[KrisKustomPaint]

I'm 5'9" and built my first set of workbenches at 42". That was a little too high.
The ones I'm building right now are 40" which I think will be just right for standing or working on a stool.
I can work standing up all day long, but 10 minutes of "hunched over" work just kills my back/neck, so I'd rather err high.

Agreed... I'm 5'9" and mine is at 41" or so. Lower than that and I feel like I'm stooped over and my back knows it the next day.