How many inches deep are your benches?

[dsgreen3]

I just joined this site and I am blown away by your shops, garages, man caves, what ever you want them to be called. I am getting to the point in my life as my 4 boys are starting to leave the nest that I will have more time and hopefully money to start doing some work on my garage. I have a work bench that I built out of left over 2x6 lumber from building my house and I am thinking about maybe upgrading the design because it makes it hard to reach things on the wall behind it. Is there a some common demensions that work well for most people?

 

[LB-1911]

Some reading for you till others chime in -

What is a good depth for a workbench?
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=135519&showall=1

36" Too Deep for Workbench?
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=217524&showall=1

More @
https://www.google.com/#q=work+bench+depth++garage+journal+site:www.garagejournal.com

 

[Rock Hound]

Why not customize it to the length of your arm? Maybe + a few inches. You will be the one using it more than anyone else.

 

[Gidge]

37" (Height) X 37" (Depth) X 103" (Length).

 

[PCMusicGuy]

36" depth is good for me. It gives me room to have boxes or equipment on the back of the bench but still have plenty of actual working room.

 

[JimbosGarage]

Welcome to the board, I have two the first is 4' x 8' with two 1 1/8'' pieces of plywood on top with 1/4'' hard board glued to the top of that. The second is the same but only 32'' deep. They both are about 40'' tall.

 

[Cyberbear]

Learned over time is the constant bench depth, based on material usage and ergonomics, that 24" is a half sheet of usual flat stock, and is a good depth for reaching objects on the wall while reaching across and over things on the bench top itself. Any such bench should have a decent toe kick space at least 3" x 3."
A 2 x top is a very workable surface improved by a covering of tempered Masonite/hard board to avoid splinters under the finger nail when picking up tools, and a usual 36" bench top height is average that over hangs the cabinet below to keep debris from entering any drawers that may be incorporated into the final bench design. Hope this helps.

 

[Thumper68]

most of mine are 24 3/4" deep (half of a 4x8 sheet of ply + 3/4 trim)

I am building a new Steevo style in the next month or so and have not decided on depth as yet, but I am thinking 30"

 

[drivesitfar]

DS: welcome to the group. since I think you are planning on building your own bench you should customize it for your needs.

some guys do two different heights depending on what tools that they are going to use that are attached to it.

if you want a tool box or organizers on the back of the bench i'd say at least 30 inches deep and maybe 36 inches if you have the room. or have a 24 inch deep bench and have storage or tool boxes underneath it. i'm in the process of setting up my home's garage as a shop that has been a gym for years and here's an 8 foot long 2 foot deep bench that i put a couple nice old 33 drawer organizers under it that i'll have tools and supplies in so hopefully i'll have a fairly clean work surface.

good luck

 

[bobcatdan]

My bench against the wall is 24" deep. I wanted to go 30" deep when I built it, but 24" deep fit the space better. After using it, I don't miss the 6", also I have no problems reaching stuff on the pegboard or the shelf above the bench. My main bench which is free standing away from the wall is 36" across.

 

[SMKS]

I now use a standard counter top purchased from Menards as my bench top. I guess that would be 36", or is it 24"? I can't actually remember the standard depth of a kitchen counter right now.

I've had deeper in the past. If I was custom building a new bench I might go a little deeper, but this has performed really well and was cheap and easy to do.

 

[Richard Cranium]

mine is 24 inches and suits me just fine...

 

[hughfree]

I have built my benches to fit the space. My "clean bench is 26" deep to accommodate the space requirements in front of my 2 post lift. My "dirty bench is 30" deep and fits on a long wall parallel to path entering my two post lift. My "miscellaneous" bench is 24" deep and is placed on the opposite side of my shop from my dirty bench. This give a little wider traffic path when I have car / cars in the shop. I would not want a bench any deeper than 30".....any deeper and it will magically become a junk collector!

 

[zkling]

Learned over time is the constant bench depth, based on material usage and ergonomics, that 24" is a half sheet of usual flat stock, and is a good depth for reaching objects on the wall while reaching across and over things on the bench top itself. Any such bench should have a decent toe kick space at least 3" x 3."
A 2 x top is a very workable surface improved by a covering of tempered Masonite/hard board to avoid splinters under the finger nail when picking up tools, and a usual 36" bench top height is average that over hangs the cabinet below to keep debris from entering any drawers that may be incorporated into the final bench design. Hope this helps.

 

[SJR033]

most of mine are 24 3/4" deep (half of a 4x8 sheet of ply + 3/4 trim)

 

[softailgarage]

I modified the bench Dad built by adding a 6' x 3' top. I used (2 ) 1/2" sheets of plywood and a sheet of chocolate brown hardwood. I restore alot of vintage machinery and need the space. As far as reach, at my old house I had cabinets above the bench and had to use a step stool to get to the back or top shelf. Minor PIA. Now, where I'm at I have no cabinet so it's not a bother. Would rather have the cabinet though.

 

[Leoruiz]

Metal. 28 deep. 40 tall.

 

[softailgarage]

Also by having a 10" hang over (from lip to base of bench) it allowed me to install a light underneath, & an amp and volume control into the face board, not to mention plenty of leg room.

 

[bad_idea]

I am 6' 2" tall. My bench is 38" tall at one end and 42" tall at the other. The floor is sloped pretty good and the bench is 14' long. It is 24" deep w/ a backsplash. I use a 8" deep cabinet above it. The garage is only 14x20, so a long shallow bench works good. Any deeper than 24" only makes for extra storage space, I haven't ran into many projects I needed a deeper bench. If I need something deeper to hold a large project, say a lawnmower, I use my weld bench. The weld bench is 30"x48" and on wheels. I pull the car out, roll the bench to the center of the garage, and plenty of space.

 

[PCO6]

30" for me. I'm currently building a mobile work bench that will be 36" x 60".

View media item 38661

 

[homebuilt burner]

How big are the boxes of stuff your are going to cover it with? At my place it doesn't matter what size the bench is, I always seem to fill it enough so I can't use it. I know others are better at keeping things clean, but I just have so many projects going on.

30" deep 40" tall, inseam +6". I also have set of low sawhorses at 24" I use for transmission jobs and cylinder head work.

 

[Kevin54]

The depth of a bench will vary by half the amount of members we have on here.

When I built my one set of benches, I built them at 32" which to me seemed ideal at the time. My last set, I covered in laminated countertops which are factory made at 24". Not quite deep enough. To me, 36" is nice, but too deep, and 3' out from the wall takes up quite a bit of real estate. So in my mind, 30"-32" out is about right.

Now the height......there is no standard in a garage. Grab your favorite stool to sit on, decide where your arms would feel comfortable laying, then write that figure down. Next, stand up, and see what height feels comfortable to you for a working height. Alter the stool height to match the standing height, and make the bench top at that height.

Basically, it all boils down to what you feel comfortable with. Standing, sitting, reaching.......what feels good. I've probably had three sets of benches since I've had my garage, and 32" deep and 36" high is about right for me. I'm right at 5'11", and that is what I feel comfortable with. Taller or shorter would alter from those dimensions.

Good luck, and post up some pics when you are building them and when completed. Just start a build thread on them.

 

[bagged89s10]

I built mine 26.5" deep against the left wall of my garage. I got a great deal on some 24" deep butcher blocks and then I layed 2x3 flat against the wall to add 2.5" to the depth. It's perfect. Here is a picture of one while I was building my benches.



Here are more pics.



Now I actually have a real desk area too.

 

[OJ Bartley]

The best bench depth is the depth that works for your shop and your reach. I have long arms, but don't have room to go 30" depth AND still park the car, so I'll likely build closer to 20 - 24". Leave a bit of an overhang for clamping space.

 

[scissorman]

I've built two work benches and both are 36" deep as I used a 1 7/8" solid hardwood door as the top surface so it is 80" long and IIRC I built them 41" tall. One of the benches I also installed an .125" steel top with a backsplash that is 8" tall.

 

[PhantomEB]

Everything I own from top and bottom box, welding table, beer fridge, parts washer is 24" deep so I am keeping that measurement for my built in bench. Cupboards be 12" or 16" deep depending on location.

 

[rexer]

36" deep
38" high
108" wide
1/8" steel plate top
1" hardwood under that for the base
also build with 4x4's and doubled up 2x4's
4 doors : 22 1/2" wide 31 1/2" tall
shelf down the middle across

Probably could hold 1500 lbs easy on top or four v8 blocks, 8 cylinder heads and a few crankshafts..lol..

 

[dsgreen3]

Thank you everyone I'm not real tall 5 '7'' so what I guess I was loking for was how narrow from the responses it looks like I could go 24" and still have a workable bench. I am even toying with the idea of a flip down from the wall. My reorganization and project garage yet un named is just ideas running through my head hoping to get put into action some day soon. This most likely will be a work in progress hopefully not taking any longer that a couple of years. When I built my house my attached garage was just a storage area for my wifes car, my tools, lawn mowers and odds and ends. After finding this site I am truley inspired to make it much more. These are some of my favorite threads so far:

Small Two Car Operation - HSpencer
1950s Craftsman Garage retro remodel - Red Leader
Restored 1930's Auto Shop - BB767
The Little Vintage Garage. - bagged89s10
Craftsman Two-Car Space - 1clean4runner
ChadTexas Garage - ChadTexas
The Ultimate Mancave!- highpockets
Suburban Neo-Vintage 3 Car Garage - Boyd
The Asylum - shopnut
Ohio Auto's shop.

So many garages so little time.

 

[dfiler2]

I spent a lot of time trying to decide how to do my work bench. I finally decided to first build a 4x8 outfeed table for my table saw and have now decided I don't want any built in bench. It is on good quality locking casters, I can move where I need it, I can work all the way around it, I can store the tools and materials I'm using on the bottom shelf and change those out when i change projects. The more I've used it the less desire I have to build a stationary bench. I added a heavy metal bench 2x6 with these casters that I mounted a vise on and it can be dropped to the floor so it is very stable. I have more wall space and I've thought if I needed to I could attach it to a wall. I'm considering building another one that could be kept in the unheated portion of the shop if I needed to. Another benefit is I can roll the bench up to the pickup and unload material on it then push it to right where I am using it.

 

[Steevo]

I made mine 30" deep. After several years of working with them, I believe that was a good choice. Not so deep as to collect too much junk along the backsplash (yes, you need a backsplash), and not too shallow for real usefulness.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=126086&highlight=Toolboxes

 

[Ray916MN]

36" for me. I've had 24" and 30" before. I mostly do motorcycle work and I've found that 36" allows me to disassemble stuff on the bench and temporarily store parts towards the back of the bench while still having good working space at the front of the bench.

Having said that, I don't hang anything on the wall behind the benches. If I did, 36" would be too deep for to be convenient.

 

[lowspeed_highdrag]

36, with wheels, so I can use all four sides.

 

[pablo94sc]

Mine is 37" tall, 30" deep, and 83" wide. 27" is easy to do with 24" top bordered by 2-by. I find deeper than 30-31.5" starts getting hard to reach things easily on the wall like switches and outlets, but deep enough to keep things handy yet out of the way while working.

 

[dadsEH]

Junk expands to fill the space available. Depth is a personal choice,
your mileage may differ.....

 

[bazzateer]

I use kitchen counter tops so mine are about 2' deep. Works fine for my needs.

 

[wkearney99]

It really helps to stop and think how you're doing to use the space. Someone doing woodworking and cabinet assembly would probably have much different needs than someone doing electronics, welding, auto or machine part repairs. That and your work habits will affect it. As in, where are your incomplete piles of stuff 'in progress' going to rest? Any flat surface in a shop immediately invites stuff to be put on it. Have a plan for where that **** is going to go BEFORE you have your working bench top cluttered with it.

Either stand-alone, or along a wall, I've found any more than 30" deep for a bench surface ends up being a problem for anything other than a table saw outfeed setup. If you're using a table saw THAT much then you probably already know this. When you have a top deeper than arm's reach you end up either having to walk around it too much or use a step stool to get to shelves/cabinets above it.

I'll add, it helps to make sure anything alongside the bench is either at the same height, or lower. This to allow for overhang if you need to work on longer pieces.

 

[jawmaw]

36" deep
38" high
108" wide
1/8" steel plate top
1" hardwood under that for the base
also build with 4x4's and doubled up 2x4's
4 doors : 22 1/2" wide 31 1/2" tall
shelf down the middle across

Probably could hold 1500 lbs easy on top or four v8 blocks, 8 cylinder heads and a few crankshafts..lol..

Can you post a pic of this bench. It sounds great!!

 

[billbart5]

I have built benches in 2 shops and have stayed with 36" high and 30" deep. These dimensions work well for me to allow cabinets overhead without the risk of hitting my head. They also allow items along the back splash leaving space to work and easy access to wall mounted items.

 

[BellyUpFish]

However deep you go, put a railing on the back of it, so stuff doesn't disappear off the back side.. I started doing that years ago and love it.

 

[timdp]

Here's how the Navy did it:

"i am selling a old world war 2 work bench that came from a battle ship out on mare island.....this thing is 100% steel and super heavy..the size is h=35" length=15'3" d=26"..it can hold up to any thing you can throw at it..it sat out in a warehouse on mare island for years"

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/tls/5145012260.html