Kneehole . . . or not

[Sevillian]

I'm designing a new work area and trying to decide about whether to create a "kneehole" under the workbench by leaving out a base cabinet. In my last garage, there was a kneehole. I did have a swivel seat, and did find myself sitting there to read a manual or diagram, clean up a small part, or just take a break from wrenching on a hot day. But I suspect I could have sat there anyway even without the kneehole space; it wound up being the space where scrap wood etc. accumulated. If you have one do you use it? If you don't have one, you you wish you did?

 

[BillK]

Probably depends on what type of work you plan on doing on the bench. In my house garage I do a lot of old radio repair and small parts work where I am sitting at the bench working on stuff. I cant imagine not having a kneehole in that situation. But at my business I am almost always standing at the bench working on engine parts so a kneehole is not really needed.

 

[nadogail]

As the immediately previous poster said; It Depends.

 

[Blind1]

Knee space and footrest is mandatory for me.

 

[Sevillian]

The more I think about it, the more I think I will want one. Also need to keep in mind I'm not getting any younger; I might be doing more sitting in the future. Also, depending on the cabinets I go with, there might be a roller available that could park in the kneehole so as not to sacrifice storage space.

 

[19Vert64]

Go with both, no knee hole on the taller work bench for standing but have a knee hole on the lower bench for sitting and working on smaller parts


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[glentre]

I do my desk work at a regular work bench. It has a flat top and a single bottom shelf about 8" off the floor. When seated on a stool, my knees fit nicely in the open space between the top and the bottom open shelf.

Glen

 

[didit]

A set back shelf provides just enough room for knee clearance. Makes a good place for a few small tool boxes with easy access and a stool can slide in, out of the way. I keep a 5 gal. trash bucket under there as well.

 

[Matt M PA]

My Dad's trick, and one I still have in my garage is to make the bench top deeper than it needs to be. This gives a "ledge" on the front side for knees while on a stool, but you loose no cabinet or storage space.

 

[alfazer]

I only need knee space occasionally for soldering or fine dremel work. So I have a roll cabinet in there that I just pull out of the gap when required. Best of both for me.

 

[jmarkwolf]

There was a popular bar in my home town when I was a yungin. The bar had no over hang so you couldn't swing your knees under and plant your elbows. Always hated it.

Ever since, all my benches have "knee holes".

 

[jmarkwolf]

Duplicate deleted by author.

 

[CraigStu]

I say build the kneehole. Several posters have suggestions for using the space w/ easily removed items so not much worry about wasting space.

 

[SundayFunday]

If you do a knee hole, make sure that there is enough height clearance between your stool/chair and the bottom of the bench for your legs to fit.

You can guess how I discovered the importance of that.

 

[Ty.]

Do it, my bench is pretty deep and tall in the first place, but I still like the option to use a stool if I need to. It was also a good place to mount an air hose reel so I don't have to drag a hose around.

 

[nadogail]

My knees are under my desk top, not having a knee hole would be uncomfortable.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I made one at my bunch. It's a place to put the shop stool so it doesn't take up much floor space.

 

[sz0k30]

Here's a workbench I made for my basement. Tall enough to work standing up, with a bottom shelf cutout to slide in sitting down.

 

[Rod N]

I keep my garbage pail in mine. Easy to pull it out and wipe into it from my benchtop.

 

[Is this thing on]

I do and don't.
Picture a kitchen table that the ends fold down when not needed. then when you need it, you lift it up and slide the 1x2" board out to hold it up.
I did that to the work bench area that I might need to sit at, when I need to sit, I lift the 4'x18" part of the bench top, and then slide out the 2) 1"x2" wood to hold it up. bonus extra workbench space when needed, and when not, it folds down and out of the way.

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

I don’t on my bench-

But there are times when doing small parts work/repair that requires a bit of time that I wish I had one. As it is, I tend to shift a lot- get up and take a break- because of the awkward position from not having a hole.

 

[kwb]

I have that - big enough for the trash can and Shop vac to go. If I needed to work on a stool that is where I would set up camp. 15yrs now and I still never got around to buying a stool, but that is what that space was setup for.

 

[coljar]

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Here's mine in the garage. It's the clean stuff bench. The heavy benches are out of sight.

 

[Sevillian]

Thanks for all the responses; I'm going to leave space for a kneehole. If I was tight on storage I might skip it, but I've got plenty of storage (famous last words).