Work bench depth?

[Rich]

32" or 36"? The last few benches I've built have been 36" deep, but I don't recall ever using the full depth of the bench for anything. 32" would give me that much more space in the garage. It's a 16' long bench.

 

[Stinger]

I'm a firm believer in only making it as deep as you need. Anything deeper just gives a place for stuff to pile up over time. I used to have 36" in my old shop and I'm going to go with 30" in my new one.

 

[Justanoldguy]

Mine are either 600mm (24") or 750mm (30").
Don't see the point in needing them any wider..

 

[oldgoat]

When I made mine I just used two 2 x 12's so it would be about 23" deep. I wouldn't make it any less than that, but I like it that it takes a min amount of space along the wall. A 36" depth is too deep and will just end up having junk piled up at the back.

 

[Kevin54]

My last bench was 30". My new bench is 24". The extra 6" made a heck of a difference but I wanted to go with a pre-made countertop. The 30" was a heck of a lot handier.

 

[knudsen]

Mine range from 18" to 30". IMHO 30" is the max you can use as a bench, unless it's special purpose like furniture making. Beyond 30" gives you room for storage/junk, as was already said, and that can be good or bad. I prefer the shallower benches, though, so I can reach the peg board without getting up. If the peg board is hard to reach, all the tools end up on the bench, in front of the junk that accumulates in the back. My 30" benches were purchased, otherwise I would have made them 24ish"

 

[Rich]

32" it is. Thanks for the input.

 

[Steve in Mi]

I use mostly steel laboratory base cabinets for benches and they measure 22" front to back so my bench tops are 22.5" deep.

 

[usmc_noma]

i think 26 to 30 inches is a good depth. i probably wouldn't go any more than arms length away from the wall though. when i build my bench it'll probably be 26" with a 1" backsplash so things don't fall back behind the table.

 

[moody]

I have built mine in the past at 36". The depth was useful to me because I used the rear portion to put bolt bins and small tool chests (drawer type) which had my most often used hand tools in them. That left me with about a 24-30" deep work space. Yes, things tend to gather at the back of a deeper bench, but the bins seemed to help keep it organized.

I'm not unusually tall (6'1) but I had no problem reaching all the way to the back. I set my bench heights at 42-46" to reduce back fatigue from bending over the bench. And my roll around cart just slides right underneath when not in use.

 

[Chris Adams]

Had to measure. I built mine 20 years ago at 36. About five years ago I narrowed it down to 30.5, needed the space in the garage.
I found that being narrower worked better 99% of the time.
Now that I am building a new bench for my new shop I will probably make it 30 inches, and 24 inches, it two stages.
The deeper bench just means you get junk moving to the back forever.

 

[wadd1]

all my benches are built 24" X 16'
one sheet of 3/4" cut in half

 

[knudsen]

i think 26 to 30 inches is a good depth. i probably wouldn't go any more than arms length away from the wall though. when i build my bench it'll probably be 26" with a 1" backsplash so things don't fall back behind the table.

I use a 1 X 2 up on end to keep stuff from rolling off. I also space the bench off the wall for power cord pass through. Although I have bench level outlets, it still nice to be able to drop a cord back for bench mounted equipment.

 

[hetkind]

I am going to start building workbenches in the next few weeks...and plan to build one against the back wall, 24" deep, 36" high and 40 feet long...with custom made pull out shelves below for tools and storage. I plan to use spring clips from www.toolclip.com to mount tools to walls, shelves and various other places.

Howard

 

[WSMC633]

All of Mine are 24" deep. They've worked great.

 

[jake00]

24" deep here, work great

 

[Boyd Who]

Mine is quite narrow at 20", but when you only have a 12' wide garage to begin with every little bit of extra room helps.

 

[John Timmins]

I made my bench 36 inches deep and 38 inches high. It is deep because I wanted to put a table saw, shop vac, and a parts cleaner under the bench out of the way.

The top is deep so I put a bench top 3 drawer tool box on the bench in the back against the wall and still have enough room to work in front of the tool box. A lot of stuff in my shop is stored under the bench most of the time.

So consider making the bench deeper than normal and make a plywood top and cover it with thin sheet aluminum or 1/4 inch composition board.

 

[1badmach1]

i went with 30" if anything i'd go maybe 26-28 but no more than 30"

 

[Falcon67]

Mine are 25 1/2 - 1/2 sheet of 3/4 ply with a 2x4 on end at the back to keep the back-wall junk from falling behind the bench.

 

[thdewey]

24" - half a sheet of doubled up 1/2" ply. But I plan on adding 1/2" trim around for edging. 24" is a good use of materials.

That said, I boutght a new Rigid sliding compound miter saw to put in my custom miter workbench. But the saw required at least 42" of clearance for the slide out the back! So, I put it on the old portable workbench and put the old saw (with a new blade ) on the new bench. Best layed plans.......

 

[georgiadave]

If benchtop storage or size of the projects is not a concern, the bench should not be any deeper that arm's reach.

 

[ddrewyor]

My workbench is 24" deep with a 10" tall backsplash to keep things from dropping off the back. Also, keep in mind about getting the height correct for working comfortably and not having to be bent over. When I'm standing, my workbench top is about 4" below my elbow.

I plan to use spring clips from www.toolclip.com to mount tools to walls, shelves and various other places.

Howard

Those clips work great - I used them when I built my wall mounted tool cabinet.

Dave
________
Honda gl650i

 

[kwb]

all my benches are built 24" X 16'
one sheet of 3/4" cut in half

I did a slight variation on this and went 28" top and then used the 20" drop from the other half of the sheet as a shelf underneath.

 

[Dead Skunk]

So Steve-in-Mi, where does one find medical cabinets to use as work bench bases? I'd like to redo my work benches, which are currently 32" deep and sit 3 or 4 inches from the wall because they **** up against the foundation. They create the usual clutter problem on top and waste floor space, too.

 

[Mike in Ohio]

I've always built them 36" deep but in the new shop I still don't have benches built. I took a frame I made for something else and nailed some plywood on it for a temporary bench,it is about 26" deep and I am starting to like that size for working on. No room for toolboxes against the back wall though like I did on the 36"s. But will be much easier to reach pegboard on the wall.
Good luck,
Mike

 

[Torque1st]

Dead Skunk, Look around for hospital or medical office labs that are being remodeled. I grabbed the base cabinets and wall cabinets from a local lab. I also got some of that hard black counter top that went with them.

I never liked putting tool boxes on my bench. There always seems to be something sitting in front of them when you need a tool.

 

[Rich]

Thanks for the input.

16' long, 27" deep, and 40" tall. And, I only needed one sheet of 3/4" plywood...good call on that one! I'm going to sand & paint it tomorrow.

 

[ddawg16]

Do both.....

24" Is a standard depth....any deeper and all you really do is start shoving junk back there....

36" is usefull for large projects....but I would suggest a rolling bench of that depth....basically, make a 36" x 60" bench that you can pull away from the wall....then you can work on all sides of the project.....that is what most woodworkers do.

You also need to consider height.....the standard is 36"...typical for a kitchen counter....I'm 5' 12" so I prefer a little more height....so I do mine 38"....that way if I'm sitting on a stole....or standing, the top is about the same height to me....

But for the 36" table...go 30" height.....you are typically going to have larger items on it....so the lower it is, the easier it is to lift stuff up and it's not so high that the projects are above your head....

 

[mjozefow]

If you go 32" you can make a triple thick top from two pieces of plywood. Mine is that way and is VERY sturdy.

 

[rieferman]

just had to share my blunder.. i completely built my table (8 foot long, 30 inch top, 18 inch shelf underneath [which meant a single sheet of 3/4" thick plywood needed only one cut to do the top and the shelf) at a height of 42 inches. Finished. Hated the height, too tall (and I'm 6'2"). Had to unbolt the thing from the wall, tip it over, painstakingly shorten each leg (ever heard that old adage about leveling a table one leg at a time?). Now I'm at 39 inches tall and it's perfect.

I agree with ddawg about the rolling cart with a deeper surface too. I plan to build one with fold out leaves for support.

 

[porschedude996TT]

My fixed work bench depths are 25-5/8" (Ikea Kitchen Butcher Block Counter Top) on top of Custom Cabinets. I am supprised that reiferman didn't like his 42" work bench height. Mine are close to that and I like them. ???

I agree with the dawg, I plan to build seveal rolling work tables.

 

[rieferman]

I really thought I'd like the 42" too.. I had it mocked up ahead of time, it's not as though I just picked it willy nilly. But, even the best plans go wrong sometimes The main issue was when I was sitting on my stool at the counter, I felt like I really had to reach up too high to be comfortable. 39" has been great, I don't feel like I'm stooping when standing, and it's comfortable for sitting on a standard stool.

 

[nate379]

Mine is 24" and I find it to be too narrow for many things. I think 30-32" would work better, only thing is you end up wasting 1/4 of a sheet of plywood.

 

[Jack Olsen]

I like the look of the 96"x24" piece edged with 2x4's.

 

[mustangmccance]

I like 24 inch edged with 2x 4 as well. I built one last year that width and it is working well. I built it as a semi mobile work bench. didn't it to move when I was working on it so I built it with retractable casters on the front legs. so I can roll it around, then raise the casters and it is stable. my new cabinets I just started will have the same setup I like the width. it is adequate but not too much and it is the best use of the available lumber. my upper cabinets are 16 inches deep for the same reason. deep enough to use, and I rip one sheet into 3 pieces.

 

[flesburg]

If you want a working top and not a storage shelf, I like 16" depending of course what I am working on. Deep enough for the things I work on. I have several at 16" some at 24-25" and a 20' wide bench with a radial arm saw in the center. It is 30" deep in order to have support for long boards on either side or on both sides of the saw cut. It is good for that, but the back 12" or so just becomes a "catch all" for junk that I should either put away or throw away--stuff I shove back out of the way when using the radial arm. Many free standing work benches are 16" x 72".

 

[NUTTSGT]

Do both.....

24" Is a standard depth....any deeper and all you really do is start shoving junk back there....

36" is usefull for large projects....but I would suggest a rolling bench of that depth....basically, make a 36" x 60" bench that you can pull away from the wall....then you can work on all sides of the project.....that is what most woodworkers do.

You also need to consider height.....the standard is 36"...typical for a kitchen counter....I'm 5' 12" so I prefer a little more height....so I do mine 38"....that way if I'm sitting on a stole....or standing, the top is about the same height to me....

But for the 36" table...go 30" height.....you are typically going to have larger items on it....so the lower it is, the easier it is to lift stuff up and it's not so high that the projects are above your head....

Some good factors to point out there.

Questions one must ask themselves.

1. What to you plan using the workbench for?

2. Are you putting shelves or cabinets above the bench?

3. Are going to be sitting at it while working, leg room while sitting on a stool?

4. How tall are you ? This will affect your "reachability" (cabinets/shelves)

5. Is 5' 12" anything like 6 feet ?

 

[panchohughes]

This is a really really old thread... but I found it helpful and interesting. I just build my workbench this weekend, and I was debating what height and depth to make it.
I like a taller bench so that the work is closer to my eyes and I don't have to lean down.
Ended up going with a 40" height and 26" depth 8' width.

 

[Makoto]

i like about 30 inches but its on wheels so i can pull it away from the wall.