Workbench height for a guy who is 6' 4"

[Bruce/CT]

Hi,

I'm building a workbench for my son-in-law. He's 6 foot 4 inches tall. What would be a comfortable height to put the workbench table? Not sure if he will stand or sit; probably some of both.
Thanks, Bruce

 

[vartz04]

40-42". I'm 6'3 and it works great.


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[Mustang1167]

The bench I made last year is 38". It's nice because I'm not looking directly down all the time. I'm 6' so maybe someone taller can chime in.

 

[Streetbu]

About 40". It will also depend what height the stools are he will be using.

 

[ZRX61]

The formula is distance from elbow to floor, minus the height of the vise = bench height

 

[chevelleshop]

I've found 40" to be the perfect height for me at 6'2

 

[Angelfire]

I have found it depends particularly on what you will be doing at the bench. For woodworking, it's recommended that you drop your arms by your side, put your hand flat (fingers facing forward) and measure from the palm of your hand to the floor. The thinking here is that when you're doing handwork (ie. plane work, handsaw, chisel, etc...) you'll get a bit better leverage when the work is a bit lower. That being said, if I were tying flies for fishing or something, I'd definitely want something taller.

 

[Rockcam]

I'm 6'5, and agree with ZRX - though I did the math a bit differently, it probably works out about the same.

Measure elbow height from the floor, subtract 4" (about the height of ZRX's vise perhaps). For me, that ended up being 44" high. That sounded really high to me, but as someone who spends his life bending over and adapting to things designed for "short people (those under 6'0" ;^) ), it's absolutely perfect.

Now if this is a surprise for your son in law, you just need to figure out how to get that elbow measurement....

 

[DBendr]

Same here.40" benches all around.. A welding table is nicer about 43-44 for elbow stabilizing.My welding table is also far better standing.You'd have to have a custom stool to sit there correctly and roast your nuts in a spray of sparks

 

[GTA Matt]

I'm 6'6, do mostly assembly stuff standing up at my bench, it's 47" high. I built another bench a few inches shorter and it's not near as comfortable to work at.

 

[Gotcha640]

Is it meant to be a surprise? I have a 36" heavy table for things that need to be beaten or circular sawed or otherwise leaned on, a 43" for general small assembly and light stuff, and some 48" saw horses for when I have to work on both sides of plywood or a large bulky project and need to get under it.

What will he do on it? Does it need a leg vise or a welding rod oven or a fly tying stand or a server rack or a paint brush wash station?

I would love some help building another work bench, but I definitely wouldn't want a surprise built to someone else's preferences.

 

[MXRACER]

What is he going to be working on? Small stuff or large stuff that may make a difference, if he is rebuilding watches or bar stools.

 

[homebuilt burner]

I am just going through this as well. At 6'3", my table saw is 38" and I set my benches at that height so I can slide this around the shop without lifting. That seems like a good height for woodworking. If I rebuild transmissions I would like a bench at about 30". It depends on what you're doing. One place I worked we had adjustable benches, that was awesome, set them low for heavy work and higher for finer work. Also, it depends on sitting/standing. The older I get the more I want to sit and work.

 

[exmaxima1]

The formula is distance from elbow to floor, minus the height of the vise = bench height

The simpler "formula" to remember for bench height is the HEIGHT OF YOUR A$$HOLE. Seems to be very accurate.....

 

[Showkey]

6'3"........39" and 41.5" for detail work like the 41.5".

 

[Flat-rate]

I'm 6' 5. The metal bench here at work is up on 6X6 wood and raised it to 38". Seems about perfect for me. I have a 42" bench at home and its too tall. The a$$hole rule is real close.
The guys here at work complain about mine being too high, will then go make a mess on another bench!

 

[Kevin54]

There is no set height for a workbench. Just build it for whatever is comfortable for your person.

 

[A**holes Garage]

I'm 6' 4". and I built 3) steel, portable, combo welding / workbenches a few years back. I use them for fabrication and for bar tops on occasion. Mine are 39" high and work just fine for 90% of the stuff I build and weld. For tall projects, I set up a shorter bench using steel, adjustable saw horses with a removable steel plate.

 

[Jazz1]

I had seen similar hinged stools at work stations in a paper mill.. Easy enough to make from a salvage office chair and a bit of hardware. Adjustable in case you have a growth spurt


not mine!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Industrial-...991975?hash=item33b0c460e7:g:0KAAAOSwnLdWqq2h

 

[NUTTSGT]

At 6'1" I made my benches 40" as it sucked working at a lower bench. I have Cman stools that I use at my bench and worktable. They have adjustable height and are fine.

 

[lutter94]

6' 2 1/2" (thats right, I added the 1/2").......Love the bench set to 41" bar stools seem to like it too....
https://scontent-lga3-1.**.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xal1/v/t1.0-9/11899745_10100571039066096_2279661361110307001_n.jpg?oh=4669ea14db3123928a3e0da83d8004dc&oe=572617A1

 

[Plump]

Yep, 40-42" for me at 6' 2 3/4" (Ha! Got you by a 1/4" Lutter) Plus, it keeps short people (that look like you [kids], live in your house [wife], or think they should borrow stuff [friends]) away like repellent!

 

[HalfGerman]

I still need to build a bench for my garage. I was thinking belly button height ( 42"). I'm at 6'2". Technically, I am 6 ft 1 7/8".

 

[Bruce/CT]

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO TOOK THE TIME TO ANSWER MY QUESTION

1. Yes, it will be a Father's Day surprise.
2. Sadly, he's not very handy so no heavy work will be done there unless I do it. Mainly, home maintenence projects.
Thanks again, Bruce/CT

 

[Wocka]

I'm 6'4". I made my work bench 38" I think its perfect height. It's not to tall for my shorter buddies that come over and just right for me.

 

[619DioFan]

I am 6'4" . 42 inches seems to be the best height for me.

 

[ZRX61]

The simpler "formula" to remember for bench height is the HEIGHT OF YOUR A$$HOLE. Seems to be very accurate.....

My ******* is a few inches lower than my workbench height. The vises are 7in high(static) & 8in high (swivel). That bench is 35in & elbow height falls right between the height of the two vises. This is a fluke as the bench had a HF swivel vise at one end & a Wilton 400N at the other until I swapped them out. It now has a Morgan 40 & a Morgan 140.
My welding bench height is 40in
Next bench will be slightly different height as I have a pair of RockIslands (static & swivel) that are bigger than the Morgans.

 

[gnarlyleech]

subscribed. I'm 6'4". good information here

 

[metalmagpie]

6'1" here. My benches are 42".

 

[Lefty 29]

The adjustable height Gladiator bench I saw at Sears today was set at 42". I'm 6'4" and it seem perfect for me.

 

[y5e06]

44"
I am 6'4" with a bad back..
just raised one and mis measured my new leveing feet. it is now at 46" but still useable.
Make the height adjustable +/- 2" and target 42"

the elbow height minus 4" is a great guide. I arrived at almost the exact same spec myself.

 

[Easterlake]

I'm pushing 6'7" and am just finishing up on a 44" high bench. My old one was just under 43". I've dealt with everyone else's world all my life. When they come to my shop, they can deal with mine.

 

[Falcon67]

I'm 6' 1" and mine is 38" off the floor. So the 38~40" is probably a good sweet spot. I can sit on a high stool or stand and both are easy on the back.

 

[drivesitfar]

ALL: i'm 6'3" and 36 works ok especially if it's a vintage old miliary steel bench, but if i was building one it would be at least 38 and probably 40 inches. now i've seen some members put a few different levels in their wood benches for a miter saw and a vise or bench grinder.

using a trailer hitch type mount for the vise or bench grinder would lower it enough for me so i only need to worry about the top of the bench which would be ideal at 40.

FYI: I'm thinking of putting casters on my old military steel bench to raise it up.

 

[Corndoggeh]

I have 2 benches. One is approximately 5 feet tall for intricate work that i need to be looking closely at without bending my back and the other is about 43 inches tall for woodworking and my main vice.

 

[vettex2]

How tall are the stools?

 

[-Brent-]

Mine is set at nearly 43". The plan was 42", originally, but an oversight landed me a little higher. It was a good mistake to make.

I'm 6'3". Also, I do have a vise. I thought that maybe it would be too high bit I haven't noticed that being the case.

 

[-Brent-]

I'm pushing 6'7" and am just finishing up on a 44" high bench. My old one was just under 43". I've dealt with everyone else's world all my life. When they come to my shop, they can deal with mine.

Quoted because I like this opinion!

 

[vtwinjunkie]

I personally like anything that ranges from my belly button to my lower chest. that way I can stand or sit to work at it

 

[bczygan]

Adjustable?