posted
I am going to build some new work stations here at the shop. I know I'm going to make them much taller than the existing benches, but I can't go maximum height for me alone as my helper is shorter than I am so they need to fit both of us.
I thought I remember in another thread about the work bench height being at elbow height or so many inches below it. A search only brought up Henry Barkers post on work benches. The first two I'm building are going to be mainly weeding & masking benches.
What better place than to ask what works best for you. Thanks
Don't forget to put them all on wheels. Two of them should be locking to keep the table somewhat stationary.
You are right to make the tables the height for both of you. It is easier to work on a bench that is a little too low than too high.
Send pics when you are done. Inquiring minds want to see.
Have a great one!
-------------------- Bruce Bowers
DrCAS Custom Lettering and Design Saint Cloud, Minnesota
"Things work out best for the people who make the best of the way things work out." - Art Linkletter Posts: 6464 | From: Saint Cloud, Minnesota | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
OK you guys, 2 replies but no measurements.
I'm looking for the ideal workbench height for a weeding bench. What I have right now is on 2 saw horses, (yeah I know, 4.5 years in the new shop and my bench is still on saw horses) 33 inches tall and I know that is way to short because my back is killing me when I weed vinyl for any length of time.
This bench is not going on wheels. But I plan on some new assembly benches that WILL incorporate the easel concept and wheels.
I gotta agree with Bruce on the wheels for larger benches. A must for heavy beanches.
My weeding table is hinged to a wall with barn door style hinges and is made of MDO covered with a self healing sheet. The bottom edge has a piece of trim tacked to it (similar to a drafting table) to keep things from sliding off. I use a 44" tall sawhorse for the legs. When not in use, it easily drops to the wall and is out of the way. I'm 6' tall and my son ocassionally helps out with weeding, so the tilt is an easy way to adjust for both of us. Just have to push the sawhorse back a few inches.
Hope this helps... Rapid
-------------------- Ray Rheaume Rapidfire Design 543 Brushwood Road North Haverhill, NH 03774 rapidfiredesign@hotmail.com 603-787-6803
I like my paint shaken, not stirred. Posts: 5648 | From: North Haverhill, New Hampshire | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
I'm 5'3" Ernie is 6'2" Our 2 work benches are 38" tall. The height is fine for the 2 of us. We have a 4'x 8' self healing cuting mat on 1 of them. Some where on this board, someone said they store their full sheets of substrates under their cutting mat.
Diane
-------------------- Balch Signs 1045 Raymond Rd Malta, NY 12020 518 885-9899 signs@balchsigns.com http://www.balchsigns.com Posts: 1721 | From: MaltaNY | Registered: Jan 2000
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posted
I have two weeding tables that are both portable,but could be adapted for shop use. one is 15"x96" and the other is 24"x96". both are of 3/8" mdo(used sign board sanded and painted) and have 1" angle on the back to raise them off any surfaces I put them on.This gives me room for clamps to hold the vinyl in place so I have both hands free to weed. at one end I have a premask dispenser so that I can premask as soon as I have finished weeding. Another great trick I have found is to have a shelf just below eye level with flourescent shop lights under it. the shelf blocks off the glare and makes a great place to stow all those tools that seem to always be in the way. with this type of lighting I find it easier to weed white and black cuts that would otherwise be hard on the eyes.
-------------------- fly low...timi/NC is, Tim Barrow Barrow Art Signs Winston-Salem,NC Posts: 2224 | From: Winston-Salem,NC,USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Dave Find yerself some drafting tables I have 4 in my shop one is tilted slightly and is set for me the other 3 are end to end...that gives me a workin surface of 18' x 44" all surfaces are covered with self healing rubber...ya gotta glue the rubber down they are adjustable you can lay em flat you can tilt em you can raise n lower em SOmtimes...I stand em all at 90 degrees for an upright easel... they have lotsa drawers for storage and top space under work surface for storage any flat surface is not safe from clutter here so thats nice I got 6 tables with the drafting arms on em in exchange fer letterin a boat....everbady goin to cad systems they even delivered em worth a look also have a 4 x 8 table..on wheels...37" to surface from floor...Im 6' its perfect for assembly ...... but it has no brakes....bfm! I prefer the slight tilt for weeding....easier on back n eyes !
posted
I have had the same problem for years sawhorses and a soreback, I built my benches at over 1m (1100mm)height from the begining, but they were abit high for reaching the other side 1200m (4ft) wide, I lowered them to 95cm, over here in Europe 90cm is a suggested height for kitchen worktops etc, My 2 benches are 5.5 metres in length thats nearly 20ft and have 10 german made high quality wheels on them with 4 braked wheels on each table. I am about 5ft 10" in height (1.8m) if that helps. made 2 identical benches so I could roll them together to make them 8ft wide, or roll them out in the sunshine or move them if I was doing something large in strofoam etc.
Over here IKEA sell work tables with electric motors in, that you can raise and lower accordingly. On the same industrial park as me we have a company called LINAK that sell actuators worldwide www.linak.com you could build a bench to suit you and your partner/co-worker, that you could adjust in height not just for the 2 of you but for different jobs too.
posted
I like a high table, last one was just a little too high though, we had to lift feedout from the laminator up and on to it. When we moved, I took the opportunity to set height 1" lower than exit of laminator, It's still about 36" High. Having table set at end of laminator is a great thing, one person can easily handly 4x8 sheets for laminating, we use the laninator a lot for sheeting reflective onto dibond.
-------------------- Mike O'Neill
It has yet to be proven that intelligence has any survival value. - Arthur C. Clarke
posted
dave i think iam the one who said ..a good worktable heigth is 3-4 inches lower then your forarm, standing straight up and with your arm hanging, bring your hand up to 90 degree at the elbow. iam 5' 11" and that makes my tables 39-40" from the floor.
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Mine are about 38" high. 4'x 16' I found this to be a good hight for me to be able to reach almost all the way across without having to go around the whole thing when working on big signs 4X8 or larger. I also have a smaller one that is 40" tall but I use it for smaller jobs.
-------------------- Robert Davis Sticky Sam's Signs (828)488-1715 stickysam@dnet.net The Great Smoky Mountains Bryson City, N.C. Posts: 133 | From: Bryson City, N.C. US | Registered: Jul 2000
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posted
mine is 39" tall. I used to have some 4x4's shimmimg it up another 3-1/2" & that was even better for many things... I forget why I had to lower it, but I quickly adapted to anywhere in that range.
I am the one (or at least one)who mentioned storing my sintra under my cutting mat. The stuff scratches so easy, I don't use a lot, so what I got is under the mat safe, & out of the way, yet right there.
posted
Thanks people, those were the answers I was looking for. Old Paint, that's the one.... I thought forearm height was a bit tall. I'll bet your formula will be the one I'll use, but I'll have to size it for my shorter employee, but it shouldn't make that much of a difference anyway.
A golf club maker put me on to a little know fact. The distance from a persons finger tips to the floor won't vary much more than an inch from person to person no matter what their height untill you get to the very short or very tall.
posted
Hey Dave, Mine is 16'x48'' and 35'' high. Has a shef underneath to hold tools and receptacles every 5' under the edge of the table top. I'm 5'9''
-------------------- Wayne Webb Webb Signworks Chipley, FL 850.638.9329 wayne@webbsignworks.com Posts: 7405 | From: Chipley,Florida,United States | Registered: Oct 1999
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posted
dave with the table at 3-4" below your forearm highth, this way you can stand up straight. this is important to those of us with bad backs. as long i stand straight up, mine dont hurt so much, its when i work in bent over positions the pain gets worse. also another little know measurement: the length from your wrist to the inside bend in your elbow.....is the same length as YOUR FOOT! your hand is the same length as your face!!!
[ October 06, 2003, 12:56 PM: Message edited by: old paint ]
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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![[Dunno]](graemlins/dunno.gif)
(yeah I know, 4.5 years in the new shop and my bench is still on saw horses) 33 inches tall and I know that is way to short because my back is killing me when I weed vinyl for any length of time.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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