02-26-2022, 01:04 PM
In my opinion and I say that because everyone has one, the most important detail of a work bench is the height of the bench. I will come back to it.
I have the room for a big bench. I wanted to build a workbench just big enough so I could put the top into the bed my pick up truck. I can put a full sized sheet of plywood in-between the wheel wells and still close the tail gate. Also I prefer to glue up panels on my bench and the clamps of choice are Bessey K clamps 24 inches long. So I wanted to be able to place the clamps a crossed the top and have every part of the clamp completely on the top.
I had sold my last bench and didn't have anything to work on or from. Also I prefer the Frank Klausz style over the Roubo style. Today it seems that more woodworkers prefer the Roubo, but I travel to the beat of aa different drum.
Anyway hopefully know you will understand the pictures a little bit better.
I built a frame out of 2x4s and from past experiences started with a height of 35 1/2 inches. Now that is to the top of the plywood on the frame. Just a note: kitchen counter tops are 36 inches off the floor, standard height today.
Anyway you will see from the photos the progression I went through to come up with the height. The height that my body liked is 34 1/2 inches. (Let me be clear about this.) this is the height my body likes, not the height your body will like. Not yours.
I took the frame apart a couple of time to cut off the legs. and when I was finished I thought I should have built the frame shorter and then just raised the bench by pitting a 1/4 or 1/2 inch thick of plywood under the legs for the height. What you don't see is I had to shrove the bench up against something so it wouldn't move when planning.
Latter on, after the bench was built I saw a YouTube video by Tom Choplin and he said to make your bench 4 hands high. And do you know what? 4 hands which are in exact proportion to my body are very nearly prefect to 34 1/2 inches. He said the width of the bench should be an arms length or roughly 3 hands which is basically the length from your shoulder to the first knuckles on your fist. Now for me that is 25 7/8ths Which fits my desire for my 24 inch Bessey clamps.
Now to be truthful a bench should be no larger than its invirement permits. My shop will support the size, if yours will not it is not my fault, so please do not find fault with mine.
I wrote this for the one who is thinking about either building his, her, first first bench or possible a new one able to serve them better. I hope this aswers the most important question which is about height and it can only come through some trail and error.
Height is to me the most important part of the bench. Mine is 35 inches because I stand on a rubber mat that is all but 1/2 inch thich. Thus the 34 1/2 height is maintained.
My currant bench finished
Tom
I have the room for a big bench. I wanted to build a workbench just big enough so I could put the top into the bed my pick up truck. I can put a full sized sheet of plywood in-between the wheel wells and still close the tail gate. Also I prefer to glue up panels on my bench and the clamps of choice are Bessey K clamps 24 inches long. So I wanted to be able to place the clamps a crossed the top and have every part of the clamp completely on the top.
I had sold my last bench and didn't have anything to work on or from. Also I prefer the Frank Klausz style over the Roubo style. Today it seems that more woodworkers prefer the Roubo, but I travel to the beat of aa different drum.
Anyway hopefully know you will understand the pictures a little bit better.
I built a frame out of 2x4s and from past experiences started with a height of 35 1/2 inches. Now that is to the top of the plywood on the frame. Just a note: kitchen counter tops are 36 inches off the floor, standard height today.
Anyway you will see from the photos the progression I went through to come up with the height. The height that my body liked is 34 1/2 inches. (Let me be clear about this.) this is the height my body likes, not the height your body will like. Not yours.
I took the frame apart a couple of time to cut off the legs. and when I was finished I thought I should have built the frame shorter and then just raised the bench by pitting a 1/4 or 1/2 inch thick of plywood under the legs for the height. What you don't see is I had to shrove the bench up against something so it wouldn't move when planning.
Latter on, after the bench was built I saw a YouTube video by Tom Choplin and he said to make your bench 4 hands high. And do you know what? 4 hands which are in exact proportion to my body are very nearly prefect to 34 1/2 inches. He said the width of the bench should be an arms length or roughly 3 hands which is basically the length from your shoulder to the first knuckles on your fist. Now for me that is 25 7/8ths Which fits my desire for my 24 inch Bessey clamps.
Now to be truthful a bench should be no larger than its invirement permits. My shop will support the size, if yours will not it is not my fault, so please do not find fault with mine.
I wrote this for the one who is thinking about either building his, her, first first bench or possible a new one able to serve them better. I hope this aswers the most important question which is about height and it can only come through some trail and error.
Height is to me the most important part of the bench. Mine is 35 inches because I stand on a rubber mat that is all but 1/2 inch thich. Thus the 34 1/2 height is maintained.
My currant bench finished
Tom
