I know this has probably been asked before. I have a workbench (was an old chemistry lab table) that I have in my shop against a wall. It's 38" deep and I have hanging tools in back of it against the wall (bench is against wall also). It's always been clumsy but I never wanted to alter it for some reason. I've decided I should cut it down and wonder how much? I have another free standing bench in the center of the room.
I think it will be much nicer to be able to reach over it better (I'm 6' tall), and it will give a little more room in the shop-who doesn't need or want that.
I'm thinking making it 28 or 30", but I am not going to cut it twice.
This is more of a "junk bench"-place to set something on more than a bench to build on. It does have a woodworking vice on one end, but it's not my most used vice, but I will reinstall it on the bench.
Standard workbench width is anywhere from 20-28". The bigger widths are usually on benches that have storage troughs. One thing to consider is the length of your clamps. If you have 24" clamps, then yu probably want a width less than 24" so clamps can reach across the entire width of the table.
I prefer length over width so my bench is only 20" wide. I have an assemby table that is 24" wide and that could be wider, but for my main bench, I want 18"-21" width
Good idea. My workbench is about 32" deep, and it's a bit much for my reach. Should I ever rebuild, I'll probably make it 30" deep.
The only time an extra-deep workbench is helpful is when working on a really big panel, such as a table top. But you can also put those kinds of things on sawhorses, so there are always work-arounds.
I don't think you'll regret trimming it down to 28".
Steve S.
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Tradition cannot be inherited, and if you want it you must obtain it by great labour.
- T. S. Eliot
Contrary point of view, but perhaps with different objectives:
I just built a work / assembly / glue-up table, 48" x 96". I inventoried all the projects that I've made over the last 5 or 6 years and most of them were tall or very wide (queen & bunk beds, dressers, linen cabinets, shed doors, bookcases, etc.) I got tired of stuff always hanging over my 3'x5' prior one. I debated on height. I ended up a couple inches higher than a 36" countertop. And I made access on 3 sides. But all that said, I'm 6'5" and wear a 37" sleeve. I made it the same or slightly lower than my table saw, that I also jacked up. I do not plan for it to ever be just a junk bench; tools and supplies are all stored away.
I do have a Tage Frid scandinavian design workbench against the opposite wall that I always found way too narrow and I finally filled in the "hog trough" that always just collected junk and sawdust.
I made mine 20 inches wide, it sits about 8 inches from the wall, and tools are hung on the wall, and jigs sit behind the bench. Keeping it off the wall allows me to use clamps at the rear of the bench. For most of my handwork, 20 inches is plenty deep. For assembly of large items, I use the floor, or portable work benches.
I built three work benches (two on wheels) modeled after the Festool MFT bench on the assumption that they did the engineering and I only had to copy.
The Festool dimensions are:
Built to be sturdy, the Festool MFT/3 Multifunction Table offers a workspace that measure 43-3/8-inches by 28-1/4-inches, and can support loads up to 260 pounds.
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(10-29-2019, 06:27 PM)toolmiser Wrote: I know this has probably been asked before. I have a workbench (was an old chemistry lab table) that I have in my shop against a wall. It's 38" deep and I have hanging tools in back of it against the wall (bench is against wall also). It's always been clumsy but I never wanted to alter it for some reason. I've decided I should cut it down and wonder how much? I have another free standing bench in the center of the room.
I think it will be much nicer to be able to reach over it better (I'm 6' tall), and it will give a little more room in the shop-who doesn't need or want that.
I'm thinking making it 28 or 30", but I am not going to cut it twice.
This is more of a "junk bench"-place to set something on more than a bench to build on. It does have a woodworking vice on one end, but it's not my most used vice, but I will reinstall it on the bench.
Thanks!
All thoughts are appreciated
I used to make lab benches about 200 or so. Also made 7 woodworkers benches. Standard woodworkers benches was 27" + or minus.
Lab benches 32". Try reaching across the bench and see what is comfortable. Short person will want a narrower bench than a basketball player. You do not need to follow any set dimensions, what is comfortable for you is the only criteria.
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