Ideal Bench Height?

[Scouseget]

I've been reading the threads about custom workbenches and have been inspired as a result to build a portable one to go on my computer desk, thus combining two of my hobbies in one - furniture making with messing around with watch repairs. What I don't know, and couldn't find in the forums, is the ideal work height. Should it be a fixed number of inches below, say, my eyes or is there some other rule of thumb I should follow? This is a big issue for me as I'm really tall and have arthritis of the spine so get, pardon the pun, a real pain in the neck when crouched over my desk. 

 

 

[Davey57]

Hi

I have a raised worktop on my computer desk and found the ideal height by trial and error. I just kept adjusting the height with books or something similar until it felt right, which for me is just below armpit height while sitting upright against the desk. It means I can rest my arms on the worktop without feeling as if I am stretching or leaning in. Try mocking something up with boxes or suchlike to get a feel for it before you start making the real thing.

Good luck!

[dadistic]

Lots of commercial jewelers and watchmaking benches have the top at 39 inches, this would be a place to start, but I agree with the above and you should make a mockup to figure out what is good for you.

 

Here's a photo of George Daniels workbench.

 

http://runningmedia.com/anotherdam/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/photo-2.jpg

[bobm12]

Here's a photo of George Daniels workbench.

 

http://runningmedia..../02/photo-2.jpg

 

George Daniels was pretty! :) I like the idea of 2 different heights although all that space is quite a luxury for me...my wife will kick me out of the house! :)

[Rafal]

you could find some ideas here: http://www.ofrei.com/page416.html

[oldhippy]

When I first started I just had a bench and a four legged stool and was left to get on with it. I ended up with spondylitis in neck. I have wear and tear in my neck and suffer with locking up of the neck and very bad headaches. I'm in my eary 60's but the condition of my neck is compared to someone who is in their 80's. So it is very important for all of you to make sure the height is correct for you and have a good posture, if not you could end up like me.

[Davey57]

When I first started I just had a bench and a four legged stool and was left to get on with it. I ended up with spondylitis in neck. I have wear and tear in my neck and suffer with locking up of the neck and very bad headaches. I'm in my eary 60's but the condition of my neck is compared to someone who is in their 80's. So it is very important for all of you to make sure the height is correct for you and have a good posture, if not you could end up like me.

 

A few times I have absentmindedly picked something up from the worktop and maybe turned into the light from the window and before you know it I get lost in what I am doing and don't realise that I have slumped over whatever it is I picked up. And then I try to straighten up, oh dear.

[svorkoetter]

George Daniels was pretty! :)

 

When I first saw your response, I was thinking, "people don't know how to use apostrophes any more; should be 'George Daniels' was pretty'". Then I looked at the picture. :-)

Edited January 15, 2016 by svorkoetter

[bobm12]

 

you could find some ideas here: http://www.ofrei.com/page416.html

I have limited space so I bought 2 of the first (watchmaker's portable) and removed the ream from one of them and stacked the other one on top. Then I placed them on top of an old printer table. The whole thing is very stable and the right height...and plenty of drawers! I use my old classical guitar stool, build by myself to my own specs, to sit. The only draw back is the leg space that is not very comfortable but by extending the lower bench plate which I covered with fabric --- so parts won't bounce --- I'm able to use my set up comfortably. 

[chadders1966]

I've previously used an IKEA table on adjustable legs, about 100cm height was OK for me. Recently, due to problems with spondylosis, I felt the need of something more adaptable. For example I might want one height for working on a watch, a lower height for using a computer or lower still for using my microscope.

There are height adjustable watchmakers benches you can buy for £000s, a bit out of my reach. I ended up getting a height adjustable sitting/standing desk instead. I chose the electric powered version as I can adjust it while sat at the desk, unlike the manual version which you have to take everything off before adjusting.

I'm no woodworker so I bought a top to go with mine, but you can just buy the legs/base and motor and attach your own top. It cost me quite a bit of money, but so far it has been worth it.

Stephen

[Scouseget]

Hi.

As always, I got some great info and recommendations to this question - thanks all who responded, and as a result will be making a portable desktop extension (making it higher, not wider or deeper). It'll be 33" wide, by 16"deep, and 6" high, and will have a couple of full depth drawers. I'm making the height such that the worktop will be at a level just below my armpits. Please advise if you think this isn't a good idea.

 

One great piece of advice was to make it wide enough to be able to rest my elbows on it, something I wouldn't have thought of myself.  Finally, I'll make a raised surround on the sides and back to, hopefully, stop the little bits flying off the top and being consigned forever to the depths of the surrounding shag carpet.

 

I'm not sure what to finish the work surface with but have seen some type of green coloured plastic or rubber material on some of the videos I've watched. Does anyone have any thoughts on this, what it's called, and where I can get some?

[svorkoetter]

I used vinyl drafting (draughting) board cover for my watchmaker's bench, mostly because I had it on hand from when I had a drafting table. Here's a link to a supplier in Canada (no affiliation, and I have not bought from them): http://www.deltaart.ca/index.php/browse/category/id/Viyyl

[SSTEEL]

My two, conventional office desks are quite low @ 760mm, ideally I will raise to around 1100mm by using some old saved wooden bed legs I kept from an old bed we threw out.  I may have my main working area actually cut out of the top of my main office desk and raise on its own, with a green mat measured to fit, and a wooden bead around the edges, unsure yet, but certainly need to raise it as my back is paying the price for it being too low.

[oldhippy]

My work surface for repairing watches was about 2ft square with a piece of green blotting paper and a piece of glass over it, the colour was good to my eyes with no reflection from the light, easy to pick up the parts as well. To keep in place 8 small pin nails , the ones with no heads. The whole bench would have been about 10ft long by about 6ft wide.

[clockboy]

I found that different heights are needed. IE when putting a clock together i found that for aligning the pivots it,s best done by looking up into the movement & this method works for me but for watch assembly I like to look down on the watch. My work around was I found in a used furniture shop a draft mans chair which is adjustable in height. Although there  a very large range of height adjustments for the clocks I still put them on a storage box to gain extra height & lowering the chair to it,s lowest setting is perfect for me.

 

Not my chair but this is the style. They are also designed for comfort which important.

 

[mwilkes]

Here's Philippe Dufour's bench

I like the idea of the bench being height adjustable so that I can use a stereomicroscope, and just for general comfort.

[ausimax]

My work bench is just normal bench height, just right for using my stereo microscope, my answer is a gas lift office chair, when I want to work on a watch just pull the lever and sink to the suitable height.

 

Seemed easier than having to have extensions on top of the desk as it is also my computer desk as well.

 

 

Max 

[Scouseget]

One of my other hobbies is furniture making, and it's supposed to be all fine furniture, as in no compromises on quality and the "look". I have now completed the desktop extension that is at the heart of this thread and I can state that it is probably the most utilitarian, aka, ugly, piece of furniture I've ever built, as you can see in the attached photo, with nary a dovetail joint anywhere. But, at least so far, it works, though whether it will survive the test of time remains to be seen.

 

The height seems right, and I can comfortably rest my elbows on it, and I can spread them out also. The 2 drawers will accumulate lots of junk in short order as they're roomy. And I do have a gas lift chair so should I need to adjust my height for some reason, it'll be easy.

 

Thanks to you all for the great advice you gave me. Now I need to do something constructive with it I suppose!  Like fix watches perhaps?

[Davey57]

Well I think it looks great, what more could you want. It's ideal, two nice draws to keep your stuff in and a sturdy, decent sized top to work on.

It's way better than anything I could hope to make, I can guarantee it would not be level and everything would roll to one side.

I'll bet you get some orders!

Nice one.