How do you decide work bench height?

[Justin Urbantas]

I'm starting to build the gun work bench at my new house, and I'm trying to figure out how tall to go with it. How do you decide? Cheers.

[taterbug]

Golly.

the only 'general' rule of thumb ive ever seen was that the work piece should be at a height so that your forearm was parallel to the ground, when doing rough filing. 

But, detailed work for me means I need the work piece closer to my eyes, with a magnifying visor (or two), so that means higher. 

AND... if Im wanting to sit down and work (because Im getting stiffer every year) , I need a shorter bench. 

So that means 3 different heights for me...

your mileage may vary...

[Jim Kibler]

Don't worry about bench height.  Concentrate on vise height.  Ideally make your vise height easily adjustable.  Fine work should be higher.  Lower work where you need more power. 

[Steeltrap]

Also, if you use a bar-stool type chair to sit on (I have to as I can't physically stand for a long time) I've cut a square "extension" out of hardwood. I C clamp it to the workbench so when I sit on the chair, my knees go under it. Great for tying fly's or detailed work that is held in a swing-a-ling vise.

[bluenoser]

I have to disagree with Jim.  Although the height of the vise is important, the height of the bench is equally important.  For every hour I spend at the vise, I probably spend an equal or more amount of time at the bench.  I prefer the height of my bench to be such that my arms are pointing close to straight down when my palms are flat on the bench.  That is 32" for me.  I prefer my vise to be higher and mine is at 40".  Eyesight certainly became an issue as I entered old age and my bifocals are optimized for reading and intermediate.  For the intermediate, I measured the average distance between my eye and the work surface and had the lensed ground to match.  Optivisors are available with several different focal lengths and it is best to keep in mind the average distance between your eye and the work surface when deciding which one to get.

[Daryl]

My 5" bench vice is 41.25" high. The bench itself is 34". I now find it too low for standing when working on, but when sitting, it's perfect. About the only thing I use it for now is reloading and for ammo storage underneath. When using the vice (for cleaning rifles, etc) I stand and it's a good height.

[Taylorz1]

This is a very personal question and will be different for everyone. Personally i like to have my work at eye level on a slanted bench so I dont have to bend my back or my neck. People who spend long period s of time bent over are at risk of back and neck issues. For very fine work I actually use a watchmakers bench that is at chin height and use arm supports. This would drive a lot of people crazy but works for me

[Bob Roller]

Don't worry about bench height.  Concentrate on vise height.  Ideally make your vise height easily adjustable.  Fine work should be higher.  Lower work where you need more power.

Jim Kibler is IMHO correct.Vise height is what my gauge was,I am now bothered by lower spinal stenosis that makes me wait and sit for a while or go to the house.A quality vise is a must,Mine is an import from Poland thru Manhattan Supply Company (MSC) and it has a REAR jaw that slides and it slides on a dovetail that will adjust all the wobble if there is any.I measured my bench which is 40 inches and the vise makes it 47 inches.
Bob Roller

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

It's an excellent question Justin.  It prompted me to go down to the shop and measure my outfit.
I was told by an old Tennessee gunsmith that you should be able to touch the jaws of your vise with your elbow, standing next to the bench.  So I made my bench 36 1/4" off the floor, and the jaws of my 6" machinist's vise is 44 5/8 above the floor, which is covered with a 4' wide rubber matt 16' long.  the rubber matt saves chisels when they drop or roll off the bench, and also, perhaps more importantly, saves my old back.  I framed up my bench to utilize 1 sheet of 3/4" x 4' x 8' plywood ripped lenthwise.  So my bench is 24" wide and 16' long.  I employ a tall stool/chair when I am reloading  and doing fine work at the vise like chequering and engraving.  Be sure to install more lighting than you think you'll need.  And speaking of lighting, you may want to go with led or florescent, but include an incandescent light over your vise.  It is imperative for chequering when you turn out all the shop lights except for the one incandescent bulb.  Doing so enables you to see your lines more clearly without eye strain.
A bench is a great place to lay things down, and will quickly become a clutter of partially finished projects that didn't get cleaned up and tools put away.  I'm terrible for this, and must make a great effort to clean up after myself.  There is nothing that will take away your creativity and drive more than having to face a cluttered bench, is there, Daryl.

[Daniel Coats]

I made my bench 36" with the higher vise height my main goal to avoid hunching over. It's awfully nice to be able to adjust position once in awhile too so add that thought to your plan. As we get older we turn like a rotisserie chicken all night because something hurts and repetitive motion during the day adds greatly to that.

[kutter]

I doubt that I ever stand perfectly straight up doing any of this work, so placing the bench top or vice at a certain height with relation to my arms or elbows while standing doesn't mean much
You just naturally start to hunch over when working at a bench.
Gunsmith, Shoemaker, Blacksmith, Carpenter...

Add to that the eye-sight changes we go thru. Some can be corrected comfortably. Others not.
I wear a 5x Optivisor for just about everything I do, so I am in close for every thing, even machine work.

The bench I built for my 20" lathe was made extra high back when I got it. I didn't want to have to bend over all that much. Figured I could elliminate some of the strain since the work generally involved the same physical stance all the time.
It worked out well then. But that's when I was a fraction shy of 6'
..Now I'm 5'8" because plain old age I guess and I have to stand on a flipped over Com-Bloc wooden ammo box while I work there.

A lot of gunsmith work I do sitting down at my Engraving bench. That's the most comfortable of course. The home-made Engrv Vise seconds as a Gunsmithing Vise.
Stock work, BBl work etc is a standing proposition most times and thats at different benchs and vises.
One bench is 32" the other probably an inch higher if I had to guess.

How's that for no real answ to the question.
Actually I don't think it can be answ'd by anyone with specific dimensions for someone else.

[WadePatton]

It's an excellent question Justin...
A bench is a great place to lay things down, and will quickly become a clutter of partially finished projects that didn't get cleaned up and tools put away.  I'm terrible for this, and must make a great effort to clean up after myself.  There is nothing that will take away your creativity and drive more than having to face a cluttered bench, is there, Daryl.

'Tis not just Daryl who has issues with seventeen projects atop the bench at one time. I DO dread each time I have to clear space at the bench for the next thing I'm doing.  It does change how often I use the bench and I don't care for that, but we all aren't wired the same and that's just how it is.  I know there are microscope/s, watch, gun, golf, and other remnants atop the bench at this moment--and I'm going fishing. 


But I'm workin' on it! 

I used Paul Sellers' notions on benchtop height (his design, a break-down, with laminated on edge 2x4's and 4x4 legs with trough in middle and two working sides.  I have it in the middle of the room--but have never once worked on the other side.

My vise is about perfect for fine work, but I don't know how tall either is at the moment.  I'm 5'10" and not thick. 

Moments later: 38" benchtop, 48" visetop.

[Daryl]

I don't know what he's talking about, but I do a LOT of fishing now. 

[blienemann]

Many years ago I read that a woodworking bench should come to the top of your belt. That has worked perfectly for me for quite a few decades and quite a few benches. Bob

[WKevinD]

My bench height is slightly above belt level add 8" to the top of my vice jaws.
Most of my stock work is in the vice, the bench holds tools and or parts.
I have another bench nearby for rough hard work that is lower and connected to a wall. It is usually cluttered.
My main bench is open on all sides which I highly recommend.

Kevin

[KShatwell]

I’m 5’7”. My main bench is 33” and my main vise is a pattern makers vise which make the top of the vise 43” . Thanks to the long stem on the vise I have 4  3/4 “ shims that I slide under  the vise depending on my needs.  This has worked well and although I have some other benches this handles most of my needs.

[Dphariss]

Jim Kibler pretty well nailed it. If you have one of these its pretty much stand up only. But invaluable for many things. The one shown was about 30 year old and now is near 40. It was the only vise I had at C Sharps and Shiloh.

This is a set down vise at my old shop. The new addition to the shop on the “new” place is higher from the floor due to the cabinets I got cheap as bench bases. But the powerarm is on a lower bench. I have a small machinists vise on a big roll around bench/cabinet that is handy for making front sights from sheet and rod pipes. Smooth jars with sharp edges for bend sheet to a sharp corner and other things.

[Dphariss]

This was the first set of cabinets. I put 2 x8 and 2x10s on top then some cheap hard flooring for a smooth surface. Which I seldom see being a slob.

This was before the natural gas shop heater was put in the other much larger room. The place had electric heat and I knew better than to turn it on….

[Eric Krewson]

Being a bow maker, I don't want to bend over to hog sapwood off a stave with a drawknife, a problmatical stave may take up to 8 hours of this exhausting exercise.

I made my bench high for this purpose, turns out it is just right for making guns as well, at least for me, I can put my nose in my work for inletting jobs. I am 5'10" tall.



My nephew working on a bow, he is taller than I am by a few inches. The post on the end of my workbench is a must to support anything I am working on and doing heavy rasping or drawknife work. It also works well for heat bending wood that I have in my vise. The vice pads are easy off and easy on.



My avatar picture full size back when I was younger, I am bent over slightly working on a TN rifle butt plate.

[P.W.Berkuta]

I think bench height is dependent on your height. I have three benches; one is my work bench with my machinist vise mounted on it and it is 35" tall. My assembly bench is 32" tall and I have a stool that I sit on at that bench. My third bench is my "general purpose" bench and is 34" tall for no rhyme or reason just the way it turned out.

My work bench that has the machinist vise mounted to it has the ability to have a smaller vise added on top of the machinist vise, so its total height is about 5"taller.

[Steeltrap]

I'm generally so focused on the piece I'm working on, I don't notice that my bench keeps getting more and more cluttered. Look at the bench ......not the piece.

[flatsguide]

Whatever you build, build it heavy, double 3/4 inch ply for the top. 3/4 ply shelf on the bottom and a lot of 2x4 triangular bracing. A good bench should not move or vibrate when taking any kind of heavy cuts or honking down when you are putting the meat tightening your vise.
Richard

[Bob Roller]

This was the first set of cabinets. I put 2 x8 and 2x10s on top then some cheap hard flooring for a smooth surface. Which I seldom see being a slob.

This was before the natural gas shop heater was put in the other much larger room. The place had electric heat and I knew better than to turn it on….

I had gas heat for years in my shop but when a growth of bushes destroyed the gas line I reverted to the old Kerosene heater but did little winter work.Electric heat wasn't warm enough and too expensive.I have a new air conditioner and LED lights in the shop and then decided to shut down and quit all shop work.I did have some repair work done this spring on the woodwork outside for cosmetic appearances.
Dan;s comment on electric heat was probably prompted by having to oil the bearings on the electric meter every 20 minutes .
Too much money for too little heat.
Bob Roller

[Jim Kibler]

Looks pretty decent.  Again, if your serious about this stuff, consider a rig to adjust height based on what work you are doing.  Or as an alternative, set-up a couple different vises at different heights.

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/types-of-tools/vises/erlewine-shopstand/?mtm_source=google&mtm_medium=cpc&mtm_campaign=%7C+GOO+%7C+SHOP+%7C+NBR+%7C+AllProductsUSA&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw05i4BhDiARIsAB_2wfC3Vdpfx6SkhX1qUZAPQ7pb652wbeM2bAYXojoSWVfDrWShzaPlz0QaAgxoEALw_wcB

[Jim Kibler]

Another one...

https://fireballtool.com/products/height-adjustable-vise-stand?srsltid=AfmBOoo66aHtWXXbqOkq1Ak93nivrh2dZsedD8NOSnCNa-QCzV2kuDJh