Reply To: Workbench Dimensions
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It’s really whatever you are comfortable with. If you don’t already have a bench, have you had a chance to work off a less than ideal surface for awhile, and have an idea of how you work? 36″ might be a waste if you only tend to use 12″ of benchtop.
I also am 6’2″ like Thomas and have a long reach, and I found I only worked off the front 18″ or so of my work surface, and tools got shunted to the back and sides. I’m building my new bench around how I found I tended to work comfortably.
The same for height. Paul advocates a tall bench, and I think taller is more comfortable for the kind of work most of us will do. But it is a compromise. Some operations like stock prep may be a bit easier if the bench is lower, but your back will tell you quick enough that a taller bench is best for chopping dovetail waste and mortises or doing carving work or other things. I think Paul is right that somewhere around 36-39″ is probably a good compromise depending on your height. Mock something up with a hollow core door or some 2×4’s on sawhorses or something and work for a bit at various heights and find what is comfortable for you.