A workshop should fit its owner like a
comfortable pair of old shoes As a delightful
refuge from the segmented, standardized world,
it should offer more than the usual space allotted
in offices and factories where we sit and stand
in territory parceled out and ruled according to
some else’s decree. Your shop should be a
friendly space, a customized room, a well-
ordered extension of yourself.

When designing a shop, stake out your own
territory with a pioneer spirit that marks the
importance of your work and gently but firmly
says…”This is my space – enter it with respect !”.

When customizing the work space in your
shop, you carve out a “personal zone” from
which you emerge relaxed, refreshed and ready
for life’s other challenges.

You don’t have to accept someone else’s idea
of how high your sawhorses or workbench
should be. Within established safety parameters
, target each work surface to the height that fits
you by measuring your own maximum reach, the height of your waist (which helps determine the most comfortable height of work surfaces), the height of your shoulders and, of course, your overall height.

Here are some easy-to-follow guidelines to help you. Design your work area with these guidelines (plus or minus 2” to 4”) in mind. Your comfort is the key to designing and customizing your shop.

TOOL	USUALLY AT
Highest shelf	12” below your peak reach (72” to 84” avg.)
Drill Press, Drum Sander, Overarm Router & Bandsaw Table height	Mid-chest (46” to 56” avg.)
Belt Sander & Shaper height	Waist height (40” to 43” avg.)
Radial Arm Saw & manual feed Circular Saw Table height	36” (avg.)
Workbench height	4” below waist (36” to 39” avg.)
Stool height	8” clearance under bench (28” to 31” avg.)
Sawhorse height	Mid-thigh (26” to 30” avg.)