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I find that many routine workbench operations cause me to hunch over, and consequently cause lingering neck and back pain. It seems that when I'm doing lots of repairs, it's even worse. For years, I've thought if I could just elevate my work to eye level, then I might just find some relief. I keep thinking that some sort of scissor lift, either used as the base for an entire workbench, or a bench top version, is the answer.

So I'm wondering if anyone here has arrived at a similar conclusion and what sort of solutions you've come up with. I'm open to either purchasing one off eBay or fabricating one, the latter seems like it might give me something more closely suited to my needs -- I don't need to lift a motorcycle, just a guitar... Thanks for any insights.


Ken Jones
Mountain Song Guitars

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Mountain Song Guitars www.mountainsongguitars.com

What I have done is build a riser (a shelf with legs) that I can place on top of my bench when I want a taller work surface. Not as cool as your scissor lift idea, but it accomplishes the same thing.

Josh

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
https://www.facebook.com/canadianluthiersupply?ref=hl
House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

An intriguing idea. I'll be interested to see what ideas come up here.

I've managed some relief by doing some of my work sitting down. I have one bench at desk height with a good chair that I use for close up detail work. I also have an adjustable-height stool with a back. It's on rollers so I can move it between benches. I use that a lot when I'm sanding.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

We have a drafting table that's a beefier version than this one. It has an electric lift and tilt. When our engineering group went to CAD in the 80s, they gave them away. Not quite as solid as a good bench, though. I see them on Craigslist on occasion for a few hundred, and they turn up at surplus sales. My wife is using ours as a worktable and I've had my eye on it for my shop, but I'd have to make it a sweet deal for her to give it up.



Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Old hand crank hospital beds work. One of my friends has one. It works well for height adjustment and it has locking wheels. The down side is that even stripped down to the basic mechanism it weighs a lot and there is no room for drawers underneath.

dude on youtube has a workbench that adjusts up and down.

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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I'm reminded of the tall benches that watch repairmen use. Basically they put their elbows on the top and the work is at eye level.
The purpose I'm sure is to get their peepers as close as they can to the work. I don't know what effect that has on the back, good or bad.


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My wife uses a lift table at the animal hospital she works at. I'll ask her where they bought it , and how much it cost, and if used ones are available.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

This thing is sexy. I saw it on YouTube when I was building my benchbut it was going to be too expensive so built something more simple. I'd love one someday though. Dude sells the plans here

http://www.jack-bench.com/



Here's a cheaper to build one

i would be very concerned about stability with these adjustable tables....few things are as annoying as a table that sways and rocks in rhythm to your sanding strokes or saw cuts

A cabinet maker I know built one out of a hydraulic operating table. It operated on a foot pedal, and had multiple vices and vacuum hoses near each vice so that when his carving buddies came over everyone had a station at the same large table.

For his own cabinet making I'm sure he was able to put 3 or 4 lower cabinets on it. It was a thing of beauty. Heavy like a truck - so no issues with stability.

Pretty slick, Filippo. How's the stability?

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

I use a couple of portable lifters (Both with braked wheels) in the workshop and they are excellent, sometimes do some rough work on them but definitely not stable enough for anything precise so go for something stable like Filipo uses.

Steve

You could do all that, or you could just build a bench that is high enough for your tallest standing work, and then a sturdy foot stool about the same length, so you can move left and right on it (like a picnic bench, only lower). When you want to bear down, stand on the stool. When you want to work at eye level or whatever, kick the stool under your bench. Not as sexy, but very stable and very practical--and most likely a whole lot cheaper, too.

Or, as others have said, get an adjustable drafting chair. I use one for drafting and painting. I sit on a simple stool for lower work in my shop.

Patrick

Sink your floor.
Different amounts on different sides of your existing bench.
Just a thought...

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

My welding table is a 4'x4' piece of 1/2" plate steel mounted on top of a 660 lb capacity rolling lift table. It goes from about a foot off the ground up to my chin with a foot pedal.

I have another workbench which is ply on top of a 1000lb motorcycle lift. Can't get as high, but it goes a few inches from the floor so it's great for loading really heavy stuff into the truck.

I can't claim credit for the idea, as I inherited both from a friend, but it definitely changed my views on how many things in the shop should actually be 'fixed' in place. The answer is almost none. Almost everything except my CNC, compressor, and dust collector is on wheels (and the compressor and dust collector are on pallets so I can grab them with a pallet jack).

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

I hate to sound like a fitness nerd, but rotational ab exercises and rowing exercises work wonders for maintaining a healthy spine/core. as you get older it could add up to the difference between being crippled and on meds for 3 weeks, or having a crimp for 36 hours....
I find that hand washing dishes and clothes in sinks is a freakin' killer on my back

I have seen where someone has used a dental chairs hydraulic base as a workbench base. It was in one of the guitar building journals. Cant find any pics of it on the web though. It was pretty cool. Would like to do one myself but never have found an old free dentist chair.

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Another day, another dollar.

I purposely built my bench higher and use a shorter portable bench for lower needs. I also second the strengthening of the core stuff. I hate exercising but after a terrible car accident when I was young have had chronic back pain for years. I finally listened to some advice and started exercises to strengthen both my stomach muscles and small back muscles. Been pain free for a coupe of years now. But as soon as I started working on standard height benches it all came back. That's when I decided to build my own bench higher. Made a huge difference.

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Martin Taylor
http://martintaylorguitars.com.au

Perhaps an option would be a fixed bench but an adjustable shop floor?

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Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something

What I used to do in my old workshop in the store...

I liked all my benches at 44" - that way I could use a tall chair when I wanted to sit down, or stand up when I needed to put a little more oomph into my work, or needed more room to move.

It was easier to move myself, rather than animate my entire shop.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Like MartinTaylor, I built my last bench at about a 42-44" height just so I didn't have to bend over.
Of course, I end up using it to lay things on and still work mainly on the table saw's table, lol.