workbench height?

[skuld]

Howdy everybody,

I'm moving right now into a new place, and I get to use half the garage for my workshop. Yay! Assuming I get permission from the landlord to run another breaker box out there I'll be running just some small stuff, my grinder, a belt sander, scroll saw, bandsaw, and hand-power tools, nothing too big.

I salvaged two 3 foot by 7 foot by 1.5 inch solid core doors that I'd like to use for workbench tops (I almost had some same sized steel solid core doors but they were too heavy to carry by myself to the truck ). I've been basically workbenchless for....wow... 6 or 7 years so I'm not sure what height to make them. My dad's shop has a welding bench outside and a square maple table inside but it's too low to use standing up, you have to sit. We've been meaning to add workbenches along the walls for years but never got around to it. Lately we've been using the tablesaw as a light workbench.

Anyway, I'd like to use these doors as bench tops but I'm not sure what the correct height should be. I'm 6 foot even if that helps. The welding bench at my dad's is about 4 foot high, it's really too tall. My desks are all around 27-29 inches. I've seen a few plans floating around for workbenches 31 inches high. Is this about right? For standing? For extended sessions I'd use a stool. I may build one about 27 inches high for mainly sitting at, and the other higher and mount the belt sander and grinder to that one. But at what height? Sound like a good idea?

Thanks for the help,


-Skuld