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What is your preferred work height?


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We are working on our ships in various environments.

So, what'should your preference of comfortable working height?

 

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Respectfully

 

Per aka Dr. Per@Therapy for Shipaholics 
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Finished: T37, BB Marie Jeanne - located on a shelf in Sweden, 18th Century Longboat, Winchelsea Capstan

Current: America by Constructo, Solö Ruff, USS Syren by MS, Bluenose by MS

Viking funeral: Harley almost a Harvey

Nautical Research Guild Member - 'Taint a hobby if you gotta hurry

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My preference including eating is to stand up. Reloading, leather work and tooling, bench work in the shop or working with tools in the shop all are done standing.

  Reminds me of an old Truck Driver question.

What is the first thing a truck driver looks for after leaving his truck? Most look for a place to sit down. Watch, it's true.

jud

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Depends on what I'm doing, and if I'm sitting or standing (my length: ~6' 5.5"

 

Chisel and wood: standing, bench hight 3' 4"

Airbrush: standing, tableau hight 4'

Cutting, plastic parts/wood: sitting, bench/table 2' 8"

Working on a model: sitting, between 3' 4" and lower, depending on the height of the model

Edited by cog

Carl

"Desperate affairs require desperate measures." Lord Nelson
Search and you might find a log ...

 

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Here is information I found on a website:

 

Guess these values can be used for fixed stations as well.

 

I found that the countertop height of 36" is perfect for me when standing, while 30" when sitting.

Depending on the chair. :P 

Then again adding a machine on the top and suddenly your work height has changed.

Maybe I have to do some mock ups before going the whole way out.

 

 

  • Height for Sitting Adjustable Work Surfaces
    • Minimum: 25” - 30”; Range = 5”
    • Optimal: 22” - 33”; Range = 11”
  • Height for Standing Adjustable Work Surfaces
    • Minimum: 38” - 42”; Range = 4”
    • Optimal: 35” - 47”; Range = 12”
  • Height for Sit-to-stand Adjustable Work Surfaces
    • Minimum: 26” - 40”; Range = 15"
    • Optimal: 22” - 47”; Range = 25"
Edited by Nirvana

 

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Respectfully

 

Per aka Dr. Per@Therapy for Shipaholics 
593661798_Keepitreal-small.jpg.f8a2526a43b30479d4c1ffcf8b37175a.jpg

Finished: T37, BB Marie Jeanne - located on a shelf in Sweden, 18th Century Longboat, Winchelsea Capstan

Current: America by Constructo, Solö Ruff, USS Syren by MS, Bluenose by MS

Viking funeral: Harley almost a Harvey

Nautical Research Guild Member - 'Taint a hobby if you gotta hurry

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Seems I'm not far off the optimal, where did you get that information, Per

A website called Back Designs.

Can't afford an adjustable which would had been the optimal, so I thinking having two stations with two different heights.

Edited by Nirvana

 

Please, visit our Facebook page!

 

Respectfully

 

Per aka Dr. Per@Therapy for Shipaholics 
593661798_Keepitreal-small.jpg.f8a2526a43b30479d4c1ffcf8b37175a.jpg

Finished: T37, BB Marie Jeanne - located on a shelf in Sweden, 18th Century Longboat, Winchelsea Capstan

Current: America by Constructo, Solö Ruff, USS Syren by MS, Bluenose by MS

Viking funeral: Harley almost a Harvey

Nautical Research Guild Member - 'Taint a hobby if you gotta hurry

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I have different heights depending the work station.. My main build table though means I have to stand as top of the build board is approximately 1 foot above the work surface yet it matches the other work areas.  Top surfaces of all the work areas (including my build board) are 36".  I do have a wooden "bar" stool that allows me to sit if I don't feel like standing.

Mark
"The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me

Current Build:                                                                                             
Past Builds:
 La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section   

 NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit                                                                            HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64               

 

Non-Ship Model:                                                                                         On hold, maybe forever:           

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)         

         

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

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I switched to the adjustable one (just $400 in ikea, http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00263218/)and am really happy ever since.

No more head or neck pain, bending in a weird pose, etc. I move it a lot when working, depending on the type of the operation.

It is heavy and stable.

That is how it looks. Max height is 1cm below the drawers level.

post-5430-0-89492900-1477345599_thumb.jpg

Edited by Mike Y
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Mike,

What is the size of your work area?
​Not included in price.

 

Please, visit our Facebook page!

 

Respectfully

 

Per aka Dr. Per@Therapy for Shipaholics 
593661798_Keepitreal-small.jpg.f8a2526a43b30479d4c1ffcf8b37175a.jpg

Finished: T37, BB Marie Jeanne - located on a shelf in Sweden, 18th Century Longboat, Winchelsea Capstan

Current: America by Constructo, Solö Ruff, USS Syren by MS, Bluenose by MS

Viking funeral: Harley almost a Harvey

Nautical Research Guild Member - 'Taint a hobby if you gotta hurry

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Mike,

What is the size of your work area?

​Not included in price.

Per,

 

Here they have but one measure 160 cm x 80 cm => 5' 4"  x 2' 8" for the Ikea desk, but I saw some larger ones 6' wide at the same price, or slightly more expensive

Edited by cog

Carl

"Desperate affairs require desperate measures." Lord Nelson
Search and you might find a log ...

 

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I am 5'8" (176cm) tall.  When using power tools or a torch I stand at a 40" (102cm) bench.  For everything else I sit at a 30" ( 72cm) bench.

 

Bob

Every build is a learning experience.

 

Current build:  SS_ Mariefred

 

Completed builds:  US Coast Guard Pequot   Friendship-sloop,  Schooner Lettie-G.-Howard,   Spray,   Grand-Banks-dory

                                                a gaff rigged yawl,  HOGA (YT-146),  Int'l Dragon Class II,   Two Edwardian Launches 

 

In the Gallery:   Catboat,   International-Dragon-Class,   Spray

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Mike,

What is the size of your work area?

​Not included in price.

They exist in two versions - 120cm and 160cm. But you can buy a frame only and attach any table top to it, which gives you a better flexibility in terms of size. The frame is quite stable and done well, so bigger table top will not be a problem.

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Yes Carl, I sit when using a Dremel.  It's just I don't think of the Dremel as a power tool.

 

Bob

Every build is a learning experience.

 

Current build:  SS_ Mariefred

 

Completed builds:  US Coast Guard Pequot   Friendship-sloop,  Schooner Lettie-G.-Howard,   Spray,   Grand-Banks-dory

                                                a gaff rigged yawl,  HOGA (YT-146),  Int'l Dragon Class II,   Two Edwardian Launches 

 

In the Gallery:   Catboat,   International-Dragon-Class,   Spray

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A surgeon usually works at about elbow height and everybody else adjusts to that level. I like to do fine work at a little higher level, somewhere between elbow and armpit height.  My daughter who is a glass artist, has vertically adjustable forearm rests for intricate work, and places her forearms on them about mid-way between elbow and wrist.

 

A couple of other minor tips.  To do fine work between thumbs and forefingers (such as threading a needle), sometimes it's helpful to touch the pinky and ring fingers of your hands together.  And sometimes when careful one-handed work is needed, rest the wrist of your dominant hand upon the wrist of the other hand, or use a maul stick as painters do.

Edited by Bob Blarney
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You are right Bob, surgeons typically work at elbow height.  But the reason for this is because the sterile field extends only between the surgeon's waist and shoulders.  For certain operations, hand, ear and tonsil surgery for example, we usually are seated, with the patient still at relative elbow height for the same reason.  It has nothing to do with ergonomics.

Toni


Chairman Nautical Research Guild

Member Nautical Research and Model Society

Member Midwest Model Shipwrights

 

Current Builds:     NRG Rigging Project

Completed Builds: Longboat - 1:48 scale       HMS Atalanta-1775 - 1:48 scale       Half Hull Planking Project      Capstan Project     Swallow 1779 - 1:48 scale               Echo Cross Section   

Gallery:  Hannah - 1:36 scale.

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Not much choice, my work-benches have writing-desk height. I am also like the lorry-drivers mentioned in the initial post: as am working all-day at my computer, I also like to sit down for the modelling work.

 

The bench-height I think it is a sort of compromise. For some types of work, you want to have the desk more or less at ellbow-height, in other cases you would like to look down on the work. Watchmakers and Goldsmith have heigher desks and adjustable fore-arm rests for intricate work. In the old days the watchmakers apparently also put the wooden storage boxes of their lathes on top of their stools so that they could look down onto the lathe clamped to the desk.

 

For rougher classes of work I have a foldable work-bench on which I would work standing. usually outside because of the dust.

wefalck

 

panta rhei - Everything is in flux

 

 

M-et-M-72.jpg  Banner-AKHS-72.jpg  Banner-AAMM-72.jpg  ImagoOrbis-72.jpg
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You are right Bob, surgeons typically work at elbow height.  But the reason for this is because the sterile field extends only between the surgeon's waist and shoulders.  For certain operations, hand, ear and tonsil surgery for example, we usually are seated, with the patient still at relative elbow height for the same reason.  It has nothing to do with ergonomics.

Hah! Ask a tall or short first or second assistant about the ergonomics of the operating field.  An extended procedure spent holding a retractor without being able to see what's going in the field can get somewhat uncomfortable. 

 

Hmm, another thread might suggest surgical instruments that are useful for modeling work... let's start with curved Halsted mosquitoes, a 6" right angle, 6-7" crile-woods needleholder, mayo scissors, iris scissors, and Brown Adson forceps, and maybe some ligature hooks.

Edited by Bob Blarney
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my main table is 35 inches..........my other table {which is an old desk}is around 30 inches.  I stand at both,  but I can sit at the other table if I need to.....which is seldom,  since I use my computer desk as well.

I yam wot I yam!

finished builds:
Billings Nordkap 476 / Billings Cux 87 / Billings Mary Ann / Billings AmericA - reissue
Billings Regina - bashed into the Susan A / Andrea Gail 1:20 - semi scratch w/ Billing instructions
M&M Fun Ship - semi scratch build / Gundalow - scratch build / Jeanne D'Arc - Heller
Phylly C & Denny-Zen - the Lobsie twins - bashed & semi scratch dual build

Billing T78 Norden

 

in dry dock:
Billing's Gothenborg 1:100 / Billing's Boulogne Etaples 1:20
Billing's Half Moon 1:40 - some scratch required
Revell U.S.S. United States 1:96 - plastic/ wood modified / Academy Titanic 1:400
Trawler Syborn - semi scratch / Holiday Harbor dual build - semi scratch

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Hmm, another thread might suggest surgical instruments that are useful for modeling work... let's start with curved Halsted mosquitoes, a 6" right angle, 6-7" crile-woods needleholder, mayo scissors, iris scissors, and Brown Adson forceps, and maybe some ligature hooks.

 

Yep, bought a couple of eye-surgery scissors and recycled some of the anatomical(?) tools of my late father, who trained as a medical doctor during WWII, such as (heavy) scalpels, cartilage scrapers, etc. Also, the arsenal of dentists and dental technicians contains useful implements.

wefalck

 

panta rhei - Everything is in flux

 

 

M-et-M-72.jpg  Banner-AKHS-72.jpg  Banner-AAMM-72.jpg  ImagoOrbis-72.jpg
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My table is 34" wide X 55' 4" Cannot stand due to numerous back surgeries, ( 25 yrs taking a beating in boats  ) Standing and leaning is excruciating :(. Found a barber chair at Good Will Large arrests, heavy seat and backrest, footrest, hydraulic foot pump up to 3 foot. Had to put on rollers. $ 25.00 US. Best I found yet, but can only work 3 hrs max. Before I found this chair could only work  1.5 hrs max.

John Allen

 

Current builds HMS Victory-Mamoli

On deck

USS Tecumseh, CSS Hunley scratch build, Double hull Polynesian canoe (Holakea) scratch build

 

Finished

Waka Taua Maori War Canoe, Armed Launch-Panart, Diligence English Revenue Cutter-Marine  Model Co. 


 

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Always sitting. Ocansonaly standing when rigging. Oh and up and down every half n hour to attend my needy cat!!

Regards, Scott

 

Current build: 1:75 Friesland, Mamoli

 

Completed builds:

1:64 Rattlesnake, Mamoli  -  1:64 HMS Bounty, Mamoli  -  1:54 Adventure, Amati  -  1:80 King of the Mississippi, AL

1:64 Blue Shadow, Mamoli  -  1:64 Leida Dutch pleasure boat, Corel  -  1:60 HMS President Mantra, Sergal

 

Awaiting construction:

1:89 Hermione La Fayette AL  -  1:48 Perserverance, Modelers shipyard

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So, Bob, what's a dremel to you then ... a chisel ...

For me it's a hand drill.  The only thing I use it for is drilling small holes in brass.

 

 

Bob

Every build is a learning experience.

 

Current build:  SS_ Mariefred

 

Completed builds:  US Coast Guard Pequot   Friendship-sloop,  Schooner Lettie-G.-Howard,   Spray,   Grand-Banks-dory

                                                a gaff rigged yawl,  HOGA (YT-146),  Int'l Dragon Class II,   Two Edwardian Launches 

 

In the Gallery:   Catboat,   International-Dragon-Class,   Spray

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hoping my setup from my RC plane building days will work for ship building.

I have two surfaces in my workshop. One is a large oak desk with all my tools in wooden boxes from Ikea. Then I have a sold oak dining table that has been raised to counter height to work standing up. I find staying in one position for too long hard on my back. I also have a few different chairs and stools I switch back and forth.

Edited by Pierretessier

Pierre.:10_1_10:

 

All in all it's pretty relaxing when you just take your time.....

Current build

Santa Maria by MarisStella

Completed

Batelina by MarisStella

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