PLEASE HELP! WorkBencch Height for my belt grinder?

[coldsteelburns]

Hi, I'm just about finished building my NWG and am trying to get a good amount done tonight on the work bench I'm making for it. I have a workbench already but it's too high, it's about up to my belt (I'm 5 11") , and It's not quite deep (wide?) enough for the length of my grinder when the drive wheel is on the shaft.

I built this workbench years ago when we first got our Tuff Shed and back then I was in carpentry and not even close to having any interst in knives, none the less making them... I just copied the bench design and dimensions from a different Tuff Shed that they were selling cause It was a great design and very sturdy, being attached to the exposed studs of the shed.

So anyways I just cleared a bunch of space in order to extend the existing bench from wall to wall, but with this one obviously being lower and wider. I'm also wondering about proper height for elbows while grinding and wanting to be able to see behind the knife (between the bevel being ground and the belt itself) because I remember reading in various places and from various people that choosing the optimal the height of your grinder is one of the most importang factors when it comes to using proper grinding techniques for achieving nice and clean bevels. I do remember that Ed Caffery was one of those who metioned the importance of these things and I know I've read it somewhere else, just a guess, it could have also been Wayne Goddard, but that's just a guess (edit: I forgot to mention that the current bench is 36 1/4" high, from floor to very top)

Here is a pic of my current workbench and the way it was constructed:

Here is a pic of me standing next to the currect bench so you can get an idea of the height of it and how high the grinder would be:

Here is a pic of my partially assembled NWG on current work bench:

And here is where my new workbench will be (butted up against the other one, but lower and extending further out:

Thanks for reading and for any advice in advanced! Take care -Paul


--my youtube page with some of my blades and other knifemaking vids www.youtube.com/lsubslimed

 

[Salem Straub]

I like to have my forearms locked in at my sides, wrists and elbows about level with each other. This puts the knife at about navel height, which is where I like the center of the tooling arm, and therefore the contact wheel and platen, to be. You can lean in pretty hard to rough grind, and still be accurate. You can look forward over the work and see it coming off the belt. You can look down from above the top platen idler when grinding lengthwise on ricassos and tangs.

It might have been somewhere in my grinding tips page, if you have read it, that you came across the grinder bench height importance. I know I've read it elsewhere, too.

 

[Brett Mathews]

Same here. Center of the wheel right at my belly button.

 

[james terrio]

It depends entirely on your height and build, and which way is comfortable for you to hold your stock while grinding. I hold mine a little higher than Salem and Brian. I totally agree with locking your elbows to your ribs for control, but my wrists always end up higher than my elbows. That may be simply because I'm 6'3" with long, gangly monkey arms and kinda near-sighted

Our bodies are designed really well to stand upright. Mom was right about good posture... it prevents trouble later. Keep that in mind.

If the bench is too low and you have to stoop or bend at the waist to get comfortable with your platen/wheel, or you have to crane your neck down to see what you're doing, you're going to be popping a lot of Advils, and may end up with injuries/ chronic pain in your spine, back muscles, knees, neck, shoulders, etc. Seems weird, but given a choice, I swear it's actually easier to work higher than optimal, rather than too low.

Pretend you're grinding at various heights, and hold that position for a few minutes. Shoulders square, back straight, head up, feet about shoulder-width, knees not locked (except for your hands being in front of you, military veterans would call this "at ease"... and there's a very good reason for calling it that). If you feel tension anywhere in your body, it's not the right height for you. When you get it right, you'll be balanced and it will seem almost effortless to hold that position for hours. Then you'll be able to focus on your work instead of fighting gravity.

 

[GTH11]

Center of ur button!

 

[javand]

Yeah I like the center of my flat platen or wheels to be at the height of my elbows locked at 90deg personally. Navel is too low for me, *but* I also prefer to grind sitting down, so I made my grinder bench/stands pretty low, so I can sit on a stool, with my feet up on my slack bucket around the platen or wheel. It's a pretty up-close and personal way to grind, which I like, I don't feel like I'm craning over the work as much.

 

[Salem Straub]

Definitely higher than belly button is better than lower... there are times when I'd like the machine to be higher, for detail work. Was it Nick Wheeler that posted some time back about an adjustable height grinder stand? Perhaps I'll do that when I build my next machine.

 

[coldsteelburns]

Hey, sorry I took so long to thank everybody for helpin me out with this matter, I've got a loota stuff goin of at the moment, but anyway, Thank You ALL very much. You guys all hit the mark with your answers and replies perfectly!!

Salem: That was the exact answer I was looking for And now that I look at you site in the grinding tips section, I'm positive that is one of the places that I've read about the importance of your stance for grinding. I've gone to you're site a bunch of times since I've been making knives and you have alot of great material there, I appreciate ur help bud And also thanks for reminding me about your site.

James: Thanks for the very descriptive info and tips on how to find a personal "sweet spot".. BTW, I've always wondered why they would call the stance "at ease" lol. To me it looked like the soldiers just changed stances but were still in just about as stiff of a position lol shows how much I know.. But yes sir I really do appreciate the info and warning about the long term health effects, last thing I need is to make my back any worse (I'm only 26) and get hooked on pain killers :thumbdn: :foot: lol

Like I said I want to thanks everyone here to took the time to reply so thanks to all yall!! Tayik it eazaay

-Paul

my youtube with some of my blades and misc knifemaking vids www.youtube.com/lsubslimed (that's an "L" not an "i" ... Lsubslimed )