What is the optimal table height for ease of use and safety?

[swatkins]

In order to save shop floor space I was thinking of positioning the MechMate so that if could also function as the outflow table for my table saw.

By placing the MechMate at a 90 degree angle to the table saw I could then move the gantry to the far end and place a table extension across the two V rails on the X beams when using the table saw..

To make this work I need the top of the V rails to be .750" below the surface of the table saw. On my table that would place the top surface of my spoil board 26" above floor level. I am thinking that this is just too low for comfort and ease of use...

Question of the day... What height would you make your table top for ease of use and keeping your back in good shape?

[Jan de Ruyter]

The ergonomic height for working when standing is 900mm (kitchen top height). Sitting is 762mm (table height).

When is the US going to go metric? Communism is dead, you don't have to confuse them any longer by using imperial sizes.

[Gerald D]

Steve (and capitalist Jan), 900mm [36"] may be good for standing and working where you don't have to reach over too far. If you have to reach deep in, and have a big belly, then lower is better.

[MetalHead]

That is where I fit in

[bradm]

Steve, I think 26" is likely to be fine. As Gerald points out, think about reaching to the center of the table or beyond. The other major thing to consider is the space under the spoilboard. I wish I'd better planned out my storage space down there for convenience.

[KenC]

I can't remember where I picked this up (pun intended), a "good" table top height is the distance of your wrist to the floor when you hang your arm freely. appearently, for most people, this height clear the beer belly nicely...

[Gerald D]

Standard dining room tables and desks are at 30" [750mm]. The leg length shown in the MM drawings puts the work surface at about 32" [800mm] if you put feet under the legs, less about 2" [50mm] if no feet.

[lumberjack_jeff]

I'll have to measure, but I'm certain that my spoilboard is lower than 26", for exactly the reason you mentioned - it is perpendicular to my tablesaw. Although my MechMate is on the infeed side of the saw, the same logic still applies; if it were taller, it would interfere with saw operation.

Works fine for me. I often screw workpieces to the spoilboard, and crawling onto the table to drive the screws is often the easiest.

[jehayes]

Originally Posted by Jan de Ruyter

TCommunism is dead...

Not so, it is alive and well in Washington! (Sorry about the editorial comment but I was just watching the health care summit and my blood pressure is up. Need some relief valve.)

[Johannescnc]

Originally Posted by jehayes

Not so, it is alive and well in Washington! (Sorry about the editorial comment but I was just watching the health care summit and my blood pressure is up. Need some relief valve.)

I saw some excerpts.. what a circus..

I am learning to use the metric system after 30+ years of "normal" measuring..
I have a friend that uses casters mounted on plywood boxes for in-feed out-feed tables.. what I like about the MM design is that none of the dimensions are concrete...

[Gerald D]

Originally Posted by Johnanescnc

.. what I like about the MM design is that none of the dimensions are concrete...

The major work in the design was to make it tolerate typical errors for folk working in millimeters as well as in inches. I constantly had to ask myself what if someone made it a millimeter too big, or a sixteenth too small? And sourcing 50mm material versus 2" material. It was a fun challenge to come up with something that fits two different measuring worlds.

[jehayes]

Originally Posted by Johnanescnc

... none of the dimensions are concrete...

Hmmmmm! MechMate made out of concrete....

Just a thought.

Joe

[domino11]

Sean mentioned that one before, concrete walls, just put your rails and gantry on the concrete support walls. Then you would have lots of room under for large work! You could then roll in a spoilboard table for flat work.

[Gerald D]

This was the first time I mentioned concrete as an option:

Originally Posted by Gerald D

. . . . . The table is a pretty dumb dead part as far as the MechMate is concerned. The only things asked of it are rigidity and stability - concrete is probably the ideal material

[domino11]

Sorry Gerald,
Guess my memory is not working too well today.

[Johannescnc]

perhaps I should have used "flexible" instead of concrete...

[hennie]

Gatiep was looking for a job the one day as a handyman.He got to a building site and asked the builder on site for a job whereby the builder said yes I do have a job for you Gatiep and showed him some wash basins, toilets and some toilet roll holders soap dishes and what not.He told Gatiep what to do and that he needs to fix this for him by the end of the day.At the end of the day the builder returned and was goed de Moer in with Gatiep because he didn`t do what he was told to do.The builder asked Gatiep the reason for fixing the basins out of level, all the work crooked skew and up to sh..Well Gatiep replied but my Master you said that I had to do the work "kok haai" ( up to sh.. ).The Builder replied not "kok Haai" but cock hight.

A nice standard if you are not sure how to use inches or mm `s or what a good working hight is.

[Mountaincraft]

Originally Posted by hennie

Gatiep was looking for a job the one day as a handyman.He got to a building site and asked the builder on site for a job whereby the builder said yes I do have a job for you Gatiep and showed him some wash basins, toilets and some toilet roll holders soap dishes and what not.He told Gatiep what to do and that he needs to fix this for him by the end of the day.At the end of the day the builder returned and was goed de Moer in with Gatiep because he didn`t do what he was told to do.The builder asked Gatiep the reason for fixing the basins out of level, all the work crooked skew and up to sh..Well Gatiep replied but my Master you said that I had to do the work "kok haai" ( up to sh.. ).The Builder replied not "kok Haai" but cock hight.

A nice standard if you are not sure how to use inches or mm `s or what a good working hight is.

Took me a bit to figure out, but I think you mean "cockeyed"..... (Kok Haai?)

I was figuring that the optimal height for the spoil board would be 32" which is the height material would be if I were carrying it, with my arms fully extended down (center above FF of my curled fist).. This is the height of a standard bathroom vanity... 36" would mean I'd have to lift the material up to slide it onto the table...26" would mean I'd have to bend down to slide material in, or slide it at a significant rake...

Since people are different heights, I'd imagine that optimal height is entirely 'custom' to the machine user...

[AlexTup]

Welcome Duke, I did it on my 84 750, but think it might be a little different to the average 84 as I only had a 2 connector flasher and it was adirect replacement plugin. Works well too.

[Oleks]

Originally Posted by jehayes

Hmmmmm! MechMate made out of concrete....

Just a thought.

Joe

Almost done. And thinking about two different heights of a table (Z ranges).

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A5t...ew?usp=sharing