Reloading Bench Height

[fullrut]

I am just getting into reloading and building a bench in the near future. My question is how high is the top of your bench from the floor. I plan on reloading off of a stool. Thanks for the help.

 

[walker]

My bench is a Craftsman 5 drawer work bench.. It's 32 1/2 tall, and I sit on a office style chair. Get the stool you will sit on, do a mock setup to find what is comfortable for you.

 

[NIFT]

My bench is a Craftsman 5 drawer work bench.. It's 32 1/2 tall, and I sit on a office style chair. Get the stool you will sit on, do a mock setup to find what is comfortable for you.

That's it!

 

[42769vette]

i load off a stool aswell and i have my bench set it a couple inches iver waist high. ill take a real measurment for you this evening

 

[parson]

I'm right at 6' tall, my benchtop is 40". It's comfortable for me to sit on a stool and load on my 550b.

 

[jdhaines]

I used the NRMA bench plans and added about 2" to the height of the legs (which were normally 42") with a 3/4" piece of plywood on the bench making it right around 45" tall. It's high and a stand up bench but I think it's perfect. I can work on laptops on the surface and still be able to look down from the top to see screws and such. The press is mounted at the perfect height to be able to look in the cases and such without bending at the waist...the powder measure is eye level or slightly above. Adjusting dies is around shoulder height.

I'm 6'0" tall. I read that you want a stand up bench at your elbow height when you stand straight up and bend your arms at 90 degrees your arms would rest approximately flat on the surface. Mine is about 1" or 2" above that. You would need a barstool, which are designed to bring you to standing height to use the bench comfortably, but I plan to stand up. Rubber on the floor helps.

This got a bit long but I'm just trying to be descriptive. I agonized over this question and I'm very happy with the results. I went a bit higher than I thought I should (1" to 2") because I could always cut the legs and was glad that I did. Hope this helps.

For size reference...I have to reach over my head to put powder in the top of the measure and that's a standard sit-down computer desk on the background. The extra height allows me to put 5 gallon buckets below the underneath shelf and on the shelf.

 

[dbd870]

Mine's 43".

 

[Aszerigan]

I am just getting into reloading and building a bench in the near future. My question is how high is the top of your bench from the floor. I plan on reloading off of a stool. Thanks for the help.

An obviously overlooked question.... how tall is your stool?

 

[indygunguy]

My stool is 23" and my bench is 37" - that is pretty comfortable for me.

After reading jdhaines post above, I may redesign...

 

[kboom524]

An obviously overlooked question.... how tall is your stool?

Great question!!!
Fit the bench to you and what you will be sitting on.
What height should a bench be is, I believe, a very personal question. It depends on your build, how you want to work, where you are the most comfortable. For me reloading is enjoyable. I love setting at my bench and reloading. Will do it for hours, or at least as long as my wife lets me before she comes up with another chore for me. For it to be enjoyable a bench must be comfortable for you. If you can try to avoid the "one size fits all".
If you already have your stool try sitting at tables or countertops of different heights. See what fits you best and where your arms and hands are the most comfortable. I have 5 benches that I have built between my shop, my reloading room and my garage. My reloading bench is 31 inches tall. I sit in a very nice leather office chair, that I got at an auction for $15.00. I got tired sitting on a stool with no back after long periods and this chair is very comfortable and I can reload all day. My carving bench which was built just for me, no one else is allowed to work on it, is 36 inches tall. This bench was designed for me to work at mostly standing and sometimes sitting on a stool. My do it all beater bench is 38 inches tall. I can stand at it and work on anything I want with the thing I am working on or repairing at a good height. I have a stool for this bench that is taller than the stool for my reloading bench. Each of these benches were built for what I plan on doing on them and how I will be doing it. My point here is find the height that fits YOU best. It has to be comfortable for you to work on for long periods of time or it will not be enjoyable.

 

[Brandon]

i do not reload, but i do have a work bench. I built my bench at 43" tall in case of standing i do not have to bend over as much.

 

[6birds]

I stand, one bench is 40", the other is 42".

 

[schoolmaster]

I measured my kitchen table and made mine 34 inches.

 

[mikeplan14]

I was reloading with a stool and it always killed my back after a couple hundred rounds single stage, no matter how I adjusted everything. Switched over to standing, and love it. Sounds weird, I know, but it works for me.