Cabinet Saw Table Height

[burrellski]

My recent acquisition of a Grizzly Hybrid Saw has got me thinking about floor to table heights. My old BT3100 was significantly higher (not sure exactly) than the new 34" tall Grizz. Consequently, my workbench/outfeed table is much too tall to use in its current condition. I am 5'11" and find the current bench height to be quite comfortable to use, but the lower tablesaw height seems to offer a bit better view and control of everything (at least perceived to be better).

Basically I have a few options.

Lower my bench/outfeed. This will solve the outfeed problem, but I'm not sure how comfortable I will be working at the lower height.

Build a new, 34" tall outfeed/assembly table and try to keep and relocate my current bench to use when its more comfortable. (Will require serious shop rearranging)

Raise the tablesaw, if thats really even possible.

Has anyone built a box for their darkside saw to sit on? Is that an ok idea? How has everyone else that has upgraded saws coped with the height difference?

[ragswl4]

My C-Man 22114 is 35 1/2" high and is also lower than what my BT3100 was. I find it better as you said, I can see the workpiece better at that height. You might want to consider a folding outfeed table as an alternative. That's what I intend to do when the priorties of other projects allow.

[Popeye]

Do you have the saw on a mobile base? That might possibly raise it enough. My Griz 1023 is on a shop fox mobile base and I now use my old BT3 base with a new top as my outfeed/assembly/workbench. Pat

[LarryG]

Everyone is different, but I never cared for the BT's taller-than-normal height. Before I knew I'd be moving into my current, larger shop and thus accelerating my planned eventual purchase of a cabinet saw, I was designing a base cabinet for my BT to sit on that would've lowered its tabletop to the more usual 34".

My new PM2000's table is about 34.25" high and I really, really like it (I'm six feet even). Like you, I have noticed that I have better control and vision. The latter is especially important on the PM2000, which has more table space in front of the blade than most cabinet saws.

All that said ... in my various books I have seen pictures of several cabinet saws placed on risers, either because the user was tall, or to raise the table high enough to clear the fence of an adjacent jointer or whatever. Here's a pic of a PM66 sitting on what the author describes as a 2" high wood frame:



EDIT: Photo is from an article by Dwayne J Intveld in "Working With Tablesaws," in the New Best Of Fine Woodworking Series, Taunton Press, 2005.

As I said, I've seen this done more than once. So it can be done, if that's the route you decide to go.

[gad5264]

Nice looking set up Larry. Is that a Biesmeyer? If so which model?

[gwyneth]

Another option is to build an outfeed topper for your bench (with the added benefit of not having to clear the top of the bench when you're using the saw--just place the topper over the clutter).

I've seen several--one was like a table with really short legs that went on top of the bench, the other involved four short legs that pivoted to swing up from the corners of the bench, with a top that fit on. The second was later refitted, so that each end of the bench had a hinged frame that folded up, with top placed on the two frames.

[drumpriest]

My PM2000 is much the same experience as Larry's, I like that it is lower than my BT, but I'm also only about 5' 9" or so. Definitely have more control and visibility.

[LarryG]

Nice looking set up Larry. Is that a Biesmeyer? If so which model?

That's not MY saw, rather a photo from one of my books (I've now added the proper attribution, which I forgot to include yesterday).

That particular fence is a Biesemeyer, according to Dwayne J Intveld, the author of the article from which it is taken. The fence on my PM2000 is a Powermatic clone of the Biese and looks virtually identical, apart from the paint job.

[vaking]

I do not believe there is a mgic number or a formula for best height. It just need to be reasonable. For comparison a kitchen counter for a professional chef is like workbench to woodworker. All kitchen counters have a standard height of 36". Professional chefs come in all sizes and somehow they all manage to live with 36" counters. BT3 stands at 38" and is the tallest saw I know. Most saw as 34"-35". I followed the kitchen counter rule and made a mobile base for my BT3 standing at 36" and followed the same height on workbench as well. Works for me.

[burrellski]

I will not be putting the saw on a mobile base. I'm not really sure where I would move the saw to if it was mobile. One of those deals that its current location in the shop is really the only place it can be.

The more miles I put on the saw, the more I like its current height. So, I guess I'm building a new outfeed / assembly table and trying to find a new spot for my bench.

[ssmith1627]

Mine is just a contractor saw, not a cabinet saw. I put in a shelf between the saw and the stand to get everything a couple of inches higher. This puts the top of mine at around 37 inches. This is in line with my workbench which I use for infeed support so that was part of the reason.

http://ssmith1627.myphotoalbum.com/v..._0816Smith0020

Steve