I got some benchwork cut today, and I got the legs for my table cut to 40", like MR suggested in the step by step mag. and dvd.
After standing the 40" pieces next to me (I’m about 5"10), I thought they were a bit high. When you consider it will have a board and a few inches of foam in addition to the 40", I think this may be too much.
i don’t want to be staring at locos next to my face, so should I go down to 36" or less for the legs instead?
I wouldn’t go any lower. I am 5’ 9" and my lower level is 52" with 6" seperation between the two upper levels. I also thought that this would be too high until I layed my track and saw that it made it much more real looking. You don’t want a sky view of your layout, but one that puts it more in line with your viewing.
I believe you will find that most will recommend somewhere between 45"and 55" depending on personal preference. Also, the lower you go, the more difficult it will be to do the under-the-table work.
REX
I’m 5’11 and my benchwork is 58" high. I built it this high because I needed a lot of storage underneath. But once I had some track laid and started running trains I liked it. The viewing angle means I’m looking more at the side of the train than the top.
As a bonus the duckunder into the room is very easy to negotiate. As a second bonus our overweight cat who likes to hang out in the basement can’t jump that high. Third bonus is under the layout wiring is easy to do.
The chief downside is I have to use a two step step-stool to work on the layout. But I found that I got used to it and it is no longer a problem.
One really interesting effect is that on my double track mainline I can’t tell which cars are on the far track when there is a train on the near track. This could be a problem for switching in a yard - but then I deliberately decided against a yard on this layout.
Enjoy
Paul
I am 5’ 6" tall and both of my industrial switching layouts is 50" from the floor.This gives me a “from the ground” view while I am seated…
Paul:
I support your philosphy of five foot hight benchwork. I am only 5’7" but my garage has a full width bench at one end of it which I would like to be able to still use when the layout is built, or least part of it. Anyway, I was thinking of putting flooring on skids in the isleways. This wouldm raise me up four or five inches and I would still have comfortable access to the underside of the layout.
My layout is 42 inches off the floor.
my layout is only 30 in. off the floor. my old man will not let me go any higher
What would you guys recommend when I only have a ceiling height of 5’ 6" inches. It’s a cellar (clean, dry) in a century home but it’s not tall. I’m 5’ 10" so I can’t stand and must sit down.
What would be a good height if I’m always sitting? Or, should I invest in a decent chair like a drafting table chair.
I’m thinking 36" for benchwork because my ceiling is 5’ 6" and I want to have 24" backdrop.
What I have built so far is at 48". I WAS planning to do a double-deck, withthe lower level at 36" which is a good height to operate while seated, and the upper level was goign to be at about 56" to accomodate my father in law who is about 5’7". 56" was going to be a little low for me, I’m 6’ tall. Now that I have reconsidered and am workign on a plan for a single level layout instead, it will likely all be at 48".
If your basement ceiling is low - then 36" is a good height for the layout, as it becomes comfortable to run while seated. If you can’t stand in the space anyway, no sense building a layout designed for a standing person.
–Randy
N Blues,
I believe about lower chest high when your sitting in the chair you will use. My layout @ 52" comes to about stomach/lower chest height when I’m standing and works out fine.
You may want to make your layout a “Hard Hat Area”. [:D] [(-D] [:D]
REX
I am 5’ 8" and my lowest track is 48" off the floor, and the upper track is 54". I consider this perfect for viewing the trains. I have a ‘step stool/tool box’ that I use if I have to work on the 54" level, but it is not bad as most of the layout is 24" - 30" wide in most parts.
MR seems to suggest minimum of 42" for the track level. and with the plywood/foam you should fall into that height with no problem.
Jim Bernier
Randy, Rex, I’m certainly tempted to agree about the bench height. If the joists are 36" then the actual scenery area will be a couple of inches higher. This layout will be moving in September '07 when my son hits university so I’m building this layout with any eye towards easily being able to replace the short legs with longer as suitable.
Hard Hat Area ! LOL! Boy, if you knew how many times I’ve hit my head in that space trying to clean it out! ah, it’ll be worth it. My wife and I have some good plans to make the layout show really well in a short space. [:-^]
Rex
Sorry, Rex. I signed with your name instead of mine. Hoo-boy. [D)]
Northern Blue,
The first thing I would do is go and find a great chair with really good casters on it. (Assuming your floor is rollable. Once you get your chair, then take a large piece of ply wood, or foam board, etc, and set it at different hieghts . Use boxes or something, and see what works good for you. I would sit there for awhile and find a height that is comfy. Myabe to some practice work to see if you could work in that postion for awhile Once you figure it out, then measure and work from there.
I stand at 6’7" and the correct working hieght is important to me. I am on my feet all day working inb my shop. All of my tables at work were designed useing the above described method. Helps with the back.
Well, just another thought good luck with the project. [8D]
Best Regards
John Kanicsar
John, agreed. My wife also thought that the chair was critical here and we’ll need the casters as the floor’s level and rolls well.
I cannot wait! but we need to get the right pieces in place (like the chair) to make this fun.
-Dave
So I should probably keep the 40", and just use a step stool or something to work on the middle of my layout if i need to.
My benchwork consists of modules using the Fremo module standard. My track is 1300 mm over ground, that sounds high, but if you stand in front of the layout, you are closer to the nice scenes…
I’m building a shelf layout and am seriously considering having it between 52" and 58" off the floor.
Most layouts I see, even when sitting down, seem to be from a “helicoptor’s view” 15 to 25 stories up.
I’d like to be able to look at my trains and scenery from a more realistic eye level…more or less from a scale 3 or 4 story building. IMHO, this would give a more realistic visual perspective.
I’m 5’11". My layout is 48" high, which comes up about mid-chest. Gives me a nice down-angle to view the layout, easy reach (both on top and underneigth), and a short squat it I want to see things at eye level.
Nick
I actually considered building the layout at 78" to allow me to stand underneath, and then essentially “platforming” the entire aisleway to put the surface at “eye level” and have under the layout as a full-height “pit.”
I’m still not 100% sure I shouldn’t have done that… But with an 8’ ceiling, it would have caused issues. The aisle height would have been about 6’ (18-24" platform height), so anyone of any height would have been banging their head on the ceiling, or at least feeling a little claustrophobic. Also the layout itself would have had only 18" of headroom to the ceiling, which struck me as too cramped. Also, I must admit, with the amount of aisle space in a 26x30 room, the cost of 2x4’s and 3/4 OSB to make durable stable “aisle stands” was not inconsiderable.
I ended up with benchwork 50" off the floor, with track rising up to 68" in places. I’d originally planned even higher - Circa 60" - but after playing around with it, decided that was too tall for me. I like having a modest amount of “overhead” angle, and the height is such that sitting on a chair or short stool basically puts you at eye-level if you want that.
In terms of working underneath, I have an old legless chair set on a platform with casters that puts me at the perfect height for working, .
The duckunder would be better with more height, of course, but that’s life…