Why don’t they make all shop equipment the same height? My tablesaw is one height the jointer another the shaper and the planner still another and etc..
If they were all the same height we could use the table of each as infeed/outfeed tables . If you were tall you could raise each up the same amount and if you were short then one standard size box would be just right height..
Edited 10/22/2005 2:45 pm ET by frenchy
Replies
Make ya' buy something else?
WillGeorge,
I already did buy something else, the table saw, the jointer, the etc.,,,,
And since Jet, Delta, etc. don't make roller stands or stuff like that the first company to standardize the table heights is going to get additional customers across the product line.. No longer will someone read that this jointer is better because,..... and this tablesaw is superior because,,.....
Once they understand that another manufactorer has a differant standard consideration of another brand will be pretty well eliminated..
Can't you just add shims under the legs? Even with a mobile base that's easy enough.
LumberjacksSon,
I measured the first 4 pieces in my shop
35, 31, 34, 32 that means the shim under the shaper would be 4 inches and the shim under the jointer would be, well,.... you can do the math.
I'm worried that they wouldn't be stable and firm with that much differance..
Two reasons;
A. that would be too easy ;)
B. Who is going to determine what the standard height should be? I doubt any company would volunteer to spend the time and expense to re-engineer their product line for the sake of uniformity. Not that it's not a good idea, just that I don't see that happening any time soon.
Locknut,
Would you buy all your tools from one company if they were compatable height wise? Do you think using other tools as infeed/outfeed tables would offset a slightly lower price or some other minor differance?
Yes, I think it would be worth paying a little extra to have everything at the same height right out of the box. Especially the jointer and planer. But what height should it be? Being a woodworker of above average height, what is comfortable for me may well be too high for some and vice versa. I agree with the idea of adjustable height stands, that way everybody can have tools at a workable height, as well as compensate for the less than perfect floor in my shop. :)
Locknut,
My first thought with adjustable height stands is fear.. fear that they would be tippy. fear that they wouldn't be stable and fear that they might need frequent adjustment..
But you are speaking of the possible not what is available currantly..
In that regard if they were Stables safe and strudy and only slightly added to the cost of mobility, Sure that would solve the problem..
In my opinion if they made everything a little too tall it wouldn't hurt a lot, we could all quickly build platform to compensate and walking on wooden platform would be a real improvement over walking on concrete..
Believe it or not Frenchy, I just asked my Jet Rep about variable height mobile bases. Not in Jets plans for the moment but it did seem to peak his interests.
Steve
"You can either be smart or pleasant, I was once smart but now I'm pleasant. I like being pleasant better." Jimmy Stewart - Harvey
It goes according to the whim of the manufacturer. If he is small and short so be his product-like my communist chinese "pedestal" drill press, (and not like MatthewShencker's). When I bought it I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be a bench drill or a pedestal drill. I calculated that it it was a bench drill then I needed to be six foot eleven tall. If it was a pedestal drill then the operator needed to be four feet eleven-I made a stand for it , rather than sending it back to China, especially as I had not bought it by mail order.
My tools are all the same height ---
30" more or less.
The only one that mattered was the bandsaw. The standard height is much too high for me. I threw out the standard closed base and made a nice plywood base so I could see the top of my work..
My benchtop planer is about 2" above the 30" (it sits on a 30" high bench).
My miter saw is about 3-1/2" above the 30" (same reason).
My thickness sander varies in height.
pick a number, heck if it's too tall we can build platforms and if it's too short we can bend over more, er complain more er, stop wearing cowboy boots in the shop <G>
Well, I raised my TS 5" with wheels and I raised my jointer about 8" and sure glad I did. I'm 6'1" and I just could not work at the heights the machine were as they came from the factory. It was killing my back and besides it was darn unsafe.
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)PlaneWood
The jointer should be lower than your table saw to allow proper ergonomic use of the machine. Wrong heights on machines mean an unsafe and dangerous tool not too mention future back problems. You spend a week on a machine with improper the height at a job and you will feel it at the end of the day. It's harder to see this on a tool when you only use it a few minutes here and there. It's far easier to raise a tool to a safe lever than to lower it for the shorter person. If tools come in at the same height I would be concerened the manufacturer doesn't know what they are doing.
RickL
OK then why is each manufactur have differant height for a tablesaw for example. why is a shaper differant than a table saw?
Your statement would be accurite if we were all average height. But a too tall or short piece of equipment can be dealt with by platforms and matts etc.. while if you are working with longer pieces of wood (as I do) you can't just roll your tablesaw up to your jointer and use it as an outfeed/ infeed table.
I have yet to find a really decent, easy to use infeed / outfeed table rollers etc..
I look longingly at the nice flat surface on the tablesaw as I joint a 18 foot piece of oak.
Running a 20 foot long piece into the planner would be a breeze if I didn't need to set up infed/outfeed tables and just slide it along the tablesaw, jointer shaper etc..
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