I am starting to frame the rod building table. I prefer to sit. What height do you find most comfortable? I realize this varies depending on how tall you are so it might be better to reference a body part, i.e. is the blank collarbone height, armpit height, sternum height, nipple height or naval height? Or an inch or two above or below one of these reference points?

For me it is slightly above nipple height, maybe 2 -3 inches. That is where the blank is on the lathe and allows me to see my wraps clearly. For grip shaping, since I do all my grips on the blank I prefer belly button height or slightly above.

Thanks Randolph. Hoping to keep my head up a little better than in the past...a higher blank.

Hello Jim.

For wrapping I like nipple height, for turning grips I like half way between nipple and belly button, for coating guides I like chin level.


Tight Wraps.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

I would think this would depend on the type of wrapper you are using.

To illustrate, I use some folding tables. My first wrapper was a homemade wrapper. I had it set up where I could put my elbows on the table and the rod would hit my hands. I did not have to hunch/lean over as the rod was pretty close to my nose height. This setup put very little stress on my neck area. The folding table is at a great height for me to rest my elbows on.

I ran across an old clemens wrapper on the buy/sell page in late 2012. While I really like the wrapper, it sits much lower on the folding table than my homemade wrapper, causing me to lean over a bunch more and creating some neck pain. I've had 5 surgeries (2 on left and 3 on right) since '09 reattaching muscles to my scapula from an old football injury, so I try to pay attention to my posture. I keep a large exercise ball in the room with me and every so often take a break to stretch my back out on it. I've been trying to decide what the best option is to raise the wrapper so I do not have to lean over as much.

So, for me, I'm not so much concerned about table height as I am the blank height. I spend more time wrapping, so I try to get the height set for that. The most comfortable position was with my elbows resting on the table and the blank at nose/eye height.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/2014 12:44AM by Jeremy Reed.

Jim, I,m 5'11" and I believe I've posted this before, that to the center of my chuck from the floor the distance is 57". So, I would say that is about nipple height.

Dennis J. Danku
(Sayreville,NJ)

Jim,
As others have suggested, have your table and wrapper at such a height so that you can work on a rod in a comfortable, non stopped, ergonomically correct posture, position, to avoid both eye, neck, arm, wrist and hand strain.

For most folks this varies from eye level to 1-2 feet below eye level.

Do what works best for you.

Most folks find it convenient to have a bench or table height that is essentially the same height - when sitting or standing that one would use when writing a letter. But, then the rod itself would normally be elevated above that level via wrapper or stand, to elevate the rod to a convenient near eye level height.


I sit when wrapping and use a standard 30 inch table with a power wrapper mounted on the table that elevates the rod 8 inches. This puts the rod at 38 inches with myself sitting in a chair of the height such that my knees form 90 degrees angle and my feet flat on the floor.

Note the desired posture for an excellent "ergonomic" work station. This applies to any sitting work situation. Note the right angles formed by body, legs, knees, arms, wrists and hands.

[www.google.com]



Be safe

The following attachment lists recommended guide lines for "excellent" work station setup.

Be safe

[www.labour.gov.on.ca]

Thank you gentlemen. I was thinking about a table height of around 31 inches plus power wrapper...oddly enough that puts the blank around nipple height. I sometimes use one of those head magnifiers and looking down on the blank can work on the neck after a while.
OK, table will be 10 feet long and 24-inches wide. I know that might seem a little narrow but it will work better for close up camera work and force me to keep the area a little neater! It will take a few evenings to build, I'll post pics along the way.

Jim,
A really simple way to build a nice rod bench is to use a standard formica counter top - 10 feet long.
They are readily available in 10 foot lengths and you just need some supports under the top for your bench to be complete.

This is what I have been using for the last several years, and it works very well indeed.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

This picture happens to illustrate the power wrapper lathe bed that I made for myself, but I just used it to illustrate the clean and easy appearance that you get from using a counter top for a bench.

To support the counter top, I have several folding legs which are easy to attach and inexpensive.

Be safe

If you like, you can use a couple of adjustable height 2x4 folding tables to place under your counter top bench top. This way, you can adjust the height of your bench to any height easily and everything nicely folds up if the bench and tables are not being used.

[www.homedepot.com]

Roger the first thing I did was look for a 10 foot formica counter top. EVERY one of them had a splash board in the back. I even tried to find formica sheet so I could do it myself and the box stores don't carry it anymore thanks to Corian and Granite. 10 foot countertop with bullnose edges on both sides would be perfect...can't find it in this one horse town.

BTW I have no chance of producing anything near the quality of what your lathe bed looks like. Don't expect much from my "construction" pics ;)

Jim, the splash board will keep things from rolling or falling off the back of your table.

Jim,
X10 on Randy's comments. I love the splash board on the back and it keeps things from getting trapped behind or sliding off the back of the bench.

Why did you not want a splash board on the back of the bench?

Be safe

Jim,
X10 on Randy's comments. I love the splash board on the back and it keeps things from getting trapped behind or sliding off the back of the bench.

Why did you not want a splash board on the back of the bench?

With respect to my lathe bed. It is a very simple 10 foot piece of 2X4 aluminum channel. I took the surplus channel that I paid $10 for to a friend who runs a machine shop. I had him mill slots down the center of the channel, to allow me to put carriage bolts in the channel to attach my rod rests. It took him about 5 minutes to mill the slots. I use the word slots, because I had him mill three slots, with solid material of about 6 inches in between the slots that were all in the same line to keep the lathe bed stiff and in one piece. It is easy enough to find an appropriate spot to place any rods rests to support a rod without getting it in the way of a guide.

Since I like to stay in one place at my work station, with all tools on hand, and power wrapper controls handy, I put rollers on the bottom of the aluminum channel made of skate board bearings. Then, the channel rolled so freely, that I put a pair of brakes on the wrapper base by drilling a pair of holes about 1/3 rd the distance from each end of the rod area. I tapped the holes and placed a carriage bolt into each hole. On the head of the bolt, I placed a rubber chair leg tip to form a brake and placed a knob on the top side of the lathe bed to screw the bolt up and down to apply or release the brake for the wrapper to either stay stationary, or to roll easily at the touch of a finger.


Be safe

The table will be free standing...not against a wall. I need to build it like this so I can do occasional videos with a camera in front of the table if the need arises. A splash board won't work in this situation...unless maybe I add some Go Pro mounts to it.

If I had it to do all over again, I would think seriously about mounting a counter top directly to the wall with bracing supports and no legs. That is unless you would want to move the table at times. Being mounted to the wall you have unlimited leg room and can get closer you the table top when needed.35 years ago my father-in-law built me a 14 foot "desk" that had drawers and cabinets at either end and a 4 foot area for my chair and my long legs. It has worked well for me, but at times I wish that I could get closer to a blank at one end or the other.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/2014 05:00PM by Randolph Ruwe.

Jim,
If that is what you want, go to the big box store and buy a 10 foot counter top. Then, have the store rip the counter top to the width that you want. Normally the tops are about 25 5/16th inches. You can rip width off the back, and have a nice 24 inch counter top.

[www.menards.com]

If you like, you can always glue a piece of veneer on the cut edge.

Be safe

By the way, it would be trivial to add a vertical video camera mount on the back of the back splash. Just use a spacer to space the back out flush and then screw on a vertical arm to the back splash.

Be safe

Hello Roger.

The nearest Menards is in Kentucky, but I am sure someone nearer will have one that is suitable.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.