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272072 Greg Isola <gregorywisola@g...> 2020‑11‑07 Re: windows above benches
Hey, Bill:

A subject near and dear to my heart!

When I moved into my shop, I immediately placed my 3-foot high bench
> beneath a 2x6 foot window with a bottom sill roughly 5 feet above the
> floor. This is a relatively high window. Great light, and plenty of room
> for wall-mounted tool storage beneath (but still well above benchtop
> height). Except for an hour or two each afternoon when the sun was in my
> eyes, this was a great setup. (I share John's general concern about tools
> stored in direct sunlight.) But...

I've since flipped my bench 180 degrees and moved it 3-4 feet from the
wall. I installed a sturdy, foot-wide shelf under the long window and
placed three machinist chests on the shelf. Now I work with my back to the
window with my most-used tools in the banks of little drawers right behind
me (or scattered across the benchtop). Instead of the sun in my eyes every
so often, I now get shadows on the benchtop in the late afternoon, but this
is fixable with shop lighting.
So I'm not a big proponent of a bench you can walk all the way around. It
is not always an option, of course, but if it is, I recommend giving it a
try. I have vises mounted on opposite corners and have several mini
workstations all around the bench. This suits my work, but of course your
mileage may vary!

Take care, all of you.

Greg Isola
Alameda, CA

Recent Bios FAQ