Stand or Sit

[Foxfold]

I now have a 'proper' saw to go alongside my little PinEnd saw.  However, having looked around the internet and read as many articles as I can find, it seems to me that a lot of you 'experienced folk' actually sit at your machines.  Now I've always stood at mine, but I'm that new to scrolling I didn't realise that it could be done sitting down      Now, my good husband is going to make me a solid bench fitted both to the wall and to the floor for my new saw and he has asked me how 'high' I want the saw to sit.

So my question is,,,,,  do you sit or do you stand  ??

[Scrappile]

sit

[Jim McDonald]

Sit. I use a stool that is 29 inches high. The front of my tilted DeWalt is 43 inches.

[trackman]

Sit

[jbrowning]

Both, my Hegner is the perfect height for me to stand at and saw. Then when my legs get tired, I go to my Hawk and sit down and cut. Then when my fanny gets tired, I can stand up and saw some more on the Hegner.

[Foxfold]

Wow, does the saw have to be 'tilted' to be able to 'sit' at it  and if so at what angle ?  Who knew that cutting bits of wood could be so complicated ??

[Jim McDonald]

The rear of my table is about three inches higher than the front. That makes it easier to look down on my work and gives me a better perspective on the blade and cut ahead of me.

On a flat table I felt I could not see as well. On one of my older saws, I made a block to go under the rear legs to tilt the table.

[ike]

I sit and I have my saw set at a 2 1/2 " up in the back works fine for me besides @  the age of 79 I can't stand for long periods at a time but i can sit and scroll for hours.

IKE

[Foxfold]

12 minutes ago, ike said:

I sit and I have my saw set at a 2 1/2 " up in the back works fine for me besides @  the age of 79 I can't stand for long periods at a time but i can sit and scroll for hours.

IKE

I'm no spring chicken so sitting sounds good to me.  Thank you for taking the time to answer. Brenda

[John B]

I have always stood at mine. I have a thick rubber mat on the floor, actually I have rubber mats in front of all my benches and machines.
Having said that, a few years ago I purchased a U-beaut swivel, hight adjustable, upholstered stool from a garage sale so I can sit. I will have to test it one day.

 

[Scrappile]

Before your hubby makes a bench that is tilted, just prop your saw up in the back and try it both flat and angled.  It is personal preference.  I've trued it both way and prefer flat.  It may be related to the type of scrolling one likes to do also.  Not sure. Best thing would be to make it so you could raise and lower the back then you could switch off.  I was always going to fix one of my saws so I could do that,,, but alas,,, just another thing I didn't or at least haven't gotten around to. 

[WayneMahler]

I sit at mine. But then I spend a lot of time each day cutting.

[dgman]

I sit. Have a very nice and comfortable drafting chair!

[fredfret]

I sit but have bad knees and legs. Try your saw both tilted and flat. I sit on a homemade 21 inch high seat for viability on my hawk and have a tall stool for when I use the Dewalt that is tilted. Do what feels best to you 

[Rockytime]

I sit at my Hawk. I am unable to stand for long lengths of time. My saw is raised due to casters front and back and I sit on a 24" stool. My face is fairly close to the table. I need magnification to scroll. I'm thinking of raising the back of my saw. I think I would like that.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

I sit also and no you do not have to tilt the saw. You find the most comfortable position and go from there. All my saws are flat. I do stand at my hegner. I will stand at a sw if I am scrolling large pieces because the corporation in front gets in the way when spinning.

[OCtoolguy]

Sit for me. I have terrible bad feet so standing is a killer for me.

 

[loftyhermes]

I sit and also have the saw tilted, just on a piece of 4" x 2". Bench height and saw position are very much down to personal preference so experiment before finally fixing everything down. 

[Phantom Scroller]

Nice Coffey chair for me please.

[Bill WIlson]

When I first started scrolling, I built a stand for my saw.  Not knowing any different, I made it a height suitable for standing and used it for several years.  Eventually I migrated to sitting and now have a comfortable, adjustable height, swivel, drafting chair.  Whether or not you sit or stand, the key is proper ergonomics.  Your body should be positioned such that you don't slouch and that your arms & hands are at a comfortable angle.  If the table is too high, your elbows & wrists will be bent at a sharp angle and you will likely find that your hands may get numb after a while.  If the table is too low, you will tend to lean over, hunching your shoulders, in order to see what you are doing.  This causes stress on your neck, shoulders and back.  These same conditions apply to standing or sitting.

As for the tilted table, I scrolled for several years with the table flat and for the past several years, I've had it tilted.  I prefer the table being tilted slightly.  I think it helps achieve a comfortable position, but it's very much a personal preference.  As I said, my chair has adjustable height.  Sometimes I will adjust the chair slightly, just to change the height a little, which can change up my work position and help relieve stress & strain.  If I'm cutting something small & detailed, I might want to be a little closer to the table.  If the piece is large and I need more room to swing it, I may sit a little higher.  Plus, the chair is also on wheels, so I can swing from the saw in and out or also to the workbench bench and back very easily and comfortably.  I would suggest that you not do anything permanent yet, until you determine what is most comfortable.  Also, consider your work flow.   Does your set-up allow you easy access to other areas for sanding & drilling & other prep work?  Some folks will sit and saw for hours at a time.  Personally, I like to get up every hour or so, if for no other reason than to stretch a little.  I'll use this time to do other tasks to break things up a bit.  You will find a process that works best for you.

Sorry for the long winded reply. Hope this helps.

[John B]

Another thought on comfortable sawing positions, Check your self every 15 minutes or so and force yourself to relax. I find that I get so engrossed and intense , especially when cutting really fine pieces  that I have to consciously make myself relax and stand tall again.

[meflick]

My saws are on the manufacturer's stands.  They are set so I can stand, but I have an adjustable chair so I can also sit and adjust the chair height as needed.  I primarily sit to cut unless I am just making a quick cut.  My saws are flat, not tilted though I have considered tilting to see if I like it but I have not done so yet. My saws also have the foot pedals and I have those up higher off the ground so that I can reach them.  (Yes, I'm on the shorter side of "average height". ) I presently have a piece of wood across my bottom cross brace on the stand that the pedal sits on.

[NC Scroller]

In my shop I sit on a 29" wooden bar stool.  All my saws are on factory stands and all flat.  I am 5'8" and this setup works for me.  The problem I had with tilting my saw and sitting was all the saw dust ended up in my lap.  

I also do demos for my wood working organization.  When I do those I stand and then I can use the saw tilted.  

[Foxfold]

2 hours ago, Bill WIlson said:

 

Sorry for the long winded reply. Hope this helps.

Many thanks Bill, it made total sense. Appreciate the time to reply.  Brenda x

[Foxfold]

1 hour ago, John B said:

Another thought on comfortable sawing positions, Check your self every 15 minutes or so and force yourself to relax. I find that I get so engrossed and intense , especially when cutting really fine pieces  that I have to consciously make myself relax and stand tall again.

I will put myself a 'note' above my saw as I must confess I am guilty of being so engrossed that I feel like a guitar string sometimes.