I am a long term carpenter and would like to pick up the point on saw horse height. Many factors compete on the right height for each job but I find it hard to make horses that are to short for timber framing. My current horses come to the hinge of my knee. Loading on 8 inch stock brings the working height to mid-thigh. At that height, I can step over or even straddle the stock without dumping my apron. I believe it is important that horses with stock loaded do not become a barrier to moving around or over.

For chisel work consider this. Stand erect, arms to your side, make a fist, wrist straight, the height from the floor to your second knuckle, in common experience, is called anvil height. Generations of furious whacking has established this ideal. Fortunately mallets are not as heavy as forging hammers nor is the shock as great. Somehow a balance of power, safety and personal abuse are encoded into the anvil height. I know all of us are striking chisels above that mid-thigh ideal. I think, for me, that striking at/or above mid-forearm is annoying and elbow high as damaging. Horses that are to high can lock you into a very restricted range of motion. Since my background is stud framing, I prefer a mallet that is long handled and light headed, much like a rip-claw framing hammer, power stems from head speed.

Finally, when lifting heavy tools or timber above waist height, bad form power usually comes from back coiling , instead of the legs. I feel that I work best when I am free to move and not encumbered by the set- up. Good luck.