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Things have changed!


Kennneee

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I am about to build a dinette table for Rosie. I have built a few chairs and tables over the years but always have to refresh my memory on the ergonomic relationships (heights, clearances, etc.). I have had Skene’s for almost 40 years. It is pretty ragged after my dog chewed on it shortly after I got it. I  remembered a page that had much of what I needed and decided to give SIRI a break and revert to one of those weird book things for answers. Surprisingly it seemed to work without any wifi problems.

I wonder if this book is used by designers anymore. I am guessing that Graham may have worn out a copy or two over the years.

Ken

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unfortunately a lot of industrial products like kitchen and other furtniture etc seems to be made with that old measurements in mind.
Compared to the 50ies i guess the people today are at least 10-15% taller than in this old standards.
10 years ago i bought a IKEA kitchen and had to put it on a pedestal 12 cm higher to fit me (199 cm) and my wife( 183cm).
Same problems with chairs. When sitting on an average chair i have to put a thick hard pillow underneath or i can cover my ears with my knees. And the table legs are too short either so my knees hit the tabletop.
So if you are not very short take this old books at least with an additional 10%
 

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Jay- I would imagine there should be some copies floating around. At one time I think Skene’s was considered a “bible” of yacht design. 
Wasserboot- The dimensions in the book were compiled in the 20’s when people didn’t know they were small. It was based on a average height of 5’9”. People have certainly gotten taller (smarter?). I will use the dimensions from the 20’s since Luanne is 5’5” and I am 5’11”. Sort of averages out. There is a multiplier for different heights in the book.

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Yes i know, i saw it on the picture. But the industries still use the smaller average from the past and do not use the multiplier for todays taller average. When building for yourself you are of course lucky to use the right multiplier for your height...

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Gosh, that Skene' brings back memories! When I went to work in the engineering department of Morgan Yacht Corp. MANY years ago as a young-un, The head designer, Henry Scheel, gave all of us in the department a copy. He was a friend of Francis S. Kinney who had done a revision for the latest printing. This was about 1968. I used the book for many years. It disappeared in my last move.

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