Shop Organization


Fxguy

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Hey guys,

    I love the help I have gotten on here about getting my table saw setup and aligned and it has made a huge difference in this newbie's ability to enjoy woodworking. I'd like to ask for some more help and advice on getting a shop setup. 

 

So my shop is located inside my two car garage with the stipulation from my wife that I have to be able to get at least her car in the garage and ideally be able to get both cars in the garage. The garage is roughly 20' X 20' and I have a workbench at the very back next to the door to the house. Above the workbench (which has a set of six drawers for storage) is a pegboard. To the right is more pegboard and where most of my tools reside on mobile bases. 

 

I'll post some pictures when I get a chance, but in the meantime any suggestions for how you organize and store your tools? I'm trying to hang as much as possible on the pegboard, but the pegboard needs to undergo some reorganization by tool type. 

 

Also any suggestions for climate control? A HUGE drawback to the garage is that it's not climate controlled at the moment. I plan on running a sub-panel out there to give me more circuits and amperage and possibly 220. But as I have said, in the summer its almost too hot to work and in the winter I can work decently with a propane tank heater, but it would be nice to have the climate more controlled. 

 

 

Thanks ahead of time for the help and advice! 

 

 

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Is the garage insulated, with finished walls and ceiling? If so, you should be able to used a window-style A/C unit to cool it in the summer. If not finished, I think doing that is the best place to start. With a space tht small (when cars are present) you should consider some swing-out panels on the wall to increase storage area. And stackable racks for your machines. Floor space is the hardest thing to conserve.

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Is the garage insulated, with finished walls and ceiling? If so, you should be able to used a window-style A/C unit to cool it in the summer. If not finished, I think doing that is the best place to start. With a space tht small (when cars are present) you should consider some swing-out panels on the wall to increase storage area. And stackable racks for your machines. Floor space is the hardest thing to conserve.

 

Fortunately the garage is insulated, but there are no windows to put an A/C unit. There are only two walls in which I could put a window and one faces north and there isn't much room between us and the neighbors. I might be able to put one on the south side in the corner nearest the front porch. 

 

I do have a stackable rack for benchtop machines along with a mobile cart base that the tops slide out and fit over pretty nicely. I have to clean it out and make another top or two, but planning on putting at least the scroll saw and bandsaw in the cabinet since the mobile sawing and routing center will get rid of the need for a standalone router table. Debating on putting the drill press in there or leaving it on the bench next to the tower. 

 

Swing out panels are a good idea! I saw a plan somewhere for a tool cabinet that mounted on the wall with swing out panels that increased storage space immensely. 

 

I think the biggest thing right now is getting climate control. In the midwest heat here in central IL its getting into the mid 80's almost everyday and my garage becomes sweltering. It makes it unbearable to spend more than 15-20 mins at a time in there with the door closed. Until I can get it comfortable in there any amount of cleaning out the garbage and gathering all my tools is going to be slow going. 

 

One thing that is frustrating is working on things for the garage shop to help get things cleaned and organized and doing so in the middle of a mess! Cant tell you how many times I've set my measuring tape down in the middle of working and then having to look where I may of laid it! 

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We've been regularly getting 30C (86F) here in Nova Scotia (yeah, and -20C in winter). My shop is an old barn so can't be insulated effectively.

 

The biggest things I've done to keep cool is drink plenty of water/juice (probably a good idea anyway), and to get a 20" box fan and point it down my shop. If I'm working on my tablesaw or at my bench (which doubles as my out feed table) I'm in a stream of air. That has made working in the shop WAY more bearable. As it happens that also helps with dust control, as the garage doors are at the far end so the dust drifts in that direction.

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We've been regularly getting 30C (86F) here in Nova Scotia (yeah, and -20C in winter). My shop is an old barn so can't be insulated effectively.

 

The biggest things I've done to keep cool is drink plenty of water/juice (probably a good idea anyway), and to get a 20" box fan and point it down my shop. If I'm working on my tablesaw or at my bench (which doubles as my out feed table) I'm in a stream of air. That has made working in the shop WAY more bearable. As it happens that also helps with dust control, as the garage doors are at the far end so the dust drifts in that direction.

 

Good idea! There is absolutely NO air movement in there at all, even with the door open. AS it happens I finally got some pics to share: 

 

This is from the front door looking in with my bench and storage rack visible against the back wall. I have a TON of cleaning up to do! 

 

IMG_0016_zpsb3fcc173.jpg

 

 

And here is the view of right wall where most of my shop is going to roll up against the wall. The mobile routing and sawing center can be seen just behind the sheets of OSB for my basement floor. 

 

IMG_0017_zps9a9770f3.jpg

 

And I happen to still have the blueprints from when the house was built. Here you can see the dimensions I have to work with. 

 

IMG_0020_zps5a775ca9.jpg

 

 

 

As you can see, wall space is kind of at a premium in terms of being able to add a window somewhere. The only option really would be either the north wall (on the right side of the photo) or the corner of the south wall (top left of photo). Space is approximately 20' X 20' and so I have a lot of space to work with as long as the whole shop packs up against the wall when I am done and I can get at least one car in. 

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Having just listened to the recent Woodtalk about dust collection, there was some commentary about using air scrubbers and how that creates some air flow around the shop.

 

Is that a bandsaw by the door to the house? Bandsaws are notorious (especially bench top models) for having terrible dust collection, and you may well find dust coming off that and onto the floor ready for you to walk that into the house. I would consider trying to place that some where else for that reason alone, somewhere you can collect the dust more effectively before you grind it into the carpet in the house.

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Having just listened to the recent Woodtalk about dust collection, there was some commentary about using air scrubbers and how that creates some air flow around the shop.

 

Is that a bandsaw by the door to the house? Bandsaws are notorious (especially bench top models) for having terrible dust collection, and you may well find dust coming off that and onto the floor ready for you to walk that into the house. I would consider trying to place that some where else for that reason alone, somewhere you can collect the dust more effectively before you grind it into the carpet in the house.

 

It's funny you mention it, but my wife has recently begun complaining about tracking the dust into the house. The bandsaw is there as a temporary location. Its one of the tools I'm hoping to mount to a mobile shelf top to slide in the storage rack to the left of the bench and then slide it out and place it on the mobile base to move wherever I need it. The base currently has my router table on top of it that can be seen to the left in the first pic. 

 

I have a wall mounted dust collector ( the one from Rockler) that I currently use, but I need to upgrade the connectors to fit the various machines in the shop at the moment. 

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I'd also leave the door to the house closed when you're working. The really fine dust, which you really don't want anyone breathing, will find it's way into the house regardless. Best to keep that to a minimum by keeping the door closed when you're working.

 

I can see one table saw against the wall in picture 2. What's the cast iron table top at the bottom of the same picture? A second saw?

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I'd also leave the door to the house closed when you're working. The really fine dust, which you really don't want anyone breathing, will find it's way into the house regardless. Best to keep that to a minimum by keeping the door closed when you're working.

 

I can see one table saw against the wall in picture 2. What's the cast iron table top at the bottom of the same picture? A second saw?

 

Yes, the cast iron top is from my Grizzly saw that I just got aligned. The craftsman is now listed on craigslist to try and clear out the space. 

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Another thing to consider is right now, I know I don't have a fully functional shop, I have a mess! And while I'd love to have the cash to do a lot of things, I have a 9 month old that dictates that I can barely spend any money and anything over $500 total is out of reach for me at the moment. Also consider the electrical requirements...I have only 110 run to the garage at the moment on a 20 (at most) amp circuit. I think the first steps for me are to get a decent fan to at least get some air flowing and allow me the time to get in there and start cleaning things up so I have a place to store everything.

Just not sure what to do with all the hand tools and bits and sockets and what not that are covering my bench top at the moment. Trying to hang as much as possible on the two pegboards since I'm visually oriented and drawer space is at a premium.

Maybe I should consider building a wall mounted tool best with swing out panels to increase my hanging storage space. Also how do you hang things that don't normally hang like drill bits?

Thanks for the conversation guys! Really enjoying the ideas!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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Personally, I hate pegboard. I tried this route early on with my shop and found it frustrating.   I much prefer cupboards and drawers that are well organized within.  

 

There's been a few "shop organization" threads here.  If you take a look back thru the pages in this section, you might find some ideas you like..

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So I got some more time to start uncovering the mess and what a mess! I never realized how much the disorganization and mess have really hampered the ability to do much of anything. So as I'm laying out all my tools and gathering them up, I noticed I have a TON of screws and fasteners. What do you guys do with them to keep them organized and not laying all over the place? 

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Do you any storage space in your basement or attic? One of the best things you can do for a woodshop is get anything non-woodshop related out of there. I have had a snowblower and tractor in my shop for years, as well as a lot of other odds and sods. It is well organized and out of my way, but my third (and much smaller shop) will have 0 non-woodshop related items.

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We have some storage in the basement, there is space in the attic but it's not easily accessible. Right now I have a second table saw and a lawn mower stored in the garage as well. I'm not sure about the possibility of a shed based shop either as there isn't much space on our lot and a homeowners association that might not allow certain things either.

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So it looks like you built the tool storage cabinet (and table) that was part of Wood Magazine's Basic Built series.  I don't remember if it can support the weight of the bandsaw, but it can certainly support the router, drill press, and small bench top tools you might find in there.  I believe I also saw part of a downdraft sanding box: is it possible to refit a smaller tool table with the downdraft box on it?  

 

I'm planning a tilt-top work table for my shop, perhaps more than one, with a work surface on one side and a tool on the other.  (I have 24 effective square feet of storage, since I now need to store garden equipment and a grill in my shop.)  You might look into one of those as well; it might help with some of the issues you have.

 

I'd also hang up the director's chair, and maybe make a smaller cabinet for all those plastic cases you've got stored under the bench.

 

(And what's with the box of hay?)

 

Don't worry that your shop isn't productive/tidy/organized/spic-n-span/professional-looking/like-someone-else's.  It's your shop.  One thing that 24 years of mucking around has taught me is that no shop is ever finished in organization.  (That's one reason why I believe heavily in fluidic organization.)

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So it looks like you built the tool storage cabinet (and table) that was part of Wood Magazine's Basic Built series.  I don't remember if it can support the weight of the bandsaw, but it can certainly support the router, drill press, and small bench top tools you might find in there.  I believe I also saw part of a downdraft sanding box: is it possible to refit a smaller tool table with the downdraft box on it?  

 

I'm planning a tilt-top work table for my shop, perhaps more than one, with a work surface on one side and a tool on the other.  (I have 24 effective square feet of storage, since I now need to store garden equipment and a grill in my shop.)  You might look into one of those as well; it might help with some of the issues you have.

 

I'd also hang up the director's chair, and maybe make a smaller cabinet for all those plastic cases you've got stored under the bench.

 

(And what's with the box of hay?)

 

 

 

Thanks for some of the specific suggestions ! Indeed the tool storage cabinet was from the Basic Built Series. I built it and the work bench before I even knew what a square cut was! LOL ! 

 

I've since cleared the plastic storage bins from under the work bench and rolled the mobile cabinet underneath as well as made space for my air compressor. 

 

The box of hay is from Halloween. We love Halloween and animatronics and thats one thing I'd like to build more of once I get my shop set up. 

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