Looking for workshop ideas

Looking for workshop ideas · 05-12-2009, 08:53 PM

Hi all-

I am in the throes of trying to optimize my shop. It is getting better, but I could use some feedback. I will try to describe what is going on...

Previously, working in my garage/shop was a real chore. It involved moving lots of stuff (bikes, dog stuff, christmas decorations, etc), getting set up, then working. At the end of the day-- however long it was-- I had to clean up, since our garage is our day-to-day path in to the house. In addition, an unspoken rule is that my wife's car has to be in at night (I guess that you could say it has a curfew).

I have replaced a couple of tools with some more asthma/cleanup friendly (ok, I still am trying to see a couple

see the classifieds if curious). Now cleanup isn't too bad.

The 6 years that I have had this shop, and I still don't have a respectable bench. I plan to rectify that in the near future, by building an outfeed/assembly/workbench to sit by my saw. I also hope to make a torsion box to put on top of a table that I have.

I still don't have a reasonable setup for day to day use. I thought that I would post a couple of pics of my layout, to perhaps get some feedback.

Some long term plans would be to replace the tablesaw with a slider/shaper combo, and to get a jointer/planer combo.

Here is the layout:
the area on the floor with the grey is the shadow of the car-- the room that is needed to open the doors, while the darker rectangle is the car footprint. Underneath the stand that the drill press are two stands that swivel (still a work in progress), hiding the planer. The dust collector uses 4" flex tubing to serve the tablesaw and bandsaw.

This is a view of the right of the garage, the outside wall.

This is the view of the left side, the wall touching the house.

I would any tips as to how some of the more seasoned folks might lay things out. A couple of notes-

the car WON'T fit in the single bay
There are other things that aren't in the picture, such as bikes, folding chairs, a power washer
The ceiling is 11'
above the garage doors are large shelves with more junk on them

Thanks for looking,

-jamie

Travis Porter · 05-12-2009, 09:06 PM

What all tools do you have? Jointer? drum sander?

I would want my tablesaw closer to my lumber storage.

It looks like you have your router table in your tablesaw extension table. I would think I would like that side of the saw free to get around to that end better to use the router.

jrs · 05-12-2009, 09:24 PM

My current tool inventory (stuff that has a footprint) consists of:

Jet Cabinet Saw
Jet 18" Band Saw
Jet 1.5(?) HP Dust collector
Ridgid 12" planer
Miter Saw
Benchtop Drill Press (crap)
Ridgid benchtop spindle/belt sander

The router table is in fact part of the tablesaw. I chose the orientation based on usage, in that, if I ever wanted to use something for a couple of quick things, it would more likely be the saw than the router table. I also took into consideration where the garage door opening is, for large panels.

I PROBABLY should have pointed out that the tablesaw, bandsaw, and DC are all on mobile bases. If I want to use the router table, I only have to roll the saw 3'.

I used to have a jointer-- but never really figured out how to use it, and sold it to finance something else (don't even remember). I doubt that I even ever had it set up properly. (I am only pointing this part out to indicate that my having a planer isn't as dumb as it seems

)

Good point about the lumber. I have been been back and forth as to which side of the garage I want the "shop" on. when we moved in here, I had no idea that I would pick up this ~~sickness~~ hobby, so the garage is electrically challenged.

One thing I have been toying with is getting a couple of these:
http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/nav...=5&item=369240
to put along the window wall, which should enable me to get rid of the one by the fridge. My fear with this is losing floor space...

Bigdog72 · 05-12-2009, 09:44 PM

Do you have room in your yard for a shed? Move all the "extras" into a shed so that your time in your shop is more enjoyable.

jrs · 05-12-2009, 09:53 PM

Originally Posted by Bigdog72

Do you have room in your yard for a shed? Move all the "extras" into a shed so that your time in your shop is more enjoyable.

This is something that I am considering. the only thing keeping me back is-- if I DO build a shed, then I wouldn't ever have room for the pipe-dream workshop that I would like to build

That is an interesting idea though...

Dudelive · 05-12-2009, 10:10 PM

Ok here goes...Since the vehicle will not go on the other side, I would pull the car in closer to the wall where the table saw is. Put the table saw on the other side where the smaller garage door is and turned 90 degrees. Bandsaw and dust catcher would come also on that side although if you hard piped the dust catcher, it could stay on the other side out of the way. This is after the utility shed is in place outside so bikes can be out of the way.

jrs · 05-12-2009, 10:22 PM

Originally Posted by Dudelive

Ok here goes...Since the vehicle will not go on the other side, I would pull the car in closer to the wall where the table saw is. Put the table saw on the other side where the smaller garage door is and turned 90 degrees. Bandsaw and dust catcher would come also on that side although if you hard piped the dust catcher, it could stay on the other side out of the way. This is after the utility shed is in place outside so bikes can be out of the way.

Ok... what does turning the table saw buy me? which way? so I feed toward the middle of the garage?

froglips · 05-12-2009, 10:48 PM

A few thoughts jumped to mind.

Could you move the dust collector outside? A small shed roofed covering. It'd not only make your shop quieter, but the dust escaping the filter bags would no longer be in the shop.

Since you can't park in the one car port, you might want to just leave the garage door permenently closed and build floor to ceiling shelving units.

Jim

ScottM · 05-12-2009, 10:56 PM

Jamie do you have enough height under your deck, assuming you have one, that you can convert into storage so your garage will be the shop?

jrs · 05-13-2009, 07:42 AM

Originally Posted by froglips

A few thoughts jumped to mind.

Could you move the dust collector outside? A small shed roofed covering. It'd not only make your shop quieter, but the dust escaping the filter bags would no longer be in the shop.

Unfortunately, no, i just went out and looked. It is a side-entry garage, and the only single place that it could go it would block a window into the house.

Since you can't park in the one car port, you might want to just leave the garage door permenently closed and build floor to ceiling shelving units.
Jim

That is a good idea-- I will swing it by the wife. It also gets those tracks out of the way as well... hmmmmmm

jrs · 05-13-2009, 07:44 AM

Originally Posted by ScottM

Jamie do you have enough height under your deck, assuming you have one, that you can convert into storage so your garage will be the shop?

We actually recently had a screened in porch added on, in which they put a deck as the substructure. however, the bottom of the joists are less than 1' off the ground.

I REALLY miss the basement at our old house.

gordonmt · 05-13-2009, 08:35 AM

Having been on two shop crawls now, i can see that your situation is not that much different from most folks and without going into too much detail, I have a similar situation with a two car garage that must house the wife's car by day end.
My one advantage that really makes it work is an extra shed in the backyard for all lawn related stuff which frees my garage space for woodworking. Bike, mower, etc all go into the shed. Even with that extra space, I make everything in my shop (except the workbench itself) mobile. Equipment not in use is stored on the perimeter of the garage while current equipment being used is rolled into position toward the center. Even dust collection is mobile with very little hard piping.
Outfeed table for the table saw is a must. Mine also folds up and out of the way when not in use but I also use it a lot for a second workbench or assembly table.
For me, mobility makes everything work.

Bigdog72 · 05-13-2009, 08:51 AM

Locate the shed so that it becomes your finishing room or lumber storage when you build your "dream shop".

Originally Posted by jrs

This is something that I am considering. the only thing keeping me back is-- if I DO build a shed, then I wouldn't ever have room for the pipe-dream workshop that I would like to build

That is an interesting idea though...