How would you organize this mess? (workshop)

[KenOfCary]

I begin to wonder in my space if I've made too many built in cabinets - they completely cover two walls. The original idea was to have room for the small desktop equipment but they tend to gather junk. I'm thinking maybe I should rip out a whole wall of bottom shelves and make the top shelves less generic and more special purpose like I've seen in Charlie and Bill's shops. Rather than just open shelves with doors, designed places for every piece.

Now that I built the special rack under my workbench for the planes I find I miss that space as well. Maybe it should move into an overhead cabinet. I have no options to go up as I'm stuck with 7' ceilings.

But I digress into my own organization problems. The only thing I can say about small shops is that almost everything needs to be on wheels so it can be brought out when needed. The Rockler Dust Right system helps a lot with that task.

 

[Rick M]

Can you move the drill press over near the lathe? I use those two on the same projects.

I'd have to run power over there.

I was going to suggest pulling the miter saw out away from the wall. (if the drill press table goes high or low enough to allow a board to pass) since it is only 2-3 feet you seem to be losing before you get to the dust collector.

Good idea, I'll have to test the working height and see how it goes.

The DC and DP are both on wheels so I can move them anytime.

I begin to wonder in my space if I've made too many built in cabinets - they completely cover two walls. The original idea was to have room for the small desktop equipment but they tend to gather junk. I'm thinking maybe I should rip out a whole wall of bottom shelves and make the top shelves less generic and more special purpose like I've seen in Charlie and Bill's shops. Rather than just open shelves with doors, designed places for every piece.

Now that I built the special rack under my workbench for the planes I find I miss that space as well. Maybe it should move into an overhead cabinet. I have no options to go up as I'm stuck with 7' ceilings.

But I digress into my own organization problems. The only thing I can say about small shops is that almost everything needs to be on wheels so it can be brought out when needed. The Rockler Dust Right system helps a lot with that task.

I like open access so personally not a fan of cabinet doors or drawers for most things, but I do like specialized shelves. Ideally I like things at hand where I'm going to use them. Right now, solvents and finishing supplies take up a lot of space on shelves which are shallow (by design) so that I can't stack things several deep. Eventually I'd like to build a heated cabinet so waterbase stuff doesn't freeze but I have months (hopefully) until I need to worry about that again. Actually this is one of the few winters anything in my shop has actually frozen.

 

[Rick M]

Rick,
Another idea would be a flip-top cabinet with some of your bench-top tools on each side of the top. Not quite as efficient on floor space as the vertical storage, but more compact than having each tool on a bench.

Steve H.

After some thought I believe flip top is the way to go, like this one:
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/155303887124033208/

The three machines that would fit and make sense to flip are my planer, miter saw, or maybe the benchtop router table.

The miter saw will have fold up outfeed support either way.

 

[Guy in Paradise]

I had a similar situation and took a different route. Go vertical. How much space is available in the rafters? I was able to put in supporting wall (beam), then the best attic pull down door I could find, laid down plywood flooring on the rafters, and moved all of the storage stuff up. Opened up a lot of room. Second thing was to make shelves along a wall that were wide that items I needed to get to were accessible, but again it took a lot of the stuff (painting supplies mostly) off the floor an pushed it vertical. Next thing was that every bench and cabinet has storage in it. Good luck.

 

[Rick M]

Unfortunately I have fairly low ceilings, about 6.5', and no attic space. The building was built by the original owners and wasn't meant as a workshop even though it has built in workbenches but we use what we have. I don't want to put too much money into the building because one day I hope to build a new shop but that won't be for awhile.

I'm slowly getting some clutter moved out, haven't started demo on the workbenches yet. Spent yesterday working on the planer and cleaning.

Right now I'm thinking of converting one wall to french cleats and mounting my metal vise and grinder onto shelves with cleats, building the flip top cabinet, building the fold up router table from Woodsmith (because I really don't use it much), then go from there.

 

[zzdodge]

Specific recommendations are hard for me to make, without understanding how you plan to use your shop, so I will share some generalities.

First, i like things moble. Workbenches can get slid around. Lots of saw horses, in two heights: table saw suitable (about an inch less) height, and workbench less 3/4" height. My workbenches are high, because my legs are long (6 - 4 or so height). My power tools are movable, although my PM66 table saw is on a mobile base, I have never moved it, but it is possible.

Second, I like dust-protected storage. Drawers and cabinets. Mostly under worksbenches and the table saw. For me, these are a frameless 32mm melamine laminated MDF. The storage and contents add to the mass and stability of the workbenches and tables.

Third, I like power and utilities. 120 220 V all over, so I can move things around. Compressed air, and soon to add overhead dust collection. (My "old" shop has 10' ceilings.) Pulling wire is cheap, and while I don't have it, a sub-panel might suit many.

Fourth, I like light. My new shop has some windows, and a garage door to open. The old shop is in a basement with one window. I have lots of 4' flourescent lights, and a couple of metal halide lights. White walls and light grey floors.

For the last couple of years, I have been mounting smaller stationary tools (like a couple of bench grinders) on plywood with a 2x2 cleat that I can lock into a vise. The idea is that I can configure the shop for how I am going to use it, by moving tools around. In the winter I usually do wood, and in the summer it is more maintenance like metal working.

Also there are acouple of good books on workshops, take a look at them. Check out others' shops in forums an youtube. Creeping on someone else's shop design can yield good ideas.

Lastly, consider nothing final. Your mind will change. You'll get more tools. A kid or grandkid will take up interest in wood, and need their corner, and so on. Allow your concepts to be plastic. Have fun.

 

[Trent Mason]

Combining the jointer and planer on one stand with a mobile base/casters is a great option. You could do the flip top thing, but I've also seen it done where you put them both on top with the back of the jointer butted up against the side of the planer. Tried to find a picture of that, but couldn't (Someone posted it on this site a few years ago and I've had it in the back of my head ever since). It works because you're moving wood in the same direction and they each require lots of space on either side for infeed and outfeed. If you're not using them, you can just push the stand up against the wall.

All I've really had to work with in the past few years are one-car garages. I have yet to really design a permanent layout for my shop as we have yet to buy a house. The one thing I always try to do is pay attention to the space required for infeed/outfeed for different tools and go from there. The table saw, obviously, was in the middle of the floor and everything else was along the walls. You can have tools close together (that require lots of space on each side) as long as they are at different heights and can quickly be moved in and out to work with.

The one constant I always found was that no layout was ever fool proof. Some random project always came along that caused me to move everything around. I suppose that's just the way it is if you don't have a warehouse for a shop. :BangHead:

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[ptross]

I realize I'm new here, but I always like workbenches to have window light as well as overhead. much better to see details and surface texture with window light. If you're starting over, why not move the lathe to the big window where the AC unit is. maybe the other end so you're not right in front of it.
I would consider eliminating some workbench space in favor of more machine residence.