Small one car garage shop layout

[Ray Rodriguez]

I'd love some feedback on the workshop layout I'm planning for my smallish one-car garage. The north wall in this diagram is the garage door. The shop measures 20x11 and the ceiling for most of the shop is about 10-12 feet tall. I'm planning to build a Ron Paulk Compact Workbench to use as my primary bench and out feed table. Planned machinery include jointer, planer, drill press, bandsaw, dc and tablesaw. My primary use for this space is for making furniture. I've tried a few different layouts but this is the one that makes the most sense to me so far. Any thoughts on how to optimize it?

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[Jim Becker]

Keep everything mobile and be careful about "complimentary" heights for machinery and work surfaces. Pick out a spot in the shop for a "tool corral" so you can keep your space as open as possible.

While using your bench as outfeed might at first seem like a good idea, when you need to "cut that one part you forgot" while in the middle of assembly, it may prove to be problematic. You may be better served with a folding outfeed support and a bench that can be varied in height to suit the operation you are doing in the moment. Something to think about....

[Jim Dwight]

Your person is undersized. I am over 6 feet tall with an over 6 feet wingspan. You might be smaller but I doubt you have only a 3 foot wingspan.
More to the point, if you have the table saw then you are pretty much forced to work with it but it will be challenging in this space. My shop is 14x24 and I use a BT3100 and my DeWalt track saw. The Ryobi does smaller rips and the track saw cuts the big pieces. Even for furniture you need to be able to rip 8 feet or so sometimes and you can not with where you have the table saw. I would put it smack dab in the center. If you have not purchased the table saw yet, I would seriously consider a portable hanging off the workbench ala Paulk. If you use the track saw whenever possible, you can get by with a portable table saw and gain some needed space. I have a garage door on one end and a passage door on the other end and use them to let stock go outside sometimes. It doesn't appear you have that option which I think further pushes you towards a track saw so you can move the saw instead of the wood.
It is a compromise but I agree with your decision to use a combined outfeed table/worksurface/bench. I have a workmate I occasionally use and might make a small new fangled workbench but for now I use one 3x6 workbench with a Paulk style dual layer and 20mm dog holes in it. More work surfaces would be great to have but in a small shop you just have to make some compromises. I use my added width for a long cross cutting workbench with wood storage above and a bunch of drawers for tool storage below. The side support with flip stops is also Paulk style and is another work surface. But you don't have the width. Will cross cuts always be on the table saw? If so, that is another reason to think of a track saw. Long stuff won't work well on the table saw, especially in a small shop. Miter saw you move to the workbench is another idea but they are heavy to go up and down.

[Ray Rodriguez]

Keep everything mobile and be careful about "complimentary" heights for machinery and work surfaces. Pick out a spot in the shop for a "tool corral" so you can keep your space as open as possible.

While using your bench as outfeed might at first seem like a good idea, when you need to "cut that one part you forgot" while in the middle of assembly, it may prove to be problematic. You may be better served with a folding outfeed support and a bench that can be varied in height to suit the operation you are doing in the moment. Something to think about....

Great feedback. I was thinking of complimentary heights at least for the jointer/planer workflow I have set up. I'm planning on putting everything on mobile bases so that I can shift things around when I need to joint/plane lumber greater than 6 feet in length. If I do decide to go with the traditional cabinet saw I think you are right it probably makes more sense to use a foldable out feed table like the out feed roller table grizzly makes that folds down when not in use (https://www.grizzly.com/products/37-Outfeed-Roller-System-For-Table-Saws/G1317). I'm sure I can make something comparable as well.

[Ray Rodriguez]

Your person is undersized. I am over 6 feet tall with an over 6 feet wingspan. You might be smaller but I doubt you have only a 3 foot wingspan.
More to the point, if you have the table saw then you are pretty much forced to work with it but it will be challenging in this space. My shop is 14x24 and I use a BT3100 and my DeWalt track saw. The Ryobi does smaller rips and the track saw cuts the big pieces. Even for furniture you need to be able to rip 8 feet or so sometimes and you can not with where you have the table saw. I would put it smack dab in the center. If you have not purchased the table saw yet, I would seriously consider a portable hanging off the workbench ala Paulk. If you use the track saw whenever possible, you can get by with a portable table saw and gain some needed space. I have a garage door on one end and a passage door on the other end and use them to let stock go outside sometimes. It doesn't appear you have that option which I think further pushes you towards a track saw so you can move the saw instead of the wood.
It is a compromise but I agree with your decision to use a combined outfeed table/worksurface/bench. I have a workmate I occasionally use and might make a small new fangled workbench but for now I use one 3x6 workbench with a Paulk style dual layer and 20mm dog holes in it. More work surfaces would be great to have but in a small shop you just have to make some compromises. I use my added width for a long cross cutting workbench with wood storage above and a bunch of drawers for tool storage below. The side support with flip stops is also Paulk style and is another work surface. But you don't have the width. Will cross cuts always be on the table saw? If so, that is another reason to think of a track saw. Long stuff won't work well on the table saw, especially in a small shop. Miter saw you move to the workbench is another idea but they are heavy to go up and down.

Aha so this is my biggest decision to make at this point as I own a tracksaw and a small contractor's table saw. A part of me is very interested in forgoing the traditional cabinet saw in favor of an MFT style setup using the tracksaw for the majority of cuts and leaving the contractor saw for ripping (could be done with bandsaw and resaw fence too) and for dado/rabbit work. Regardless of what bench I end up building I will be using the UJK Parf Guide System for setting my 20mm dog holes for precision cross cutting with parf dogs much like your setup. I suppose since I do not own the cabinet saw yet I can start out with the tracksaw/contractor saw setup and see how it goes. Exciting times!

[Ray Rodriguez]

Modified layout forgoing the cabinet saw for a full-sized Paulk workbench with a contractor saw mounted to the end. I also moved the drill press to the opposite wall from garage door to free up the jointer/planer row.

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[Ray Rodriguez]

I still think the compact bench size of 3x6 is probably a better size for the square footage I'm working with.

[Bill Dufour]

I would move the jointer and planer closer to the north wall. Is that a jig saw in the NW corner? Switch it around with the planer. Open the door for stock clearance when needed.
What machine is in the NE corner? maybe switch it out for the jointer?
Bill

[Ray Rodriguez]

I would move the jointer and planer closer to the north wall. Is that a jig saw in the NW corner? Switch it around with the planer. Open the door for stock clearance when needed.
What machine is in the NE corner? maybe switch it out for the jointer?
Bill

In the last layout I posted the equipment is as follows:

NE Corner: Bandsaw
West wall: Jointer, planer
SW Corner: Dust collection
South Wall: Drill Press
SE Corner: Finishing table
Center: Paulk Compact Workbench + Contractor saw

[Ray Rodriguez]

Another variation layed out for maximum in-feed & out-feed capacity for jointer and planer if I roll the drill press and bandsaw in towards garage doors. Having every piece of equipment easily movable is a must have I see.

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[Jim Becker]

That's a little better, Ray, and as long as things are mobile, you should be able to do productive work. Use a miter saw or a circular saw and saw horses in your driveway to cut down lumber to oversize component length to help minimize and length issues with material inside of the shop while processing it. (I do that at my miter station even with a larger shop because it's more efficient when milling at the jointer/planer anyway)

[Jamie Buxton]

When you're thinking about matching machine and bench heights, be aware that your garage floor is not horizontal, and probably not flat either. It is sloped down toward the door to shed water. It is not flat because the concrete was just kinda eyeballed -- that's sufficient for a garage.

[Jamie Buxton]

In a small shop, I'd go for a combo jointer-planer. You get both machines in the footprint of just the planer. And you generally get a wider jointer, which is very useful.

Also, with that ceiling height, I'd be thinking about going up. For instance, put storage high on the walls. Keep using the floor for machines, but put lumber and such up above seven feet.

Also, I'd consider losing the drill press. I have one, but I find it is only a convenience. I can do most of what it does with other tools. And it does eat floor space, which is extreeemely valuable in a one-car shop. Or maybe you should not buy a drill press immediately, but rather get started in this space, and see whether you want to make the trade-off.

[Robert Engel]

I started out in a 12x16 shop with a contractor saw, bandsaw, miter station and planer. Besides all the machines, really the biggest issue was storing parts to projects and projects during construction especially with something like cabinets. I did manage to build a 60" wide pie safe but I remember it was a challenge.

I checked and the SS jobsite saw is 31" wide (this includes extending the fence to maximum rip capacity of ~24"). I think you're diagram is fairly accurate but less than 24" to walk between saw and jointer/planer seems pretty tight to me. With this in mind, I suggest locating the TS against the wall (right sided against wall) and see if that works out better.

[Ray Rodriguez]

In a small shop, I'd go for a combo jointer-planer. You get both machines in the footprint of just the planer. And you generally get a wider jointer, which is very useful.

Also, with that ceiling height, I'd be thinking about going up. For instance, put storage high on the walls. Keep using the floor for machines, but put lumber and such up above seven feet.

Also, I'd consider losing the drill press. I have one, but I find it is only a convenience. I can do most of what it does with other tools. And it does eat floor space, which is extreeemely valuable in a one-car shop. Or maybe you should not buy a drill press immediately, but rather get started in this space, and see whether you want to make the trade-off.

Definitely agree in going vertical with storage space to maximize floor space for tools. As far as the planer/jointer combo that's something that I contemplated early on and as you say would be nice to have a nice wide jointer for wide panels without having to glue them up but ultimately I felt I was going to compromise on the quality of both machines and was hesitant to have to constantly have to change between jointer and planer configurations. This is also a temporary space as I'm using my parents garage for this workshop for now until I finally move away from the city to a house at which point I would look to get a big two car garage or bigger for my long term shop down the road so I didn't want to have to sell the jointer/planer and buy the individual machines. At least that was my rationale earlier in the process. My jointer and planer are on backorder (possibly for months) so I still have time to change things up.

As far as the drill press I have had a completely different experience with the drill presses I've used in the past. I find them to be indispensable and hard to replicate what they do accurately. I guess you can get similar results with a drill guide? What I like about a drill press is that of all the tools it seems the easiest to make mobile and to stash away in a corner when not needed and it is pretty versatile if you start attaching sanding spindles to it. Maybe a compromise is to get a bench mounted drill press that I can put on a cabinet cart to serve as some storage in addition to a more robust drill press base?

Thanks so much for your feedback. Definitely have me thinking about alternatives now.

[Greg Parrish]

If you can live with a 13" planer, you could use a DW735 planer and hinge it onto the end of your outfeed table/bench. That would save you some floor space and would probably not impede your workflow too much. Also, you could then move the table saw to the wall where the planer is currently sitting. That opens up center floor space.

I would also also make your extra work bench the same height as the table saw and then move it so where the dust collector is sitting and the dust collector by the door. This way the extra table doubles as sheet good outfeed.

Lastly I would leave the drill press in place and move the band saw to behind the jointer. Off set the jointer to one side and the band saw to the other and just behind. Hard to explain but it would layer them so the jointer travels lower and just in front of the bandsaw. Also it opens up space for larger items on the bandsaw. Saw blade access still maintained if you keep it to the left of the jointer. And this opens the space behind the table saw for sheet goods.

Set the table saw at the 10' or 11' point so you can fit an 8' sheet on the saw with you squeezed behind. Then you also have outfeed space for it.

Just thoughts from working with similar space once you take away footage covered by tool boxes around 3 walls in my 20x22 space. Mine is maybe 5' wider but still a tight space.

[Ray Rodriguez]

If you can live with a 13" planer, you could use a DW735 planer and hinge it onto the end of your outfeed table/bench. That would save you some floor space and would probably not impede your workflow too much. Also, you could then move the table saw to the wall where the planer is currently sitting. That opens up center floor space.

I would also also make your extra work bench the same height as the table saw and then move it so where the dust collector is sitting and the dust collector by the door. This way the extra table doubles as sheet good outfeed.

Lastly I would leave the drill press in place and move the band saw to behind the jointer. Off set the jointer to one side and the band saw to the other and just behind. Hard to explain but it would layer them so the jointer travels lower and just in front of the bandsaw. Also it opens up space for larger items on the bandsaw. Saw blade access still maintained if you keep it to the left of the jointer. And this opens the space behind the table saw for sheet goods.

Set the table saw at the 10' or 11' point so you can fit an 8' sheet on the saw with you squeezed behind. Then you also have outfeed space for it.

Just thoughts from working with similar space once you take away footage covered by tool boxes around 3 walls in my 20x22 space. Mine is maybe 5' wider but still a tight space.

Great feedback. I'm hoping to break down my sheet goods using a tracksaw on the bench whenever possible to avoid having to hoist a full 8x4 sheet on my table saw. Also of note is that the latest shop design is that latest image posted where I replace a cabinet saw with a Paulk Compact Workbench mounted contractor saw which uses the bench as an outfeed and can be removed. The goal is to do as much as I can with the tracksaw, a precision cut bench top with 20mm dog holes. My primary use for the tablesaw will be for ripping and using the dado stack.

[Ray Rodriguez]

Yet another layout this time placing the bench against the western wall which happens to have a window right in the center for natural light. The planer moves to the eastern wall and would be the primary "swing" machine as it would have to be moved to the center of the shop to plane long boards. This layout opens up the center of the shop. So many options. Making furniture is pretty easy compared to deciding on a layout. :-)

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[Scott Winter]

Yet another layout this time placing the bench against the western wall which happens to have a window right in the center for natural light. The planer moves to the eastern wall and would be the primary "swing" machine as it would have to be moved to the center of the shop to plane long boards. This layout opens up the center of the shop. So many options. Making furniture is pretty easy compared to deciding on a layout. :-)

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As long as your planer is on casters I think this would be your ideal setup. I would consider putting the bandsaw on casters too just in case you needed to rip a long piece of board on your table saw.

[Jim Becker]

but ultimately I felt I was going to compromise on the quality of both machines and was hesitant to have to constantly have to change between jointer and planer configurations.

Unless you're buying a lower-end, mass market J/P, you wouldn't be compromising quality...just the opposite in many cases, unless you're buying really high end separates as an alternative. As to change-overs...it really isn't an issue as has been discussed many times in the General Woodworking and Power Tools forum over the years. It typically takes a minute at the most and most folks learn new, more efficient working habits that reduce the need to actually change over with any frequency. Both of these potential issues are more "myth" than reality. :) I wouldn't give up my J/P for separates unless I somehow won the lottery and could buy really big, high-end separates and a building to put them in. LOL That said, this certainly is a personal preference decision and if you feel more comfortable with separate tools, that's a great choice!

BTW, on your latest diagram you show your planer at an angle. That can be "interesting" if your garage has a typical sloped floor... ;) I have to deal with said floor in my shop which was originally a 3.5 car garage built by the previous property owners. I have to keep all my tools either with the slope or perpendicular to the slope (and block for level). Angles didn't work well at all...

[Ray Rodriguez]

Unless you're buying a lower-end, mass market J/P, you wouldn't be compromising quality...just the opposite in many cases, unless you're buying really high end separates as an alternative. As to change-overs...it really isn't an issue as has been discussed many times in the General Woodworking and Power Tools forum over the years. It typically takes a minute at the most and most folks learn new, more efficient working habits that reduce the need to actually change over with any frequency. Both of these potential issues are more "myth" than reality. :) I wouldn't give up my J/P for separates unless I somehow won the lottery and could buy really big, high-end separates and a building to put them in. LOL That said, this certainly is a personal preference decision and if you feel more comfortable with separate tools, that's a great choice!

BTW, on your latest diagram you show your planer at an angle. That can be "interesting" if your garage has a typical sloped floor... ;) I have to deal with said floor in my shop which was originally a 3.5 car garage built by the previous property owners. I have to keep all my tools either with the slope or perpendicular to the slope (and block for level). Angles didn't work well at all...

Ha funny you posted this now as I just spent the evening researching J/P combos and I'm pretty sold on the grizzly G0634XP. Watched a video on it and read a few reviews and it looks like the only compromise is on a slightly narrower planer bed (12" is fine for what I'm doing) and not so great performance on the dust collection which I can live with. On the other end to be able to joint 12" boards is pretty dreamy for me so I'm going to sleep on it but I think in the morning I'm going to cancel my order for the jointer and planer I have and put in an order for the 0634. The kicker is that it's in stock at my nearest warehouse so should have it within a week or two. This should give me a bit more room to work with now.

I'm also thinking of doing a modified Paulk Compact Workbench with a cabinet base on lockable casters instead of the traditional sawhorse leg design. I figure the bottom cabinet can give me a ton of storage for my systainers.

[Jim Becker]

Face jointing wide boards is my favorite thing about my J/P. :) You will get used to it relatively quickly and like I mentioned before, it can help encourage more careful planning which is always a good thing when it comes to project quality. Congrats!

[Ray Rodriguez]

Still trying to optimize the space. My latest layout moves the drill press to the southern wall next to the dust collection and completely opens up the eastern wall for the jointer/planer and for lumber storage. The band saw can be rolled over to the center of the garage door in order to resaw longer boards and then rolled back to a corner for smaller work. My primary workbenches are a full-sized paulk workbench doubling as an outfeed table and a heavier roubo style workbench on the southern wall for hand tool work, as a platform for some bench top sanders and as a sharpening station. This layout leaves the center of the workshop open for easier movement.

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[Greg Parrish]

I like it. This layout looks very workable.

[Jim Becker]

Make sure you understand what space is required "behind" the J/P you ordered to accomodate the fence when it's pushed back for maximum width during face jointing. Mobility kids tend to be geared toward moving the machines in the direction parallel to the tables, not to/from the wall. This will affect where you actually position the machine relative to the wall and what the space will be in front of it toward the next workstation over...in the case of your latest design, the saw/assembly area. Scavenge some large pieces of cardboard, make footprint cutouts of your machines and use the space (or an equivalent space) to play with your design "full size" if you can.

[Ray Rodriguez]

Yeah totally. I’m in the process of laying out the tools and tables as boxes of max (WxDxH) in the garage in SketchUp to further get a feel for the space. I’ll definitely try to do the same with cardboard. I’ve already backed off to the compact Paulk bench size 3x6 due to how crowded the full sized bench made the space feel in SketchUp.

[Ray Rodriguez]

Looks like the J/P I’m targeting has an end mounted fence designed to keep the machine as close to the wall as possible. Total depth is 24” with fence adjusted for max jointer width. I may have to nudge the J/P another inch or two away from wall to account for the jointer table swinging up and over for planer use.

[Jim Becker]

Yes, an end-mounted fence will be helpful for sure in a small space. Once the machine arrives and you have it uncrated, you can check the exact distance needed to allow for full turnover relative to the wall. My MiniMax J/P has a center mount fence and a long post that goes out a considerable distance when the fence is set toward the wall for the widest jointing surface. I actually used a hole saw in the wall to give myself another 2". :) (shop building is concrete block so the available distance is the thickness of the wall surface plus the depth of the furring)

[Bill Adamsen]

It's a great sized shop for hand tools. Fortunately hand tools today, between traditional cutting tools (planes and chisels) and tools for knocking down sheet goods (tracksaw) are probably all you need to work with a wide range of materials. Find a way to creatively store/display the hand tools and save the space for work and assembly. For instance I don't see a workbench (MFD?) in there and that would be the first thing I'd get. I'd put it in the middle so I could walk around it accessing it from any angle. But that bench will take up a significant part of the shop space.

Alternatively, put everything on wheels and make it so you can wheel them outside to do work, and then roll back in for storage.

[Ray Rodriguez]

Just wanted to give an update on the progress. Don't have any photos to post yet of the entire space but I did just finish doing an accent wall on the wall opposite the garage door. Figured it would help add some color to the space. All inside construction is pretty much done at this point while I wait for the electrician to do his thing. We decided on splitting out the 200A service coming into the house into 100 for house and 100 for shop with a dedicated sub-panel. I put together some diagrams for him to place the 120v/240v outlets and we decided on using 4 2x2 LED panels for lighting. Should get me close to the recommended 15k-22k lumens for a shop this size.

So in the next couple of weeks I should have proper power and the new insulated garage door in place so I can begin all final interior finishing and start on the dust collector ductwork. Super exciting!

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[Ray Rodriguez]

Finally got an estimate for the electric for the following work:

* 100A Sub-panel dedicated to shop
* 5 240V circuits set up around the shop
* 8-10 120V outlets throughout shop and two mounted near or on ceiling
* 4x 5000 lumen LED panels ceiling mounted for ~20,000 lumens

$2950

Kinda stung but we have used this guy before to lay a dedicated circuit for our Koi Pond and I think it's an honest quote for the area.

Work should start on the 18th of this month.

Meanwhile the Jointer/Planer and Dust Collection system is showing up tomorrow so I need to take delivery and find some time and muscle to get it mounted on the mobile base and tucked away in a corner until the electric is ready.

What do you guys think of varnishing OSB DRIcore subfloor panels?

[Jim Dwight]

My comment is on the electrical. I don't know what is allowed where you live but I have done the electrical finish (and plumbing and carpentry) on two major remodels on my house. In my shop, I just had them run the circuits to the room and then I put in all the outlets and hooked them up. Putting in outlets is a piece of cake. I have never done a sub-panel, however, and probably never will. The first remodel I hooked up the heat pump. I put in the light fixtures for both. The rough in included running the wires (in the areas other than the shop and my wife's office which I also rough wired).
Depends on how you want to spend your time but if you want to save money, at least installing the outlets and light fixtures would probably save you significantly and be something you could easily handle.

[Ray Rodriguez]

My comment is on the electrical. I don't know what is allowed where you live but I have done the electrical finish (and plumbing and carpentry) on two major remodels on my house. In my shop, I just had them run the circuits to the room and then I put in all the outlets and hooked them up. Putting in outlets is a piece of cake. I have never done a sub-panel, however, and probably never will. The first remodel I hooked up the heat pump. I put in the light fixtures for both. The rough in included running the wires (in the areas other than the shop and my wife's office which I also rough wired).
Depends on how you want to spend your time but if you want to save money, at least installing the outlets and light fixtures would probably save you significantly and be something you could easily handle.

Hey Jim thanks for the comment and yes I've thought about how I could reduce the labor on the quote but ultimately I work a full time job and don't have the time at the moment. Still a tough pill to swallow but from what I've gathered most of the labor involves putting in the subpanel and probably the light fixtures. If I had more experience doing electrical I would have tried to take on most of the work minus the panel. Maybe next time.