Smaller shop, how do you roll?

[Randal Kney]

Hi everyone,

I'm new. I am trying to plan a shop in my garage space. It is a 2 car garage, fairly typical, not a lot of room if I parked in it for anything else. I have no need to park in the garage.

One quadrant of the garage has workout equipment in it, a wall mounted Rogue rack and plates, dumbbells, etc - this is on the front left quadrant. On the back right, there are fridge/freezer and a bit of room where a drill press and/or bandsaw on a rolling base could probably live. The other two quadrants are completely clear. I'd like to get a drill press, bandsaw, table saw with extension tables, combo planner/jointer, combo sander in the space, along with dust collection. I am not certain if there is anything else I should consider adding at this time.

My question here is, when you have a small-medium space like mine, do you tend to keep everything on wheels and roll it to one of the larger open areas to use? Or do you dedicate one area for something that is less convenient to move, like the table saw and just keep the other stations on rolling bases against the wall, moving them out into the open as you need them? I believe I has sufficient space for the stations, but not sure how to manage workflow. I'd appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks.

[Andrew Seemann]

Well, obviously the first thing to do is free up the the wasted space full of exercise equipment and replace it with hand planes and other Neanderthal tools and get your workout the old fashioned way:)

But to your actual question, yes I would put everything on wheels that you can. In a small space, layout flexibility is key. Some operations need more clearance than others and sometimes you need to move everything for a larger project. My shop is a dedicated 24 x 28, and I have everything on wheels except the wood stove, fridge, and the floor drill press, and one old workbench made from a 1912 kitchen cabinet.

The other thing is that no matter what layout you choose, and how many times you draw it and move cardboard cutouts on a drawing, you will find a better layout shortly after you put the tools in place. Clearance issues that are painfully obvious in real life often don't show up on paper. Plus the nature of what you do can change over time (and then change back) and it is easier to experiment with different setups if everything is mobile.

Eventually you will figure out what works best most of the time and will leave the tools in that configuration most of the time. I have a "standard" layout that I use for my shop 95% of the time, with things moving around when I have larger pieces that I regularly work with. Some tools I pull away from the wall to get better clearance. They tend to be less used tools like the mortiser, or lighter tools like the 14" bandsaw and router table. I try to have the heavier tools like the table saw stay in one place as much as possible/convenient.

[David Publicover]

Hi Randal,
Welcome! I have a one car garage workshop so am envious of your spacious area!
I keep my TS, BS and Jointer/ planer on mobile bases but they generally are in place to be able to work with 4’ boards or less. For longer stuff I may need to move the particular machine. My dust collection is a short cyclone style on casters and gets moved to each machine although I do hope to run some ductwork eventually. The drill press is a bench top as is my router table.
There is no doubt that it is a tight fit and requires patience and planning not to get frustrated some days but I’m lucky to have it and it generally works for me. I am constantly looking for space efficiencies and have rearranged things several times. You probably will too before you find what works best.
Best of luck!
David

[ChrisA Edwards]

I have a slightly larger space than you, but everything is still on mobile bases.

About the only tool that doesn't get moved is my tablesaw, although it still sits on a mobile base that used to get used daily when I had a smaller two car garage that needed to be used for the wife's car.

I had a fold down outfeed table for the saw. The outfeed table had fold down support legs with adjustable feet. The minimize me having to constantly adjust these each time I rolled the saw out, I put some markers on the floor so I could place the saw in the same spot each time.

[Lisa Starr]

Even though my space is larger, everything is mobile. The TS and J/P rarely get moved, but on occasion need to be to accommodate longer stock than I normally run. Making everything mobile with the possible exception of your work bench gives you the most flexibility.

[Steve Wurster]

My shop is ~16x24, so fairly close to that of a typical 2-car garage. It's a basement shop though, so the ceiling height is low, and one "wall" is where the HVAC equipment is located and therefore unusable by me. My shop is also where our cat's litter boxes are located, so that floor space is not something I can take advantage of.

Almost everything in my shop is mobile. My (sliding) table saw has wheels, but never moves. My drill press is a floor model and doesn't move either, unless I want to rearrange the shop layout. My workbench doesn't have wheels, and due to shop size it stays up against a wall, but I can move it if I have to. I also have some old kitchen base cabinets against one wall that are used for storage and for placing things (i.e. junk) on top of. My dust collector is also wall-mounted; it's located to the right of the table saw.

Everything else is mobile. That consists of my jointer/planer, router table, band saw, and drum sander. Each of those sit up against a wall or otherwise out of the way. I have to move each one out individually in order to use them, and then move them back out of the way to make room for something else. I only have one dust collection hookup along that wall of the shop, so each tool has to be placed within range of that hose line when I want to use it. I also have a mobile assembly table in my shop that's frequently being moved around to make room for tool usage.

This scenario does impede workflow, but at this point I'm basically just used to it. It can get frustrating if I'm using the router table and realize I now have to cut something on the band saw, so I have to move the router table out of the way, slide the band saw out of its corner and into the open area, plug it in, etc., and then reverse the whole process to use the router table again. Another annoying factor is that since I have a sliding table saw I can't always leave the assembly table or one of the tools behind the saw and then go use the saw. The sliding table might hit the tool. So that's more juggling that goes on.

So the advice is to keep things mobile, but try to setup your workflow / process in such a way that you don't have to move things around all the time when working.

[Charlie Jones]

My shop is 16x24. I recently added the four foot bump out. I have a 32 “cabinet saw with two foot outfeed. I add a Bora centipede for more outfeed when needed. The saw is roughly in the center of the shop. It is on a mobile base but I rarely move it. The planer, bandsaw, router table, drum sander, belt/disc sander are all on mobile bases. I move the planer when sawing sheet goods. The mortiser is on a mobile base but lives up against the wall. The drill press, workbench and jointer are not mobile. My cyclone is in an outside closet. That really helps with the noise. It isn’t crowded unless I am working on a large project. You will move machines around until you find the sweet spots then much less. It is nice to have the mobile option.

[Jack Frederick]

While my shop is substantially larger than yours, it is not strictly my workshop. I have my GuideBoat in there this winter and the Precor Elliptical and spin bike (currently used as hangers) and soon to be sold. I also service the tractors and equipment in there. All my gear is on mobile bases and are positioned depending upon the project I am running. I think it kind of depends upon what work you are doing. I just like and need the flexibility of space.

[james manutes]

For sure everything mobile if possible . I'd suggest not skimping on the casters , mobile bases , etc.. - buy good ones . In the end , it's not that much more to get quality the first time . Just my 2 cents .

[ChrisA Edwards]

With restricted space and needing mobility, I also like to build the mobile bases and just add casters and utilize the space beneath the tool for storage.

Large wood lathe, that gets moved for use and put away when done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgZ5uo34Ez4

My floor standing drill press
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwxVUMacRt0

[glenn bradley]

Well, obviously the first thing to do is free up the the wasted space full of exercise equipment and replace it with hand planes and other Neanderthal tools and get your workout the old fashioned way:)

In addition to Andrew's sage advice . . . Your floor quality will drive your caster decision. A typical suburban garage floor finish; arcs of hand float marks and pretty smooth, is what I am used to and indeed what I put on my new shop build floor. 3" dual locking urethane casters have worked well for me going on 20 years. Frequently found on sale at Woodcraft or Peachtree there are Amazon versions which, while thinner gauge steel and lower overall quality, are cheaper and work well enough so far (about 6 months).

[Charlie Velasquez]

With restricted space and needing mobility, I also like to build the mobile bases and just add casters and utilize the space beneath the tool for storage.

Large wood lathe, that gets moved for use and put away when done.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgZ5uo34Ez4

My floor standing drill press
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwxVUMacRt0

Is that a Victim?

[David Sochar]

I disagree with the wheels on everything. I have spent half my working life in a 24 x 36 shop. My colleague works in there also. Together, we produce large pieces of architectural woodwork.

For most years, nothing was on wheels. I am naturally lazy. If something has to be drug out, plugged in, hooked up and then turned on, I won't do it. I'll find a lessor way to do it and the work would suffer. I have all the corded tools plugged in under the bench, ready to use, hopefully without changing a bit. All the large pieces can be moved if really necessary, but we can open doors and even windows to get things thru the equipment.

We have a wood floor, with many years of glue drippings on it. Recently, I agreed to add wheels to the joiner and big Scmi shaper. The joiner now wiggles and feels like it on rubber stalks. Nothing like the solid, staid machine it should be. But it sort of easy to move. Then you have to put wedges in place to make it solid. Poor lazy me. And the shaper is so heavy, it cannot be moved any easier than when it sat on the floor, and the wheels increase the height to where things are just a bit too high for my comfort.

Wheels? Not a fan.

[Mike Wilkins]

Wheels are your friend. Get some mobile bases rated for the weight of each machine. My shop is 16 X 32 and each machine is on a mobile base except the sliding table saw-it weighs around 1000 lbs so everything revolves around this puppy. Even some my bench top machines are on a cabinet with mobility.
Grizzly offers a line of mobile bases for many different capacity machines. Or get some Harbor Freight furniture dollies for the smaller tools.

[Randal Kney]

Thank you, everyone, for the insights. My garage floor has been redone and treated with polyaspartic (sp) coating over epoxy, without the chips that provide it some needed texture, it would be smooth enough to skate around in your socks. Wheels should move no problem.

I see some mobile base options that are "parked" on one side, then you step on a lever to get them up on wheels, Rockler Power Tool Mobile Base Hardware for example. Perhaps that would provide the more solid feeling while still leaving the option for wheels.
I agree I like the feel of things directly on the floor, but as I need to a couple other things in my garage, I'm going to keep things on mobile until perhaps we build an addition.
Does anyone keep some equipment in a nearby shed? I have an option of putting a 200 sq foot shed about 12 feet from my garage, I could certainly carry pieces that far on any nice day.

Thanks again.

[David Publicover]

I keep some rarely used tools in my shed rather than clog up my small space. I also have stored some lumber in there for a bit. I’d have to clean it out and rearrange things quite dramatically to achieve my long term goal of storing a larger amount of wood on racks in there.

[Michael W. Clark]

My last shop was very small, less than a 1 car garage. While things were on casters, there was no room to move things around in there. I even had the DC piped and it was stationary, there just wasn't room to move it.

My current shop is larger and I still have a lot of items on casters but they don't move unless a very unique situation.

For a small shop, make all your benches, router tables, and any cabinets the same height as your tablesaw top. Avoid tall storage cabinets, I had two and they were a pain in a small space. Instead do a base cabinet and separate wall cabinet, you need the space at the ~36" height for handling sheet goods and lumber.

[Charlie Jones]

You can put the dust collector and a air compressor in a separate shed. I do that plus things like saw horses. I have and upstairs lumber storage.

[Julie Moriarty]

I'm new. I am trying to plan a shop in my garage space. It is a 2 car garage, fairly typical, not a lot of room if I parked in it for anything else. I have no need to park in the garage.

A 2 car garage all for a workshop? I'm jealous. Mine is in a 1 car garage. Everything is mobile and every empty space, floors, walls and ceilings, are considered for storage and/or work space.

It takes some time, so don't be disappointed if your initial plan becomes obsolete quickly. Just think mobile and flexible.

[Jim Dwight]

My shop is 14x24. I have a two car garage adjacent for cars. The shop garage once had a small SUV parked in it to prove I could but doesn't see cars. Two houses ago I worked in the front of a 28 foot garage that held two cars sometimes. My wife really did not like the mess that got tracked in so when I wanted a dedicated space in the next house she readily agreed. I put my PCS on a home made mobile base but that was partially to raise it up where it doesn't kill my back (I have most tools at 38 inches). It doesn't move partially because the DC connection to it is 5 inch snap lock until the last 18 inches or so which inhibits moving it. I could change that but I don't need to move it. Behind it is a 3x7 outfeed/assembly/track saw cutting station table just slightly lower than the saw. It is on totally locking casters but it doesn't move very far very often. My drill press has no provisions for moving and sits along the back short wall. I have one 24 foot wall with no windows and I have a radial arm saw I don't use much and a 12 inch CMS on a bench with tool storage below and wood storage above these tools. I have movable flip stops for these tools and can crosscut over 8 feet on this setup. These tools do not move and also have metal DC plumbing. The tools I move to use are my router table, jointer, and planner. For something small, I may not actually use them, the jointer and router table are along the long wall with my crosscutting tools and the router table is the same height. But for anything large they have to move. They share one long 4 inch flex DC connection that my floor sweep also uses. I used my planner for an hour or more yesterday but moved it into the car garage to free up some space. I do not expect to use it again for about a month. For me, a jointer is similar. I use it at the start of a project but I am not going back to it repeatedly like I do the crosscut and ripping tools.

You didn't mention a track saw. I cut up a lot of sheet goods with a circular saw to break them down and a big table saw to cut to final size. I really enjoy using a track saw to cut large pieces to final size and a 36 inch table saw now. I know others prefer their sliding saws and I kind of get that but for my little shop I think I have the cutting tools I need. Another newer tool I have is a Domino XL. It is pricey but for me it works better than a hollow chisel mortiser and it takes up a LOT less space. It improves the quality of my projects because I use mortise and tenon joints more now that they are so easy and quick to do.

[Marc Fenneuff]

I have half of a two-car garage. I am fortunate to have a storage area at the back, where I have a big cyclone DC. Table saw with 52” rip capacity is 2/3 of the way along the side wall and stationary (but on a mobile base). Extension table is stationary. Workbench is in the back corner, against the wall, just past the saw. My SCMS is stationary in the other corner. Everything else is on shop-made mobile bases: router table, planer, and sander (sander is a flip-top). Jointer is on a Rockler mobile base. I just added a 14” bandsaw which will go along the wall between the saw and SCMS. I hope to add a floor-standing drill press and a 20” bandsaw at some point. Oh, and I have an 8’ rolling lumber cart against the wall in front of where the car is parked. It’s tight but manageable. I break down sheet goods on sawhorses with a track saw (wth the car parked outside).

[Alan Gage]

Just to join the choir I have nearly everything mobile as well. They all have their 'home' position but I like mobile so that I can move them when needed. The jointer can do do 4-5' stock where it always sits but if I need to do longer I just pull out out a little bit where it would ordinarily be in the way of other operations. Tablesaw can to 12', which is normally fine, but I can move it for longer. Planer can do 8' stock where it's at but I can pull it back for longer. I can also spin it around so as I'm running stock through I can stack it all on the outfeed side and then spin the planer around 180* so that the outfeed is now the infeed, which means I don't have to carry all those pieces around before I can make the 2nd pass. Not a big deal with a few boards but very nice with 400bf.

Alan

[Jack Llewyllson]

One quadrant of the garage has workout equipment in it, a wall mounted Rogue rack and plates, dumbbells, etc - this is on the front left quadrant. On the back right, there are fridge/freezer and a bit of room where a drill press and/or bandsaw on a rolling base could probably live. The other two quadrants are completely clear. I'd like to get a drill press, bandsaw, table saw with extension tables, combo planner/jointer, combo sander in the space, along with dust collection. I am not certain if there is anything else I should consider adding at this time.

How about a bench?

You can stow a half-height drill press under it. Every once in a while, when the spirit moves you, perform one repetition of dead lifting it onto your bench, and bore a few holes. Return it to ground level. Repeat until strong, tired, or both. You just saved some floor space.

If you can get your dust collector off the floor, that will also relieve some space pressure.

The table saw is your biggest space eater, especially when rigged with extension tables. You might consider dropping a router lift plate into your extension table to make compound use of that space. You can rig an outfeed table that doubles as a work surface... even as a Festool-style MFT.

Table saws need both infeed and outfeed runs. They will limit your stock length. Same is true of the jointer/planer. If you point them at your garage door, you might catch some rain drops but you'll never run out of outfeed.

Remember that you need to be able to walk around, work, lift weights, and access your fridge (refrigerators are full of protein!). It's not just about how many tools you can pack in the space (this is a trap I continue to fall into), but about what you can do in there.

With that in mind, I'll offer this sacrilege: you really don't need a table saw as much as you think, especially in the age of track saws. A bandsaw is statistically less likely to kill or injure you and you can rip taller stock with it, although you'll always need to clean up your cuts.

And cleaning up your cuts is what your workbench is for. You'll also want to consider an assembly area, and some place to store stock. Finishing can be done on your bench, ideally next to a window that bathes you in natural light and happiness.

As for other lights, add MANY. More lumens = good lumens.

Those are my random thoughts. Yours are more important, because it's your space. Like lifting, shop construction empowers you to self-edit to YOUR standards. Rock on!

[Jack Llewyllson]

Does anyone keep some equipment in a nearby shed? I have an option of putting a 200 sq foot shed about 12 feet from my garage, I could certainly carry pieces that far on any nice day.

Thanks again.




Is your shed going to be powered and lit? Could be good for various power tool operations if so; you could reserve it for hand tool ops if not. You might also want to "store noise" in there -- a compressor, for instance, is a dang loud tool that can be remoted from your main shop without much fuss. Just run an air line back to your main shop. Not sure I'd stick your dust collector there, though. Their efficiency drops quickly with distance.

Coincidentally, I have a 200 s.f. shed about 30 feet from my shop. It's timber-framed and nearly 15 feet tall. We primarily use it for storing rough/outdoor tools like shovels and mauls, chainsaws, Alaska mill, garden tools, etc. It also has stacks of Jeep parts in bins, a Thule roof box hanging from the rafters, couple of motorcycles, etc. The best part for me is that its rafter area is a fine place to dry and store long lumber, up out of the way.

Outbuildings RULE!