Garage Shop - Looking for new design ideas

[Ralrick]

I plan to redo the layout of my garage workshop in the next few weekends as I'd like to add a permanent miter saw station along a wall. I'd love any input from guys that have done a few shop designs in the past and see if some new eyes on the space might inspire some new ways to approach the use of the space. I have a few limitations that I have been struggling with that would be good to hear what others are doing as well.

1. I built a 8' long wood storage cart that is designed to hold a few full sheets of plywood and some cut-offs.
- Even though this is on wheels, I cant seems to find a good place for it and therefore I am thinking of getting rid of the cart. I don't really need to have full 4x8 sheets of plywood stored as I can get it fairly easily at local places or have more manageable sized pieces stored in a much smaller rack. I just am not seeing the gain as compared to the use of space. Open to ideas if others have a good way to store full sheets but otherwise this may be removed from the plan.

2. Looking for good ways to utilize the back corner of the shop. This little area is about 6' x 8' and used to be where I had equipment set up for making and repairing golf clubs.
- I've sold all of that golf equipment and now looking to figure out a good use of this space. Any good ideas for this space?

3. I currently have 2 portable AC/Heat units that are 14,000 btu's each. They do a nice job of heating and cooling the space (that I really like) but the units require venting to the outside and therefore need wall space along the wall at one of the windows.
- I'm wondering what the cost of installing a mini split unit would be and if that would be more than adequate for this size space and then I could sell these units

4. My jointer is a 6" Jet unit but is difficult to find a good space for with my current layout.
- I'm thinking of building an open slot under the miter station for storing the jointer - Do you think that is a good use of 'under counter' space or should I put in drawers/shelves and continue to have the jointer rolling around the shop without a permanent location?

Here is a shop layout and approximate location of where my tools are at the moment . . . . . I'm open to any ideas you have or design ideas that have worked well in your shop.

 

[LastChanceWoodshop]

Rick,

One of the best things I did in my shop was building storage above the garage door. Mine is just tall enough for one row of those black and yellow Rubbermaid tubs.

 

[ScottM]

I see only one cabinet and no tool chest or shelving. Are all your supplies and hand tools in that one cabinet?

 

[JimD]

Your dust collector location looks good for getting rid of the waste but poor for utilization of space IMHO. Mine is going into a back dead corner of the shop. I may not like it when I have to empty it but I do not want to give up a useful spot like near the garage door.

My shop is 14x24 with only a front garage door and a back normal door. It has a wall with two windows on the left like yours. I have my rolling rack for scraps on that wall near the garage door. It has too many scraps on it at the moment but will hold a full sheet fine even though it is only 6 feet long. You might want to think of cutting yours down rather than getting rid of it.

The opposite long wall is where I have my miter station. I actually have both a RAS and a 12 inch non-slider on this bench. I wanted the cutting surface at 38 inches but I built the cabinet under it only about 30 inches high and then I put scraps under the tools to get them to the height I want (pieces of scrap 2X cut to the height I need for that tool). That way I can change out tools without having to change the bench. The bench has drawers, all drawers, and they are mostly full. Where there isn't bench, I have my router table (top also at 38 inches) and a flip top cart with my hollow chisel mortiser and planner. The upper portion of this wall has tools on the wall down low and lumber storage up high. It is just pieces of conduit in the doubled up 2x4s of the wall. My shop vac with dust deputy also resides along this wall.

Dust collector is going in the back corner of the window wall. I just put in another 120V 20amp outlet for it. Duct will probably go diagonally across the ceiling to the table saw (out in the middle like you have it), planner and jointer. My jointer doesn't have a good home either. I have a little shooting and golf stuff on the miter saw wall up near the garage door that probably will find a new home so the jointer can go there. I may put one hose on the DC that swaps between the jointer and planner. Both have to be pulled out to be used so I will need a flex hose on them.

 

[Fishbucket]

Back the jointer up to the planer and into a pod. DC piping comes down between them with a wye and 2 blast gates.

Id also try that with the Drill press and the bandsaw. Both of the backs of them are dead space.

move the Mitersaw to the wall with the windows. Building a nice long fence top with short wood storage underneath.

 

[Martin Roper]

A cool tool for doing shop layout is Grizzly's Shop Planner.