I need to plan a workshop in a single garage

[SimonH76]

Hey,

I am just starting to get into woodwork and i think i'll be doing mostly furniture making, though i would like to try and build a small shed one day.

I have just bought a house and have realised the dream of getting a garage, now i need to turn it into a workshop.

I was wondering if anyone could advise if there is a known way to kit out a small space like a single garage. My budget is more defined by middle of the range brands than a figure amount. I have been sold on a band saw so far and that seems good space wise. Am i right in thinking a table saw would be a struggle to fit in?

Cheers for any help.

Simon.

 

[orangetlh]

Hi simon, my home workshop is in our single garage. Like you i am limited by space and get pretty frustrated having to move machines around or take parts off them to move round the shop. Ive built a lean to timber and sheet store outside so all i have in the shop is my bench and machines. I also installed a small mezzane floor at the end to store offcuts an general junk. This was a great space saver and relatively cheap. I have just bought the Scheppach 2010 table saw with sliding table and its fantastic for the size. Thats fixed but my bandsaw and planer i have put on wheels. I find the best way to help with the space is make sure all of the tables of the machines are the same height, that way you dont have to move things around if you are machining long pieces of timber.

 

[Colin C]

Hi Simon,

Welcome to the forum.

I would dont go for a table saw but go for a rail system (search EZ or Festool for this).
My workshop is 18"x10" and I have just taken out a TS (table saw ) for the EZ rail system and I am very happy with it, I also work for myself full time.

I also have a bandsaw, do you have one or are you looking for one as the sip 12" one I have can be had for a good price on Ebay or the 14" too .

Your choices will start to get bigger as more see and add to it so good luck with what you get

Let us know what you get and some pic's would be nice
( have not posted my pic's so :-$ , no one will notice)

 

[nickson71]

I'm just in the process of getting the EZ rail system too ......... my space is smaller than a single garge

I'm also going to be making a few wall units for storing all the tools I've collected

My bench is an old lab bench from the University I work at and I've built some storage into the underneth of that too

I'm also finding that with a small shop you have to be a tidy work too

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Simon

Welcome to the forum.

I also work out of a very cramped single garage and I have a tablesaw. You need to look long and hard at what you really need and download some free workshop design software.

If you make your own units you can have them at the same height as the machinery so that you have infeed or outfeed always ready.

Cheers
Neil

 

[mailee]

Hello Simon, I don't work from a single garage but my workshop isn't much bigger. I also mount most of my machines on castors and do have both a table saw and band saw. No matter how much space you have you will wan't more I am afraid. As for tools and machines, you will become a collector like most of us on here. Welcome to the slippery slope. :wink:

 

[Pete W]

Hi Simon,

The best small garage shop solution I've seen was done by Matthew Teague at US magazine Fine Woodworking. If I'd seen it before I'd gone rather far down my own garage shop route it, my shop would be very different.

Two ways to get the article and the excellent 3D drawing of the shop:

Buy this book:
Small Woodworking Shops

Or take out a one-month sub to the FWW web archive to get access here:
http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking

The one-month subscription is a bit of a bargain - you can probably download everything you want in less than 30 days!

 

[bobscarle]

Hi Simon, and welcome.

I have a shed about the size of a single garage. I have built cupboards from MDF mounted on casters. I have a machine on each these, including the table saw, so that they can be moved around as needed. In fact the bench is the only thing not on wheels! Oh, do use locking casters!

Bob

 

[LyNx]

same boat...


... all wall storage (loads of it) a few inches above head height. This way you can open doors without having to bend down. Try and put 99% of your "not so common" thing above this level.

Machinery, bandsaw (a must) within easy reach and with the outfeed table in the direction of open ground. Table saw, 50-50 this one. if you plan on alot of fast "in and outs" then yes, if part time, aka hobby then look at a hand saw and rail system. I love my festool system with extractor but it's costly. Best thing about a rail system, when all cut, it's out the way (a table saw it alway in the way)

Personally, unless i had a fairly big workshop, i would never own a table saw. The small ones ent that good and the big ones take up too much room.

 

[Waka]

Simon

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Lord Nibbo]

This video might give you some inspiration.
Click on this LINK

Then click on Home Shop

There is also a cool idea for handling large sheets of ply or mdf click on Sheet Cady

 

[dedee]

Simon,
welcome.

My approach to acquiring tools over the years has been driven by the projects I want to build and the materials I want to use.

I have never made anything from MDF and ply sheets I have cut to 4'x2' before I bring them home.

I do have a TS on wheels in an 14'x8' shed. Because I have it I use it but I am coming around to the idea that a BS would have been more useful especially I am seem to be always wanting to resaw thick boards on the other hand ripping on the TS is quick & easy.

If money were no object I'd probably buy a BS to facilitate resawing and a circ saw and rail system for ripping. and a jointer and a thicknesser and a ...........

Andy

 

[andys wood shed]

Hi Simon and welcome

surprised nobody has mentioned a combination machine
Mine has a set of wheels so it could be dragged about when I was working in a garage, now its static in the workshop

Andy

 

[ColG]

If you have a decent sized top on your tablesaw and have it positioned carefully - (i.e TS nearest the door with outfeed facing the door) you can still have plenty (ha ha) of space. My TS is a SIP lookalike with three extension wings - with the blade dropped down and the fence pushed to one side, I have a decent sized table for assembly etc.

I also have a BS, full sized RT, RAS, portable jointer and thicknesser which share a mobile base and full width bench at one end of the shed which is 16ft by 10ft - about the size of a single garage.

The only real way to decide on your final layout is to "suck it and see" paper layouts are all well and good but don't really offer the "real life" answer, my layout has evolved over time and I'm still tinkering.

HTH

Col