Workshop Must Haves

[Lonsdale73]

When I decided I wanted to turn my single garage into a workshop the one thing I really wanted in there was a router table so I could create my own frame mouldings. As I contemplate my third router table, the things I find I'd most like in there are running water. And a loo!

What would be your must haves?

 

[Rorschach]

Running water is not too hard to add. A loo a bit more difficult, although assuming you are a chap it is easy to just have a bottle. I have a loo just a few meters from my shop, but I still use a bottle, partly to avoid dragging dirt into the house but also because it's great on the compost heap.

 

[transatlantic]

Not the same as running water, and assuming your garage has guttering, how about one of these? (you could also pee in the pots) .. I've solved all your problems!

 

[finneyb]

Running water is not too hard to add. A loo a bit more difficult, although assuming you are a chap it is easy to just have a bottle. I have a loo just a few meters from my shop, but I still use a bottle, partly to avoid dragging dirt into the house but also because it's great on the compost heap.

And I thought it was just me that did that

 

[treeturner123]

Water in and out seems to be no real issue for me, I have a outside tap in the yard by my shed and, as it is some way from my house, the nearest loo is in the church close by!!

The main 'Must Have' is of course more space for more tools, top of my list is a planner/thicknesser followed by an even larger band saw!

Phil

 

[Lonsdale73]

It's one thing for my garage to be exposed to neighbours and passersby, quite another for me to be so! And it's considerably closer to the neighbour's house than mine; the number of times I've tried to intercept a courier with parcels whose content is bound for the garag and they won't have it that it is actually my parcel and my garage is part of 78 not 76!

 

[Claymore]

........

 

[DTR]

A radio

 

[Lonsdale73]

A radio

Sound was the first thing to go in, that was a given, like electricity! Keep looking at the Makita worksite DAB but I have four portable DABS already which I can plug into the sound system or swap out for my iPod.

 

[monkeybiter]

A mobile phone so that you can dial 999 in case of a medical emergency, I'd recommend this to Claymore too, if he's got Legs and Co in there, it's just a matter of time.

 

[Claymore]

.........

 

[AES]

A bit late on this one, but +1 to all the ideas above.

And just occurred to me - an old (but working) fridge is a good idea. Apart from storing whatever beverage/s apply in your case, it's VERY useful for extending the shelf life of perishables such as "super glue" (cyano acrylate), liquid epoxies, polyurethanes, etc. ALSO, although the work sheets for 2 part paints state a definite pot time life (after mixing), I've found that the mix, bunged straight in the fridge immediately after first use, will actually roughly double the stated pot life. Very useful if you mix too much, and/or if you see a little mark, a bit you missed, etc on the job.

HTH

AES

 

[n0legs]

A radio for sure.
Maybe an espresso machine.
First aid kit.
Storage space and cabinets not shelves.
I would like Debbie Corrigan to help me play with my wood.
Heating for all year round fun and games.
I have a dehumidifier, not essential but very handy.
Fire extinguisher and a smoke alarm that sounds in the house.
Soft flooring. Don't matter if it's carpet, rubber matting or cushion type stuff. Done mine and its a world of difference.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

My last "garage" hahahhhaa (although it did have a pit) had a pitched roof, cavity walls, double glazing, 28' of bench, a phone, a TV, a hifi, a pot belly and twenty five double sockets. Boy do I struggle in a single garage ...

Forgot the beer fridge ...

 

[novocaine]

I'd be happy with a bit of time in my workshop.

 

[paulrockliffe]

I ran an ethernet cable out to my workshop so I'm fully interneted up. I was using it to watch TV off a server in the house, but I've now got a Chromecast so you can bounce youtube instruction videos from my phone to the TV. But recently my PC and surround system were kicked out of the house, so that drives three monitors, a TV and a projector. It's 7.1 surround sound, so a really good setup for watching films, F1 and Football.

WiFi, phone charger, burglar alarm and fire detection linked to the house alarm system, sink, electric water heater, hand towel, soap, swarfega and barrier cream dispensers, a classic car and I have a 6 monthly subscription on Amazon for a 2kg box of Midget Gems that I keep out there. I don't think any of these things are essentials, but they make it a much nicer place to potter.

I definitely agree about cupboards rather than shelves, to save on having to dust everything all the time. I'm slowly converting all my underbench cabinets to drawers to maximise storage and to keep the dust out too. I've got 5 work bench spaces, rather than one or two large benches as it stops projects from spreading and lets me have several thins on the go at the same time, I find that helps a lot with spending less time tidying and moving things around. These are a woodwork bench, metal work bench, a bench for my bikes and classic car jobs, a wall-hinged assembly table and a spare bench, that is doubled up as a desk at the moment, but eventually the PC monitors will lift up behind a cupboard out of the way to make that more useable.

I don't have a fridge, but I do have two freezers, one is full of beef, the other a mix of frozen fruit and cakes. It's useful to have a frozen battenburg to hand when motivation is ebbing I find! I do need to add a kettle, but it's no hassle popping into the house for me.

I replaced an uneven concrete floor with a suspended wood floor with vinyl over the top, that's made a huge difference to comfort, the thing I'm really missing at the moment is some heat in winter, but there's not a lot I can do with that without insulation, so that's a while off.

But, of all the replies, the best one is time, I'm sure we'd all like a bit more of that!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Films, F1 and Football ... good job we're all different - that's my idea of abject misery and boredom. :lol:

 

[DennisCA]

White walls, white ceiling, a floor that is easy to sweep. Tool boards for the most used tools and storage storage storage! Drawers in particular, shallow and deep ones.

 

[Lonsdale73]

My last "garage" hahahhhaa (although it did have a pit) had a pitched roof, cavity walls, double glazing, 28' of bench, a phone, a TV, a hifi, a pot belly and twenty five double sockets. Boy do I struggle in a single garage ...

Forgot the beer fridge ...

Now suffering from workshop envy!

 

[paulrockliffe]

Films, F1 and Football ... good job we're all different - that's my idea of abject misery and boredom. :lol:

Ha ha, it's mostly just on in the background while I do productive stuff. I'd put something better on if there was anything worth watching on TV! And I wouldn't have bought the kit especially for the workshop, but it's all stuff I had, stuff I'm not allowed in the house and stuff that's not worth selling now.

It's great for watching youtube videos of how to do stuff while you're stood at the bench though and having the computer there means I can design stuff, calculate dimensions and put all the parts lists, dimensions etc onto the TV screen to work from.