Garage Workshop Plans

[TPott]

Hi all,

I recently built my daughter a new Wendy house in the back garden using my trusty Evolution Mitre/Table saw combo and have to admit that I quite enjoyed it. Since then I've been toying with the idea of converting my 2.2x5m garage to a workshop to further the hobby.

I imagine to start with I'll be starting out making basic things (cutting boards, small boxes etc) but I have knocked together some plans in Autodesk Fusion for a new 4 seater dining table. I don't think I'll be going as far as making larger items like wardrobes etc!

I would welcome some feedback on the attached layout and tool choices. I haven't set a specific budget as I'd likely purchase the tools separately, but I've assumed ~£2500 for now.

My notes:-
- The Orange/Brown borders are a custom cabinet on castors that I'd build for them to make it easy to move them around as required.

- Planer / Thicknesser
I recognise the lack of chip extraction for the P/T, but the manufacturer's guidance states that it can be used "outside with a respirator", so I have placed it by the main up/over door. I appreciate that this is less than ideal, but I do not have the space for a dedicated chip extractor as well as the dust extraction for the other tools. I will operate it with that in mind, taking small passes to minimise the amount of debris.

I've included a second 'courtesy' door (though I may go with a window instead for better light) on the side of the garage to help ventilation.

Given the P/T is the only tool that requires the chip extraction, I've instead opted for a shop vac system with an Oneidea cyclone add-on for the other tools.

I did consider not having a P/T, but I have a good source of pallet wood that I could recycle - plus the cost saving from lumber yards of buying sawn rather than PAR was hard to ignore.

- The Bench
I'll be using an old office desk that I grabbed from work as surplus. I plan to add a 25mm thick MDF (or other suitable material) cover on top of the desk surface for protection and possibly addition of a vice, dog hole or T-tracks.

- Table saw
I would have preferred to get one of the stationary units, but size and mobility demand that I had to go with a benchtop style instead. The Axminster AC216TS seems like a suitable unit.

- Other tools
I would have liked to squeeze in a router table and maybe even a CNC in the future... but a TARDIS the garage is not! :lol: I'll have to make do with a handheld router with some sort of track/guide system for now I think.

The aforementioned Evolution Mitre/table saw is portable enough so it'll live on the shelf until needed. I did consider using it as the main table saw, but I don't think it would be up to the task.

I will probably look to get a belt and disk sander as well, but these are also small enough to live on the same shelves until needed.

Many thanks

Tony

 

[John15]

Hi Tony, welcome to the forum.
It all looks very crowded. I have a workshop of about the same size and have a planer thicknesser plus extractor plus timber storage in my single garage - that's crowded at times!
I sold my table saw as it was taking up too much room and upgraded my bandsaw as a compromise. You may find that a bandsaw can do almost all your cutting.
Hope that helps with the bigger machines. My experience is that you need a lot more space than you think so try to reduce as much as possible from the start.
All the best,

John

 

[MikeG.]

Each to their own, but I couldn't work in such a crowded space. There isn't even room to deal with a half sheet of ply/ MDF. I'd personally forget the tablesaw, and the mitre saw can't work where it is.

 

[TPott]

Hi both,

I've moved things around a little, and added a 1.2 x 0.6m sheet of MDF for scale.. The vacuum will fit under the bench so that claws a little space back too.

The dimensions I've used were taken from the mfr websites, so I'm assuming if they have a 50cm wide unit but with a small 10cm switch poking out the side then they list the width as being 60cm... so it may not be as bad as it looks? </wishful thinking>

I envisage moving any tools that I'm not actively using well out of the way (thanks to the castors) so I am fairly confident that I can make it work but I agree, space is very much at a premium

Re: The mitre saw position, aye - it is only stored on the shelf. I would move it onto the bench or set it up on the mitre saw stand outside if needed.

Interesting idea about replacing the T/S with a better bandsaw... I was under the impression that a T/S gives a better cut as the blade doesn't wander/flex? I'll do some research tomorrow and see what I can find.

It also looks like the P/T I picked out has been discontinued, doesn't look like it's in stock anywhere. I'll do some more digging tomorrow

 

[MikeG.]

There's a really good argument for abandoning the table saw in this tiny space. A properly set up bandsaw will do all your ripping perfectly well. I would hazard a guess that most active woodworkers here have a bandsaw/ PT set up, in lieu of a tablesaw, simply because the latter eats space. I've got 30 sq m, and won't have a tablesaw because it wastes so much space. It isn't just the size of the machine, but the amount of space required around it to work in.

 

[TPott]

Food for thought, thank you. I've just read an article by Matt Estlea about this very topic where he makes the same recommendation (mattestlea [dot] com/blog/should-you-get-a-bandsaw-or-a-table-saw/).

I suppose if I ever did need to use a table saw then I still have the Evolution 210MTS with its small table saw component, or possibly a tracksaw?

Looks like tomorrow I'll be researching bandsaws, an alternative P/T and maybe a tracksaw

Thanks again

 

[fezman]

Hi TPott,

I have pretty much the same layout as your original. The difference being I only have 2/3rds of the garage.

Recently i changed the up and over door to a side hinged door , and made the front 1/3rd a "utility room" for freezers, fridges and tumble dryer, with shelving over all these. This freed up some space in the rear 2/3rds as i moved stuff into the utility side.

I have a SCMS on a mobile stand where your Drill is and the Drill is on a mobile stand where your new door is. The P/T is on an Axi mobile base and is pulled into the centre of the workshop when I want to use it (along with a RP DX1000 extractor).

This all works for me.

I do have a table saw (use it quite a bit for 45 degree cuts, cross cut sled cuts etc), I have a RP sabre 350 bandsaw too, mainly used for resawing. I can manage a full sheet of ply (just) and use a tracksaw for breaking this down.

Yes sometimes i could do with more space, but i do regularly use all of the above & as i said - it works for me. As with most of us - your shop will never be finished, you'll always be tweaking it, and then some e.g. Rearrangitis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTvcxujfbmE

Ian