Space saving in a small workshop

[MarkAW]

With a small workshop, what's been the most effective space saving change you've made or done (that's not throwing things away)?

Pictures encouraged. I'm looking for ideas

 

[Fitzroy]

With a small workshop, what's been the most effective space saving change you've made or done (that's not throwing things away)?

Pictures encouraged. I'm looking for ideas

Tiered storage getting wider up high, machines on wheels, photo here.

 

[robgul]

+1 for machines on wheels - and "parking garages" for them under benches.

 

[Eshmiel]

With a small workshop, what's been the most effective space saving change you've made or done (that's not throwing things away)?

Pictures encouraged. I'm looking for ideas

First rule - organise a place for everything then keep everything in its place, even as you work. (Put a tool back in its place as you finish a task with it, rather than on to a bench clutter). As you use them, you'll develop an extensive memory about where they all are and so save all that hunting-for-it time.

Rule Two might be: put everything around the walls and leave yourself a working space in the middle. Not always possible. especially with machines that handle long workpieces .... but it does make the most of space and generally allows you to more easily reach things.

Rule Three might be: put infrequently-used tools packed away in drawers and cupboards whilst keeping frequently used tools instantly gettable. I use magnetic rails and pegboard with various hooks and other holders, with the highest concentration of such on the other side of the bench that I work at.

Pics will follow in due course.

PS I work in a rather small one-car garage.

 

[Eshmiel]

Some photos, showing the various ways and means of packing in enormous numbers of tools into one small room such that you know where they all are, can get at them and have the space to actually use them ..... .

It helps to have a large garage door that can be opened on a concrete apron, for working when the weather's clement. To use the tablesaw side extension, I have to roll the dust extractor out of the garage on to that apron, for example.

The place is getting cluttered! I need a tidy-up.

That reminds me of another rule: equipment and tools not planned for usage over the currently planned projects should go out into some form of storage place. Mine go in to a sort of warm-dry cellar known as "the undercroft", to be fetched out if & when needed.

 

[Sideways]

Use the walls, but keep your stuff in boxes to protect from the damp.

French cleats and wall boxes

Ally profile extrusion makes a strong and effective bench frame. This must be 200kg loaded at least.

Regularly empty your workshop out and reorganise putting the essentials back in first, in a good layout. Try and cull what isn't important anymore.

Space under the workbench is too valuable not to maximise it for storage. So a traditional bench isn't the best choice.

Airtight toolboxes and reusable bags of silica gel so kit can survive the winters. Microwave a few times a year.

 

[HamsterJam]

I built a multifunction table to compliment my more traditional workbench.
Not covered in holes like a Festool MFT (although I am considering swapping the top out for such), rather is it a piece of kitchen worktop on folding legs.
It has a hole for the router lift and embedded tracks to fix a removable fence, feather boards, etc
I made an MDF blank to fit the hole and it is also used to support my site type table saw, thicknesser and laser engraver (one at a time).
Additionally it can be folded flat or taken outside on good days.

 

[Eshmiel]

I built a multifunction table to compliment my more traditional workbench.
Not covered in holes like a Festool MFT (although I am considering swapping the top out for such), rather is it a piece of kitchen worktop on folding legs.
It has a hole for the router lift and embedded tracks to fix a removable fence, feather boards, etc
I made an MDF blank to fit the hole and it is also used to support my site type table saw, thicknesser and laser engraver (one at a time).
Additionally it can be folded flat or taken outside on good days.

In a small workshop, a folding worktable is tempting. I used a Workmate with a 1/4 sheet of 25mm thick plywood in it during my early WW years, as it could be folded and stacked away. However ....

Eventually I took the traditional WW rite of passage and built a proper workbench of monstrous weight and rigidity. What a difference! I'm sure you'll have seen the many wobble benches in YouTube WW vids, with a planing person moving the bench back and forth as the plane attempts to get purchase on the wriggling plank. All that goes away with a proper workbench and the improvement in hand tool use (or even the use of a router) is great.

My workbench too is knock-down - although it would take 20 minutes to undue the immense bolts holding the end legs and short aprons to the four long aprons. Even undone, I'd be unable to safely handle the weighty top by myself.

 

[BCS1980UK]

One advantage of low ceiling is being able to hang stuff on the supporting beans and have it always at hands reach (like bar/sash clamps). The same goes for light quick grip clamps hanging on electrical conduits (yeah, my electrician saw it and said it was fine).


I also love these magnetic hooks. This one lives on my planner, holding a square to set the fence:

 

[kinverkid]

Because my workshop is long and narrow I put as many machines as I can on castors. My small DeWalt chop saw is on a unit that also houses an oscillating sander on a pull-out drawer and hidden in the side doors (both sides) are spare saw blades for the chop saw, RAS and bench saw and other bits.

The sides of my rarely used router table house 1/2" and other shank router bits in both side doors.

Under my lathe, I've encased the front with shelves and cupboard doors. Inside I store dried timbers which also act as ballast in a minor way but also restricts the shavings to the floor in front of the lathe to be easily swept or vacuumed up. The top is covered too for the same reason. Almost all the handles to cupboards and drawers are knee and knuckle knock-proof leather.

 

[JSW]

Not sure about this, it looks kinda flimsy, but it seems to be sturdy enough when he sits on it (Vid should open at that part)
Purely as a secondary work surface/assembly table etc

 

[RobNichols]

Labels! Find a labelling system you like so you can quickly identify what's in the drawers and boxes you've tidied everything away in.

And I agree with @BCS1980UK - make the most of your ceiling space.

 

[Spectric]

@kinverkid I like the router cutter racks, that is a nifty idea .

 

[jb94]

First rule - organise a place for everything then keep everything in its place, even as you work. (Put a tool back in its place as you finish a task with it, rather than on to a bench clutter). As you use them, you'll develop an extensive memory about where they all are and so save all that hunting-for-it time.

Rule Two might be: put everything around the walls and leave yourself a working space in the middle. Not always possible. especially with machines that handle long workpieces .... but it does make the most of space and generally allows you to more easily reach things.

Rule Three might be: put infrequently-used tools packed away in drawers and cupboards whilst keeping frequently used tools instantly gettable. I use magnetic rails and pegboard with various hooks and other holders, with the highest concentration of such on the other side of the bench that I work at.

Pics will follow in due course.

PS I work in a rather small one-car garage.

I’ve got a case of blindness when it comes to tools, I put it down and then spend 30 minutes trying to find it again, that’s even with a pegboard on the wall!

I did it with a 2ft chair blank the other day not exactly a small thing to misplace!