STARTING A GARAGE WORKSHOP

[Lonsdale73]

I can't find it now but there was a link on here to a guy who used one half of his double garage as a workshop with rest of it used - oddly enough - for his car. Clever use of fold up / down tables, wheeled workstations, shelving and cabinets enabled him to maximise use of available space. It was a great help to me when setting up mine and I'm annoyed I can't find the link. I'm sure the guy's name was White.

Anyway, I still seem to spend more time building benches, stations, cabinets and boxes to either house the tools I've bought or to make them work the way I need them to than I do actually making the very thing I started off planning to do! Now I dream of a decent lottery win so I can buy a farm in the middle of nowhere with barns and outbuildings that can house the planer thicknesser, bandsaw, better table saw, a lathe and multiple chip / dust extractors to eliminate floor sweeping and I can venture into at any time of day of night, clatter and bang away till my heart is content without fear of disturbing the neighbours.

 

[moosepig]

Whatever you get, for maximum flexibility I'd keep it all mobile with lockable wheel kits (either shop bought or make your own). Even with so much space you'll want to move stuff around.

 

[homeworkshop]

Hello bear tricks

I see how i would save space to maneuver around a lot easier but is the table saw not more reliable and stronger? even know it takes up more space? or better question im guessing you have a band saw you'r self? Hows you'r experience with the saw??

Thanks

 

[devonwoody]

I find I use a table saw for most of the things I do, but a band saw for me is needed also to cut thicker boards. So depends on timber you are going to use.

 

[heimlaga]

In almost 20 years of woodworking I have never had a bandsaw in use. I could make do surprisingly well without it and other needs were more pressing.
Last year I finally got one. A 24" E.V.Beronius. Following my habit of going big right from the start and minimizing the number of machines instead.
Now I am just waiting for the delivery of a new set of tyres. The first set of tyres had some sort of manufacturing fault in them and failed immidiately. After this I will have my first ever functional bandsaw.

As usual one should choose one's tools according to one's needs.
For ordinary cabinetry and joinery the cirkular saw bench (or table saw as some call it) is totally indispensible. If there's space enough (which you have) the cirkular saw bench should have a sliding table of some sort. There is no way around this fact. The bandsaw is a mere complement.
To a boatbuilder or carver the bandsaw is indispensible and the cirkular saw bench is a mere complement. Horses for courses.
Those who work in very cramped conditions tend to prefere a band saw because it takes up less space. Trading off convenience and versatility to save space. You have no reason to do that tradeoff do you.

A small light hobby bandsaw like the the Ryobi will never be neither reliable nor strong. Though that small Ryobi may be the only saw some people can fit into their cramped workshops with weak floors. Anything is better than nothing. You don't have that limitation.

I think you shouldn't start buying machines until you have defined what you are going to make. Hold your fire for a while.