plugger410

I've spent the last few years trying to make my shop as mobile as possible. My wife is insistent on being able to park the car in our garage, which is basically an oversize one car garage (about 18 x 20, from wall to wall, but the actual garage door is smaller). So the dilemma is how to be able to park the car in my shop without sacrificing the tools and space that are necessary/convenient for making furniture. So here is my setup. I built a couple of cabinets along one wall with one continuous top that houses my radial arm saw. In the cabinet, I store my hvlp sprayer, some sharpening equipment, chisels, and whatever else I can fit in there. In between the two cabinets is a small cart for cutoffs from the radial arm saw. I also have a Dewalt chop saw that I will be incorporating into that bench, as well, but for now is on it's own fold-up mobile base. My lumber and sheet good storage goes behind this bench, and I also have a benchtop mortiser (the General tilting model) that is attached to that cabinet system, that allows me to pass long boards up to a foot wide behind the mortiser for crosscutting, or I can just unbolt it and take it off if i need more counter space. The bench top has been drilled for dog holes, since I don't have the room for an actual woodworking bench. I have attached a quick release metal vise on one end, and for actual handplaning, I either use a planing stop, or I have the Veritas bench dogs with the little adjustable clamp for holding work down to the table.

On my back wall is my other bench, which I use for tool storage, and it also holds a pancake compressor with a line that extends across the ceiling to a ceiling mounted reel, so I can easily reach any part of my shop without moving the compressor, and then the hose easily reels up out of sight. I also have a ceiling mounted cord reel to keep messy cords off the ground. This bench has my bench grinder on there, as well as a removeable antique hand crank grinder for grinding Krenov style. Behind the bench is a pegboard with many tools for easy reach. I have a set of shelves on this same wall, for tool storage, books, sandpaper storage, jigs, finishing supplies etc... In the corner is my Jet 14” bandsaw with a riser block which allows me more resaw capacity. I have modified it for better dust collection, as well as with the Kreg fence system. It sits on a mobile base, so I can wheel it over to my dust collector. I have some Ridgid flip top infeed/outfeed stands, that I use with this to handle larger stock.

On the other wall are my larger tools. I have a contractors table saw (the General that got great reviews a few years ago). I have fitted it with a 54" ripfence and sidefeed table, so I can easily handle large sheet goods. I also have an extra side feed table on the left side which houses my router table. Its the cast iron Bench Dog model, so I have a large cast iron surface on my table saw, and the part that isn't cast iron, on the right side, is melamine that holds my Delta benchtop drill press. This can be lifted out, if needed, for extra room for cutting sheet goods. This tablesaw lies against the wall, but is on a mobile base and is rolled out into the middle of the garage for normal use. I have set some sawhorses to the correct height and have a large 4x4 peice of hardwood-trimmed melamine that doubles as my outfeed table or an assembly table, depending on my needs. When not in use, the melamine sits against the wall behind my planer and jointer, and the sawhorses fold up and out of the way. Next to the table saw is my Dewalt planer, which also got great reviews from Fine Woodworking. It is on a mobile cart which also houses my Ridgid oscillating spindle sander (again, best reviews), my old antique lion miter trimmer, and my coping sled. Next to that is my jet 6" jointer, also on a hand made mobile base. In the corner is my 1-1/2 hp dust collector, which has a hose permanently connected to my tablesaw, and another hose that I switch back and forth between my jointer and planer, all controlled by blast gates. On the wall behind these tools are all of my clamps, more sandpaper and steel wool storage, as well as jigs for the tablesaw, some files and handsaws.

In addition to the lumber storage behind the radial arm saw bench, I have overhead shelving which extends down the sidewalls of the shop for much more horizontal lumber storage. The ceiling also houses some of my longer Bessey k body clamps and pipe clamps. I have installed extra fluorescent lighting in the ceiling, and there is task lighting at the benches and other necessary spots. Then the final touches are speakers in the four corners, and a TV mounted to the wall, with wiring that passes through the wall into a closet inside the house, which houses the stereo and DVD/VCR combo to keep dust away from them. That way I can listen to music or watch a how-to video while I'm working. Various other antique tools and old saw blades adorn some of the free space on the walls, in addition to the Studdley tool chest poster, which is part of the inspiration behind my shop.