Small Workshop Design // My 4 Essential Tips
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- čas přidán 18. 06. 2024
- Small Workshop Design doesn't need to be complicated. My 4 tips will help you optimize your small space. Covering layout, design and overall improvements. Forget everything you've read or heard about setting up a small workshop. I will go into detail and give you specific do's and don'ts to turn your small space into a safe and efficient workshop.
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Hello from Best Carolina. Isn't Etsy for girls?
Love the channel! It has been a huge help for me getting my one car garage shop off the ground. Thank you!!! Did you by chance do a video when you built your large work/outfeed table? Couldn’t seem to find one among your videos. Curious to know how you constructed it. Thanks again and keep the (very helpful) videos coming! 👍
This video should be required viewing for anyone trying to work out of a garage shop. He who dies with the most tools definitely does not win, he just spends all his shop time moving tools and machines around in order to find a flat space to repair the toaster.
Thank you very much! and lol at the toaster comment so true
@@Lincolnstww So...you've seen my shop...;-)
Wait youve seen my garage?
Perfectly said !
Who REPAIRS a toaster these days? Okay, I'll fess up, I did a few months ago.
Another point in a small shop that people tend to overlook: it's worth a little extra effort to establish a standard height for certain tools. For instance, putting your planer at the same height as the tablesaw means you can set up the planer right in front of the tablesaw (or outfeed table) for supporting long boards -- no need for extended planer tables or support stands. Put your miter saw at the same height and it can use your outfeed table for long pieces. This approach takes a little more work up front building a shorter stand or raising a tool on blocks, but the mobility and space gains for worth it.
Its a great point!
I do that as well, works great
It's a good point but very difficult, especially in a garage as the floor is always inclined upward away from the door to avoid flooding (this is true in the UK, I'm unsure about other countries). My floor is pitched at 0.025 degrees leaving the back of my garage 1" higher than the entrance. It makes levelling a real pain in the ass where most of my tools are on mobile bases, otherwise I would definitely do this.
I’m new to woodworking (2yrs) and in the beginning I just wanted to do woodwork so I needed EVERYTHING. Then after a while I found I was showing more interest in furniture than anything else. About the same time I realised I was happier using machines than hand tools. Then as my skills and confidence increased I found myself attracted to Mid-Century Modern furniture.
I ended up selling everything that I didn’t need to build solid Mid-Century Modern furniture and used that money to invest in quality tools specific to do it.
I guess the best tip in woodworking I’ve discovered is that it’s expensive to work out exactly what you want to do in your shop.
Because you’re new and don’t know what this is yet, sales people also know this, which is why they sell you stuff they know you will offload to the next sucker once you work out what it is you want to do in your shop.
For me, the most expensive thing I’ve bought was knowledge. Knowledge of wood, knowledge of tools, and most importantly knowledge of what I wanted to do in my shop.
I really appreciate what you're doing on CZcams. You're not a professional shop owner, telling us how great a $5k cabinet saw is when you pair it with the $4k dust collection system. You tend to give practical advice, which is relatable for 90% of woodworkers. Your shop also happens to be the size of the 'average shop'; 10' x 20', 1-stall garage, or half of a 2-car garage.
I could drone on blubbering how great your videos are but everyone else has already done that. Really great, thank you.
As someone who only has one side of a two car garage, this is great advice.
The point about building storage solutions instead of actual things is spot on. We all get sidetracked. 🤣
Tip 3, especially, is gold. I've spent so much time designing, building and perfecting shop furniture and storage that I would have been better off spending on projects! Great insight for the beginner.
If I have a tip 5, it is to clean the shop regularly. I tend to get absorbed doing multiple projects, and let dust accumulate. It's better to take a little time to clean up more frequently than to take a whole weekend to deep clean once in a while.
I’m about to finally move into a shop that’s roughly the same size (20x10) and this was absolutely incredible advice, one of the best woodworking tips videos I’ve seen on here
Thank you Michael
Hollow core doors are great for making shelves and other items. They’re easily found at thrift stores and yard sales. Easily cut, very rigid and light weight.
Well done, I never thought someone would be able to fit a Mitch hedberg clip into a wood shop video. He was the best.
one of my favorites!
Looks Great. My two cents. Always finish what you start. Router Table in the saw outfeed worked best for me. Always build what ever you can in components and assemble on site. Proper planning prevents piss poor performance.
I like the way you buck conventional wisdom to give practical advice. Your suggestions make a lot of sense. Only place where I differ, and this is just a personal preference, is that I enjoy building the shop furniture (like a drill bit rack that no one else will care about) and find it a good way to improve my skills for the friends and family projects.
Totally agree! Great place to show off your craftsmanship as well!
As 35 year woodworker I can tell you this is spot on. The work flow tip was pure genius once I realized it.
Thank you Mike. For one reason or another its become a buzz phrase with no substance behind it in small hobby shops.
I'm late to the conversation but my biggest tip is "Try to keep heavy tools where you can use them."
One example of mine I have is a heavy, bulky spindle/belt sander it's awesome but getting it out if the box setting it up, setting the extraction up then putting it all away after took ages. Now it is set up in a corner and it stays there so the most I have to do is connect the workshop vac hose and turn it on. If I have a spare 10 minutes I can do 9 minutes work. You can't do this with everything in a small workshop but if you can do it with some of the tools you use the most it makes a massive difference to productivity.
This is easily one of the best videos to watch when setting up a shop. You just saved me a lot of money in 3/4” plywood for planer/shop vac/mitre saw carts I was planning to build.
This has been the most refreshing shop setup video I've ever seen!!! Thank you for reminding me about using a little common sense to set up everything. I've been watching these shop tour videos for the past 2 years trying to come up with ideas for my new place but hated every single layout I came up with! I honestly felt like I worked better in a damn 12x8 shed/outside then I do now in 2 sheds (16x12, and 10x6) and it's all because I've been trying to set it up like it's a production/professional shop. Thank you for bringing me back to reality and for helping me look at everything in a more realistic and relaxed approach!!!
This video really helped me to get my head straight about organization. I was really stumped about workflow considerations and that aspect really was slowing my progress. It makes so much sense to lessen the importance of that in a truly small shop and come to think about it, all of that workflow advice was from CZcamsrs who had lots of dedicated shop space. Thank you for adding some common sense to that aspect and for living up to your "no B.S" promise! Subscribed.
This is by far the best CZcams Video on Small Woodworking Workshop. Great advice. Wish I had seen this sooner.
I appreciate your channel, and your humor!
Great common sense video. having dealt with shop layout issues for years and trying to implement ideas from others, i realized it's sometimes a puzzle taking parts of ideas from one and using with another to get what you're looking for.
You're teaching an old dog new tricks. Over 40yrs I've worked in basements, driveways, 2 car garages with other stuff, now I'm building a 20x20 workshop, that will be my space. You keep it real with re-using cabinets and the simplicity of dust collection, and I'm just flat out impressed with the boom arm
Love this!
This video an essential for planning a small or most hobby workshops for sure.
I'm an old, retired guy who is trying to get into woodworking. I'm glad I found your channel because your tips make sense, are entertaining, and are funny. I have subscribed. This video has helped me to focus on a great solution for my garage shop. Thanks so much!
THANK YOU I already have embraced tip #3 and am using a repurposed buffet my wife wanted to get rid of. It has given me storage and work surface for drill press and combo sander. Tip #2 is a huge help, and am thankful for all four tips follow your channel is one of the best woodworking decisions I've made.👍
This has definitely made me rethink the layout in my 820 square foot shop. Thank you for the video!
Thank you for your video it was awesome made me think about how I want to set up my new shop, although I have a fair amount of space, 20 x 40 shop, I want to utilize it so that I can fit in my microbrewery as well. You brought up some valid points and made me think differently than I originally had. I appreciate the fact that you really push safety also I’m a big safety conscious guy. Thanks again good job.
Great stuff man. I’m a knowledgeable novice and just building out my shop. I feel overburdened with projects I need to complete so I can start on actual projects. Bucket cyclone, extension wing for table saw ( required I have a crap Ryobi), etc… The tool envy is real but also have limited space and detached garage means time is seasonal.
The point about not needing to build everything really hit home. For me, I feel like building these things will help hone my skills for real builds so I’m ok with it. If my workbench has joint gaps and a bad coat of poly, that’s fine. As mentioned, I am a novice and need the practice. But it’s still prep work and not projects.
Soon enough!
You did a wonderful job of giving practical advice! You really got me with the rubber mats on the floor & the insulated garage door! I don't have space for an outfield table for the table saw, but I have placed mine adjacent to the garage door so that any long stock can be ripped with the Garage door open. A couple of folding sawhorses catch the offcuts, but they live under my Mitre Saw station. A good tip is to move the tools such as a plainer out onto the driveway where nature can deal with the dust. Also on that topic, I put an entry door opposite the garage door, so that by opening both nature can take the dust out of the shop air. Finally The Mitre saw is in an enclosure between two workbenches. One is always ready for a place for new work. The other is covered with the current project. Finally, I have been told that drawers are where tools go to die, so I can find almost all of mine on the pegboard walls behind the workbenches. Yes, I know that Pegboard is out of fashion, but believe me it is a lot more space efficient than French cleats. After all, space is the issue in a small shop . Finally, Dust in minute particle size is deadly and I am searching for a good small dust collector. Too bad those available are large and expensive. Go cheap on this tool will only fool yourself, get the one micron filter.
Great video. I am a hobbyist woodworker that had to take over a family single car garage. So far I have conquered 70% of the garage with 30% more to go.
Soon it will all be yours!
Great tips. Especially the pushback on the 'shop flow' dogma.
Thanks - thats always drove me crazy
I needed to hear these as I'm building out my garage for my first workshop now and was convinced by the big woodworkers that I needed the ultimate shop. Thank you.
Work with whatever you have. I built for years setting up and breaking down outside on my back porch. We are resourceful when needed
Just found your channel. Awesome videos. I’ve been wood working for 15 years and I got so many tips. Went from from a three car to a two car garage so this is really timely. Especially on the boom arm and the dust collection on your saw stop. And the placement of the saw.
Thank you very much. I LOVE the boom arm
I saw this video a while back and it really helped me. Might make a video response with my setup and shop furniture.
You and 3&3 custom are by far the coolest, thoughtful, and no nonsense...refreshing
Thank you
Thank you! high praise - I'm a huge fan of Tamar
Excellent tips. My favorite hack: I took the arms off an old folding director’s chair I found in a dumpster, screwed a scrap piece of plywood across where the canvas seat went and mounted my drill press to that. It was just the right height and was easy to move if needed.
I do think that building cabinets for a shop is helpful in that you can work out your flow/layout and make mistakes on pieces that are not for public consumption.
This is probably the best shop setup video I've seen! Thank you sir
Liked the video very much. I like just watching the shop videos just to get different perspectives. Your’s is a fresh one. Take it easy brother.
These videos are fantastic. Easily one of my favorite new woodworking channels, really looking forward to seeing more.
Thanks Kai. I greatly appreciate the kind words. Ill do my best to keep up with interesting content.
LOVE this video. PRACTICAL knowledge that is immediately impactful! Thanks!
I like the "keep it real" attitude you always bring. Thanks
I have a double-car garage and yes, the cars go there. I have a large closet and a small “work room”. My space management strategy is based on how I can unpack the shop and use it in the driveway when I’m working and out it back when I’m done.
Excellent advice. I've worked in an 11 x 22 foot garage workshop for 30+ years. Had as many as six friends working inside making toys to give away. Your suggestions parallel what I've learned over the years.
Thank you!
Ive been watching videos about small shops lately to try and accumulate better ideas for our garage. It is also a one-car garage which it seems NO ONE on youtube has...except this one. This has been very helpful and I appreciate the tips. They are unique and crucial for small shops. We have to split ours in half so storage on one side and "shop" on the other. Its a tight fit.. The insulation is a nice thought too; I did not consider the door letting out/in so much sound. I am glad I finally found a relatable video; thank you for sharing!
glad it was helpful!
This definitely helps. I'm currently building a woodshop in my 17' x 15' garage
Very fitting video as I try to get my small shop up and running in the third car space of a garage. Great vids man. Keep it up.
Finally! Super sensible advice on setting up a home shop. So many people, including myself, get wrapped around the axle trying to "optimize" their shop rather than just using it, already!
Right on!
Awesome tips that are highly relevant to me in my 12'x20' shop! I had a floor-standing 6" jointer that I sold off a couple of years ago and while I've been planning on getting a store-able tabletop jointer, you've inspired me to consider a floor-standing model again.
Glad you found it helpful. It’s all about deciding what’s most important for your situation. I really focus on bigger furniture so the 8” jointer saves so much time instead of sleds on the planer/table saw. I use it so frequent now that it’s got ample infeed and outfeed. It was a burden before when I had to roll to the center of the shop.
Great video, easily understandable, common sense filled. Crisp and intelligent narration. You've got me for a fan!
As a new owner of a 5-in-1 combination machine I am suprised how little I see these machines in hobby shops on CZcams. I too have a one car garage myself and my SCM C30g takes up maybe 3x4ft of floor space in it's smallest configuration without add-ons (accessories hang on my wall). I would really recommend one to a serious hobbyist!
This video made me feel good about the decisions I have made about my work space. Great advice!
Thanks - good to hear a different take on shop design and use.
Great tips, hopefully next year I’ll add a small shop onto my current garage (and move my woodworking out from the basement). I live in Northern Michigan and my garage door will definitely be insulated. And in the winter cars go into the garage.
I am in the process of a total small shop remodel. Took everything out and am starting from scratch. You gave me some really good ideas for bench placements, that never even crossed my mind before. Thanks!!! I really hope you keep up with making videos.
Keep it real.
Thanks Donnie. Glad you found this helpful. If people keep watching, I will keep filming!
I'm in a small (20x20) 2 car garage and you validated my layout. Put tools where there's room. Great video.
Thank you Dan
good video... my shop isn't even so cramped but I greatly enjoyed your more practical recommendations and lack of ego pumping its so easy to find elsewhere on youtube...
I keep rewatching your videos! The practicality I need. Recently moved and 1 car I’m making a shop is a blank slate. No storage, shelves or cabinets, and I’ve been stressing how to find the time to make custom organization. I’m gonna borrow your layout and keep rewatching to stay practical. Please keep sharing!
Thats awesome, I'm glad you're finding the videos helpful. Look forward to hearing how the shop comes together.
Really great advice.about ""workflow"", creature comfort for the woodworker, Flexibility in moving
big machines around and space utilization. Also good advice about needing everything to begin, and expect to change as you grow into your shop. Also, "Don't listen to bad advice!"
Some great tips in this video.
I would add that you can still have some workflow with a bit of forethought in where you place your tools. You could keep a planer, jointer, router table under your mitre saw. Keep your sanding items, finishes, clamps and fasteners near your assembly table.
While it might be "nice" to have custom built cabinets, it's really not necessary and repurposing can help you out initially. But I would say that after you've been working in there for a while, you'll work out what works and what doesn't for you. Thats a good time to build cabinets for your space.
If you need to get stuff off the floor and away, metal racking is a quick solution. But in reality, it's terrible long term unless your storing a heap of stuff in tubs. There's too much wasted space in them (not to mention stuff can fall off the back).
I like your no bs advice on tools and workshops!
Thanks Dave
Man I found your channel today. i watched several videos but when I heard tips 2 & 3,, I knew I belonged here. The whole concept of "workflow" only makes sense in a shop big enough, and productive enough to warrant it. In a shop 12x20 or in my case 16x16, I don't think it's a feasible concept. I always watch the videos of guys building every fancy jig, bench, cabinet, and junk holder in their shops, and I was like "why"? It doesn't even sound fun to me. I started to think that maybe woodwork really wasn't for me, after all if you like it, why wouldn't you want to do that? Now I know I'm not the only that feels that way.
This is a GREAT video! Very helpful for new woodworkers and even some seasoned woodworkers that have maybe gotten too involved in building shop furniture, stealing time from building projects (me).
Thanks Mike
thanks for the reminder to drop the expectations down a peg! i spend way too much time thinking about this stuff.
Just subscribed! Love your no nonsense approach to your shop = reusing things for shop furniture. We're building a house with a 3 car garage. One of these will be my shop = small shop. I've been a woodworker for 20 years now and always had to share my shop with the cars = move cars out of garage build something, move them back in. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about woodworking with all of us.
glad you liked it!
Every beginner woodworker should watch this video. I have an old tv stand for a router stand that we were gonna throw out. I did get carried away and built a small cabinet for small tools, screws, etc.
Great advice! As for the "Don't build everything", I use Ikea Spice racks on my French cleat wall to hold tools... I just added the cleat to the spice rack...
hahaha thats awesome
I like the blunt honesty in sharing tips. My favorite channel.
No BS here
just binged watched all of your videos! Excellent presentation today! I really learned a lot. Any time you have a Mitch Hedberg video clip on your video will always have my heart. Well done sir!
Great points. I have recently bought a bunch of mechanic style toolboxes for storage. They can be bought cheap and usually have lots of drawers and already come on casters. They can even function as mobile carts. I also suffer from having too much materials on hand which gets in the way.
The extra material is a great point, tough to break the hoarding habits but it can kill a small space
i like you.... you seem honest and know what your talking about... who knew....
Thanks dude, I’ve always wanted to learn woodworking skills but never set aside time and money for it. However, I just started to delve into woodworking projects and videos like yours and it’s making things seem a lot more doable. Thanks again.
Best of luck!
Really appreciate your content! Looking forward to the day you're on par with all the other big woodworkers here on CZcams.
Thanks Thor
Perfectly practical tips. Just what I needed!
Thanks for inserting a Mitch Hedberg joke. I love that guy and am subscribing now.
Absolutely true! Great video!
Very true about the work flow comment. I'd also mention that it's not necessary to have all the machines and tools from the glossy magazine. Many machines are designed for commercial application where minutes add up to hours which add up to days, it makes financial sense. For a hobbyist, you're just enjoying your hobby.
Darth Blader is awesome! Lol. Funny, I am presently wiring up my shed that is 11‘ x 15‘ and in the preliminary layout, I have the tablesaw on the left side wall and the jointer on the right side wall. You’ve given me something to think about and to reconsider putting the saw the on the right side. I hope my shop turns out to be as half as good as yours! Chris
I'm jealous. I had a lot of fun starting from scratch with mine. As long as you minimize the dead space of your bigger tools and leave infeed and outfeed, you should be good!
One of the best videos I have seen yet, I love my shop and like you it has taken ages to get everything just right, but I think I will always tinker alittle, thankyou fro the excellent tips, Louie Northern Ireland uk
Great video man. Thanks! As soon as I get home I’m going to pull out a lot of tools i don’t really use. I kid you not, I’ve never used hand-held electric planer and my drill press, I don’t seem doing anything with it that I can’t do with a hand held drill. I have a bunch tools I don’t use. I might even have a garage sale and put that cash towards something I will use. Thanks again!
Great advice 👍 I recently moved to Utah and there was a Habitat for humanity near my wifes office. Stopped in one day and rolled out with 6-7 cans of various stain, a blast gate for my dust collection and a few rolls of painter's tape for about $45. Check often with them as they never know what's coming in. Great recommend for benches/cabinets, they always have that type of stuff.
Didn't watch your video on cheap tools but I will highly recommend looking through FB market and Offer up a few times a week if you are tool hunting. I was able to source an older bench top Delta jointer which works very well for about $85. Also picked up an older bench top Delta planer for around $80. Recently acquired a Milwaukee Drill/driver for $40 brand new. I am a huge fan of their 12v line up and when I saw it I grabbed it. Age doesn't matter as long as the tools works as it should.
For hand tools I would recommend Taylor tools. They offer blemished PEC tools for a fraction of the cost. Needless to say I have a blemished 6" double square and a 12" tri square from them. Blemishes have no effect on how the tool functions 👍
If you are looking to save on sand paper, most of it is junk, Taylor tools did a great breakdown on several brands and the 3M Cubitron came out on top. Even after numerous uses the 3M was removing more material than any other brand. Worth it in longevity alone. Taylor tools also provides the write up of the test should you choose to read it. They offer a 15 piece sample pack of the Cubitron with 80, 120, 150, 180, 220 grits for about $10. I tried it when refinishing my daughters cutting board and it worked great. Another CZcams channel, project farm, did the same comparison with similar results.
Finally, if you are willing to wait for the tools, Banggood out of China has some good tools for much cheaper. Dennis from Hooked on wood, also CZcams, has some great videos testing their products. And yes I have several of their tools I use on a regular basis.
Hope this helps and thanks for the great videos!
Lots of great advice here for anyone cruising the comments section. I love cubitron. Glad you like the videos and thank you very much for contributing
I can’t tell you how valuable this was for me! GREAT advice’ I have some thinking to do!
Thank you, I'm glad you found the helpful!
You're videos are absolutely fantastic man! Great work, and keep producing tip videos man. I think your tip videos are some of the best online!
All great advice and applicable also to larger shops. Who doesn't want to maximize space
Great suggestions....IMHO...and everyone has many....I'd go with a router 1st rather than the planer. I've been a modest woodworker for 40 years. Bought a planer about 7 years ago (started with a jointer,). The router has been my best friend for years. Worked out of a 10 x 25 for twenty-five years. Space is indeed precious. Moved and now have a 15 X 30...wowza. no new tools as that would complicate my shop. You nailed it.
Thanks for the tips!
Holy... this guy is smart. You articulated the same thought process of building camper vans (what I do) with the the workshop example (what I'm about to do). So stoked to have found your channel man, slapped the crap outta that subscribe button.
thanks for the slap!
Just subscribed. You do an excellent job of describing your decisions and explaining why in a clear concise manner.
I’m trying to setup a small fabrication shop in my 1/3 garage. I converted 2/3 of my one car garage into a bedroom. The usable space is now 14x9 ft. I’ve come to the same conclusions about space and “must have” tools. I’m going “shelveless” and utilizing the walls heavily. I’ll also roll out my welding table towards the edge of the garage door and setup a small perimeter to block welding flash. It’s the only way I can see myself cramming a welder, table, bandsaw, disc sander, drillpress, and horizontal bandsaw in that amount of space. Your video has helped me immensely. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much. Glad it helped!
You have a wonderful channel! My son and I... newbies. Everything you mention... absolutely true. (And hilarious). Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Thank you Rick, glad you like the channel!
Like the way you think about set up and tools. Basic no frills is the way I think about stuff! Great job like your videos.
Thanks Eric
8:47 Starting to get serious about woodworking and bought my first table saw. I needed to hear this...
Glad it was helpful
It doesn’t matter how many times I hear the same thing repeated, these are all great tips and things to know for a beginner moving forward. For me personally the most daunting thing is building a good outfeed table/bench for my table saw to sit in to. Did you make a video for your build? I absolutely love your videos and breakdowns. You have a great way of breaking things down and explaining them in a retainable manner. Thanks, as always for the amazing content!
Thank you! No bench video. But I am going to rebuild it at some point and do an entire video
New subscriber, so glad I found your channel as I'm embarking on my woodworking journey. Also I will be using my garage but need to park a car in it occasionally so this video is perfect. Thank you and keep up the great work
This is a fantastic video with truly unique tips!
Great video and nicely laid out shop. LOL@ your drill bit rack… I was actually admiring it at the beginning of your video. A tool I get along without using is the miter saw, I have a nice high powered circular saw that allows me to rough cut boards fast and easy (final cuts on table saw sled). The tool I most regret having in my small shop is the band saw. It does get some use but not enough to justify the space taken. A good jointer is next on my list after I finish dialing in my dust collection setup…. I cannot even phantom the luxury of something like a drum sander.
I'm just in the process if setting up a working workshop and these tips have been really valuable. I'm one those that thinks they have build the perfect storage from birch ply ... but not any more! :) thanks .. really useful.
glad it helped!
This is a great video brother. The "common" sense that everyone seems to miss. Thank you.
Love the fact that you know Mitch Hedberg! R.I.P!
I've found it helpful to strike a balance between build vs buy in the shop. Making shop things is great practice for "the real deal" projects, but avoiding getting sucked in to the notion of having to build everything takes care and attention. Plus, long term maybe you still build things out in your shop, just don't let it block you from the other projects ya want to do!
Thank you for you simple, common sense approach to the problem(s) we all have…
Glad you found it helpful!
I had some iffy florescent lights in my shop, I just got a standard light fixture and a screw in led and big difference. yay led.