Share your tips and tricks for dealing with small spaces.

[dbhost]

Post up pics if you have them too...

I am about to drag the camera out to the shop, but here are a few I am proudest of...

#1. Using ceiling space for storage. That 6' step ladder is hanging from the roof between the garage door tracks, and above the drill press. I have at least 6" clearance to it at the lowest point.

(Sorry about the mess, believe it or not I have been spending MOST of my shop time lately CLEANING it up...

#2. Raising the working height of my work bench to 36". A VERY comfortable height for me, and it gives me LOTS of space to stack hand held power tool cases.

(An old picture, but you can see how much storage I have under there... LOTS...

#3. Tall clamp rack. Yes I can do better, and am planning on a major upgrade to a seriously modified version of Suwat's clamp rack to provide space for my pipe clamps, and some space for spring and C clamps as well... But I am actually pretty proud of my current rig. Simple, stout,


#4. Stupid as it sounds. The small parts cabinets from Home Depot wall mounted. I had junk in boxes all over the garage, and the space the boxes were taking up was obscene. These have gone a LONG way to helping my space use, not to mention helping me stay organized and KNOW where my fasteners and other small junk is...

#5. Cyclone Stacker. This is about to change as I am going to swap it out for a shelf with a lip to keep the vac and trash can on above the DC. (The can will be tight but doable).


#6. Using the back of the entry door for my safety stuff. Right now I have the first aid kit there. I have a small piece of peg board / frame built for this where I will hang my respirator, respirator accessories, face sheild, ear muffs, safety glasses, work gloves, and shop apron on.


#7. I built a little storage shelf that just barely squeezes between the garage door tracks. Since my drill bits came in sets in their own little cases, I am using this to store my regular drill bits, Forstner bits, hole saws, spade bits, countersinks, dowel jig, pocket hole jig, and dowel centers. I have an amazing amount of stuff crammed onto an 11" wide x 9" deep shelf. This is mounted high enough that I can flip open the top of the DP, and change speeds with no interference.


#8. Related to #7 since it is behind the drill press, but I screwed in one of those ladder hanger hooks and use it to hang light duty extension cords. It's not pretty, but it works...


I have some upcoming changes that I honestly got the ideas from you guys and gals here.

#1. Stacking shelves using shelving standards / brackets in the manner DonHo shows in his shed / shop.... Likewise with the rolling tool cart / box. I was in the process of building (had the lumber milled down, and was starting on the half laps) one of those bechtop tool carts like Alex Franke has, but opted against it due to my jointer. I just thought having sides on the setup would be too limiting for that...


#2. Not sure who to credit this idea to, but the Thien Cyclone separator for the HF DC is going into the inlet ring of the DC. I should be working on that now, but I *SHOULD* be working on all sorts of stuff. Waiting on a call from work though... The trash can I bought for this purpose is now my shop cutoff bin.


#3. Plywood shelf across the spreaders of the lathe. There really isn't a good way to store lathe tools down there while the lathe is running, but when the lathe is off, this is a good place to put the faceplate, chuck, turning tools, etc... Not to mention there are reports that a well mounted. (3 bolts along the long sides each, 1 on each of the short sides.) goes a LONG way to stiffening up the base of this particular lathe..

#4. Peg boarded "accordion" cabinet like the one that Wood Magazine best home workshop ideas 2009 shows, along with several of the modded versions of what they call the "Versa Cab" However mine will be 24" deep to leave room on top for, in particular the cases for the KM12VC router kits.

#5. I am also looking at hanging my miter saw stand, and folding sawhorses in a manner similar to what Kenbo on woodworkingtalk.com has set up. (Look up at the DeWalt Miter Saw stand on the ceiling).


I have been working the design of my shop for a while now, and every time I look at the shop tours, I get a better and better idea to wrap up into my shop. Or pass to a friend with a slightly different problem to solve... So if nobody else has said this recently. PLEASE keep your shop tours coming... Every time we see one, we get better ideas, or at least different approaches to solving the same problems we all seem to face. (Okay except maybe guys like Norm Abram and Tom Clark...)

[leehljp]

I have all tables, stands, machines on casters and all casters are swivel. The idea of two swivel and two stationary becomes a pain in tight situations.

ALL casters swivel for tight spots!

Plastic shoe box size containers on shelf for loose tools such as:
Screw drivers in one
Pliers adjustable in one
wrenches in one
measuring devices in one
Angle measuring devices in one
pens pencil markers in one
knives and markers in one
tape in one

Then there are the small drawer containers for different size screws

Drawer containers for things such as thread, string, wax, magnets, pins, clips, small parts, electronic plugs clips etc.

I am not well organized but every once in a while, I go on a binge and it sure is good to have a place to put things so that they are findable. I had to get things out of "bags."

I have a bin with left over screws, left over bolts and nuts, a bin for those odd ball and dulled bits that are not part of sets. These are handy after being sharpened by the Drill Doctor. I go to this bin almost as much as I do for my set bits.

ADDING in one more thing: Labeler! A good labeler is a VERY handy thing to have!

[Wood_workur]

Working vertically is the best advice here. I've got clamps above my band saw, and wood storage above the router table. While neither are on casters, they are light enough I can move them if I need to.

[dbhost]

Anyone else? I know it's a weekend... Was really hoping somebody would post up some good pics illustrating your best space savers...

[Tom Slick]

Live by "5S."






google it and click on the first link, or "I'm Feeling Lucky"

[dbhost]

Uh.... Okay... I am confused with that link. Some TV station web site...

[jkristia]

this one maybe
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5S_(methodology)

I would like to see pictures too. I am sharing my garage, and I do not have a dedicted workspace yet. Eventually I will be able to get about a 16x12 area, so tips and tricks and pictures are more than welcome to give me some ideas.

[Tom Slick]

Uh.... Okay... I am confused with that link. Some TV station web site...

just google 5S and any of the first 5 hits explain its methodology

[bigstick509]

Anyone else? I know it's a weekend... Was really hoping somebody would post up some good pics illustrating your best mspace savers...

I have been thinking about taking some pics for a mini shop tour, this post should get the ball rolling. I should have some free time by Tuesday, providing I can keep those ????
cars out of my shop. LOL

[wardprobst]

With apologies for the pic, here is one idea. I got away from pegboard and just mounted tools on plywood here. I was able to nest tools better and as this is the clean shop, dust is not a major issue. The big advantage for over the pegboard is not being limited to fasteners and hole spacing. The bench is John White's New Fangled Workbench with a few additions. The shelf underneath holds planes mostly. Under that are portable power tools in cases. The mdf in the middle section is replaceable in sections. I have a Nobex saw mounted on one section, a metal cutting miter box on another. The Gatemouth Jr. on the left is a piano specific kit, there is a Makita cordless drill and Milwaukee screwdriver under the shop portfolio. Finally, I find the place mat underneath very handy for small glue ups, it is made of tempered hardboard bottomed with cork and topped with Oriental designs. The set got too grungy for SWMBO so I claimed them!.
Whew, what a lot of rattling on from me!
DP

[bigstick509]

I have been thinking about taking some pics for a mini shop tour, this post should get the ball rolling. I should have some free time by Tuesday, providing I can keep those ????
cars out of my shop. LOL

I had a little time before the hockey game started, so I took these. None are really earthshaking but they were new to me at one time and I probably got most from this site. Most are self explanatory, but feel free to make comments and or questions.

[MikeMcCoy]

Anyone else? I know it's a weekend... Was really hoping somebody would post up some good pics illustrating your best space savers...

Unfortunately I don't have a good pic but this stand was a case of incorporating 3 things together. When I set this thing up, I still didn't have firm plans for the overhead and didn't want to mount the air filter till I was sure I had a spot. You can't see it in this pic but my Fein Turbo is on the lower shelf and turning tools fill the from of the middle section. It is on wheels so I can pull it out to get access to the vacuum.

[bigstick509]

I thought I'd just post a close up of one of the previous pics.

Could you send me a close up of that hanger for your DeWalt Mitersaw Stand? I have one that just leans up in the corner for lack of a better idea.
Thanks ahead of time!
Tommy[/QUOTE]
Here are a couple pics I took this afternoon, just a piece of strapping with a aluminum U channel that the end flange on the stand fits in.

[drumpriest]

Going vertical is a good start, also thinking about where there is dead space and how to use it works well. I've got a pretty good layout worked out (for me) but my space is a bit bigger than yours.



This is my shop layout, roughly. Above the scroll saw and the planer/drum sander are lumber racks, and above the jointer is my clamp rack. I'm currently working on a station for my lathe tools to hang on the wall above my lathe. Use the wall space that you have. Also mounted to the ceiling are strips for hanging curtains to do some indoor spraying in the winter months.

The table saw has a router table in the extension running in the same feed direction as the TS blade. It was super easy to get used to and I actually like it better in most instances than standing in front of the router table, plus it's about the biggest router table top you could ask for without wasting space. The DC is at the end of the TS so as to use the dead space there. I use a quick disconnect to my tools and have no more than a 12' run or so to the major tools. The band saw is the worst run. I also use a small portable shop vac with some of my tools.

The planer and drum sander are on casters and pull out for use, all of the other major tools can be used right where they are for most operations, but everything is on wheels or mobile bases. (htc 2000) The exceptions are the lathe and scroll saw, but I will soon make the lathe mobile as well. I don't see a lot of reason to make the scroll saw mobile.

I have cabinets tucked away under just about every tool to give me the space that I need for storage. Here are some pics.



Another note is that things are of heights to work well for me, as well as work well together. My Planer stand is high enough that I can use my table saw as outfeed for it. My Assembly table is 1/4" lower than my table saw, and also on wheels, so it's outfeed for the TS.



Here is an older picture (before the new planer stand and my new lathe, but you can see where I have put things.



Also, I do have a few things that I have to bring out to use, I'd rather have them stationed somewhere, but I just don't have the room, sadly. I have determined what these would be based up on frequency of use and weight.
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I hope some of these thoughts are helpful.

[Tom Clark]

space savers

I find that drawer units are the most efficient space saving things you can put in your shop. Shop cabinets do not take up space, but rather turn wasted space into space that does double duty. This 18 drawer workbench has so much space in it that hardly a cubic inch of it is wasted.

I throw out all the plastic cases that tools come in. The serve no purpose other than to waste space. The photo shows a dozen tools in just one drawer that would take up 10 times as much space if they were stored in cases.

My workbench has lap drawers to hold hand tools that are constantly in use. They can be added to any bench easily. The shelves over the back of the bench are not in the way, yet hold all the things that you never want to put away because you need to be able to get to them easily.

My small machine tools all sit on storage cabinets that don't waste space like machine stands do. The tools can be placed close together, yet all are ready for instant use without going through any set up hassels.

In a large shop, cabinets just make your work flow go much easier and quicker, in a small shop making the most of every cubic inch of space is much more important! An of course the best part is that we can all do things our own way. These are just a few of the ways I make my shop work better for me.