Tiny Workshop Inspiration

Posted by ryanc Posted onFeb 18, 2021 at 11:52 AM and filed under Projects
Updated onUpdated on May 20, 2021 at 5:22 PM

For the past week, we’ve been fighting through hour by hour blackouts, no water, and the kind of cold temperatures that this area has never really seen before. I know you guys up North have it far worse, but man… I am not made for cold weather.

So much so, that we’ve been planning on a move to Hawaii. A while back, we bought a tiny 1950’s era beach home on the island of Kauai. The idea is that we will live there during the summers, rent it out the rest of the year, and then once the nest empties, move in full-time.

The house, however, needs some work – and it’s mostly the kind of work I like to do. But before I can do anything, I need to outfit a shop of sorts. Currently, the property features a 10′ by 8′ garden shed destined to be my workshop.

I won’t begin working on the shed until this summer, but in the meantime I’d like to collect some inspiration for tiny maker spaces. Work at hand will be broad – from wrenching on old cars to building cabinets to performing basic home repair duties. And while the space is obviously tiny, I do have the benefit of weather I can work in just about every day of the year… Meaning, projects don’t have to be limited to the square footage of the shed. The shed does, however, have to be able to store all of the things and tools those projects require.

Anyway, I was hoping some of you guys with tiny spaces might have some inspirational photos or tips and tricks for a guy that has never really tried to condense this much in the past. What do you guys do to keep things organized, accessible, and as uncluttered as possible?

I’m all ears!

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colt zantop

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Very cool! I consider my workshop tiny. It’s about 14x16. I did these drawers under my bench and it saves me tons of space! It’s normally dead space anyway.
 

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Ryan

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So I'm gonna use this thread as an "inspiration" thread of sorts... and then once I get building, I will create a real build thread in the gallery forum.

Anyway, look and feel is important to me. Irrationally so... I just work better and more efficiently if the space itself inspires me.

For this tiny space, I think I wanna go with a lot of clean white surfaces mixed with natural materials... This allows me to kind of mix the new with the vintage, American with Japanese, etc...

These spaces feel right to me:

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I'm gonna need a lot more storage than this... obviously... but, you get the idea...
 
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Ryan

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colt zantop said:
Very cool! I consider my workshop tiny. It’s about 14x16. I did these drawers under my bench and it saves me tons of space! It’s normally dead space anyway.
Click to expand...

Brilliant... Exactly the kind of thing I'm looking... Thanks so much man.
 
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sick467

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Space saver tips...

1.) Should you decide to hang tools on the wall/s...use nails or screws NOT peg board. Peg board may be convenient, but it wastes alot of space. I can get twice as many wrenches hung in the same space as peg board, a lot more of the smaller ones.

2.) With that kind of space limitationss , duplicate tools are a no-no. Meaning a nice wrench set can do most of the work as a socket set...forego the socket set and just buy the individual sockets you need, ie. spark plug socket. This concept would kill me, but it goes for all things tool related...you don't really need 5 shovels.

3.) Nice tool boxes and drawers are really cool, BUT you can store much more in a wooden box, tub, or traditional carry style tool box. Wooden boxes with flat tops would be my first project...sturdy, holds many items, stack-able, and can be used as a make shift saw horses, chairs, stools, and step-ups. Make shallower boxes for heavier contents, but try to make them all with the same footprint or fraction thereof. Next would be custom shelving to hold the exact amount of boxes that I made.

4.) Anything that can be stored outside (under the house, in the crawl space, under an overhang, etc), should be.

5.) Items that only get used once a year or less can usually be rented.

AND, the most important thing to do...

6.) Fill it up before the spouse does! lol

There will be several compromises by limiting garage space, but I would consider getting an awning for the main entrance...it still rains there and an awning would allow the door to be open during "garage time" and might allow something to set outside during the project duration.
 
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NTAPHSE

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Oooof sorry you're caught up in that mess Ryan. Fingers crossed for you and your family to be warm and safe. Dreaming of the Hawaii shop seems the perfect distraction right now.

I am working out of a 3 car garage, but will be intently watching this thread for ideas to make the most of my space. I am finally to the point of really scrutinizing each area of my garage to extract maximum efficiency. Lately I've been on a kick of hanging things on the walls to clear up floor and cabinet space. I'm also trying to maximize vertical space, ie stacking things and using space underneath. I have my chopped Kaiser up on a lift with the kids motorized toys and the riding mower parked underneath for example. The down side to this is it takes more effort to drive my kustom though..... Always a work in progress, but it's fun!
 
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mtnkrake

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Here are a few pics of how I crammed 10lbs of stuff in a 5 lb bag
 

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67carl

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I love that wall grid with the boxes made to fit in. Are they modular - pull them out of one square and put them in another?

I cut up wire shelving and installed them between the studs in my garage. I liked the wire so dust and dirt don't accumulate. This is during when I was still working it out.

My dream is also in Hawaii, but in the east side of the B.I. Once the other half can retire...
 

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Ryan

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67carl said:
I love that wall grid with the boxes made to fit in. Are they modular - pull them out of one square and put them in another?
Click to expand...

Not sure... I just found those images randomly on the internet somewhere...

I don't so much need the modularity of the idea, but I like how the guy mounted cabinets and shelves between the studs. It maximizes the space and gives you some pretty stout mounting options.
 
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Dandy1008

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We have not been to Kauai yet, but have made it to O'ahu, Maui and The Island of Hawaii. Our family just loves the people, culture and environment that Hawaii offers. Owning a property there is a dream of ours...Congratulations.

Our daughter is hoping to move to Hawaii someday, she is currently a Junior in HS and has been taking Japanese knowing that it could give her an advantage in the job field given that Japanese is the 2nd most spoken language on the islands, she will graduate with 5 or 6 Japanese credits from HS depending on how things shake out with COVID.

My wife and I are hoping to start with spending 1 month of the winter in Hawaii starting in a few years once our daughter is settled in college. When you get ready to rent and if you are willing to rent for a month or two at a time, look back at this thread and hit me up.

Again, congratulation on property ownership in Hawaii, I am very jealous.
 
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Ryan

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Dandy1008 said:
We have not been to Kauai yet, but have made it to O'ahu, Maui and The Island of Hawaii. Our family just loves the people, culture and environment that Hawaii offers. Owning a property there is a dream of ours...Congratulations.

Our daughter is hoping to move to Hawaii someday, she is currently a Junior in HS and has been taking Japanese knowing that it could give her an advantage in the job field given that Japanese is the 2nd most spoken language on the islands, she will graduate with 5 or 6 Japanese credits from HS depending on how things shake out with COVID.

My wife and I are hoping to start with spending 1 month of the winter in Hawaii starting in a few years once our daughter is settled in college. When you get ready to rent and if you are willing to rent for a month or two at a time, look back at this thread and hit me up.

Again, congratulation on property ownership in Hawaii, I am very jealous.
Click to expand...

Thanks man. I appreciate it.

I've been going to Kauai for almost 20 years now. It's where I belong.

We spent the first few months of the pandemic there... and we loathed the trip home so much, that we've started to think about acting on our plans a little earlier than initially thought. We will see... We really emphasize school with our kids and... Education is difficult for a lot of reasons on Kauai. Oahu on the other hand... there are some options.

Anyway, the house is already available to rent. In fact, it hasn't been empty since we left it... Which is good, cuz I can't afford to have it empty!
 
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bruhof

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If you leave any tools hanging on a wall or not otherwise completely enclosed, your most important tool will be a wire wheel to remove rust.
 
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Ryan

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Interesting idea for ceiling joists...
 

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86scotty

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^^^ That is brilliant, but I would never find anything. I would forget it was up there.



This quote from Sick467 above may be the most profound thing I've ever read:


"AND, the most important thing to do...

6.) Fill it up before the spouse does! lol"
 
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Bigbandguy

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Ryan said:
So I'm gonna use this thread as an "inspiration" thread of sorts... and then once I get building, I will create a real build thread in the gallery forum.
Click to expand...

My workshop space is a 12 x 16. I can't say I manage to keep it uncluttered and neat but one idea I stole from someone here might come in handy for you. Mounting the hose reel under the workbench has come in very handy. My extra wrinkle was mounting it sideways right under the bench top. It is out of the way and really doesn't take up any space. Compressor is a HF pancake that lives at the end of the bench bur will eventually live in a smaller shed next door to hold down the noise.
 

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T-handle

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Hi Ryan! Workshop on the Hawaii sounds like a dream to me.

I have a huge part of my tools and hardware in a small space (9x16ft)
I did this to gain space for everything else in the workshop. For small projects it has been working nice. Everything is on hand when needed.

i-rdpBkqx-L.jpg

Congratulations on the new place!
 
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Ryan

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T-handle said:
Hi Ryan! Workshop on the Hawaii sounds like a dream to me.

I have a huge part of my tools and hardware in a small space (9x16ft)
I did this to gain space for everything else in the workshop. For small projects it has been working nice. Everything is on hand when needed.

i-rdpBkqx-L.jpg


Congratulations on the new place!
Click to expand...

This looks amazing!!!
 
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IndyGarage

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Good for you... Kauai is a wonderful place, only been there once but I'm jealous.

I might suggest looking at some of Adam Savages videos of his shop for some storage inspirations. I don't think his shop is particularly small, and I know it doesn't have the aesthetic you are looking for, but he does have a ton of stuff crammed into every nook and cranny. He seems to like to build everything in at the Point of use. Everything else is on wheels.

You might consider two disaster scenarios - hurricane (typhoon?) and Tsunami.
 
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starckie

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Congrats on the house in Hawaii

Stephen's 8x6 that you featured previously might be a good starting point, with four additional feet in width you might be able to fit another workbench and some automotive tools.

You do not seem to be the type of guy to want to work out of a space that small for very long... do you have any options (land/permits) to put in a larger building/garage?
 
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Ryan

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starckie said:
Congrats on the house in Hawaii

Stephen's 8x6 that you featured previously might be a good starting point, with four additional feet in width you might be able to fit another workbench and some automotive tools.

You do not seem to be the type of guy to want to work out of a space that small for very long... do you have any options (land/permits) to put in a larger building/garage?
Click to expand...

Once we move there full time, I will have some larger options... For the next few years however, this tiny little shed will be my lab.
 
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Ryan

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IndyGarage said:
You might consider two disaster scenarios - hurricane (typhoon?) and Tsunami.
Click to expand...

Kauai doesn't typically get hit... In fact, the last big storm to hit Kauai was almost 30 years ago...

But yeah, we have hurricane insurance and all that jazz...
 
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nutjob

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Ryan said:
Kauai doesn't typically get hit... In fact, the last big storm to hit Kauai was almost 30 years ago...

But yeah, we have hurricane insurance and all that jazz...
Click to expand...

Hurricane Iniki in 1992. My wife and I were living in Hawaii Kai, east end of Oahu. The Civil defense siren went off at 6am, not a good way to start the day. Boarded up what windows we could and than it just past by us and headed north to a direct hit on Kauai.

Someday we would like to move back. It is truly a paradise.

Only thing I can add for the shop, put as much as you can on wheels!

Kevin
 
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IndyGarage

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nutjob said:
Hurricane Iniki in 1992. My wife and I were living in Hawaii Kai, east end of Oahu. The Civil defense siren went off at 6am, not a good way to start the day. Boarded up what windows we could and than it just past by us and headed north to a direct hit on Kauai.

Someday we would like to move back. It is truly a paradise.

Only thing I can add for the shop, put as much as you can on wheels!

Kevin
Click to expand...

Apparently they were just finishing the filming of Jurassic Park when that happened.
 
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Ryan

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casmurbax said:
I recall someone on here posting a link to this person's tiny workshop. It is geared to woodworking, the guy had several clever ideas.

8x6 Tiny Workshop Tour

Nice place to escape to, good luck with it!
Click to expand...

I featured him a couple of years ago... He's like the Bob Ross of making...

I like his space a lot. It's close to half the square footage of my little shed and I'll be lucky to be half as efficient as he is.

***

The toughest part for me will be workbench space. I'm a workbench guy... and enjoy my BF/MFT far more that I probably should. Details here.

Right now, I've been thinking about going without even a contractor table saw and building a smaller, collapsible version of my BF/MFT that I will call the SF/MFT. I've gotten to the point to where I can build a cabinet accurately and efficiently using only a track saw... the table saw is really more of a convenience thing for me... a really nice convenience, but...

Anyway... Yes, everything will need to be on castors obviously. I think my main work space will be the yard just in front of the shed.
 
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Ryan

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Another challenge... I don't want to send my tools to the island as I won't be there full time for a number of years. As such, I'm going to have to acquire island tools... Which means, I'm going to have to get into a more affordable eco-system than Festool.

This isn't something I will be able to do in one shot... and will need a couple of years to build a full inventory. However, I need to start thinking about what I will need right away.

List thus far:

1. Track saw and tracks (Bosch?)
2. Dust collector (Bosch?)
3. Sander
4. Router
5. Battery drill, driver... (probably Milwaukee)

The only source for tools on the island is Home Depot... and I don't believe they carry the entire Bosch line, but I do think you can order most stuff...

Lots to figure out, dream about, and make happen....
 
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nutjob

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Ryan said:
The only source for tools on the island is Home Depot...
Click to expand...

I see Slim's Power Tools in Honolulu is still in business!

I would think you can fly into Honolulu, shoot over to Slim's, load up and than get your connection to Kauai. Or I'm sure they have transport/shipping to the other Islands.

Kevin
 
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Ryan

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nutjob said:
I see Slim's Power Tools in Honolulu is still in business!

I would think you can fly into Honolulu, shoot over to Slim's, load up and than get your connection to Kauai. Or I'm sure they have transport/shipping to the other Islands.

Kevin
Click to expand...

Thanks man... I will check them out this summer for sure!
 
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redragoon

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My space is not that small, but it has 2 cars in it normally. I bought a rolling utility cart for holding common tools and put wheels on large tools (table saw, anvil, etc.). That way I can roll things out in the open space and roll it back to fit a car when I'm done. It also means I can roll them outside when the weather is clear.

This worked best for me as the setup changes greatly depending on whether I'm doing woodworking, metalworking, forging, or painting. Things I am not using store flat against the wall or on hangers.
 
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Raymond_B

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Ryan said:
Another challenge... I don't want to send my tools to the island as I won't be there full time for a number of years. As such, I'm going to have to acquire island tools... Which means, I'm going to have to get into a more affordable eco-system than Festool.

This isn't something I will be able to do in one shot... and will need a couple of years to build a full inventory. However, I need to start thinking about what I will need right away.

List thus far:

1. Track saw and tracks (Bosch?)
2. Dust collector (Bosch?)
3. Sander
4. Router
5. Battery drill, driver... (probably Milwaukee)

The only source for tools on the island is Home Depot... and I don't believe they carry the entire Bosch line, but I do think you can order most stuff...

Lots to figure out, dream about, and make happen....
Click to expand...

OK so your post reignited my desire to move to Hawaii. Yesterday I spent almost the entire day on Google Maps and realtor.com :) I actually found a nice surprisingly affordable (for Hawaii) house just outside of Hana on 2 acres! I've been trying to talk my wife in to moving to Hawaii ever since we visited Oahu. On that trip we found this awesome house on the North Shore (literally on the beach) owned by an elderly judge in Honolulu. He rented it out every so often and we were lucky enough to stay for a few nights. I've always wanted to move after that.

Aaaaannnyway, for tool replenishment I wonder if it would be cheaper to UPS tools bought on the mainland to yourself. So when you're back in the states pick up goodies on a black Friday or some other sale and then ship them to your Hawaii house.
 
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LeonardY

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While this doesn't have anything to do with your small shop. But it's a fun story.

As a kid I spent most of my summers in Honolulu. Every year my dad had to get two cases of Coors to take back with us. It was like gold there. Primo was terrible. Not that I would actually know since I was under drinking age.

I'm sure things have changed but I still hear from my family there. They will ask if I can ship stuff back to them from Trader Joe.
 
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IndyGarage

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Ryan said:
Another challenge... I don't want to send my tools to the island as I won't be there full time for a number of years. As such, I'm going to have to acquire island tools... Which means, I'm going to have to get into a more affordable eco-system than Festool.

This isn't something I will be able to do in one shot... and will need a couple of years to build a full inventory. However, I need to start thinking about what I will need right away.

List thus far:

1. Track saw and tracks (Bosch?)
2. Dust collector (Bosch?)
3. Sander
4. Router
5. Battery drill, driver... (probably Milwaukee)

The only source for tools on the island is Home Depot... and I don't believe they carry the entire Bosch line, but I do think you can order most stuff...

Lots to figure out, dream about, and make happen....
Click to expand...
Personally I would go Makita over Bosch. You can get all of that battery powered with interchangeable batteries.
 
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Small Craft Hawaii

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Stoked, braddah! Main thing: realize that your Texas mind has yet to comprehend the CORROSION factor in Hawaii. Anything dangling out in the air is doomed...unless you love polishing wrenches every day. Vented cabinets with some sort of forced air would be rad. A solar panel or two on the shed roof for some fans would work. Some
sort of “tarpitecture”in the yard or driveway is inevitable. Every hardware store here sells the parts for the kind of structure that you put together using conduit pipe. They look a LOT better if you paint all the **** black, use a white tarp (never “tarp blue”) and ditch the bungee cord/balls and use nylon line instead. With some small tent work space with a movable bench and stands then you’re interior space can be more of an efficient “tool crib” and less of place that you’ll do much work INSIDE. Of course, a small work table in there would be nice.
 
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Small Craft Hawaii

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Another thought. Is this one of the VERY few cases where a 50’s Shop Smith might actually be practical? Well maybe not exactly practical, they seem like a big pain the ***, but you know, cool as hell looking and solid machinery, you just can’t be in any kind of hurry.
 
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eastbaysubaru

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I'll second Makita, as far as track saws are concerned. The single best tool I own. Not a Festool, but damn if it didn't change my outlook on ripping down sheets of ply.

The Bosch 12" compound miter saw is amazing and it takes up far less space than traitional bar-style miter saws.

And for drill/driver/VACUUM/leaf blower/etc., you can't go wrong with Milwaukee. I've committed at this point and have no reservations whatsoever. Seriously though, check out their M18 wet/dry vacuum. Everything stores in the vacuum itself. Awesome. Fuel leaf blower is also insane at that price point.

Place looks cool. Kauai is amazing, went on my honeymoon many moons ago. I've got a few buddies that have been on the big island for almost two decades now. Going to visit in May.

-Brian
 
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