Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Tom's Neighborhood Workshop

[wreckdiver1321]

Okay guys, another poll for the GJ Brain Trust.

Underneath my top cabinets and just to the right of my locker-type cabinet will be a workbench. The configuration of that workbench is something I've been trying to noodle out for a while now.

OPTION A
Do I do a Steevo bench and have more bench top to do work? Bear in mind I already have a 78x26 bench which will be essentially next to this one. The benefits of the Steevo bench are that I technically get more storage and it'll probably look a little less cluttered. A set of 46" Husky rolling benches would give me about 94" of bench, or just shy of 8 feet, then below I'd have tons of storage for tools. Downside is I'd have to bend over to grab everything, and to be honest I prefer the aesthetic of a tool chest stack. My buddy did say that bench tops have a bad habit of being a junk collection point, which is true, but I generally keep my benches clean. Plus the complexity of building the thing makes it a little less attractive. Not that I wouldn't be able to or don't want to, but it's another project to complete while I already have enough irons in the fire. Cost is about the same to be honest, so that's not a factor.

I'd buy a set of two of these roller benches, then build a frame from wood or steel to surround them.

OPTION B
The other option is a shorter workbench with a narrower stack of tool chests. The bench would be roughly 67" and I'd very likely go with Craftsman's 41" set. I think I prefer this from an aesthetics point of view frankly, and having a bench with shelving under it would be a pretty good place to store the table saw, in theory. It wouldn't be hard to box in a regular bench and make it a cabinet too, thus making even more storage. However, this is not without problems. The upright tool chest would be less storage, primarily because of depth. My main workbench is 23" away from the wall, so a 22" or 24" deep tool chest would make it feel crowded and not a good fit. That leaves either the 41" Craftsman or the 36" Husky box, which are both 18" deep.

I don't like the idea of the Husky much, because the upper drawers in the lower box aren't deep enough to keep sockets in, so I'd have to keep them up top. Doable, but I prefer the sockets in a drawer near waist-level since they're easier to dig through. The Craftsman set has it's limitations too, because of the drawer layout and the overall height. You'll notice the standard 41" set does not have a full-width drawer, which I think it it's biggest drawback. That means sockets would likely need to be spread out amongst two drawers, and guess what? The lower box's top drawers aren't deep enough for 1/2" drive deep sockets. I could put them in the top storage till, but that exposes another potential issue: height. The height is an issue because I have essentially stuck myself with a 73" max height, since the box will be under the cabinets. In order to fully open the Craftsman box top till, you need 78" of clearance, so I'd never be able to fully open it. I could take the cover off, but then I'd have dusty sockets all the time. Not the end of the world, but not necessarily ideal either.

I could use this rolling bench thingy, because it's about 3 inches shorter and it has a full-width top drawer that is more than deep enough to store sockets. Perfect, right? Well, Craftsman doesn't recommend you put a full chest on top of it. I'm not entirely sure why, I might check into how they're built compared to the standard bottom box. So I either ignore Craftsman or put a 26" box on top, which wouldn't be my favorite option. Another possible issue here is the drawer layout. While the upper drawer is great for my sockets and stuff, everything else is hot garbage.

Everybody's thoughts?

 

[wasfast]

I have Option A now, a pair of the Husky 46" x 18". The 18" is pretty narrow for general work but the price was right. I am planning on adding an additional top so I can have an overhang to clamp "things" onto. The top now is flush and nothing to get ahold of......

 

[wreckdiver1321]

I have Option A now, a pair of the Husky 46" x 18". The 18" is pretty narrow for general work but the price was right. I am planning on adding an additional top so I can have an overhang to clamp "things" onto. The top now is flush and nothing to get ahold of......

If I were to go that route, I'd build an oversized top for it for that reason.

 

[Trapps]

Tom,

I am not quite understanding where this new bench would live, based on this picture:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachments/52399666839_35dbf02b12_b-jpg.1742234/

Left side, under the new blue cabinets you made?

If so, I'd choose option A if the benchtop height could be aligned with your existing top. You're very organized and because of that you're probably low risk for FSD. Having nearly 8' of benchtop has its advantages.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Tom,

I am not quite understanding where this new bench would live, based on this picture:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/attachments/52399666839_35dbf02b12_b-jpg.1742234/

Left side, under the new blue cabinets you made?

If so, I'd choose option A if the benchtop height could be aligned with your existing top. You're very organized and because of that you're probably low risk for FSD. Having nearly 8' of benchtop has its advantages.

Correct, left side under the cabinets I just built.

I absolutely see the merits of having all of that bench top. I don't like the idea of bending over for every tool removal. I suppose my most reached-for tools would be accessible in the top six drawers if I went that way. Tough call though.

Yep, the bench top would at the same height as the current one.

 

[Trapps]

My boxes are loaded with most used tools at the top and least often at bottom. The exception is the very bottom drawers which are a taller profile holding some larger items. The are a couple of drawers I rarely get into. YMMV. It's taken a couple of years and I still occasionally swap contents based on frequency of use.

Having the new bench on the left, and at the same height would allow you to set things longer than 8' (obviously diagonally bridged from bench A to bench B.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Tom, I have that 46" Husky in white. It's my mobile tool bench. Top drawer is sockets/ratchets, next down on each side is wrenches, one drawer for SAE, one for metric. There's also pliers, screwdrivers, rtv/thread locker/etc. There's a drawer for torque wrenches, calipers, etc. Lots of other stuff I'm forgetting I'm sure. The extra deep drawers are awesome, and the top works well size wise.

I would go that route. As you add more tools you're going to want more storage. I'm about to the point where I need another/or bigger box than my main 52" Husky.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

My boxes are loaded with most used tools at the top and least often at bottom. The exception is the very bottom drawers which are a taller profile holding some larger items. The are a couple of drawers I rarely get into. YMMV. It's taken a couple of years and I still occasionally swap contents based on frequency of use.

Having the new bench on the left, and at the same height would allow you to set things longer than 8' (obviously diagonally bridged from bench A to bench B.

I'd likely still be able to do that with option B, though not as easily. The gap between benches would be bigger. But that's a good point, I'd open up additional capability. I'm giving serious thought to making another, completely mobile, work bench though. Something I could keep out of the way but have for projects that required it.

Good thoughts on how you have your bench organized. I'm sure I'd do something similar with mine.

Tom, I have that 46" Husky in white. It's my mobile tool bench. Top drawer is sockets/ratchets, next down on each side is wrenches, one drawer for SAE, one for metric. There's also pliers, screwdrivers, rtv/thread locker/etc. There's a drawer for torque wrenches, calipers, etc. Lots of other stuff I'm forgetting I'm sure. The extra deep drawers are awesome, and the top works well size wise.

I would go that route. As you add more tools you're going to want more storage. I'm about to the point where I need another/or bigger box than my main 52" Husky.

Great point there, though I was doing an inventory and I'm positive that the Craftsman box would fit everything I have twice over, especially when one considers the extra Husky boxes I have under the existing bench. But yeah, buying to grow into is better than buying to just fit what I have now. Either way will be an upgrade, but something to mull over.

Good to know you like that Husky. A pair of those makes a lot of sense in the lateral space I have. I just don't know if it's my favorite solution.

Much to ponder here boys.

 

[bj383ss]

Ok so I think I understand the difference between you two setups. The main point for Option A is you would have one or two? Top boxes with drawers you could easily access. I know what I would do but I think you have to look at this from the point of view of how "you" work and what projects you will be doing.

As Trapps said you seem to be very organized so I don't see FSD being an issue for you. It certainly is for me at certain times and then Tarzan inside has enough and puts everything where it should be.

So here is how my tools are organized based on the way I work. May not be right at all for you but maybe you can see some of the workflow. Having my garage split into woodshop on one side and auto on the others the tools follow suit. I also have built quite a few drawers. I don't store alot of tools in the shopmade drawers. Mostly supplies and car parts.

On the woodshop side I have 8 drawers under my bench. The bottom two drawers have woodworking power tools. The top drawers have the most used tools. Plus I have my daily tools hanging right in front of me on my pegboard. Behind me next to miter station is my woodworking tool cabinet that has everything else I use for woodworking.

20210319_135942 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

New tool Wall by bjohnson388, on Flickr

I also have tools hanging on pegboard above the lathe and drill press tools on a pegboard next to it.

20210519_105309 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

On the auto side I have two banks of drawers in the on the left of the workbench. The left side has chemicals, adhesives, tapes and mostly truck parts. The right side has several shallow drawers that have pliers, and automotive based tools. The bottom drawers have all the air tools. There is also frequently used tools hanging on the pegboards.

20220311_133742 by bjohnson388, on Flickr


I also have 3 Proto stack units. Old school from the 60's. They have 10 drawers on top and 5 on the bottom. I store wrenches in the top drawers and all 3/8" drive in the bottom drawers of top units. 1/2" and 3/4" drive are in the very top of the upper unit. Metric and all big size wrenches are in the bottom drawers. Again this is based on my usage yours will be different. Two of my cars are mostly metric and the other 3 are SAE and one is mixed.

This photo is what they look like. I no longer have them in this location.

20191029_160615 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

Top of the box with all the bigger sockets. This is how my grandpa had them when they were in his shop so I just left them. There is a pull out tray so you can take them wherever.

1964 C10 Rear suspension by bjohnson388, on Flickr

One other thing going for Option A is it will give you more space to mount benchtop tools if that is something you will being adding. Like grinders, belt sanders, bandsaws. I have this setup in my shed work area.

Shed reorganization Phase III by bjohnson388, on Flickr

I hope some of that rambling helps. Tool flow and layout is very personal. But I can see if you take some advice from several different ideas it can get you started and then you will figure out how it works for you and change it based on that. I have rebuilt my workbenches and work areas dozens of times before I got it the way I thought was most efficient. And even when I get to that point I am always looking at it and seeing how I could layout it out more efficiently.


Bret

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Ok so I think I understand the difference between you two setups. The main point for Option A is you would have one or two? Top boxes with drawers you could easily access. I know what I would do but I think you have to look at this from the point of view of how "you" work and what projects you will be doing.

As Trapps said you seem to be very organized so I don't see FSD being an issue for you. It certainly is for me at certain times and then Tarzan inside has enough and puts everything where it should be.

So here is how my tools are organized based on the way I work. May not be right at all for you but maybe you can see some of the workflow. Having my garage split into woodshop on one side and auto on the others the tools follow suit. I also have built quite a few drawers. I don't store alot of tools in the shopmade drawers. Mostly supplies and car parts.

On the woodshop side I have 8 drawers under my bench. The bottom two drawers have woodworking power tools. The top drawers have the most used tools. Plus I have my daily tools hanging right in front of me on my pegboard. Behind me next to miter station is my woodworking tool cabinet that has everything else I use for woodworking.

20210319_135942 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

New tool Wall by bjohnson388, on Flickr

I also have tools hanging on pegboard above the lathe and drill press tools on a pegboard next to it.

20210519_105309 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

On the auto side I have two banks of drawers in the on the left of the workbench. The left side has chemicals, adhesives, tapes and mostly truck parts. The right side has several shallow drawers that have pliers, and automotive based tools. The bottom drawers have all the air tools. There is also frequently used tools hanging on the pegboards.

20220311_133742 by bjohnson388, on Flickr


I also have 3 Proto stack units. Old school from the 60's. They have 10 drawers on top and 5 on the bottom. I store wrenches in the top drawers and all 3/8" drive in the bottom drawers of top units. 1/2" and 3/4" drive are in the very top of the upper unit. Metric and all big size wrenches are in the bottom drawers. Again this is based on my usage yours will be different. Two of my cars are mostly metric and the other 3 are SAE and one is mixed.

This photo is what they look like. I no longer have them in this location.

20191029_160615 by bjohnson388, on Flickr

Top of the box with all the bigger sockets. This is how my grandpa had them when they were in his shop so I just left them. There is a pull out tray so you can take them wherever.

1964 C10 Rear suspension by bjohnson388, on Flickr

One other thing going for Option A is it will give you more space to mount benchtop tools if that is something you will being adding. Like grinders, belt sanders, bandsaws. I have this setup in my shed work area.

Shed reorganization Phase III by bjohnson388, on Flickr

I hope some of that rambling helps. Tool flow and layout is very personal. But I can see if you take some advice from several different ideas it can get you started and then you will figure out how it works for you and change it based on that. I have rebuilt my workbenches and work areas dozens of times before I got it the way I thought was most efficient. And even when I get to that point I am always looking at it and seeing how I could layout it out more efficiently.


Bret

Lots of great info in your "rambling" Brent, and the photos really help illustrate it.

I think the appeal for me in option B is threefold: one, I really prefer it aesthetically. I think it just looks nicer. The other side is I've been doing my automotive work out of upright boxes for going on 15 years at this point, so I'm used to the "flow." Another point for it is density. I can pack all of the automotive tools I use in one dense location, so it's a place I can just stand in front of the box and access everything. With option A, the setup would likely (though not necessarily) require me to shuffle side to side to get my sockets or wrenches, etc. Access in one spot is attractive to me.

Option A definitely makes sense with regards to bench-mounted tools, but I pretty much only have a drill press and a bench grinder. I may add a belt sander but that's a big maybe. That being said, I can definitely see the utility in more bench space. It makes more practical sense, I think. But some part of me just doesn't like it for whatever reason. I prefer option B, but the only reason I'm considering something else, if I'm being honest, is that the toolboxes available for the space I have are somewhat limited.

I appreciate you guys noting my organization and aversion to FSD. I have a buddy that calls it "obsessive."

 

[zc15]

It seems like your disposition is to Option B. It's your space, so I think you should continue to go with what you prefer.

As someone with two 56" boxes side-by-side, I find the tops cluttered more often than not. My office desk is like that though, so I'd bet you could stave off this phenomenon.

Personally, if I could sell one for what I think it's worth, I would. It would motivate me to build a proper workbench too. The one to the right side of the picture is basically glorified shelving at this time.

I will say that I do enjoy the number of drawers that I have, and for the most part I don't find myself bending down much. My dad is still using his single stack, and I find that tools have to be stacked more so to fit everything in his box, and he has just the basics in my opinion.

My only word of caution is that the Craftsman 41" tool box may not have drawers deep enough to stand up deepwell sockets on end. That was a deal killer for me.

 

[nicholam77]

A few quick comments

My buddy did say that bench tops have a bad habit of being a junk collection point, which is true, but I generally keep my benches clean.

You know yourself better than I do, but I have a hard time believing a large bench top will stay clean, even if you're an organized person. I hate clutter and would also consider myself an organized person, and mine still piles up, against my will.

Seems like you have two different needs at the moment, automotive and woodworking. If you plan to get more into woodworking, I think those tools (and projects) tend to take up more space. One of my regrets is the large 8' Craftsman bench on the back wall of my garage. As previously mentioned I find the bench top just becomes a catch-all for stuff without a home.



But also, it uses up half the wall space on my back wall. I don't have that many automotive tools, like sockets, so the tool drawer storage is overkill, I would have been much better off with a smaller stacked rolling toolbox, and then use the extra wall space for more free-standing woodworking tools (planer, bandsaw, jointer, possibly even a larger table saw on casters?). As of right now I couldn't even buy those if I wanted to because I have no place to put them.

It can be nice to have a really large surface to set large projects. But maybe ask yourself how often you think you'll be building stuff that's 8 feet. (and that need may evolve over time). You could also build a collapsible / storable work surface for that if the need arises.

Tool flow and layout is very personal. But I can see if you take some advice from several different ideas it can get you started and then you will figure out how it works for you and change it based on that. I have rebuilt my workbenches and work areas dozens of times before I got it the way I thought was most efficient. And even when I get to that point I am always looking at it and seeing how I could layout it out more efficiently.

I think what Bret said is really important. Do what your gut is telling you now, and then expect it to change later. When I first started working on my garage I didn't have a complete vision and I barely did any woodworking at the time. Now it's my main hobby and if I could start over I'd make some different decisions. It's really hard to know the "best" layout right from the beginning, and the "best" layout might change over time as your interests and projects change.

One specific consideration... I know you've been contemplating a job site table saw. Compared to shuffling side-to-side to grab automotive tools from adjacent roller chests, I can tell you right now that bending over to lift a table saw from a shelf underneath is going to be way, way worse. I can almost guarantee you'll want to build a dedicated cart for it eventually, and that will need some wall space to live on.

Good luck, remember it's a marathon not a sprint!

 

[Blackbyrd]

vote for steevo from me (option A)

you can never have enough counter space to work on and having more storage, is always a bonus. Shop needs change and as your expand on your hobbies its always good to have the growth accounted for in storage.

example, im currently getting into welding and sheetmetal work as thats the phase of my resto mod on my 71, I know need a space that make sense to put the clamps magnets and associated tools that go along with this work. I know find myself wishing I had built a Steevo style bench, instead of having a 96inch table on legs with one shelf in the middle.

 

[Bob Heine]

Tom, like Bret (@bj383ss) I have two work areas, a 3-car garage and an 18' x 12' shed/workshop. The garage is for mechanical and welding work while the shed is for woodwork. I like the idea of stacks rather than benches.

The garage has a wall of cheap Mills Pride upper and lower kitchen cabinets with a mica countertop for a 14-foot flat surface. This photo of my FSD in a moment of remission. The first three upper and two lower cabinets are full of household stuff while the rest are workshop supplies. Notice the stainless stack has an outbreak of FSD that was cured a few days later.

My automotive tools are stored in two stacks. One is a 42" CSPS stainless stack Costco sold many years ago. It houses mostly SAE tools, including all the SAE sockets in 1.4", 3/8" and 1/2" shallow and deep chrome thinwall and black impact sockets under the top lid. The two deep bottom drawers store pneumatic tools (wide one for nail guns and narrow one for rotary and reciprocating tools). Not enough room for the impacts and ratchets so they hang on the end of a cabinet in PVC holders.

The Second stack is a 26" US General (Harbor Freight). Because the Mills Pride upper cabinets are only 54 inches off the floor I took the wheels and top lid off the stack. The top storage area is limited to two sets of 1/2" metric deep and shallow sockets (thin chrome and thick black impact). There's room for clear and tinted safety glasses on the right and a couple of tape measures on the left. The drawers store mostly metric tools along with many of the electronic instruments.

In the shed I built workbenches around the perimeter of the room and made two cabinets that fit under the deepest bench. One cabinet has the small (10") table saw mounted on top and the other has the router table mounted on top. The cabinets are different heights but the working surfaces are even so either one can serve as an outfeed for the other.

The table saw cabinet has two drawers. The top drawer stores the 4.5" right angle grinders and disks.

The bottom drawer stores the portable saw collection and power planer and a few wood chisels.

The router table cabinet has only one drawer but it stores the routers, bits and attachments.

There's another Bosch router mounted to the table and lest you think the drawer is too organized, it also stores the templates for the Porter Cable Dovetail jig, making it hard to just grab a router.

 

[Swanny1953]

I missed something along the way - I know it will probably become obvious to me, but FSD?

 

[racer-john]

I missed something along the way - I know it will probably become obvious to me, but FSD?

Flat Surface Disease, we all suffer from it!

 

[Swanny1953]

Figured it was something along those lines. And, yes, I suffer as well!!

 

[wreckdiver1321]

It seems like your disposition is to Option B. It's your space, so I think you should continue to go with what you prefer.

As someone with two 56" boxes side-by-side, I find the tops cluttered more often than not. My office desk is like that though, so I'd bet you could stave off this phenomenon.

Personally, if I could sell one for what I think it's worth, I would. It would motivate me to build a proper workbench too. The one to the right side of the picture is basically glorified shelving at this time.

I will say that I do enjoy the number of drawers that I have, and for the most part I don't find myself bending down much. My dad is still using his single stack, and I find that tools have to be stacked more so to fit everything in his box, and he has just the basics in my opinion.

My only word of caution is that the Craftsman 41" tool box may not have drawers deep enough to stand up deepwell sockets on end. That was a deal killer for me.

Great advice here ZC15. In the end I'm the one who has to be happy with it.

Good thoughts on your bench/toolbox setup, I think that helps me frame a few things in my mind. I definitely see the merits of going lateral vs. vertical with boxes and the amount of storage you get. I'm sure I'd be able to organize all of it to enable me to not have to bend down quite so much, but It's one of those things I try to keep in mind.

Yes, that's one of my hangups with the Craftsman set too. The 41" stack does have a drawer in the top chest that is tall enough for sockets, but the drawer itself is small ish. I'd prefer one giant drawer like you have on the box on the left there, but as of now I'm not aware of any tool chest setup that ticks all the boxes for me. The perfect answer would probably be the Gen 1 USG boxes because of the 18" depth, but obviously those aren't available. Then I have the height limitation. Plenty to think about.

A few quick comments

You know yourself better than I do, but I have a hard time believing a large bench top will stay clean, even if you're an organized person. I hate clutter and would also consider myself an organized person, and mine still piles up, against my will.

Seems like you have two different needs at the moment, automotive and woodworking. If you plan to get more into woodworking, I think those tools (and projects) tend to take up more space. One of my regrets is the large 8' Craftsman bench on the back wall of my garage. As previously mentioned I find the bench top just becomes a catch-all for stuff without a home.



But also, it uses up half the wall space on my back wall. I don't have that many automotive tools, like sockets, so the tool drawer storage is overkill, I would have been much better off with a smaller stacked rolling toolbox, and then use the extra wall space for more free-standing woodworking tools (planer, bandsaw, jointer, possibly even a larger table saw on casters?). As of right now I couldn't even buy those if I wanted to because I have no place to put them.

It can be nice to have a really large surface to set large projects. But maybe ask yourself how often you think you'll be building stuff that's 8 feet. (and that need may evolve over time). You could also build a collapsible / storable work surface for that if the need arises.

I think what Bret said is really important. Do what your gut is telling you now, and then expect it to change later. When I first started working on my garage I didn't have a complete vision and I barely did any woodworking at the time. Now it's my main hobby and if I could start over I'd make some different decisions. It's really hard to know the "best" layout right from the beginning, and the "best" layout might change over time as your interests and projects change.

One specific consideration... I know you've been contemplating a job site table saw. Compared to shuffling side-to-side to grab automotive tools from adjacent roller chests, I can tell you right now that bending over to lift a table saw from a shelf underneath is going to be way, way worse. I can almost guarantee you'll want to build a dedicated cart for it eventually, and that will need some wall space to live on.

Good luck, remember it's a marathon not a sprint!

Great thoughts, I appreciate the time and insight you put into this one Nick.

My bench does get cluttered occasionally, I have to work to keep it clean, but for the most part I clean up after each job unless it's a multi-day affair and I have a bunch of **** out. That does happen on occasion with some regularity, so I can see the merit in having less flat surfaces to clutter. That being said, some of my automotive or small repair projects require the bench space, so I would definitely use it.

Interesting that you find the bench space regrettable. I've always found the space super useful in the past, but I totally understand about having the room to store more shop equipment. It's all a trade-off and sometimes what makes the most sense for one usage doesn't make as much sense for another. You make a great point, I'm very rarely working with a project more than 8 feet. If I am, it's generally being done on the floor or sawhorses because it's too damn unwieldy.

My projects do have a tendency to be more automotive in nature, though I do woodworking or metal projects from time to time, so keeping that orientation is the goal, but I also want the space to be adaptable based on the job at hand. I've got only one vehicle parking in here regularly which I move out when larger projects are underway, so I've actually got a ton of room in the workshop and not nearly enough stuff to fill it (yet). When you take the cabinets into consideration, I've got a huge amount of storage to keep things tidy while using almost zero floor space. There's also a full quarter of the space that has no plans at this point, so I do have some wall room for more stuff as my needs change. I can definitely see getting a bandsaw or doing a router table (or both) at some point, so that may be what this area gets used for. I've also considered doing a small paint booth. We'll see where it goes.

The hope is to create something that isn't quite perfect for woodworking or automotive work or welding work, but something generally useful for all of the above.

Great point about the table saw. I know I'm going to be dealing with something that's like 50lbs+, so having to lift it in order to get it out and work with it isn't ideal. That's definitely something to consider. I've thought about putting it on a small wheeled cart that I can slide under a workbench, but then I still have to think about getting it to table height to do work. I'm pondering this one for now, and again I'm sure it will change as the time goes by.

Again, thanks for all the insight and thoughts. I've got a general idea of how I'd like to lay out the space, but some of the more fine details are fuzzy and definitely benefit from a discussion like this. Helps me frame what I want and how to get there.

vote for steevo from me (option A)

you can never have enough counter space to work on and having more storage, is always a bonus. Shop needs change and as your expand on your hobbies its always good to have the growth accounted for in storage.

example, im currently getting into welding and sheetmetal work as thats the phase of my resto mod on my 71, I know need a space that make sense to put the clamps magnets and associated tools that go along with this work. I know find myself wishing I had built a Steevo style bench, instead of having a 96inch table on legs with one shelf in the middle.

Steevo bench seems to be the popular option.

I agree, having your space be expandable makes a huge difference. Part of that for me was designing and building the cabinets, which are excessive at this point for me. I don't have nearly enough stuff to fill them, but I'm certain I will at some point.

I think a really important part of the equation is storage density. Being efficient with how you store things and being able to fit more stuff into a specific amount of floor space will make a huge difference in keeping things neat and tidy. Plenty of ways to do this, including cabinets, but I'm also thinking about parts storage and how to more effectively and densely organize paints, fluids, etc.

Tom, like Bret (@bj383ss) I have two work areas, a 3-car garage and an 18' x 12' shed/workshop. The garage is for mechanical and welding work while the shed is for woodwork. I like the idea of stacks rather than benches.

The garage has a wall of cheap Mills Pride upper and lower kitchen cabinets with a mica countertop for a 14-foot flat surface. This photo of my FSD in a moment of remission. The first three upper and two lower cabinets are full of household stuff while the rest are workshop supplies. Notice the stainless stack has an outbreak of FSD that was cured a few days later.

My automotive tools are stored in two stacks. One is a 42" CSPS stainless stack Costco sold many years ago. It houses mostly SAE tools, including all the SAE sockets in 1.4", 3/8" and 1/2" shallow and deep chrome thinwall and black impact sockets under the top lid. The two deep bottom drawers store pneumatic tools (wide one for nail guns and narrow one for rotary and reciprocating tools). Not enough room for the impacts and ratchets so they hang on the end of a cabinet in PVC holders.

The Second stack is a 26" US General (Harbor Freight). Because the Mills Pride upper cabinets are only 54 inches off the floor I took the wheels and top lid off the stack. The top storage area is limited to two sets of 1/2" metric deep and shallow sockets (thin chrome and thick black impact). There's room for clear and tinted safety glasses on the right and a couple of tape measures on the left. The drawers store mostly metric tools along with many of the electronic instruments.

In the shed I built workbenches around the perimeter of the room and made two cabinets that fit under the deepest bench. One cabinet has the small (10") table saw mounted on top and the other has the router table mounted on top. The cabinets are different heights but the working surfaces are even so either one can serve as an outfeed for the other.

The table saw cabinet has two drawers. The top drawer stores the 4.5" right angle grinders and disks.

The bottom drawer stores the portable saw collection and power planer and a few wood chisels.

The router table cabinet has only one drawer but it stores the routers, bits and attachments.

There's another Bosch router mounted to the table and lest you think the drawer is too organized, it also stores the templates for the Porter Cable Dovetail jig, making it hard to just grab a router.

Bob, appreciate the tour greatly. I definitely like how your areas are set up.

I think my brother-in-law has that same Costco tool chest.

I like the idea of having a bench you can store the router table and table saw under. That really makes a lot of sense to me as these are generally taking up a lot of space otherwise, so coming up with a way to store them and their various accoutrements like that helps the space be more useful and adaptable. Really thinking about how to make that happen in my workshop.

Really like the way you've grouped things together and how you have it all organized.

That's part of the great fun in GJ, you get to see what other people are doing and borrow ideas from one another. I really appreciate all of the insight and feedback I got from everyone on this question.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

UPDATE 10/18

I apparently **** at measuring. Or math. Or both.

I have 208" between the wall and the end of the cabinets. 52" for the upright cabinet, 41" for a tool chest, 20" for the air compressor, and you have... 113". That leaves 95". If I build another bench exactly the same way and exactly the same size as the one I already have, it'll be 77" long, which means I'd have 18" to spare. Sooooooooo it turns out I have plenty of space to have a large bench and a wider toolbox. Cool! I don't really need to compromise here. I could even fit up to a 52" wide box if I wanted. I don't, but I could.

Another cool update: I talked to my neighbor about the cabinet project and doing some further woodworking recently. I mentioned I was considering a small table saw, and he said, "You know, I've got one of those little jobsite models. It's not really doing me any good since I don't do any woodworking, and it'd be in way better hands with you. Do you want it?"

I'm not sure of anything specific about it, but I'm hardly one to turn down such things. I'll investigate and see what he has, and potentially bring it home.

That man is a gem, truly. Love having neighbors like that!

 

[Hephaestus29]

I was thinking your shop was a place for the neighborhood people to come together and work on their projects when I saw the title.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Go for the 52" box....always more!

 

[nicholam77]

@wreckdiver1321 Tom, if you have the space and would use the bigger bench, you might as well do that. I don't regret having my bench... I just regret it's size under the constraints of my small space. But I'm only 18'x20' and parking two vehicles.

Unless it's total junk, I would take the free table saw. I mean... it's free... you can't go wrong for that price. If it doesn't work out, ask if your neighbor wants it back, and if not, sell it or donate it.

In fact I think it's a good opportunity. I could tell you what I think you should look for in a job site saw, but if you use one a bit, especially if it's not the best model, you'll quickly figure out what to look for and what you need. You might decide it's really useful, but too small, and you'd rather get a larger used contractor style saw. Or, you might find the fence doesn't stay square so you really want something with rack-and-pinion. Or you might find you just don't use it that much and your track saw works for most things you do. Or you might find the one he gives you suits your needs perfectly. All without spending any of your own money, yet.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

@wreckdiver1321 Tom, if you have the space and would use the bigger bench, you might as well do that. I don't regret having my bench... I just regret it's size under the constraints of my small space. But I'm only 18'x20' and parking two vehicles.

Unless it's total junk, I would take the free table saw. I mean... it's free... you can't go wrong for that price. If it doesn't work out, ask if your neighbor wants it back, and if not, sell it or donate it.

In fact I think it's a good opportunity. I could tell you what I think you should look for in a job site saw, but if you use one a bit, especially if it's not the best model, you'll quickly figure out what to look for and what you need. You might decide it's really useful, but too small, and you'd rather get a larger used contractor style saw. Or, you might find the fence doesn't stay square so you really want something with rack-and-pinion. Or you might find you just don't use it that much and your track saw works for most things you do. Or you might find the one he gives you suits your needs perfectly. All without spending any of your own money, yet.

Yep, I think you're right. I was misreading my size limitations, so turns out the space shouldn't be as much of an issue. Still good mental exercise though to think through how it'll all be organized, that really helps get my mind thinking about how to store everything efficiently. I think I can even enclose the bench if I want, turn it into more cabinetry. Or put another toolbox below it later on for even more space. Lots of options.

Yep, I'm definitely going to take advantage of a free tool, and that was my thought process. I can always offload it if I think it's not going to work for me, and at the minimum it'll be a learning experience. I'll learn what needs I have with regard to that tool and be more informed going into a purchase, if I make another one.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

I was thinking your shop was a place for the neighborhood people to come together and work on their projects when I saw the title.

That's part of the eventual hope. I'm slowly getting to know my neighbors and hoping to get more friends involved with stuff. I also like being a go-to fix-it guy.

Go for the 52" box....always more!

Ha! Don't think that hasn't crossed my mind!

 

[zc15]

Tom, can a 24" deep tool box work for your space? You had mentioned the 18" depth of the USG Series 1.

My recommendation would be the Menards Masterforce tool box line. Personally I feel they are built much better than the USG. The ones I have interacted with in-store are very nice.

They come in 30", 41", 56", and 72" versions. Before I found my boxes, I was planning to go with the 56" stack (top and bottom).

The top drawer of all widths is tall enough for Hansen trays.

It looks like the closest store to you would be Gillette, WY. I've driven farther to buy stuff before.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Tom, can a 24" deep tool box work for your space? You had mentioned the 18" depth of the USG Series 1.

My recommendation would be the Menards Masterforce tool box line. Personally I feel they are built much better than the USG. The ones I have interacted with in-store are very nice.

They come in 30", 41", 56", and 72" versions. Before I found my boxes, I was planning to go with the 56" stack (top and bottom).

The top drawer of all widths is tall enough for Hansen trays.

It looks like the closest store to you would be Gillette, WY. I've driven farther to buy stuff before.

Huh, I didn't know you could get toolboxes from Menards. I also didn't know we had one as close as Gillette.

Unfortunately, the 24" depth is not a good solution for me. I didn't take that into account when I built my bench and secured it to the wall, so the main bench is something like 23" from the wall to the left. It'll be enormously crowded if I have a 24" depth box. I'm thinking the max I could do is 22", maybe. 18" would be ideal. They look like solid boxes too, so that's a shame.

Also, the Masterforce logo on those boxes is the best photoshop job I've ever seen.

I think it'll end up being Craftsman honestly, but we shall see.

 

[gearhead1960]

I know @Trapps and I both like the HF USG stuff. If you can stop and check it out, seems a choice to consider especially when you catch ‘em on sale or have 20 or 30% coupon.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

I know @Trapps and I both like the HF USG stuff. If you can stop and check it out, seems a choice to consider especially when you catch ‘em on sale or have 20 or 30% coupon.

I LOVE the USG boxes. The quality is excellent for what you're paying. I've got a Harbor Freight right around the corner and find myself messing with that every time I'm in there. My only hesitation is the depth, which might make the space feel a little crowded.

I may still go that direction though.

 

[Trapps]

Depth is the only thing I do not like about the Series 1 HF44's.

Function, quality and price all intersected well for me at the time; I paid $379 for each cabinet in August of 2017. They've held up well, but I do not wrench out of them daily. I store stuff behind them to get a 24" benchtop, but after living with it for a couple of years, I'd rather have the drawer depth. In my original post I did mention depth and wanting the 56" and, if I had it to do over, I'd spend the extra for the 56" Still, the 44, having the tall top drawer, is great for sockets though:



However, certain items, like full size hammers, need to reside laterally due to lack of depth on the series 1:



I'd suggest getting exact interior drawer dimensions from a model at the store. The come home and measure some of the things that might come close to not fitting and see if that impacts your decision. While it shouldn't be a problem on the series 2, I've become a believer in the "trust but verify" mantra.

 

[zanyad]

Great point about the table saw. I know I'm going to be dealing with something that's like 50lbs+, so having to lift it in order to get it out and work with it isn't ideal. That's definitely something to consider. I've thought about putting it on a small wheeled cart that I can slide under a workbench, but then I still have to think about getting it to table height to do work. I'm pondering this one for now, and again I'm sure it will change as the time goes by.

DEWALT 33 lbs. Heavy Duty Rolling Table Saw Stand with Quick-Connect Stand Brackets with 200lbs. Capacity DW7440RS - The Home Depot

The DEWALT DW7440RS Rolling Table Saw Stand has a lightweight design, weighing only 33 lbs. The heavy-duty kickstand allows the tool stand to balance upright for mobility and storage. Folding legs with

www.homedepot.com

I have something similar by Delta for my miter saw. It works well for my use.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Small update:

My neighbor and I dragged the table saw over from his house on Friday night, and I'm slowly looking over it. The good news is it's a larger 10" saw. Bad news is it's a relatively humdrum Porter Cable and it's missing quite a few parts.

From my inspection and having literally zero experience with table saws, I'm missing the riving knife, the blade guard, the miter gauge, the dado plate, and a few other little bits. The blade adjustment upward feels awfully stiff and there's a small crack in the body shell, and somebody appears to have sliced a little too close to the fence as it's got a nice big gouge in it.

Some research tells me I can buy most of the missing parts, but I'm looking at a not-insignificant investment, probably about $150 or so. It does power on and everything seems to work, though.

Not sure what I want to do with it. I don't want to immediately give it back and feel like I'm being a jerk. I don't want to offload it without talking to him. A little bit to mull over.

 

[bj383ss]

You have pics?

Bret

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Tom, I have the Kobalt 10" jobsite saw. I've owned it for 6-7 years...at least. Has been a great saw, will rip sheets of plywood in half, and it made my nice floor to ceiling cabinets in the living room of my house.

My best friend bought the same saw, and has had the same results. I see they are $349 right now, but they do go on sale.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

You have pics?

Bret

I do, along with some updates on my cabinet project. I'll get that going so you all can see.

Tom, I have the Kobalt 10" jobsite saw. I've owned it for 6-7 years...at least. Has been a great saw, will rip sheets of plywood in half, and it made my nice floor to ceiling cabinets in the living room of my house.

My best friend bought the same saw, and has had the same results. I see they are $349 right now, but they do go on sale.

Great feedback. I have looked at the Kobalt saw and thought it wouldn't be a bad choice for the price. I've got my eye on the DeWalt 8.25" one right now but everything is subject to change I suppose. I may go for a larger version but I'm just not sure at the moment. We shall see.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Well kids...

Craftsman tool boxes are on sale thru 12/16 at Lowes. About $650 for the stack of 41s. Pluuuuus I have a work incentive thing where I get points that translate into dollars, where I can buy gift cards, home stuff, electronics, etc. Well, I have the option to buy Lowe's gift cards, and I'm pretty close to having $200 worth, which would make my cost for the boxes $450. Since I was eyeing that set anyway, that may just be the incentive I need to decide.

On the table saw: nothing has happened. I do have the photos in my memory card, but I haven't taken the time to get them uploaded yet so I can show everyone.

On the cabinets: No big updates, I finished the bottoms and got them installed, so now I have really pretty shelves. I've got 9 MDF doors cut, sanded, and primed, so I'll probably paint those today since I have free time, then work on getting the remaining four doors cut.

Haven't made a lot of progress, too busy chasing deer. Hopefully I put something together on Friday so I can pull my focus away for a weekend or two, which is really all I need to get the cabinets fully built.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Small update:

I've made what I think is pretty good progress on the cabinets, given the small amount of free time I've had lately. To start, I picked up a sheet of 23/32 sanded ply at HD, as well as some extra hardware. When I got home, I set up the sawhorses and a thin piece of scrap ply and got to cutting. I measured each individual opening at the bottom of the cabinet frames, knowing full well they aren't identical, and erred on the side of too large by maybe 1/8" in all dimensions so I could "sneak up on" the right size. The track saw makes it easy to shave a small amount off any dimension to get a close to exact fit. I numbered each opening in the cabinet frames and then numbered the matching bottom panel, so each panel is a precise fit for each opening.



With the panels cut, the best way I could think to secure them at this point was with pocket holes. I know the "correct" way to do this probably would have been to build the framing around this plywood, or perhaps have it sitting on top of the lower framing 2x4s, which would add more support. Even better would be to cut a rabbet in the 2x4s to allow the plywood to sit both in and on the framing, then secure it with glue, screws, or both. That being said, much of this project is "make it up as I go," and frankly I didn't do a lot of planning past building the frame. My original thought was to just put the plywood on top of the frame, but decided to inset them for looks and for ease of cutting to fit. Another factor is doing it this way allowed me to use one sheet of plywood vs. two, making it much cheaper. To ensure strength, I made them very tight fits and used a lot of hardware to hold them. Each (roughly) 15x26 panel received 12 pocket holes.

With that done, I had a lot of panels ready to go and a lot of dust on my Red Wings.



Then I went oddball. Instead of installing them and painting them to match the framing, I opted to stain them the same color as the pallet wood on the wall. With them being inset, this made a really nice looking contrast between the blue and wood grain. I'm really liking this look.



Installing them took a rubber mallet, a few extra cuts here and there, and 84 pocket screws. I did have to remake one panel because it fell out of the opening while I was installing it and some of the outer ply cracked off. Hence the missing one.







As a strength test, I took all of my weight plates from my gym out to the workshop and stacked them in each section. That adds up to about 90lbs. No bending, bowing, cracking, or funny noises. I then took a 30lb dumbbell and put it on each one. Nothing. As a final test, each section got a shock load by giving it a good whack with a rubber mallet. The plywood flexed a bit, but nothing broke or cracked.

So, in my mind, this method of friction plus pocket screws is rated to at least 120lbs per section of cabinet, which is way more than I will be realistically storing up there. Good enough for me!

Now that I had the final panel in place, it was starting to look really good from underneath.





I now have extremely fancy looking shelves.

Next up is the doors. I ordered the requisite hardware, including hinges, and opted for MDF as the door material. I went this way because of how MDF will hold up over time. It won't warp or bend like plywood probably will, it's perfectly smooth and flat, and it's a bit cheaper than a nice sheet of plywood in the same thickness.

I went with 1/2" MDF, which is a little on the thin side, but the doors are pretty small and won't be taking a lot of abuse, seeing as I'm the only one in my household who can reach them. Once again, the track saw works it's magic here. However, I am starting to see some of the deficiencies of the Wen saw. It works, but it's not as precise as some, the motor is growly, and overall it just feels imperfect. Definitely looking harder at buying a Makita sooner than later.



Anyway, the Wen handled it fine and I went from a big 4x8 sheet to several (roughly) 15x20 inch doors. Ten, to be precise. I learned about how finicky MDF can be during this process, as I damaged ONE piece beyond repair simply by dropping them from 3 feet. I also had to trim off some tearout a few times. Not a really fun material to cut, and I suspect it would have been easier with a table saw. But I made it work and finished cutting 9 doors.



With those cut, I lightly sanded them with 320 grit paper I had in my body work box, then blew the dust off them in preparation for priming. As most of you know, MDF will almost dissolve in water, and the edges of each sheet are the most vulnerable spots, so it needs to be sealed if you want to paint it with a water-based paint, which I obviously do. There's a bunch of different ways to seal it, but I went with good old-fashioned oil-based Kilz. It's easy to work with and I know it will be durable, so I put on three coats of primer to seal the material. I probably didn't need three coats to be honest, but I wanted to be sure there wouldn't be any water issues, so I overdid it.



You can see the table saw trying to make an appearance in these last photos. I'm working on getting photos of that uploaded so you guys can tell me what I've got.

Anyway, those 9 (of 13) doors are getting their last coats of paint today. I started on them yesterday and was able to roll out three coats on each door, before doing the edges today and then a light coat on each face to keep it smooth. I'll repeat this another time or two until I have the edges fully painted, then start installing hardware. Hopefully by tomorrow I'll have the doors installed and I can cut the last 4.

Getting there!

 

[rattle_snake]

Thanks for staining the bottom of the shelves, keeps my OCD in check.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Thanks for staining the bottom of the shelves, keeps my OCD in check.

Well it was either that or paint them, and I didn't feel like paint would be the right look.

Glad to know I was right!

 

[Blackbyrd]

Thanks for staining the bottom of the shelves, keeps my OCD in check.

This is the way

 

[fouckhest]

Definitely like the look of the shelves with the bottom stained, nice touch!

Playing a bit of catchup on other topics also....RE: toolbox, I haven't looked at the Craftsman stuff since Lowes took them over, I know years ago (circa 2009) I was highly disappointed with them, which is why I went with the Kobalt unit for my top box and then bottom box...but I know you'll do your diligence! But, in related news, the US General 1 drawer cart went on sale last weekend at HF, AND a 10% off coupon, so I finally justified my ~$100 tool cart, LOL, excited to get that put together