Efficientizing my shop

[Iron Beaver]

Hey everyone,

I live in envy of your beautiful garages on this forum. I, however, do not have a beautiful garage. I can store my tools indoors, but all my fabrication happens outside, during daylight hours. This means that it takes about an hour every day to get everything out and another hour to put it away again. Meanwhile, I'm working my keister off at my day job and don't often get time for personal projects. Some of said personal projects are important and time-sensitive. So I'm trying to become more efficient in several ways:

1) Getting effecient tools. Like a $500 metal chop saw that cuts clean and fast every time. Or buying $200 worth of dies for my $2 Roper-Whitney rotary punch

2) Speeding up the process of getting stuff out and putting it away again. I'm strongly contemplating putting my welder, my plasma cutter, and a tool box onto a small skid that fits on this: https://www.makitatools.com/products/details/XUC01X2.

My current welder cart weighs more than I do and has to be pushed up a ramp and over an annoying threshold to get out, but my shoes have too little traction on the ramp to do this without getting up some speed first, which is easier said than done. Oh and it sits just inside the door where getting in and out past it is well nigh impossible

3) Continuing from #2, installing a trolley or light-duty bridge crane to pick up said planned skid and carry it further back into the shop. Also to move stuff around in the shop as needed

4) Installing a proper outlet for my welder instead of having to open an access hatch and roll and unroll a long cord.

And, of course, taking time to put everything in its place when I'm done with it rather than leaving a jumble to deal with next time.

I'm starting this thread to document my journey towards less inefficiency and hear cool ideas from the GJ hive mind

 

[pmiranda]

Do you have room to build a welding shed so your tools and workpieces can just stay in the right place all the time?
Or if your workpieces are just too big, a spot to build an outdoor cabinet your cart can live in with a nice big door that opens fully so you can just reach in and work and close it up when you are done?
Maybe you can put the welding cart on a garden-scale railroad track so it's easy to roll out and then winch back in?

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

Don’t know if this would work or even possible for you.
My buddy had a single car garage he wanted gone. Sold it for $100 and wanted the site cleaned up once the building was moved.
They jacked it braced across with 2x10s. Raised the door backed in a flat deck, dropped it on the deck and drove it away.
It was gone in record time the lot cleaned up and he built a nice 2 car garage.
There is generally someone wanting to get rid of a building. Eventually you would find one. Maybe ask some people who specialize in garage packages some may require removal for the new building.

 

[kaymccampbell]

Those all sound like great plans. I like the makita cart.
Do you have any pictures of your workspace and shop? They help folks visualize your issues better.

 

[Trapps]

What Kay said.

You’ll get a ton of suggestions and opinions.

The Makita cart is good, but take a good look at Rolling MFT rigs. Perhaps larger casters/wheels can aid your situation by offering lower rolling resistance. You could design one to hold all your gear and provide a flexible workstation.

Good luck, keep us posted!

 

[lis2323]

Maybe you can put the welding cart on a garden-scale railroad track so it's easy to roll out and then winch back in?

I like that idea![emoji16]


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[u2slow]

A big help for me on bigger jobs... don't put all your stuff away each day. Pickup right where you left off.

 

[LX-Markham]

This thread def needs pics or plans or both.
I’m all about using space efficiently. Modular, foldable, multipurpose, etc. My own garage transforms to serve the project at hand, but needs to get 2 cars back in it overnight.

Looking forward to seeing this thread develop.

 

[Steve in UT]

shipping container

 

[65ranchero]

Or this:

https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...&ved=0ahUKEwiq7OTNsqnwAhUzO30KHWPPAccQ8wIIjgY

and build a removable ramp for the threshold

Edit: I just realized that gas is not in your best interest so see below



Electric type https://www.overlandcarts.com/

DR is another brand to think about

 

[kylefitz]

What about longer whips for your plasma cutter and welder? Then you wouldn't have to move them if your projects are small enough. This eliminates dealing with the extension cord, even before you install a properly located outlet.

 

[Iron Beaver]

shipping container

If I could get one for less than $5000....

 

[Iron Beaver]

What about longer whips for your plasma cutter and welder? Then you wouldn't have to move them if your projects are small enough. This eliminates dealing with the extension cord, even before you install a properly located outlet.

That would involve at least 50 feet of welding leads strung through a couple walls, and that would only work for projects that are small enough to move to the welder. Sometimes I'm fixing a fence or the like and have to move the welder to the project

 

[Iron Beaver]

Do you have room to build a welding shed so your tools and workpieces can just stay in the right place all the time?
Or if your workpieces are just too big, a spot to build an outdoor cabinet your cart can live in with a nice big door that opens fully so you can just reach in and work and close it up when you are done?
Maybe you can put the welding cart on a garden-scale railroad track so it's easy to roll out and then winch back in?

I've thought of building an outdoor cabinet. I do wonder though how the welder would stand up to the 150 degree range of temperatures we get around here, from the occasional -40 day in the winter to sometimes 110 in the summer. It is an inverter machine, not the transformer type that would put up with everything

 

[Iron Beaver]

A big help for me on bigger jobs... don't put all your stuff away each day. Pickup right where you left off.

I wish I had a shop where I could do that. Unfortunately I can't leave my nice tools out in the weather

 

[Iron Beaver]

What Kay said.

You’ll get a ton of suggestions and opinions.

The Makita cart is good, but take a good look at Rolling MFT rigs. Perhaps larger casters/wheels can aid your situation by offering lower rolling resistance. You could design one to hold all your gear and provide a flexible workstation.

Good luck, keep us posted!

Thanks! The current welder cart is on 16" tires in the rear and 8" casters in the front. The issue getting in and out of the shop isn't rolling resistance per se, but the fact that it has to go up a ramp. I can stand on the ramp and push forwards and my shoes slide backwards down the ramp. I can't make the ramp any longer because it already takes up way too much space.

 

[Iron Beaver]

For the people requesting pictures: I hope to get some soon. Work is crazy!

 

[PugetDude]

I wish I had a shop where I could do that. Unfortunately I can't leave my nice tools out in the weather

You know it's windy when your angle grinder blows away...
I used to have a ranch in Wyoming;
You're right about the weather, it could be 72 and sunny on Monday, blizzard on Tuesday, torrential rain and 50+mph wind on Wednesday, 96 on Thursday and a hard frost on Friday.

 

[Steve in UT]

If I could get one for less than $5000....

Holy cow, Inflation! Last time I priced them they were in the $2,000 range. There are some in the 3k to 4K range on KSL classifieds. Some even deliver in WY.
Personally, I would think about building up an enclosed work trailer. You can find a good deal if you scour the sources and have a little patience. Insulate it, run power in it. Open the back door and there are your tools and welder. Build a work bench. Make it a regular man cave! Just a thought.
KSL Trailer Ad

 

[matt_i]

I'm thinking you could use one of the Harbor Freight cable hoists, mounted sideways to help reel in a wagon. That would take the place of the motorized wheelbarrow (I dislike it because of the high CG and tippy 3 point stance with bad consequences in both) as you could build your cart low to the ground. And...I'm thinking a HF cable hoist costs significantly less than a 36v Makita tool. It has a hoist control pendant so you could walk alongside the wagon for steering, etc.

It does underscore the high value of a wide open space in a shop that mostly stays wide open. It seems like the key need is to store "stuff" which is 1A, but 1B is the space to work indooors....

 

[Innovate1]

I would be concerned with the stability of that powered dolly. With three wheels and the heavy load that high it may have a tendency to tip over. How about finding an old powered wheel chair and building a lower frame? They aren't too hard to find and often they just need new batteries.

 

[Sumboodie]

I just throw a tarp over stuff I leave outside in case it rains.

That or toss it all in a pile in the garage.

 

[nadogail]

If you can't push your cart up the ramp because your feet slip, add a nonskid coating to the ramp. A little sand sprinkled on to wet paint will make it nonskid; or you can mix sand into the paint.

That Makita electric just made it to my "Wish List".

 

[didit]

All of us with smaller garages have to maximize the available space. I don't park daily drivers in the garage. I only use it for ongoing projects, tools & equipment storage. Still I use 3 other out buildings/sheds for storing the excess, usually with tools of type grouped together. The smaller the garage, the more organized you need to be.
Have you considered a small closed trailer for keeping some equipment in? That's what I've considered doing.

 

[u2slow]

I just throw a tarp over stuff I leave outside in case it rains.

That or toss it all in a pile in the garage.

Exactly what I do mid-project with the few things that can't take weather.

 

[rancherbill]

I want to see your pics

Somebody mentioned containers and I have had this thread and youtube videos in my bookmarks for years. Really efficient and easy to set up with the swinging benches etc.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=195995

 

[Iron Beaver]

Holy cow, Inflation! Last time I priced them they were in the $2,000 range. There are some in the 3k to 4K range on KSL classifieds. Some even deliver in WY.
Personally, I would think about building up an enclosed work trailer. You can find a good deal if you scour the sources and have a little patience. Insulate it, run power in it. Open the back door and there are your tools and welder. Build a work bench. Make it a regular man cave! Just a thought.
KSL Trailer Ad

I like that thought!

 

[Iron Beaver]

I'm thinking you could use one of the Harbor Freight cable hoists, mounted sideways to help reel in a wagon. That would take the place of the motorized wheelbarrow (I dislike it because of the high CG and tippy 3 point stance with bad consequences in both) as you could build your cart low to the ground. And...I'm thinking a HF cable hoist costs significantly less than a 36v Makita tool. It has a hoist control pendant so you could walk alongside the wagon for steering, etc.

It does underscore the high value of a wide open space in a shop that mostly stays wide open. It seems like the key need is to store "stuff" which is 1A, but 1B is the space to work indooors....

Hmmm. I actually have a Thern construction winch with at least 100' of cable that I got as scrap. It still works just fine and you might just have suggested the ideal use for it .

It's this one: https://www.zoro.com/thern-electric-winch-1-13hp-115vac-4wp2t8-2000-8/i/G8482774/.

 

[Iron Beaver]

Just wanted to take a moment and thank everyone who has been sharing ideas in this thread. They are super helpful, even the ones that don't fit my particular situation have given me a fresh perspective.

Right now I'm thinking hard about the enclosed trailer idea. I don't know if my truck could haul one large enough to work in, but I could totally pull a small one that housed tools safely and leave it parked near the welding area. That would solve another problem as well. I live in a fire-prone area and if I ever had to evacuate it would be great if all my most valuable tools were in a trailer that could be hooked up to my pickup and taken with me.

In addition, I've been helping out a neighbor with some mechanic work and he offered me an old pickup bed trailer as part of a trade. Ordinarily I'm not a fan of pickup bed trailers, but the price would be right for this one and the shape would mean less material to enclose it fully. Maybe I could even add a little heater to keep tools warm on the coldest days.

So here's my current idea: Build the pickup bed trailer into a welding equipment storage trailer, such that I can open a few doors and have access to the welder, plasma cutter, and other tools. Close the doors and the whole thing becomes weatherproof. Give it a tongue jack with a nice large caster and add the Thern winch to pull it around wherever it needs to go.

I'd also have to figure out a way to get welding done in areas the trailer won't go. If only there were a stick welder under 20lbs that ran on 120 or 240 V and would handle 6010 to boot.... https://shopweldingsupplies.com/pro...R6Ofk6wxoCl6IQAvD_BwE#shopify-product-reviews

P.S. Eventually, everything becomes an excuse for me to spend more money than I can afford on another tool from a cool name brand. LOL.

 

[Iron Beaver]

I would be concerned with the stability of that powered dolly. With three wheels and the heavy load that high it may have a tendency to tip over. How about finding an old powered wheel chair and building a lower frame? They aren't too hard to find and often they just need new batteries.

The wheel chair idea might be good.

As far as stability of the Makita wheelbarrow, I was contemplating having outriggers that ride 6" above the ground up front to catch it in case it tipped. That said, I'm contemplating putting that money and the cost of the shop crane into the trailer idea and a the little Fronius machine linked above to cover jobs where the trailer wouldn't go.

I'd need a second welder for that because unhooking and hooking up all the hoses from my Miller would take a good long while each time and be an invitation to leaks. Plus it weighs like 60lbs and I'm not strong enough to carry that around with one hand

 

[Stuart in MN]

I can store my tools indoors, but all my fabrication happens outside, during daylight hours. This means that it takes about an hour every day to get everything out and another hour to put it away again.

Let's go back to this for a second...does it mean your existing garage/shed is already occupied by other things, or that you don't have a garage/shed at all, or something else altogether? Without knowing all the details, it seems the best solution would be if you could work in the same space where your tools are stored, rather than having to haul them back and forth. Is that even an option?

 

[rancherbill]

Right now I'm thinking hard about the enclosed trailer idea.

You'll still be in the same situation

1) Getting effecient tools. Like a $500 metal chop saw that cuts clean and fast every time. Or buying $200 worth of dies for my $2 Roper-Whitney rotary punch

Buy more stuff and you run out of room in the trailer quickly OR you end up dragging out of where ever you store stuff now.

2) Speeding up the process of getting stuff out..

You still have to get it out of the trailer.

3) Continuing from #2, installing a trolley or light-duty bridge crane to pick up said planned skid and carry it further back into the shop. Also to move stuff around in the shop as needed

OK your going to use you winch to pull the stupid trailer.

4) Installing a proper outlet for my welder instead of having to open an access hatch and roll and unroll a long cord.

And, of course, taking time to put everything in its place when I'm done with it rather than leaving a jumble to deal with next time.

You are still going to pulling extension cords to the trailer.

The other thing you said is being able to pack up and run from fire. That's a good point, but, a GOOD insurance policy with a GOOD insurance company is better. I do not know your situation but my tools are covered with replacement insurance for cheap. I have photographed and sent it to them BEFORE HAND to establish that I have a lot of stuff.

I am not being negative, but the reason to go into the swamp was to become efficient. Using a trialer just because you are getting one is not a good reason IMHO.

 

[Iron Beaver]

I guess I didn't explain myself well enough. The goal is to have the trailer store tools in such a way that I can open the door, use them, and close the door again. This would inlvolve some custom fab to hold the welder and plasma cutter in the right spot facing the door, along with gas bottles and toolboxes. Probably insulate it and add a little heater for the coldest nights. If I had drag tools in and out of a trailer that would indeed defeat the purpose.

Yes, I'd still be running and extension cord, but that would be way less time than dragging out the welder, dragging out the plasma cutter and getting it set up, getting out the chopsaw and setting it up, and doing it all in reverse to put it away.

It would be good if I could get insurance to cover my tools, but it would be important to save them from a fire anyway. Do you have a good insurance policy with a good insurance company in mind?

 

[Iron Beaver]

Let's go back to this for a second...does it mean your existing garage/shed is already occupied by other things, or that you don't have a garage/shed at all, or something else altogether? Without knowing all the details, it seems the best solution would be if you could work in the same space where your tools are stored, rather than having to haul them back and forth. Is that even an option?

There is no garage or shed. My tools are stored in the walk-in basement of the house, sharing space with a woodshop. Said basement has a dirt floor with lots of wood chips mixed in and dry as tinder so I am not going to weld anything inside. I would like to build a real shop for me to work in but first I have to finish the current pole building that is already spoken for. Then I would have to spend a long time gathering materials for another building and another year or so building it, so that is more of a long term goal

Meanwhile I need a solution faster than that. The welder cart is blocking access to fire hoses and I am willing to do almost anything to avoid going through a fire season with that situation. No, moving the fire hoses is not an option and even if it were, this setup needs to change for the better.

 

[Iron Beaver]

I just throw a tarp over stuff I leave outside in case it rains.

That or toss it all in a pile in the garage.

The wind here destroys tarps before you can say "That welder will cost $2000 to replace"

 

[danfromsyr]

my father used to have a utility box turned trailer
just make sure it can't leave w/o your approval.

search Service body trailer.

like this. welder on the tongue.

 

[quickfarms]

How about a job box or gang box next to your work area. The tools could be secured inside of it and all you have to do is plug it the extension cord and get to work.

If it was painted to match the house most people would think it was a small shed

The best part is this is what they are designed for, secure storage on a construction job site

Since you mentioned a pole barn, do you have a big forklift?

If you do it opens the possibilities

My paint and other flammables are stored in an insulated 10’ foot container that I picked up fro $250 because the door needed to be rebuilt

The other option is a truck box body, I currently use one as my wood shop. I mounted fork pockets to the bottom for stability and ease of moving it around

 

[rancherbill]

Meanwhile I need a solution faster than that.

Then the trailer fits the bill.

I live in Canada so I am not going to give you names of insurance companies. Normal insurance give you depreciated value when they are stolen or burnt. I wanted replacement value. I specified the garage shop as an addon item beyond the normal household stuff. I declared a value i think of 25K. I took lots of Pics and opened and photographed all the drawers and sent it to them and kept it for myself. It cost 20 bucks a year on top of the normal payment.

When you actually look it over with tool catalogs in hand it is a big number. You've assembled your shop over time and at smooching hot deals. If you had to replace it tomorrow it would be a huge amount of money.

I think the winch will be Mickey Mouse. You welder and Plasma wires are a certain length and you'll be moving the trailer or logging the welder. I'd look at something motorized. They are from 300 to 3000

https://www.google.com/search?q=trailer+mover&rlz=1C1CHBF_enCA950CA950&sxsrf=ALeKk0354SAz_kRmfm9ozXuTDBhdyJsC5g:1620141494528&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjX1JCyqbDwAhXBLH0KHTnwCjMQ_AUoAXoECAIQAw&biw=1190&bih=633

 

[Renegade1LI]

I have a mix of storage & work space at home, I have two 40' high cube containers for long term storage & recently added a HF portable garage Plus an outside bench. I have the garage set up as a shop with the most used equipment & tools with a decent amount of work space, but it's nice to work outside when welding & grinding. I have 220 & 110 receptacles to plug into as needed & the portable garage allows me to leave it out of the weather, both tools & project plus I can easily move the structure is needed. I have a Miller max star that will run off 110 up to 90amps & very portable, can be run off a honda 2000 gen if needed.Keep in mind there are lots of different size shipping cont, you could get a 10' or 20' if space is a problem with a roll up door already installed.
https://bakersgas.com/products/mill...iner.com/storage-container-20ft-roll-up-door/
https://www.azteccontainer.com/storage-container-20ft-roll-up-door/

 

[Iron Beaver]

How about a job box or gang box next to your work area. The tools could be secured inside of it and all you have to do is plug it the extension cord and get to work.

If it was painted to match the house most people would think it was a small shed

The best part is this is what they are designed for, secure storage on a construction job site

Since you mentioned a pole barn, do you have a big forklift?

If you do it opens the possibilities

My paint and other flammables are stored in an insulated 10’ foot container that I picked up fro $250 because the door needed to be rebuilt

The other option is a truck box body, I currently use one as my wood shop. I mounted fork pockets to the bottom for stability and ease of moving it around

No forklift, just a Bobcat S130. I've thought of the truck box idea, if I find one I might try it. You guys near the coast have much better access to shipping containers and I'm jealous.