Okay, that gives us something to go buy.
Item #1 you need lighting, Rocco can give you a good design for this. But you want good lighting for general tasks, and then specifics in high eye strain areas. Workbench, or where ever you do detailed tasks.
2# you will want a fine workbench. When I mean fine, I mean one you can run a M1 Abrams tank up and onto and not have it go anywhere. I have five different benches in my shop. One is a counter top, I store large items under it and the top stays cluttered all the time. But I like it for soldering, simple task, it is easy to clean up.
I have a sears bench with galvanized tops, I added 2x4s into the sides and built a space frame around it, you can now put a small car on it. Tops ****, so I use it for my machine tools, it is easy to clean, but will dent if you drop something on it. I have another one of these benches that I did the same thing too but it has a Maple wood top, that is used for wood working. I fab a lot of parts and a wood working bench comes in handy for making bucks and forms etc.....
My 4th bench is my pride and Joy. It has 4x4 legs, a lower shelf, and an upper bench. It is 3.5' x 6.5' And has a 2x10 sub frame, and a 2" thick top. You can put a tank on it it will not collapse. And it weights about 600 pounds. I have 6 casters under it, and can move it, but it never gets moved. It is in the middle of my shop, all sides are accessible, 2 people can work on different projects with out getting in anybodies way.
My 5th is a welding table. 4" Pipe legs, 8" casters, a shelf and racks for steel, with a 3/16" top. 2' x 3' and does most of the tasks for welding and grinding. Oh and it weighs in at close to 1000 lbs with all the stuff, including the concrete ballasts I have under the bottom shelf. And it will hold up a tank also. I have had an entire car tub on both of these benches, with out an issue.
Benches are good.
Floor to ceiling storage is a great idea, attic storage you have to be-careful of, I try to avoid it if I can. Make sure you have doors or something to hid the stuff, in storage, but most of all keep the dust out. Makes cleanup easier, and makes the shop look nice when people see it.
Tool storage is a biggie to most, I use Craftsmen friction roll cabinets, I would love to have a set of ball bearing rollers, but just don't want to fork over the money. Check Pawn shops for these, or larger cabs. I have 2 rolling project centers, one I added a 2x4" glued up top to, and it houses my normal grab tools I use on cars, I just take to the project, the top on top makes a mini bench that you can disassemble, hold you laptop for RFI work what ever. The other I have my Mig welder on, and it sores all my metal working tools, the Mig supplies and other welding items, so it goes where ever I need to weld. I have 2 others that store more specialized tools , and duplicate items. Like they all have screwdrivers and pliers in them.
Air Compressors what ever meets your needs, not sure what you will be doing, I have an old Craftsmen 2.5 HP unit form the early 70s that has a 40 gallon tank, and runs 90% of my stuff just fine, even my sandblaster cabinet. Get what you need, stay away for the oiless unless you really need to get one, or it was given to you.
Tools your limit is well your limit, start with the necessities and go from there. Some people love using impact tools and air ratchets, I just use my hand tools for these tasks. Air for me is used for grinders, sanders, and cut of tools.
Just to let you know, I have a ton of $$$$$$ in tools, but the cabinets, and benches where all built for less than 1 Grand, the Sears benches where $98 a piece, the one project center was $99, and the other was a top from ebay for $20, and a cabinet from Sears closeout for $79. The big bench was used lumber form a deck I removed, and the welding table was sourced from a scrap yard. Had to pay by the pound 200 pounds of steel @ .07c per pound. The first bench was a kitchen counter top I picked up. the shelves where made out of plywood and 1x2s. I have a tall storage drawer unit I got off a library when they got ride of the microfiche section. I have 3 4 drawer filling cabinets I picked up off the street that needed a home. I got one rolling tool chest of a buddy for $100, and another my wife got me from sears catalog closeout store for $125. So that was $534 dollars worth of stuff not counting the plywood for the shelves. You can do it on the cheap just watch for stuff.
You need to paint the floor or coat it or cover it. I like paint, I repaint it after about 3 years, mainly the work areas. Storage ares have been there for years now. I do a lot of welding so it will drop splatter spots onto the painted floor, but it is so nice to work from.
Oh and since yours is a smallish shop, not really to some, but to me it is put everything on rollers, makes it easy to move stuff around and get a configuration you need like and enjoy. With out braking your back doing it.
Grass Roots Motorsports just ran an article on a home working shop it is in their April 2007 issue
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