How small is too small ?

[theoldwizard1]

The wife said, if you want a shed work shop go ahead !

It will be insulated, heated and cooled. It will be used primarily for household repairs including electronics and small engine repair. I would really like to buy a porta-band saw with a table and a mini mill.

I would really like an 10x12 shed with a gambrel roof, but here is the problem. I have an extremely small yard, The obvious place to put it is behind the garage which is where my garden is. That would take about half of my garden (yes, it is really only 20x12). Even 8x10 would take up a lot of space.

I have a standard 20x20 garage that is pretty much full of stuff. I have not had a car in there in over 25 years. I could wall off a small area, say 6x10, by removing some shelving and relocating some cabinets.

So what do you think about a 6x10 work shop ? Work benches built on the 2 short and 1 long wall.

 

[Miller6386]

Either one will become very small very fast.

Telecommunicated

 

[jkwilson]

My grandpa had a 7X12 shop on the back of his garage. Had an outside door to a covered porch area that he used for working on mowers and stuff. Also had a door to the garage so he could work on larger stuff and vehicles.

Actually worked pretty well, and if I downsize one of these days I may go that way.

 

[rick carpenter]

If you're not fixated on it being heated and cooled, try a 6x10 three-wall setup. It won't seem so small and (don't tell your wife) it could essentially be 20x10 when you need the space.

 

[ADSR]

8x20 shipping container in front yard? Go poke your head in one just to see if you could live with a shop that small.

 

[bad_idea]

Here's what ya need to do. Build an 8x10 shed, a simple one. Use the shed to store the lawn equipment and extra household stuff. If it won't fit in the shed, you don't need it. Clear the garage out and use that as your workshop. Much easier to work in an attached garage than a shed in the back. I have a 14x20 attached garage that I have done some decent auto work and metal fab in.

 

[KariFS]

I have a standard 20x20 garage that is pretty much full of stuff. I have not had a car in there in over 25 years. I could wall off a small area, say 6x10, by removing some shelving and relocating some cabinets.

I'd say clear that 25 years worth of stuff out (google "decluttering tips"), and build a mini-shed in the backyard for the garden equipment. If your garden is really 20x12 (and we're talking feet, not meters, right?), you probably don't need much equipment, so your mini-shed would be about the size of an average broom closet.

After you have decluttered all the clutter you have previously stored in the garage, and moved the shovel, rake etc to the mini-shed, then you could build the 6x10 partition in the garage and use that to store stuff that survived your decluttering project. Now use the rest of the garage as a shop

 

[dlcwent]

Never big enough. Mine is 80' x 35'. I need more space. Sorry you're confined to such a small area. I'm sure you'll make it work. Good luck.

 

[Falcon67]

My grandpa had a 7X12 shop on the back of his garage.

LOL - my granddad had 4 good size out buildings with shop type equipment plus a garage, so I come by it honestly.

I'm in the "clean it out" camp. It's hard - I had to go over every thing with a hard eye and got rid of - really - two tons of things. Everything is indoors except the car trailers. I have a 12x20 shed that is strictly storage, that's about the smallest I could ever work in I think. And I plan this winter to hit that storage building with a hard eye for "keep or kill".

 

[67carl]

What does the ceiling of your garage look like? Mine was open to the roof so I beefed it up with some 2x8s, laid OSB for a floor and installed a pull down attic ladder. Added a bunch of storage space which allowed me to move stuff out of my tiny 1 car garage. Can you do the same?

 

[MScott]

Wow!! Over 11,000 posts and you haven't figured out that a garage is not for storing "stuff"?
C'mon Wiz get rid of that "stuff" and reclaim your garage. As mentioned above, fit the few things you need to save in a small outside shed and use that 20 x 20 as your shop. You will never be happy working in a 6 x 10 or even a 10 x 12.

 

[Zeke]

Gardens are one thing that can be stacked if you get creative. You might figure out a win win situation. But I'm one to say utilize your existing assets before spending money on something that might become another storage clusterfuk.

IOW, we don't change.

 

[volleyball]

Is the garage attached or detached? That goes a long way towards what you can do.
Either way, what about putting the garden on top of the shed? A really raised planting space? You would get more sun that way.
Being the OLD wizard, your knees might not be up to it. But you wouldn't have to carry much weight up and down.

 

[Alexbn921]

Here's what ya need to do. Build an 8x10 shed, a simple one. Use the shed to store the lawn equipment and extra household stuff. If it won't fit in the shed, you don't need it. Clear the garage out and use that as your workshop. Much easier to work in an attached garage than a shed in the back. I have a 14x20 attached garage that I have done some decent auto work and metal fab in.

Build a shed with enough storage to clear out the garage and turn the garage into your work space. The shed will be cheaper if you don't have to insulate/wire it. Build shelf's that will hold the a standard sized bin. I use Rubbermaid. They are water/dust resistant and ALL THE SAME SIZE. Go through your 25 years of stuff and sell/trash half of it. The rest pack in bins with labels and put in the shed.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I would really like to buy a porta-band saw with a table and a mini mill.

So what do you think about a 6x10 work shop ? Work benches built on the 2 short and 1 long wall.

These two items (and the associated paraphernalia and materials) will fill a 6x10 workshop.

 

[hoho98925]

Take back control of your garage and use it.

 

[Krash Kadillak]

I think you would be better off building a storage shed, and move some of your garage stuff in there. Then build your workshop in the garage.

I put in a 8x10 shed to store all my 'outside' stuff and a few other things. I created some attic storage above the garage, with a fold-down ladder for access. I can even park my two cars inside the garage on occasion.

 

[rsanter]

Build a shed and go as large and tall as you can justify
Take what's in the garage and get rid of it or store it in the shed.
Storage in the shed is better because you can fill every cubic foot if you want

Then set up at least half of the garage as a workshop.
It is better to have a workshop you can expand or work just outside of the door than a storage you can expand

Bob

 

[48RON54]

Throw some stuff away

 

[lynnbilodeau]

I don't live in MI, but the winters here in Oklahoma are bad enough, I would not consider not using my garage for cars. Lawn and garden stuff does not go in the garage. That is what sheds are for.
How much of the "stuff" in the garage is actually getting used? Get rid of what you don't need, put the cars in there, and move them out when you have projects.
Of course, if we give you the benefit of the doubt (which no one has so far) maybe you are REALLY using that stuff regularly.

 

[bczygan]

How about some photos?

 

[Cougar]

Build the work shop on top of the garage.

 

[DirtRoad]

11,000+ posts on GJ........just now figuring out what the garage is for.

 

[bczygan]

11,000+ posts on GJ........just now figuring out what the garage is for.

Yeah, really!

And the wife will ALLOW you a workshop shed???

Turn in your man card.

On a serious side. what do you really want to do?

From your post, all you want is a small work space. Is that really it?

Sounds like you are casting about for ideas, but not really sure what will work.

In a case like this, there is always more than one way to skin a cat.

Show us the layout of your house and yard with photos and a plot plan with measurements (Mortgage survey will do) and lots of photos, and we can lay out some options. Do you know your setbacks and zoning restrictions? What jurisdiction and zoning do you have?

Bill

 

[theoldwizard1]

From your post, all you want is a small work space. Is that really it?

Sounds like you are casting about for ideas, but not really sure what will work.

I want to buy a mini-mill ! Got to have some place to put it.

Also, if I had some decent (heated/cooled) bench spaces I would likely dabble in some electronics or at least have some place to repair small household items/computers.