Here are some shots of a work in-progress (we all say this, yes?) I only have a double car garage but I tried to maximize the space by spec'ing a loft above the rear half of the garage. No plans for a car hoist, but I did make a lift to help place items into the loft. It's a 1 ton cherry-picker w/a 1 ton electric winch mounted to a plate between the stationary 'foot' and the 360-degree rotating upper cherry picker upright & boom. No I don't expect to pick-up anything 2,000 lbs. The loft was designed to accommodate anything I can get up there. The front support for the loft floor joists is a 4" x 8" x 1/2" wall thickness steel box beam. It's welded into steel flitch plates cast-into the masonry side walls of the garage. Ridge beam height is a bit under 5', and there are no stairs going up there.
First shot is part of the main workbench, 24" x 8' Craftsman frame, w/Craftsman roller cabinets underneath. The top of the workbench is 3/4" 2-layer (so 1-1/2" total thickness) plywood, glued & screwed. On top of the workbench is a 3/16" steel plate cut to overhang enough ton the front & sides to allow me to band the plywood top underlayment with 1-1/2" steel stock screwed in place w/countersunk wood screws. The top steel/plywood 'sandwich' is fastened with 1/4" flat-head machine screws to the frame.
I used the Galdiator pvc grooved track above the workbench, which provides a lot of flexibility in hanging things. I mounted my cordless chargers on it. I have a mix of brackets for frequently-used pliers, hammers, metric and SAE wrenches, screwdrivers, parts bins, other hand tools and shelving. The front of the shelving has a US General magnetic strip where I put my 1/4, 3/8, 1/2" hex shank square drive adapters, wire strippers, and whatever else I may need. There are multiple duplex outlets every 3 ft around the perimeter of the garage, and three 220 V outlets for floor tools.
One end of the workbench has a grinder, wire wheel & a stone wheel. The opposite end has a vintage vise and a swinging magnifying head. I have a double buffing wheel in a cabinet.
I got some Gladiator (Whirlpool Corp. home storage line) pallet-style shelving, and modded it to fit the side wall return depth of the side wall space available next-to the overhead doors. That's on the side wall opposite the workbench.
The overhead doors are insulated and reinforced to withstand Category 5 hurricane gusts needed in a 'high-velocity hurricane zone (HVHZ).' I put a shop light between the pair of OH doors. I also added a pair of duplex outlets low, and another duplex outlet up high for the shop light. A switch is on the wall for the upper light. I usually position my floor drill press between the OH doors and use the lower outlets to power it.
I have 'high-lift' OH garage doors and in the space above the doors I installed some wedge-shaped storage for light, bulky stuff, like Christmas decorations. I also have space for longer material like boards, conduit, pvc pipe, or unistrut.
On the rear wall I have space for the air compressor, right now I'm using a 30 gal. 220 V twin cyl air compressor, I have a 60 gal. upright 220 V at another property that will eventually make its way into the space. I ran a 3/8" line from the compressor quick disconnect to an automatic hose reel I have above the workbench.
On the other rear wall bay I have three Gladiator steel cabinets. I used a ledger to support the lower end, and tapcons into the CBS/CMU wall they're mounted-to. The Gladiators are welded steel, the doors are diamond-plate and magnetic, each cabinet is 30" x 30" x 12" and has adjustable shelving, the inside of the doors have steel pegboard, very handy for easy access to materials. I have one for abrasive discs, and hang the discs on the pegboard of the doors. One side is masonry, one side is metal. The other cabinets have other materials in them, the center one has screws and nails, sorted by style and size. These were a great deal when I got them at Sears, I paid $84 apiece and got five, one I haven't found a home for.
The shot of the lift is hoisting my Powermatic table saw off the floor to test the lift. Not much of a weight test, maybe 400 lbs.
In the back of the bay where the workbench is I have a floor-standing Kobalt steel cabinet I got at Habitat for Humanity for $40. I have it filled w/a stick welder, a flux wire welder, large tools like wrecking bars; and storage of lots of fasteners. I use the pegboard on the inside doors to store plastic envelopes of fasteners, and drill bits and hole saws. I have a lot more tools, both hand tools, floor tools, and Craftsman stackables at another location, just waiting for me to make space for them. In the open floor space I have a radial arm saw, a table saw, and a blasting cabinet, the last is yet to be assembled.
My use of the space is to work on my collection of motorcycles, stored elsewhere, and to do whatever woodworking projects around the house I have to do. If I had to, I could move all the mobile storage into one bay and have the second available for a vehicle. Both our vehicles, a car and a truck, fit, just not at the same time!
I did this install before I joined here, but I've gotten good ideas from reading all the posts. I wish I had a larger space, but I'm doing what I can with the space I have.
The last pic is of a site inspection I had by these two guys, they were very serious! But I passed.
next order of business is finding a vise.
