Workshop Question-Stationary Island or Mobile Tables ?

My shop is in 1/2 of a two car garage, so I put everything on wheels. I regulary push my bandsaw, tablesaw, jointer, planer, and toolbox/workbench out into the driveway to make space to work. I hate working in a cluttered area.

Another plus is that you can run an extention cord into the driveway, and work out in the sunshine if you want. The planer makes such I mess I prefer to use it outside.

-- Scott, San Diego

I am with Scott. All my tools are on wheels and I generally try to cut in the driveway. I built a mobile assembly station to also act as an outfeed table but I forgot my driveway slopes away from the house so the mobile station ends up slanting as well. It does not work very well in this configuration. But the main reason I cut in the driveway is that I get yelled at for “making a mess and tracking sawdust” into the house. :)

I have an L-shaped one car garage and my tools have to be mobile so that I can use them effectively. To tell the truth I probably have too many cabinets in my shop. Since it is so crowded I have to have my tools on wheels.

The island looks interesting provided you have the available shop space to accommodate it.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

See I go the other way on this, I guess it all has to do with the space you have. I have the full 2 1/2 car garage that is 27’ feet deep all for the shop (except pushing the boat in and out) so I like built in tools and cabinets. I really hate to move things once set up, but I am finding that every new tool purchase needs it’s home in the shop so there is always modifications going on. Seems to be your call on the space you can allicate to the tools.

runngt

-- It seem's I just make scrap wood and saw dust most of the time !

Thanks for the responses.

Let me take this a bit further.

I hate the fact that I have no assembly space. My projects end up being put on a shelf.

I think that a lot of my problem with working on projects is that they are not setup at all times. I think if I could always leave the project in its place I can work on it piece meal, a little every day, rather than have to put the joinery and such back together to the point I left it at.

I could just make a nice assembly table and put it up against the wall, instead of a larger island space in the middle of the shop.

I fear that the island will get gobbled up with junk left on it (lawn supplies, groceries, extra wood, etc).

Thoughts?

-- MRod, Henderson, Colorado by way of Brooklyn!

I believe this depends large upon the size of your shop. My shop is in the space of a 1 1/2 car garage. For me, an island would be too restrictive. Putting tools on rollers allows you to reconfigure the shop easily when needed. If you work on projects of different sizes in a small space, I believe this is essential. A 20×20 shop might be large enough for the island approach, but I would probably lean the other way.

Here’s an idea for assembly space:
For assembly space in my shop, I have a large piece of 1 1/4” thick plywood mounted on hinges to a wall. An old door would also work well. Angle braces made of 2×4’s support it. When I need the space for assembly I fold it out. When I need the space for something else, I fold it flat against the wall.

-- Daniel, Southern Indiana -- "Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." -- http://blackdogwoodshop.etsy.com

MRod, the solution is obvious! You are not limited to one large table or one small mobile table. Make a mobile modest sized table that can serve as an outfeed table when needed. Roll it away from the TS and it becomes an assembly table. Mine is just 24×48 and works just fine for 9 out of 10 projects.

Now make at least one more mobile table. Heck, make two! Same size. Gang them together if you have a big project.

Here is the biggest secret that I’ve learned in woodworking. It’s not where you put your saws, router tables, miter saws, or drill presses. It’s where you have handy workspace. Three or four mobile tables does the trick. Rule #2 in woodworking—you can never have enough work surfaces. (Rule #1, of course, is you can never have too many clamps.)

My shop space is 13×26 so I don’t have as much space as you. I started with a lot of built in cabinets, but over the last 4 years I have felt restricted with the immoblie countertops and workspace. You can see some of this in my workshop photos. I have my TS, Jointer, and Bandsaw all on mobile bases. I just started a project to tear out some of those built in cabinets and build more mobile workstations like a router table and sharpening station on wheels. Finally I am building an assembly table that will allow me room to set up benchtop tools on it as well. I second the comment from swied too. When the weather is nice, it is great to get out onto the driveway and make some dust. I also find that it is sometimes necessary to rearrange the entire flow of the shop for that specific project and the built ins have limited that ability. Hope this helps.

-- Check out my blog and podcast "The Renaissance Woodworker" at www.rogersfinewoodworking.com/blog

I am also in the process of setting up my shop and have been debating fixed versus mobile also. I think Shannon has it right with the idea that the fixed cabinets are just that fixed and it means if your workflow or projects change substantially the fixed cabinets are in the way. I have 1/2 of a two car garage and am leaning toward mobile tools stands except for a workbench that sits under a south window. I also have a large commercial solid door that I use for tool storage right now but it will become my assembly area. I like Daniel’s idea about a fold away assembly area…I may adopt that for my work area. I suspect once I hit my stride with projects I may want things more fixed but right now everything is too new.

-- ....next big purchase is wood for the next project, Mark

Great comments folks.

I want a fixed shop because I am jealous of those big shops.

You have all successfully changed my mind. Thanks for the no-nonsense words too BertJ’s.

I will build a mobile outfeed table and take an old door, throw some MDF on top of it and hinge it to a wall -thanks blackdog.

I’ll do both tables because I HATE taking my project apart because I need the outfeed.

DANKA

-- MRod, Henderson, Colorado by way of Brooklyn!

A mobile island can always be pushed up against a wall. You’ll have the best of both worlds then. Also, stay away from using MDF as a benchtop. It will fall apart. It won’t hold screws long. It swells from humidity. And if you drill it for bench dogs, it’ll blow apart when you apply any pressure.

Another thing to think of is all that potential space under that island. Great storage possibilities here. Take time to plan it out.

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

When I started setting up shop, I toured a couple of local cabinet shops to see how they had things laid out. I was surprised to see that one shop (one of the biggest in the area) has almost everything but the biggest machines on wheels or mobile bases, including a 4’ x 16’ assemly table.

I opted for cabinets, etc. on wheels with locking casters for a couple of reasons:

1) My shop is also the garage, which, though it is a 2 1/2 car garage, is pretty cramped.

2) With rolling cabinets, I can set up the configuration I want or need for a given project.

3) Rolling the tools outside gives me a chance to work in the fresh air, and with good light. With a decent dust collector (also on wheels) I can work inside on days when weather isn’t so nice.

4) When my wife and I retire in a few years, we plan to move closer to our kids 200 miles away. I think it will be a lot easier to move several rolling cabinets than a large, stationery island.

So far, I have two cabinets, a hydraulic table, two knock-down assembly tables, and a mobile base for my table saw.

One cabinet is a miter station that has storage space below big enough to accommodate a tool chest and my compressor. The second cabinet is home for my band saw and drill press (both bench-top models), with shelves and drawers below.

My planer lives on the hydraulic table, which rolls under a stationery workbench that was built in by the previous owner.

If you decide to go with cabinets, watch the height. In my case, the two cabinets and the two knock-down tables are at the same height, so I can configure them four out-feed and assembly as needed for a particular project.

-- The Dane, Wisconsin

Dadoo – Planning, planning, planning – I hate it and I it is a must, you are right! A mobile island is where I am also leaning. That quick and dirty post above was just the mood I was in at the time, “I will build a mobile outfeed table and take an old door, throw some MDF on top of it and hinge it to a wall”.

Your right Dadoo, a mobile island is where its at.
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Also, TheDane, you make some good points, all of which sound like you’ve made your own mobile island.

You mentioned you pull together “the two cabinets and the two knock-down tables…so I can configure them four out-feed and assembly as needed for a particular project.”

I was also thinking along similar lines in making independent cabinets at the same height that can be rolled together for out feed.

You must have a nice flat surface to roll your stuff outside from the garage.
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You guys keep giving me good ideas – stop it! Just kidding, actually I am so grateful for them.

THANKS!!!

-- MRod, Henderson, Colorado by way of Brooklyn!