# Turning my small garage space into a woodshop



## Evowood (Mar 20, 2016)

I have stopped my car "hobby" and decided to get deeper into woodworking. I like the be able to make things, and woodworking is the best path to creating usable items. Over the last month I have been trying to pick up some tools that can increase what I can actually do with the limited space and time that I have. Over the last month I have picked up the following.

Harbor Freight Dust Collector
Dust Collector Filter cartridge
55 Gallon Plastic Drum
Rocker DIY dust collector kit
Dewault 735X Planer
Delta 37-715 Hybrid table saw with large outfield table
Powermatic 54A Jointer
Millers Falls #9 smoothing plane
Japanese back saws
Waterstones for sharpening

I also already have a modified stanley bailey block plane, a LV low angle jack plane, a small gentlemen saw, a set of 1/4-1" bevel edged chisels, compound miter saw, jig saw, cicurlar saw, palm sander, and hand held belt sander. I am still looking to add some additional mortise chisels. I have some Witherby chisels nearby that I am going to refurb if I can get them. I also installed 4 4' T5 HO lights above my work area. These provide a plenty of light for the area I will be working in.

My next major tool purchase will be a 12-14" bandsaw. I am thinking of getting a 12" craftsman bandsaw just for cutting curves, and saving up for a laguna 14/Twelve or BX. I can get the craftsman right now used for $100-150. Until I can get a nice bandsaw for resew I will just waste wood by using the planer to get it to the dimensions I want. I am also going to keep my eye out on CL for a decent belt/disc sander.

Here are some pictures to show what I am starting with. The full album is available here.

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0F532ODWBGxJd














































My Lists of task are as follows:

Remove shelf in back corner and install dust collector
Build cyclone for dust collector
Add 2 220v outlets
Assemble Table saw
Finishing building 3 more drawers fro my cabinet under my basic workbench.
Finish building my woodworking bench
Build stand for the planer
Remove workbench on side of garage under window
Build either a fixed or rolling wood rack. I am thinking rolling with sheet goods on one side and boards on the other
Finish rack on top of basic workbench. I am thinking of adding a 6" tall section for storing 2' or scraps.
CLEAN IT ALL UP
Cut stuff

Feel free to add comments and suggestions. I am new to all of this so ANY advice is great to have.

Thanks, and enjoy


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## ste6168 (Mar 12, 2015)

Compared to the space I have, that looks more like a "large" garage space to me!


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## Minorhero (Apr 8, 2011)

Well you are certainly off to a great start tooling wise and you have a pretty nice space. Lots of folks out there are doing quality work in much smaller spaces. My advice is hold off on a bandsaw till you make a project that really needs it. You already have a jig saw so you can make curves as needed, there doesn't sound like much need to buy an interim bandsaw till you save up to buy the bandsaw you really want. Just start saving for that now. In the meantime also consider installing more then two 220 outlets. Not sure how many 110 outlets you have in there on how many different circuits but you will probably want a few extra of those. The HF dust collector will essentially need to run on its own circuit whenever you are also running a 110 volt tool and then you may also want to run some other equipment at the same time like a computer, a fan, etc. If you are installing new electric put the outlets over 4 feet off the ground, that way you can lean a sheet of plywood against the wall and not cover up your outlet.


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## Evowood (Mar 20, 2016)

I already have 1 220 outlet, so I am adding one for the dust collector and one for the jointer. That is good advice on the bandsaw. The only reason I would by the smaller band saw is because a friends dad is selling it. Otherwise I wouldn't even consider it. I am working on a layout in sketchup right now. I will post a pic when it is done.


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## Antonis512 (Mar 30, 2016)

I was working in a small workshop for years (smaller than your garage). If I may share an opinion:
Plan to put everything you can in drawers or behind closed doors. It will be much easier to clean up and find things. I tried a dust collector in the workshop but the noise was such an issue, that I ended up using it only when I was cleaning (and that was rare as I had to keep working until late every day). I do not know how youtubers keep such clean workshops with every tool hanging on the wall, exposed to dust…


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

It's always enjoyable to set up a new shop and you have the makings of a nice one. I hope that it all goes off without a hitch. Congratulations and welcome to Lumberjocks.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## Evowood (Mar 20, 2016)

Here is the layout for the shop that I would like to do. Still need to add the planer.


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## Rentvent (Jan 28, 2016)

Great drawings. Now add the dust collector hoses and power connections.


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## PineSucks (Aug 3, 2015)

A small garage he says…there are prison cells are larger than my shop, but I enjoy my time in there a helluva lot more than prisoners do!

Looks like you're off to a decent rolling start.


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## BEWoodworks (Jan 28, 2016)

It has been mentioned but I would agree with skipping a smaller bandsaw, since you have a jigsaw. They are limited in their use and you will outgrow it quickly. I have the same jointer. You will like it, with the exception possibly of dust collection. I have done a few reorganizations and have always needed more room for the jointer than I accounted for. Plenty of infeed and outfeed space is required.

Buy tools as you need them for projects you are actually building, not what you think you will need. Will save you $ in the long run. Good luck.


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## Evowood (Mar 20, 2016)

Haha, I love all the comments on it not being a small garage. I know it is "adequate" for me right now, but my goal is to build a 16×20 workshop detached from the house so my wife will actually let me use power tools while the kids are sleeping.

Thanks for the input on the bandsaw. It is probably a good idea to not have it right now, as was mentioned. It would just take up space while I don't use it.

I did just notice last night that the jointer does not have a dust collection port. Has anyone added one to it?


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## pete724 (Mar 9, 2016)

Router?


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## Evowood (Mar 20, 2016)

Haha, yes, I do have a router. PC 1 3/4 HP with no plunge base. I also have a rout r lift that I have yet to install in anything since it was going to go into my old table saw, but now I have a new one.


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## ste6168 (Mar 12, 2015)

> Haha, I love all the comments on it not being a small garage. I know it is "adequate" for me right now, but my goal is to build a 16×20 workshop detached from the house so my wife will actually let me use power tools while the kids are sleeping.
> 
> Thanks for the input on the bandsaw. It is probably a good idea to not have it right now, as was mentioned. It would just take up space while I don t use it.
> 
> ...


What are the dimensions of the current space? Pictures can be deceiving. Looks like you are off to a very good start, machinery and layout wise… Here is a a link to some info on my shop and how it is setup. The picture toward the bottom is the most up-to-date.

http://steinwoodworks.weebly.com/shop-tour.html


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## Evowood (Mar 20, 2016)

The dimensions are

8×8 Area + 11×10 Area.

Here are some pictures of the closet that I am building for the DC. Above it will be used as storage for some kind of wood . I will be building the top, and maybe the door today. The door will be flush mount and drywalled. The door will have a wheel on the bottom since I am going to make it out of 2×4. I will probably store my clamps on the door.

Electrical is done as well. Added a dedicated circuit for the DC, a new 120 circuit with 4 outlets that I will use for my 120 V devices, and a dedicated 220v outlet for the jointer. In total I have 5 120 outlets and 2 120 outlets now. There isn't much room left in the breaker panel for much else. But since I will never use more than 2 220, and almost always 1 220v device at a time, I don't need more than two. I also have the DC wired so I can easily convert it to a 220v 20a circuit, just in case I upgrade the DC. Granted if I did that I would have probably built a detached shop.


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## Notw (Aug 7, 2013)

Good thinking putting the dust collector in the closet, I wish I had the space in my one car garage shop to add a closet for mine.


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## Evowood (Mar 20, 2016)

Yeah, in actuality my garage is not small compare to some. Overall the garage is 28'x28'. It is just smaller than the 20×16 space I would like to eventually have.

Here is a pic with the door on and ceiling to the closet. I made a mistake when I measured for the roof. I forgot to make sure the newly framed corner was level. So there is a larger gap at the top of the door than the bottom. I am planning on fixing that with a 1×4. I made the door 3/4 smaller than it needed to be so I could fit it.


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## tomsteve (Jan 23, 2015)

cool beans!
only suggestion i have is have a vent in that dc closet.
with the dc in the closet, how are ya turning it on and off?


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## Evowood (Mar 20, 2016)

I have not decided on the switch mechanism yet. The simplest will be to mount a switch on the wall on the outside of the closet and run that to the motor. Otherwise I will do blast gates on the hose. I only plan on having one exit from the wall for the dust collector hose, and will move the hose from tool to tool. Shouldn't be a problem since they are all within 15' of the closet.

As for the vent. I plan on making a muffler vent on top of the closet. Basically just an elongated channel with a standard home ventilation vent on it.


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## TexasAggies (Feb 14, 2016)

I personally thought the cartridge for the DC was garbage. I put it in the attic with my cyclone downstairs. It clogged up too quickly for my liking and got dust everywhere because it leaked around the edges. I ended up cutting a hole in the soffit and piping the exhaust out of the house completely. I'm much happier with that setup. It's cleaner and I get better suction.


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## Evowood (Mar 20, 2016)

Yeah, I have thought about piping it outside. I could do it fairly easily, I just don't want to piss off the neighbors. Their driveway and garage is 50' from the exit point of where the exhaust would go.


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## trevor7428 (Oct 9, 2015)

> Here is the layout for the shop that I would like to do. Still need to add the planer.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


What program do you use to lay out ur shop?


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## Evowood (Mar 20, 2016)

That is Sketchup. I downloaded a model for the 54A and the dust collector. I made the models or the table saw and benches.


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## Evowood (Mar 20, 2016)

Here are the updates over the last week. I got drywall hung and the roof of the closet put on. The roof is 1/2" plywood. I then went on to mounting the motor and fan onto the wall using 4 crossing 2×4 and a sheet of 3/4" Plywood.

The Fiber drum has the rockler cyclone kit mounted to the top. I cut a 3/4" thick piece of plywood to stiffen the top of the drum.

The line from the drum to the blower is a 4" flex to 5" flex. This allows me to take the top off. The line from the drum to the tools will be 2' of 4" flex to 4" PVC out of the wall. I will have a 21' 4" dust right hose connected to the line coming out of the closet. The line coming from the blower to the filter is the 5" hose wedged over 4" 45 degree couplings. I wrapped them with duct tape as I had to cut the metal bands in a few places to get the hose to fit over the coupling. It is very tight right now and I would like to eventually replace it with either a longer 5" hose or replace the PVC with something that will fit 5" hose better. Any suggestions?

I still need to add the sound deadening insulation to the closet and then measure the sound. It is fairly quite right now, but I have little kids, so it preferably will not be heard outside of the garage.

The second image shows my shelf above my workbench. I am planning on using that is a drying/storage rack for lumber. I will add two more shelves above it to store lumber.


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## Finn (May 26, 2010)

> Good thinking putting the dust collector in the closet, I wish I had the space in my one car garage shop to add a closet for mine.
> 
> - Notw


I built a "closet" for my dust collector outside my shop. Insulated it for sound. Cleaning out the dust collector now leaves the spillage outside. Leaves me more shop space.


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## daddywoofdawg (Feb 1, 2014)

Miter saw? they are really handy use mine all the time. You can get a wen at menard's for under 100.00 and it a decent saw.needs a better blade than the one they supply.


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## Evowood (Mar 20, 2016)

I actually now have two miter saws. I had a 10" rigid with a nice blade and laser. I just purchased a 12" sliding dewalt with stand for building my deck (why I have not had any updates recently). I Think I am going to sell the 12" and stand on CL when I am done with the deck. I would rather have a 10" sliding or 12" with a laser.

I also got a makita 3 1/4 HP plunge router for making baluster holes in the railings for the deck. I "definitely" needed 3 1/4 HP to make 3/4×1" holes in cedar 

Going to be building the deck for another few weeks, so the garage will have to wait.

Also, apparently from all the comments, my "small" garage is not actually small. The space I have to work with isn't that large, and is much smaller than the 34×20 garage I want to build. But my overall garage is 28×28, so it leaves me with a lot of flexibility on placement. The SO said that when I am done we have to be able to park both cars in the garage.


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## Evowood (Mar 20, 2016)

Here is a pic of the deck. It will be 16×20 cedar with aluminum balusters, 6×6 corner posts.


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