Organizing a small basement workshop

[marklevinson1]

Hi all,

I have a very small workshop area in my basement that is around 10 x 10. It is in a highly disorganized state right now as is the rest of my basement. The reason is I am getting ready to remodel my house starting first with my kitchen and I need to move a temporary kitchen downstairs while working upstairs. Our basement is in a seriously messy state right now as a lot of cleaning and organizing is being done.

I have never had my work area organized in any decent way and I have been aquiring a number of new tools for my remodel project. I now currently own a power miter saw without a place for so I use it on the floor (not much fun). I have various power tools (including a sander, jigsaw, router, circular saw, drill, etc.) I recently picked up an air compressor with a PC finish nailer and also a brad/staple gun. The air compressor goes up and down the stairs as I need it. My most recent purchase (still sitting in the box, waiting to be assembled) and the one that will cause the most congestion (but be my most cherished possession) is a Ryobi BT3100 table saw. I have also just gotten rid of a huge old metal desk that sat opposite the workbench.

Basically I am looking for advice and/or tips as to what to do with the limited space I have including lighting recomendations, storage, additional worktable areas, electrical, etc. I have included a link that shows different views of the area along with an overhead drawing of the area.

Thanks so much

Mark

images of basement work area (forgive the mess!)

[bfrikken]

My bet is you'll get a ton of suggestions to put casters on everything. And that's what I'd do too. I'd build a stand for my CMS as well. Maybe build it with a cabinet base. I'm planning on doing something like that for mine. The saw will be attached to a 3/4 inch board that can be clamped into an inset on the top. My 9 inch bandsaw will have a matching base that I will store in the base cabinet. That way I have storage for two and a stand that services multiple tools. And of course, it'll be on casters.

[dlminehart]

I'd get a Workmate 225 foldup workbench. You can make a slightly larger removable plywood top for it by screwing a 2x2 to the bottom of a piece of plywood, centered the long way, a little wider than the width of the Workmate table top. Put additional length of 2x2 at each end of this central 2x2, about the size of the Workmate top's depth, so that the 2x2's now look roughly like an I-beam screwed to the bottom of the plywood. When turned over, this plywood table top can clamp into the top of the Workmate, with the end 2x2 pieces keeping it both sturdy and aligned to the table top. You can set your miter saw on it, and drill holes in the improvised table top where they will allow you to bolt down the miter saw. Bingo: a removable stand for your miter saw! When not using the miter saw on it, you can use it as a place to set down your cans of paint, tools, or whatever while you're working. When collapsed, the Workmate folds up into about a 1'x2'x3' space. The improvised table top only takes up a bit more height and width, but only 2 inches depth. Very handy for the kinds of projects you have in mind, rather inexpensive, and easy to build.

[Thalermade]

Lighting - Your eyes and your head (fewer headaches from eye strain) will aprreciate you installing some 4 foot flourescent fixtures. 3 more fixtures in the shop area should brighten things up well.

Dust control- or limiting. I didn't see a door closing off the shop area. You may want to get some 4 mil or thicker plastic to make a curtain. Depending ont the width of the opening, you might be able to use a couple of inexpensive shower curtains suspended from a couple of overlapping pieces of 1/2 copper tubing. (With your kitchen beinging temporarily in the basement, you may want to learn how many calories are in sawdust).


Storage - Decide what you definitely need to keep in the shop area and build shelving for that to fit with a litte room for future items. Another decision is what quality level of shelving. You could just go the OSB with 2x4 or 1x3 frame screwed together. You don't have to do doors, if dust is a problem just use something for a curtain to shield the contents.

Work surfaces you should spend a little more time on as well as better material. The portable idea is great, the cost of casters will certainly add up, though. Use 3/4 inch MDF and build basic box carcasses using dadoes and rabbets screwed and glued with shelves for storage.

For your BT3100 build an outfeed table that doubles as work surface and also has storage underneath.

You could add some shelves for storage underneath your current workbench.


Have fun,

Russ

[lrogers]

I built a modified "Ultimate Tool Stand" to hold my BT3, serve as an outfeed table, workbench and storage system. You can see what I did by following the link below to my webshots site. I also hung a lot of peg board to hang/store tools on. Definitely make everything moveable.
I also made a removable section in one workbench that I could mount various bench top tools by way of inserts, sort of like the tool dock system Sears sells. There are also some pictures of that on my webshots page.
One thing a small shop forces you to be is organized!

[Deadhead]

I also have a small, temporary workshop. My floorspace may be bigger than your's, but since it's in my attic, I have almost zero wall space.

My advice is cherish your walls!

Those shelves on the outside of the walk-in - if you can claim that space as your's (looks like toy storage now), I'd take those shelves off and build some stronger ones out of 2"x material. That would be a great place for storing tools that are not in use (miter saw included). Put the shelf for your heavier tools (miter saw) at the height you'll carry them at. Smaller items up higher. Maybe don't run shelves all the day down on part of that wall for a rolling cabinet with drawers.

Maximize the space under things too. Like under that workbench. That might be a good place for a shop vac if that will be your method of dust collection.

I've put many of my clamps overheard of my workspace. That also puts them out of the way, but still in the center of the room. Pipe clamps are bar clamps live my stairway.

You'll want more light in there too.

My next step is to build rough "cabinets" out of plywood and on casters. No doors or fronts. Compressor will go on top of one (so the compressor gets plenty of air) and the cases for nailers, jigsaw, circular saw, or whatever can go in the lower space. Or you may decide to set the compressor on the shelf and just run hose over.

Try to think of everything as having a dual purpose. Example, take the compressor off that cabinet I'm building and it's the perfect hight for and outfeed table. Or bolt on a 4'x4' sheet of plywood and then that's the right height.

That's just off the top of my head. I'm sure others who have designed and redesigned will have some better ideas.

[Tom Miller]

"A place for everything...."

That's the first step.

Until you have a better idea what your storage needs are, I recommend using plastic storage tubs. I get a lot of use out of all these in all their sizes. They can be used as drawers in cabinets and under workbenches until you have time to make drawers:




Then, if/when the time comes to make drawers, you'll have a better idea what size drawers and what quantity to make.

When you can, make shelves for the tubs such that the shelf above covers the tub below so you don't need to use the lid to keep dust out. (The lids really get in the way.) I made the unit below pretty fast. I didn't even glue the dados -- just used screws:





To get use of all the space under a workbench, the big tubs work well. You can easily slide them out. You might not think to put a couple grinders in a tub, but I can get to either one a lot easier than if they were just on the floor. And this way, they're not covered in dust.





Try to classify your stuff, and keep similar things together. That way, you can narrow down your search before you start searching. For instance, I have a drawer for marking/measuring instruments, another for sharpening supplies, etc. The trick is to know which drawer something is likely to be in before you open it. Then, you'll know in an instant where stuff goes when it's time to put it away. That makes the "and everything in its place" part a lot easier.

Regards,
Tom

[dadress]

Tom, I like the plastic container idea, think I will use that for some storage shelves. If I can hijack the thread some... can you explain your miter saw/fence setup?

Thanks,

Duane

[LarryG]

All the suggestions thus far have been good, but none better than Tom's "a place for everything." That's the key; but I would add, "and no more space than necessary." You will need to ruthlessly track down every cubic inch of wasted space. For example, your second photo shows a metal shelving unit, next to the gas meter, and virtually none of the shelves are holding anything taller than about half the vertical spacing of the shelves. All this short stuff needs to go somewhere else, to free up these tall shelves for taller items.

I don't think you have to put everything on wheels. Some tools, like your CMS, have easily-definable spatial requirements (up to the limits of your shop) and can most likely be put in one place and left there. Prioritize here according to which tools get the most use. The more use a tool gets, the more it needs to be set up and ready to go at all times.

Don't overlook the overhead, assuming you have sufficient headroom. Lumber, clamps, and many other items can be hung from racks attached to the joists.

Look for ways to make a given piece of floor area do double-duty. Is there room for a shelf for the compressor over the boiler? It looks like there might be. If not, maybe something else can go there.

The white-painted walls (around the walk-in closet?) have bare studs facing the shop. There's lots of room between those studs; be sure to put it to use.

Get everything off your workbench and be vigilant about not letting stuff accumulate there, so you will always have a clear place to work. If you don't, when you get your BT set up, it will tend to become your "workbench," and that's not good. To the greatest extent possible, a tool needs to be immediately ready for use; shifting stuff around wastes time.

[Deadhead]

Another thing I'd consider is a table that is mounted and hinged on the wall that separates the area in front of the boiler and the "Seasonal Storage" area. Hinge it up or down (whichever gives you the most table) against the wall when not in use - and allows access to the boiler for service. But a large, well lighted workspace is great for finishing projects.


Speaking of lighting, you'll want to add some more.

[Tom Miller]

quote:Originally posted by dadress

If I can hijack the thread some... can you explain your miter saw/fence setup?

Sure....but there's not much to it. On the left is a ~2.5ft long surface (infeed table?). It's cut back where it meets the saw so the saw turntable can swing to the left 45+ degrees. The fence is L-shaped, and has T-bolts coming up through from the infeed table to clamp it down. The fence can slide forward and back (by virtue of slots in infeed table), depending if I'm using backstop boards on the saw (I take them off for bevel cuts).

The saw and the infeed table are bolted to the cabinet tabletop.

The stop block attached to the T-track is extra long so it can go up to the blade. I also have a shorter one.

On the right, stock is supported either by the support bar on the saw, or a support clamped on the right edge of the table (not shown).






And now, back to your regularly scheduled thread....uhhh, storage, right? [)]

Regards,
Tom

[marklevinson1]

Just want to say thanks to everyone for the great ideas. I look forward
to putting them to good use!

Mark