Hi All, Organizing a workshop is never easy (still busy with mine). After a lot of research and found nothing for a small workshop layout, These ideas did not just come to meI battled for about a year sorting out and moving my workshop around to make sure I have space to walk stand and can comfortably work in the shop and of course tools are easy to find. Floors have no clutter on them. Oh and still busy with it in between projects. As I use a tool I find a place to hang it. My workshop is a single car garage. Small but compact for what I need to do
So Far this is what I have done.....
I checked and sorted all the duplicate tools, including all tool boxes. From these I setup the first tool board "let call it the main one" that I put a full set of tools on.
For the rest of the tools I put tool boards up at each Machine, like the Drill press, lathes, welders, cutters, planer etc...
On each of these tool boards I placed tools that would be used on and for these machine.
Any additional hand held power tools like drill machine, grinders etc.. I placed the extras at the machines that it would be used with. Example 2 small angle grinders one with a cutting disk one with a grinding disk, Placed at the welding/plasma cutting bench.
Each machine got a shelf, which the cutting tools, drill bits, files etc. fits with that machine, are placed by that machine.
For the next part I checked all hand held machines which came in their own containers measured them up labelled them and built a rack to place them on. Made sure that the racks are high enough to fit any trolleys under.
For the tools without boxes I purchased fit to size containers for them. All these I labelled and placed on the shelving.
I bought a few extra containers of which I put, projects in progress in, to make sure they don't lay around.
Now remember we emptied the tool boxes.
These I use when I do an outside job. I will pack all the tools required in the tool box from the boards and when done with the job will put them back in place and store the empty tool box. I also take one of the empty project containers with to place all the parts in for the job I am working on.
This way I know I won’t forget my tools and of course I can see all tools are back when on the boards.
While I was looking around to place any machines and tried to see what I could use from the other machine to save space. Example.. My wood planer, I place the wood guide on the metal bench "pic below". My Mitre saw and bench saw bolted together so I can use both the platforms to place wood on when cutting.
My baking oven for powder coating and sand blaster on top of the oven. Compressor under a rack in a corner. I built a gantry crane in the year so I could move these machines.
Well that's about it, great site and contributions
Hope that everyone's ideas brings us all to making our workshops better
added a few pics to hopefully make the explanation easier. Hope this helps a bit.
Thanks Kevin
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At my lathe the start of the tool board in the background.
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I battled for about a year sorting out and moving my workshop around to make sure I have space to walk stand and can comfortably work in the shop and of course tools are easy to find. Floors have no clutter on them. Oh and still busy with it in between projects. As I use a tool I find a place to hang it. My workshop is a single car garage. Small but compact for what I need to do


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