Shop Improvement

How I went about it

1. List needs and wants

   There are quite a few different tools I have to store and I want each tool to have its accessories nearby, ideally in drawers, and I’d like for everything to be on wheels, so I’ll need casters for everything. I also want the top flush to have a large work surface and built-in dust collection. As an additional constraint, I’d like it to be flush with a workbench I bought a while back.

   1. Mitre saw
      1. Dimensions:
         1. 21″ wide
         2. 36″ deep (closed)
         3. 16″ tall
      2. Drawer:
         1. Screw driver
         2. Blade angle gauge
         3. Backup blades
   2. Table saw
      1. Dimensions :
         1. 26″ wide
         2. 22″ deep
         3. 15″ tall
      2. Drawer :
         1. Push stick
         2. Height gauges
         3. Dado stack
         4. Spare blades
      3. Other accessories :
         1. Cross-cut sled
         2. Tapering jig
   3. Router
      1. Dimensions (table)
         1. 33″ wide
         2. 19″ deep
         3. 18″ tall
      2. Drawer:
         1. Bits
         2. Table opening attachments
         3. Feather board
   4. Sanding station
      1. Ideal size: 24″ x 24″
      2.  Drawer:
         1. Sheets
         2. Hand sanding block
   5. Drill press
      1. Dimensions :
         1. 10″ wide
         2. 18″ deep
         3. 23″ tall
      2. Drawer :
         1. Drill bits
         2. Forstner bits
         3. Hole saws
         4. Chuck
   6. Planer
      1. Dimensions :
         1. 26″ wide
         2. 18″ deep
         3. 14″ tall
      2. Drawer :
         1. Spare blades
   7. Compressor kit
      1. Dimensions:
         1. 8″ wide
         2. 20″ deep
         3. 17″ tall
      2. Drawer:
         1. Brad nailer
         2. Nails
         3. Staples
         4. Oil
   8. Finishing station (mobile station)
      1. Paints
      2. Acrylics
      3. Brushes
      4. Rags
   9. Dust collection (vaccuum and Dust Deputy)
      1. Dimensions :
         1. __” wide
         2. __” deep
         3. __” tall
      2.  Drawer:
         1. Filters
         2. Ends and extensions
   10. Charging station (attached to TV station)
       1. Drill battery
       2. Reciprocating saw
       3. Cell phone
   11. TV Station
       1. Raspberry Pi
       2. Keyboard
       3. Mouse
       4. Papers
          1. User manuals
          2. Receipts
   12. Wardrobe / Utility closet (attached to TV station)
       1. Dimensions :
          1. 24″ wide
          2. 18″ deep
          3. 60″ tall
       2. Contents :
          1. First aid kit
          2. Work boots
          3. Day to day clothes
          4. Workshop clothes

2. Planning

   This big step now comes in 3 different parts.

   1. Cabinet carcasses
   2. Drawers and shelves
   3. Accessories

   Cabinet carcasses

   1. Using dados to lock pieces together will be nice, easy, and strong. It’s worth glueing and using brad nails anyways for good measure.

   Drawers

   1. Each drawer should have some liner to keep everything looking really nice, but mostly to prevent everything from moving around too much. I want to have something to keep everything clean, so making divisions similar to a storage box with customizable divisions would be optimal. Finally, having a plexiglass top would allow for maximum cleanliness.

   Shelves

   1. Everything on a shelf should be accessible. Shelves within the cabinet could be made as larger drawers to assure maximum storage and organisation while being fully accessible.
   2. In cabinets outside the workbench, shelves should :
      1. Folding as to allow for more height; and/or
      2. Use pins (or dowels?!) to move within the cabinet; and/or
      3. Pull down for full access

   Accessories

   1. Black handles for each door and drawer
   2. Heavy duty swivel caster wheels
   3. T-Tracks. The cart tops should have T-Tracks to hold stop blocks and have a tape measure to have proper dimensions.
      Powertech is a cheaper brand, or make them using a router bit.
   4. I’d like to have one or two vices to hold work pieces when I have to hold pieces down.

   In every case, I also want to cover everything in water-based polyurethane for some protection and hopefully make things easier to clean up.

   Design

   Tools should be stored under the bench with flip tops.

3. Mockups

   I’ve drawn up so many different versions of my dream workshop, it has literally kept me up at night once or twice.