a better way to layout your workshop

Put that saw blade down when you are through with it. Safety and cleanliness.

My jointer weighs 400 lbs. My attic ladder isn't rated for that . .

You and a table saw AND a workbench? My table saw IS my workbench. My workshop is so small that I have to have a miter saw because I can't break down a 2x4 on my table saw.. because my workshop is so small.

What is the dimension of your work space?

I like to 3d print small bins to organize things in my drawers. I've created a parameterized Fusion 360 file so that I can simply crank in the height, width and depth in mm and knock out some fast, single-wall bins.

Excellent presentation and very informative. I needed this! Thank you.

First time watcher. Great video. Loved the tips and love your humor. Just enough to make a great video even better. New subscriber. Thank you!

A drill press can be also be used as a lathe and a drum sander. So it seems worth the space.

Nice Job. Thanks

That drilling jig is a joke. I bought a beautiful, large drill press, then keep putting off the complex wiring. Along the way I got one of those small drill presses you can pick up with one hand. 25 bucks. Turns out that it does basically everything I need to do. But it isn't a joke like that thing with springs. And I will easily drill substantial metal.

those scaled cuting pieces for the planing on paper blew my mind.... bruh

For lighting in my garage Inreplaced the bulbs. Instead I use the LED lights with three adjustable panels(wings) which has changed a dingy area into almost daylight.

Excellent.

Where does the Beer fridge go??

"Have multiple trash containers and throw off cuts away. You think your going to use them, but you won't". Steve Ramsey, Woodworking For Mere Mortals.

Great tips here. I am nearly at the stage of roughing in the electrical for my new shop in my barn. I like what you said about drawers as my tendency is to make cupboards for a quicker "fix". But I can see the utility of using drawers instead. Good point about the workbench as well and it's cause for pause as I overbuilt a rolling outfeed table for my jobsite table saw which frankly now takes up alot of space with marginally useful storage. Much appreciated Scott.

I will say, as a maker with ADHD first order of retrievability with having to take literally zero steps as well as open storage really are non-negotiables for me. Difficulty with object permanence really is a huge thing with ADHD and closed storage really exacerbates that problem. Hell, in the kitchen I still find myself opening several drawers to grab a fork. Obviously the benefits of any practice depend upon each person and their individual needs, but I do think that the frequency that those specific things are suggested to a warranted, given the much higher prevalence of ADHD people in the circle or makers than in the population at large

Helpful tips! Thank you.

Two words....look up! I think we miss a lot of storage options by not considering the areas above our head. Lots of unused space. Also, your video is even better watching at 1.5x speed.

But, but, a drill press has such a small footprint, and the functional difference between a DP and a drill with a doohickey is HUGE.

What you say about cleaning up as you go and at the end of the day is SOOOOO true.

One thing you missed is this: Your walls can be THREE DIMENSIONAL storage.

Hi Scott, My greatest error is to not put my tools away, perhaps because I dont have enough cabinets, but also the traffic flow is poor. Having something in the middle of the room is a big waste of shop real estate My table saw is a monster that until recently, was in the middle of the shop without wheels and for whatever reason of the time, the infeed side faced the garage door and that was the problem. Now, I will discard all of the waste that has been collecting and turn the saw around! so I do not have to twirl the lumber around. to get to the cutting side. Thanks for all of your videos, each has been a keeper for the small details that could make us go insane.

Love the graph paper modeling. I did it for our last home (1,110 sq ft) and furniture, it was super helpful.
Garage now has a built in workbench with cabinets below but also overhead that are too deep. Really just in a bad spot entirely. Not sure whether to use it for storage and put a usable bench elsewhere or what? Its been 2 years and about 60% of the crap doesn't have a home location. Totally overwhelmed and it feels like an unachievable task.

Nobody:
Americans: compartmentalise

Thanks Scott. As a guy building in a small shop, your thoughts really help.

I put the focus on "outside". I have two grinders which I set up outside of the garage door. Compressor has done well in the attic. If I could keep a miter box outside I would. The key is appearance, because keeping tools safe from rain is actually easy. tHanks for the video

“I don’t make big projects” also shows video of cutting and milling long pieces

if you buy a bunch of LED lights randomly you might learn that their frequency is slower than your camera taking videos and it looks like someone is hitting the light switch twice per second. some bulbs are fast and dont do this, even on super slow mo. just something i found

$3 magnetic bars from harbor freight are a godsend for storage in a small shop on a budget. i could not recommend them enough. french cleats are fine, but are going to run you a bit more in time, if not money, than what it would cost for four of those bars.

My "shop" is 6m² and my workbench is a washing machine and I do most stuff on the floor.

Curtains can help a lot in some circumstances - be it material or a rigid material (corflute or whatever).

My workshop is my garage for my car and transforms. As someone who does airbrush art and needs to spray in my shop at times using mini gun... I would prefer closed storage for simplicity of cleaning and prevention of mess.

This doesn't mean cupboards/draws ... it can be a case of having removable panels across open cabinets (removable door - it could open upward or come off), or even curtains that can pull across in front of a wall of tools on cleats etc. This can work GREAT for keeping overspray off everything. I'm not sure how it goes with wood dust as that will get in the curtain and be a bastard to deal with as it will fall out when you move the curtain. Being able to remove them to shake or using a plastic sheet might be ok?

I also buy used metal filing cabinets for most of my power tools and saws etc. Cheap, super strong.

I myself, prefer to use electromagnets - a steel floor and I can clamp down or make my tools hover for easy movement by reversing polarity. ... well actually none of that is true but wouldn't it be kickass if it was workable? :D

Actually, casters ARE the answer, my friend, and here’s why: I have a small wood shop, as most of us do, and mine happens to reside in the only economical space available to me, my basement. I have all my big machine tools on casters that allows me the maximum layout flexibility, allowing me to configure and reconfigure my entire shop, or just a tiny portion of it, in just a few seconds by moving a machine or two into a different area of my small shop. It is because of CASTERS, my friend, that I have discovered the true genius of what the word “flexibility” means. Because of casters, I maximize my ability to accommodate any size stock on any of my machines without all the hassle and expense of having to buy or rent much larger shop space. Is it the most efficient situation? No. But for those of us who don’t make a million dollars a year, it sure beats the hell out of paying tens of thousands of dollars for a new shop. And, yes, most of us have already maximized the layout of our shops, so we do thank you for your insightful video. But, casters are, in fact, the answer for those of us who don’t own wood shops the size of a parking lot.

Lighting is very important. As we age, our vision deteriorates so it's important to have as much light as you can.

The bit about the lumber rack is convicting lol

Those drawers you have in your garage holding tools and stuff is nicer than any bit of real furniture I have ever had in my possession ever! You are truly an artisan

You can use cheap conventional sturdy foam as well. The trick is you have to freeze it but once you do you can drill or route it same as any other material.

First order retrieve-ability is more of a benefit for people that aren't neuro-typical. The primary proponent of it I've seen is Adam Savage who has ADHD. I also like to practice it as I have ASD and find that tools I can't see will eventually cease to exist in my mind.

Good video. A few thoughts...
Drawers are very convenient, but use up to 30~40% volume just in the drawer carcass and slides. That's a lot of cubic volume for convenience. Think carefully.
My first apprenticeship we did a quick put-away end of each day. But all Friday afternoon - after lunch to close - was just shop clean-up, organizing tools and materials, sharpening blades, etc. A very good practice. Maybe once a month for the home hobby shop?
When you find yourself searching for something; a tool, a part, materials, whatever ... it's time to stop and clean up. Cleaning the shop clears the mind.
Don't under-cut/over-snark the science of shop lighting. A lot of excellent work has gone into this topic and is available online. Lighting levels are important for effectiveness and safety. A bit of research can save a lot of frustration and money, and maybe a finger.

Lots of great ideas here. I want to do some woodworking and have a fairly big garage but I don’t want tools consuming all the square footage as I work on vehicles, bikes, etc.

What is your hand drill holder ? I'm looking to have something similar.

You’ve googled the term "5S" don’t you ? I did too 😜

A+ on the politician bit

hahahahhahahah I just say stuff so i can get elected

Scraps and wood storage> autism tool management, tons of wall space and roof space for tons of stuff, every inch can be used and should be used

Gluing fine sandpaper to vice jaws makes them infinitely more grippy…ii