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Workshop Remodel Ideas

Billy Newton

3 Ways I DRASTICALLY Fixed My Workshop

My workshop is broken. It’s unusable.  My tools are all over the place.  There are tools and woodworking jigs in the floor.  I can’t hang tools on the walls.  And I’m constantly tripping over tools and power cables.  My woodshop is so bad that I don’t show certain parts when I’m filming videos because it’s too embarrassing.  I decided enough is enough. 

Make a Tool Wall

One of the best storage concepts is to show off what you got! Instead of putting tools out of sight, I will make them visible by hanging tools on the wall. This feels up precious storage space, but also allows tools to be at the ready when I need them.

I installed shiplap boards on my workshop wall.  It’s some nice looking stuff!  The shiplap came from my local big box store.  It’s made of particle board and has a faux finish. I have the mantra of “do what works for you”. You can use shiplap like I did. You can use wall paneling. You can simply hang a piece of plywood on the wall. Regardless of how you do it, the benefits are the same. A tool wall will allow you to hang items anywhere you want without having to find a stud, plus it’ll drastically improve the esthetics and functionality of the shop.

Storage, Storage, Storage

What if you don’t want to hang an item on the wall? That’s exactly why a good workshop has good storage solutions. I needed storage that has a large capacity. At this point, I don’t need a ton of drawers and shelves. I have some larger items that eat up space. These need to get off the floor and into a space that will hide them from public eye.

A lot of people instantly think of making cabinets. It’s a fine option. I personally find making them to be boring, and I don’t believe they will give me the flexibility that I want. Instead of building cabinets, I used steel shop stands I purchased from Rockler.  This project is not sponsored; I paid for everything in this video with my own money. 

Assembling the stands was pretty straightforward. I placed each against my shop wall, but again, they’re flexible. If I decide I want to rearrange things then I can move or two to a different location. I can turn one in to an assembly table. I have options. Once they were assembled, I added a plywood top. I didn’t invest a lot of effort into this. It’s shop furniture and I know I’ll end up replacing it down the road as it gets beat up over time. I also added maple plywood doors with concealed hinges. Now, I have a ton of storage space and I can easily add a shelf here and there when I feel the need.

Organize it All

Organization is a big problem for me. What is the point in having a tool wall and storage if everything is spread out in multiple places?

I relocated my lumber rack and reorganized all of my wood slabs.  My lumber rack was right next to my milling equipment. It made sense at the time, but it also ate up a lot of valuable wall space next to electrical outlets and it created a third wood storage location. Yes, a third. I have wood in three places: a room for slabs that are drying, a wall with my lumber cart and dry slabs, and another wall with my lumber rack. I obviously didn’t make all of these decisions at one time. My stop sort of morphed into this over the years. I relocated the lumber rack so it’s next to the lumber cart. It’s still close by the milling equipment, but now all of my dry lumber is in one location.  It’s a huge help.  That freed up a lot of wall space, allowing me to add more tools. 

With the lumber organized, I had opportunities to organize other like things. I moved my router table next to the new shop storage. It has a similar Rockler stand and fits perfectly next to them. I moved my drill press down the wall so it’s accessible, but not in the way. I got rid of different looking tool stands and used the same type, saving room and giving the space some cohesiveness.

Ultimately, I love how it turned out!  The shop looks better, but more importantly my workshop functions better.  Let’s hope it stays that way.

•• About NewtonMakes••

I’m Billy and I make fun things.  Sometimes, it’s something I need like tool storage ideas.  Other times it’s silly or nerdy stuff that I want to build. If you want to get ideas for making stuff, or just want to watch something entertaining then make sure you subscribe.

 

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