Introduction

[sawdust703]

welcome to the forum. take into consideration what you have for electrical outlets. Build your work space in close proximity to them. Use all the wall space available, & mobilize your big tools. Buy tools as the need arises. You'll have more planning time for the next one. Good ventilation & lighting is good too. As mentioned, make craigslist your friend. Again, welcome to the forum. Don't be afraid to ask questions. We've got a friendly, helpful forum here. An excellent place to learn & acquire best friends with the same interests.

[FloridaRetiree]

Hey Young Buddy!

Been there; done that.

Learned to build almost all machinery on relatively large industrial casters (3 inches or more) to move around to accommodate the limited space.

[Halfathumb]

I didn't see a forum to introduce myself so I thought I would provide a quick intro and say hi.  I am Glenn and I live in Lexington, KY.  I have loved DIY projects as long as I can remember.  From sheds to ceramic tile work to house wiring and plumbing and on to all sorts of wood working projects.  When we remodeled our house I put in a wall of floor to ceiling shelving that's 23' long.

But I've never had anything more than a rough built project workbench and tabletop tools.  I'm thinking about retirement and will need to do something to augment a meager income or forget about retiring until I am in my 70s.  They say retirement is more satisfying if you do something you love.  So I've decided to turn my garage into the workshop I've always wanted and start doing what I enjoy.  (Unless I can make golf turn a profit...  naaaaa)

My first task is to empty out my very messy garage then spend some time planning and building a shop.  I have set back enough money for essential tools.  As long as I am economical and take my time I think I can manage.  Of course my first goal is to build all of the cabinets, tables and racks I need for storage and project work.  It is a large 2-car garage.  My only limitation is to give my wife room to park her jeep in the garage when I'm not working.  So I need to be able to have a plan that allows me to store the cabinets and tools out of the way when I'm not using them and easily spread it out when I am.  I have about 8 feet at the end of the garage to use and still get her jeep wrangler in.  But I wouldn't want to have more than 5' used that is permanent.

I am very open to suggestions for plans for mobile tool cabinets and work tables and the tools to acquire.  The big thing is to get quality equipment at a decent price.  I'm not opposed to purchasing good used or more "value" tools and upgrade as I learn.  I currently have a small bench-top table saw and and some hand power tools.  They definitely not of the quality needed for serious woodworking.  I'll be browsing all the forums and asking questions about tools and shop setups.

So I'm glad to be here and am looking forward to meeting the good people of Woodnet and other forums.

Welcome aboard. A shop, as you'll soon learn, evolves. Can't tell you how many times I've reconfigured mine. It's fun though.