Make Your Tools Mobile.
Tools don't necessarily have to be lightweight to be portable. By
using mobile bases, you can even make heavy tools, such as a table
saw or workbench, easy to move around. That way, you can pull them
into position when in use, and “park” them around the
perimeter of the garage when you need to make room for cars.
How you mobilize is up to you. Some tool manufacturers offer bases
fitted to their tools, or “universal” styles that can
be assembled in different configurations to handle tools of many
sizes. You can fit a mobile base to a workbench or other hard-to-move
shop fixtures, though you may have to modify the base.
Shop-built mobile bases present another great option. Designing
your own bases lets you customize them to meet your needs. When
possible, build storage into the base or underneath the tool or
fixture so that you can keep related tools and accessories together.
Keep Fixtures Compact. When buying or building fixtures for
your garage shop, make sure that any that will be built-in or immobile
allow clearance for cars. And whenever possible, choose fixtures
that can be moved or broken down when not in use.
We recently built a garage shop full of such fixtures, including
a built-in bench with a pull-out top to create extra work space,
a fold-down cutting and assembly table, and even a finishing room
with curtain walls that slide out of the way. Click on the links
below to find downloadable plans for all of these "Ultimate
Home Workshop" projects. |