Finally pulled the trigger on the garage overhaul. Here’s where things stand.
Alright, so I’ve been putting this off for way too long. The garage had reached that point where I’d walk in, look around, and just walk back out because I didn’t even know where to start. Sound familiar to anyone?
The honest problem was storage. Or the complete lack of it. I spent a good chunk of time going back and forth on plans for building upper and lower cabinets, and even got deep into the idea of wall-mounted hanging cabinets that would swing out with storage on both sides. Cool in theory. But every plan I landed on still had the same issue: the workbench was staying, which meant it was going to keep being a dumping ground for literally everything.
So I changed course.
Instead of trying to build something custom right now, I went with a rolling tool storage unit from Craftsman. I know, I know, those are usually associated with mechanics. But I’d seen enough woodworkers using them for shop storage that it made sense to look at it differently. The drawer space alone is genuinely useful for getting tools off surfaces and into a dedicated spot.
Getting it approved was shockingly painless, too. I mentioned it to my wife, expecting the usual negotiation process, and she just said, “Go for it.” Honestly caught me off guard.
Once it arrived, it was time for the “everything in its place” phase. The larger tools went into the deeper drawers first: circular saw, jigsaw, pocket hole jig, sander. That kind of thing. I also stripped the workbench down before taking it out, just tossing everything into totes in the meantime. Not the most efficient move, but it got the job done.
One thing I didn’t expect: I have more drawers than I have stuff right now. Which is actually a good problem to have. I’m planning to label everything so future-me doesn’t end up digging through every drawer looking for one thing.
Still on the list is building a portable miter saw station. There are a ton of plans floating around for those, and I’d like to get it set up in a way that stores away when it’s not being used. That’s phase two.
Curious if anyone else has gone through a similar overhaul. Did you go the build-it-yourself route for storage or end up going prebuilt? And if you’ve built a miter saw station, which plan did you end up using?
I also wrote up a bit more detail on the process over on the blog if you want the full breakdown: https://themakerdad.com/taking-those-first-steps-a-workshop-overhaul/