# Garage/Workshop Makeover



## MT Stringer

I haven't been working on any new projects lately because I have decided I need to get better organized.

Boy what a mess! I am doing some cleaning, painting, "throwing away"...oh, and building some cabinets for storage.

I am using pocket hole construction throughout - no glue atall.

I will add a few pics as I progress.

I started with the alcove (or whatever it is called). I built and installed two upper cabinets. I made two of them because one would have been too hard to install. They are hung on French cleats. Face frames and/or doors will be the last thing I do after the cabinet building is complete.

Here are the before and after pics of this area. Yep, that is battleship gray!


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## WillieP

Looking good Mike, you can come do my shop when you finish with yours. :work:


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## Texas1960

Looking good. Organization is a pisser. Never get to where I want to be. To many cant get rid of scraps!


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## Gottagofishin

Very nice. I'm feeling inspired


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## MT Stringer

And now for an update.
I have cleaned off the tool box, removed my old work bench of 20+ years, and relocated the rolling tool box to it's new spot.
I painted the wall as I was moving things around. Fresh paint always helps.
Next was new conduit boxes with additional receptacles. I have been using a single outlet for all those years. 
One new cabinet has been built and hung in place.
Today I will be putting the second one together and hopefully get it hung before midnight! 
I am really stoked about my cabinet design. It is working out great.

Here are a few pics of the progress.
First one is the "Before" pic.
And a pic of my cabinet design "Plan".
I ran some conduit and added the receptacles - and passed the smoke test!


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## trodery

I sure like that idea for the drills!

Looking good Mike!


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## MT Stringer

trodery said:


> I sure like that idea for the drills!
> 
> Looking good Mike!


There will be 12 cubbies total when I am finished. The dividers can be removed for something bigger...like a router if need be.


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## Old Whaler

Looking good! Here's a little tip. On the upper shelf you made for the spray paints, cut a 1x4 strip and put it down in the back of the shelf. Put the back cans on top so they are taller than the front ones. You can see the top of each one instead of having to pull so many out to check the color of the ones in back.


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## MT Stringer

Today I got the second cabinet put together and hung on the wall. Gotta love it when a plan comes together.

Dead level. Check out that bubble on the back of the drill. 

Now it is time to build some face frames and finish up the installation.


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## WildThings

Looking at the pocket hole layout - you going to take it down to attach the face frame? Ouch!!

Be sure to post pics afterward and during!


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## speckle-catcher

he did say they were hung on French cleats - so should be simple to take down and attach the face frame.

but you do gotta take out all the "stuff" in the cabinet.

good work Mikey...wanna come work on mine next?


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## bill

The light is what sticks out to me. Good location , up and out of the way and in the best place to provide light.
Looks real good


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## Gottagofishin

I plan to steal that design. Looks fantastic.


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## bill

Oh I just thought of something. If you would have placed an extra inch between your drill shelves and the storage boxes, you could have installed a light bar. You could still add rope light or led strip.
I'm just on a light kick, I need light to see so much more these days


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## Law Dog

Great idea, it looks Fantastic. Makes me want to go clean and organize my workshop!


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## MT Stringer

I built the face frames and installed them yesterday. I also added some edge banding around the tackle tray openings. After a little final painting, I am calling these two a done deal! Also, take note that I cut hand reliefs in the tool dividers. That worked really well. I taped them together and cut all at once on the band saw, then sanded them all at once on the oscillating sander. That was a really short task that turned out nice.

I am really happy and everything is working just great. I have already caught myself looking in the old places for the tools when they are right in front of my face! :-(

Note: I didn't have to take the cabinets down to install the pocket screws for the face frames. My drill/driver fit in the openings after I removed everything. I did use a few brad nails to hold everything in place until I could get the screws driven.


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## 3192

Very nice looking!!


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## Tortuga

Looking great, Mike..you're putting the rest of us to shame...

When finished..let me know and I will send Trodery over for the final inspection and permission to go into production....:mpd:


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## MT Stringer

Here is a pic of the first pair of cabinets. I trimmed them out and painted everything needed.

I may build doors but that will come later.

Also, I found a new home for the pegboard I took down when the old workbench was demoed. This part of the wall has never been used because it is behind the adjacent door with only a couple of inches of useable space so hanging a few templates and my track saw guides is working out very well.

Next part of this makeover is to build a miter saw station that can also be used for other things. It is still in the drawing/design stage.

Onward and upward.
Mike


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## MT Stringer

Update: I am in the middle of building a miter saw station which should really help because it will have storage underneath and room for several tools to share the bench top.

I will post some pics later.


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## MT Stringer

Onward through the fog!

I have my new miter saw station built and put into service. I bought a new Hitachi miter saw that has less room required for the back side when operating the saw.

I built two base cabinets that provide more storage and has three drawers. This is working out pretty well. I have room to store short cutoffs (2 feet or less), my air compressor on a pull out tray, and another tray that will hold my mortising jig.

Next I built the actual miter saw stand and mounted it on the two cabinets using 8 bolts. The whole thing is on three inch locking casters. The stand is a combination of 



 and his 



. So far it is working out great.

Instead of building his fence and stop system, I built my fences according to the instructions included with the Kreg Precision Measuring Trak. I installed the fences with bolts so I can remove one or the other to free up additional work space. I am loving the holes for clamping stuff to the table. In fact, I have already used it to mount my pocket hole jig while drilling some holes.

The Kreg Trak is working great so far. It took me a little while to understand and figure out how to install the measuring tapes with an offset. That was so the production stop and swing arm stop cursor would read correctly.

I ordered a second swing arm stop so now I have one on each side. Note: They have to be dedicated to one side or the other. The cursor can only be install on one side. The production stop has dual cursors so it can easily be switched to the other side of the saw.

All said and done I have about 38 inches of measuring/stop I can set on either side of the saw. If I need more, I can easily set up an outfeed table if needed.

With the additional room on the table behind the fences, I have temporarily set up an oscillating sander and a belt sander. More organization.

I used the saw this week to build another cooler. The Kreg Trak system really made for some slick cutting. Thirty of this, 10 of the other, etc. Since I was cutting two different lengths from the same board, it was easy to switch from the production stop to the swing stop and continue cutting, thereby saving time and minimizing waste.

Happy, I am!

As soon as I can, I will work on piping up dust collection so each tool will have a port. Right now a Shop Vac sits under the table and is connected to the miter saw via Dust Deputy cyclone.

Here are some pics.
Hope you like them.
Mike


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## Gottagofishin

Looks great. I have that same saw. Love it. Getting the fence square with the blade is a bit of a PITA, but once dialed it is great.


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## 3192

Very nice set up! Starting to look like a commercial shop....thanks for sharing. gb


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## shade

*wall cabinets*

on your wall cabinet with the cleat hanger - how did you attach the cleat to the back of the cabinet? Thanks in advance


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## MT Stringer

shade said:


> on your wall cabinet with the cleat hanger - how did you attach the cleat to the back of the cabinet? Thanks in advance


Glued and screwed to the top crosspiece.


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## mas360

That is one neat way to hang cabinet....especially where you don't have a second pair of hands to help out.


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