Shop Cabinetry

Stan Crenshaw of Anderson, S.C., made this cabinet years ago for all his hand tools. It works well, but if he ever makes another one he'll do it differently. "I never close it for one thing; it works better for me as open storage. I keep a couple spring clamps on it most of the time to keep the doors from moving at all."

Along the north wall, Tom built cabinets as machine bases to replace the stands that accompany many machines. Normal cabinet height is 36", but the center grouping was built 30" high to make the working height of the drill presses more comfortable.

The smaller your shop, the smarter you have to be when laying it out to meet your needs. That's why for our 12x16' IDEA SHOP 3, we decided to go with a cabinet package that can be anything you want it to be. A bevel-ripped strip on the back of each cabinet allows them to be easily moved. A mating strip rides atop the perforated-hardboard wall panels.

We used wall-hung cabinets like this one to organize drill bits, hand tools, safety equipment, lathe tools, power tool accessories, and just about everything in between. The cabinets went together quickly, and didn't cost an arm and a leg. The acrylic door panels in the doors allow us to spot our well-organized tools in a jiffy, and keep the dust away from them too. The slotted backs enable us to build custom holders for our tools and position them exactly where we want.

When your garage makeover budget requires you to do some of your own assembly, you'll find that great directions, properly labeled parts, and complete hardware are a godsend. This cabinet clicked on all three key elements. Case in point: All the nuts and bolts were clearly identified and shrink-wrapped to a cardboard card for this particular cabinet used in Great garage Makeover 2011. "This went together way faster than we expected," according to Zac Voss, the homeowner. "All the big parts were clearly marked with their letter and which direction was up."

Perforated hardboard and hooks help you get organized once and for all. What's the #1 complaint most woodworkers have about their shop? You guessed it. They have a hard time finding the right tool when they need it most. If your shop could stand a little bit more order, try building the double-door cabinet shown. You can clean up your act in a hurry, which will leave you more time to do what you really want to do— build stuff.

This busy corner of Dale Heisinger's Orcas Island, Washington, workshop makes the most of precious wall space. Carving tools and chisels are stored in the cabinet on the right. The cabinet on the left is for stains, paints, and varnishes. Two rows of pullout boxes contain hinges, screws, nails, and bolts. Sanders, drills, and their accessories are in the lower compartments.

Opposite the workstation wall is Dave Estopinal 20"x20' workbench, with mitersaw. Drawers store nails for nail guns, brads, and sandpaper. The backsplash holds a variety of Dave's most frequently used tools. Air hose fittings are included at each end, along with 1¹⁄₂ " PVC pipe under the counter for broom storage.

Rod Cox, native of St. Paul, a farm town in southeast Iowa relied on store-bought Sears cabinets, carts, and countertops for the finishing center shown here and elsewhere in the shop so he could devote more time to building furniture projects.

In spite of its small size, Keith Schwartztrauber 's shop is rarely crowded or cluttered. All tools, accessories, and supplies are stored in drawers or behind doors. Machinery is either benchtop-sized or on wheels, so it can all be moved as necessary to accommodate a project.

"Easy and no mess' was Craig and Kim's mantra when they selected materials for their garage interior. The Maryland couple installed the 38 x100" Ag-Tuff panels (H & F Manufacturing; hfmfgcorp.com) over two weekends. Now that the garage is finished, Craig, an aerospace engineer, has more time to work on his Pontiac Firehawk. Always looking for a bargain, he watched for cabinet specials as part of the Sears Craftsman Club Days promotions.

A drafting table (foreground) was a must-have component for Jack's makeover. Cabinets at the front of the garage are original to the 1920s structure.