Shop area layout

[woodmats]

I'm having a hard time figuring out how to fit everything into my small basement shop area. So far, its pretty much been a mess where I was stepping over things all the time. I recently framed and drywalled this part of the basement and and installed outlets all around the shop so now I'm trying to get more organized. I'm building a workbench but what size and where do I put it? I plan to make it the same height as the table saw so it can serve as an outfeed table. Right now. I prefer to have the RAS against the wall in the picture below so I have easy access to it when I'm framing the rest of the basement but if I put it on the opposite side, I can use the wasted space between the water heater and wall for an infeed table and gain a fair amount of space overall. I would also like to have an assembly table but that may have to be a removable top on top of the workbench? Any thoughts about possible improvements?

[Mike77]

I have a 2 car garage and I'm sure I would be the envy of many a small shop owner. I upgraded from another house where I had a 1 car. Unfortunately, my wife owns one wall with her glass studio (fancy word for shop). I would kick her out, but she sells over $6000 worth of stuff every year, so I just hoping she doesn't kick me out. Small shops are definitely a challenge.


I recently decided that there simply is not enough room for an assembly table and a full sized workbench. In a small shop, many tools and workstations have to pull double duty. So, my advice is, figure out an axillary top for the workbench.

Another big frustration for me, where to keep lumber, sheet goods, and scraps. Scraps are so essential. I can't just throw them away.

[woodmats]

Mike,

I agree with you that lumber/sheet goods storage is a challenge, especially the sheet goods. I don't have a lot of hardwood scraps but I store all 2'+ cutoffs/shorts upright in a 60" x 22" bin with 6 cubby holes so I don't have to fight everything leaning into each other. It's located behind the furnace, out of the way. I elevated it 1' off the ground, again, to get more storage underneath, including short cutoffs in a box. I can't throw them away either. .It's a challenge to get full sheets down into the basement so I cut them up in the garage.
As far as compromises, I know that a lot of people have their router mounted on the tablesaw and I tried that for a while and could not stand it. I've decided that I keep a separate router table. Mobility is critical, I just don't know if it is possible to make the workbench movable?