Looking for Shop/Garage storage ideas (and pix, of course)

[Downeaster]

We have our place up for sale (again...). If we can sell it at or very near our asking price, we'll be putting up a new modular on our daughter's 9 acres which is 10 minutes from shopping and health care, vs. an hour plus where we are now. Plus of course, Momma gets a new house, energy cost savings will be significant and most importantly, Downeaster gets a purpose-built, heated shop!

I'm a Certified World Class Packrat, and I currently have a dozen or so assorted cabinets/bins/shelves for storing "stuff" from 4-40 screws to 5/8 x 8 bolts, plus bearings and various sorts of cultch.

If/when I move into a new dedicated shop (not a corner of the garage as currently exists) I'd like to have a reasonably homogenous system in place, all along one wall vs. the "here and there, wherever I could find a spot" system currently in use. Plastic bins/cabinets are fine for up to say 1/4-20 hardware, but I'll also need some steel or at least heavy-duty storage for the larger hardware.

Some of you folks (I'm looking at YOU, Mailman!) have shops/garages organized like an OCD wet dream. I'm looking for pictures/suggestions/sources for the storage units you bought or built. I've seen some of the stuff on Garage Journal and the high end systems at Home Cheapo but my budget won't stretch that far. I'd like to do as much as I can for $2000 or less.

Hit me...

 

[jetmechmarty]

I have an idea! I July/August it's too hot to play golf in Phoenix. Maine has summer somewhere in there. Send @Mailman a ticket on Delta. Maybe a few bucks for Mailman and your useless junk will be gone. Whatever you keep, you'll know exactly where it is. If you can keep it that way, when you go for the dirt nap, your kids won't have to get rid of your crap with a dumpster and a shovel. I've done this for my last three moves. I recognize my weakness. It doesn't have to be Bob, but we all know he can do it well!

 

[Downeaster]

Wouldn't dast take the chance. Bob is likely to have The Big One if he saw my shi...uh...shop.

 

[Mailman]

Why does my name seem to always come up when people think of an OCD neatnik? Guilty as charged. I’m this way mostly because I’ve always had to do everything in a two car garage that’s holding four vehicles! The hardest part is being ruthless and getting rid of stuff, even stuff you like.
But on to storage solutions, the three biggest organizers I’ve got are
1. Custom built on site storage cabinets with adjustable internal shelving. 12’ long x 7’ high x 3’deep for $500

By the way I can fit a double row of big Tupperware storage tubs on top of the cabinets.

2. Adjustable gear track, for hanging stuff on the wall. Absolutely great for maximizing storage without taking up floor space. I have a crazy amount of stuff hanging on the walls. First I was looking at name brand stuff, such as Home Depot Gladiator brand, but man that gets expensive really fast. Eventually I found Walmart Hyper Tough track storage system. Sure it’s not as nice as the good stuff, but it’s strong and affordable and has all sorts of different hangers you can piece meal together to hang just about anything you want from ladders to hoses and extension cords and yard tools, I’ve got collapsible saw horses ( another great space saver ) hanging up. You name it, if I can hang it, I do.

Specialty hooks sold separately , much cheaper than Gladiator brand.
,
3. The last thing that I really love is peg board, it’s cheap, can be configured in endless variety and it’s super efficient in small spaces.


Don’t forget a shop sink and a fire extinguisher and plenty of plug ins and overhead lighting!


That’s the Mailman guide for maximum storage in a minimum of space!

 

[Jim]

Read your first comment DE, thought about moving and looked around my packrat's den.... and broke into a cold sweat. Ima go lay down now.....

 

[Downeaster]

+1 on the pegboard!

Thinking about going a little upscale on that and getting some of the galvanized metal stuff that uses slots vs. round holes and pegs that don't fall out when you grab a tool.

Looking at these for the larger hardware and building a cabinet for a bunch of these for the smaller stuff.

 

[Jim]

round holes and pegs that don't fall out when you grab a tool.

Back when I used pegboard, I used to run safety through the holes and around the hook. Keeps it nice and solid and only need a pair of dykes to change it up.

 

[SomervilleXS650]

I had to make do with just a small section of basement in my 100+ year old house. The worst part was repointing the fieldstone foundation, but then was able to epoxy the walls and floor, drywall over the ceiling and non-foundation walls, and put in a crap-ton of lighting in the hopes of forgetting I was in a basement.

What I found to be effective in a pretty small footprint was a couple of these moveable storage units from Harbor Freight, which were actually pretty darn nice for < $200 each. So they're movable storage, plus workspace .

Then I splurged a little on the wall storage since there wasn't too much. I agree with Mailman on the utility of pegboard, but I hate hate hate the reality of pegboard. The pegs fall out! And while that sounds like not a big deal, the tenth time the damn peg falls out when you grab a wrench and falls behind the bench will drive ya nuts. And yes, there are tricks (zip ties etc) to help but it's a pain and not easily reconfigured. So I opted for "Wall Control" powder coated slotboard. You can also use standard pegs, but the slotted hooks etc stay put much better. Plus it looks pretty trick w/ the different color options, so that's a nice bonus.

 

[Mailman]

Another idea that I wish I had the room for , is a home built work bench that is long and had storage underneath.
I’ve known guys that made them out of 2x4’s and 3/4” plywood and ran them all the way along one wall or around an inside corner. You can mount drill presses and vises, bench grinders, whatever and underneath you can store small compressors, gas cans, saws and bulky items. You could even run air lines and quick disconnects to the bench and outlets all along the front.

 

[Downeaster]

@SomervilleXS650 - Yup, that's the stuff I was talking about.

@Mailman - The plan is for a 24x24 "garage" style building, on a slab, no windows, one overhead door. Insulated and finished walls and ceiling. At least one of the walls (probably the one opposite the overhead door) will have a full-width bench with full width pegboard above it. Duplex outlets every 4-6 feet all the way around 3 walls at about 40", above bench height. 220 outlets near the overhead door.

One side wall will have my lathe, belt sander, drill press, shop press and probably the Shopsmith along it. The other side will will have the welders and plasma cutter, air compressor, and tablesaw (which I'll have to get a rolling stand for). The chop saw will have to go on a collapsible stand if I run out of bench space for it. If there's any room left the rest will be bench to meet the back wall and stack all the parts storage on.

 

[Mailman]

That sounds like a heck of a nice shop set up DE! I’ll be honest , I think I had as much fun setting up my new garage as I did building my bike! There are days you can’t hardly blast me out of there! I hope this all works out for you!

 

[GLJ]

budget won't stretch that far.

Congrats if you get to build your shop.
If you think this will be the last home you buy be careful you don't underspend. Nothing worse than a year or so down the road saying I wish I had done this or that. Bigger is better. I put up the biggest building the city would let me. Thought it would be more than I needed. Now it seems small. Put some windows in it. You don't want to work in a cave. Have at least a 10 foot ceiling. Money spent on insulation is a one time cost. Energy cost go on forever and increase. I went with 2x6 studding so I could get a better R factor.
Building as cheaply as possible usually causes regrets or a lot of expense to make you happy.

 

[Downeaster]

The shop will be twice what I have now at 24x24, plus we'll eventually be building a garage to go with it. Plan is to get the house and shop done for cash, take a breather and then use the equity to build a garage big enough for all our vehicles (daughter and us).

 

[Downeaster]

Well. Communication from our "agent" has been conspicuous by it's absence. Thinking she blew a little smoke up our nether regions about what we could get for Casa Downeaster and is now dragging her feet. Haven't even seen a listing agreement.

The longer we think about the hassle involved in selling, moving, building, moving again etc. ad nauseum the less enthralled we are with the idea. Mrs. Downeaster particularly.

She just gave me a list of a few things she want done to the house and permission to build a new shop right here on Someday Farm.

I'll contact a different agency in the morning and see if I can make them understand that I need a no-bullshit as-is price that they think they can deliver. If the numbers work fine. If not, thanks for your time and have a nice day.

Meanwhile, I've got a 100 foot tape and a handful of stakes...

 

[Downeaster]

Preliminary once over confirms it will fit as an extension to the rear of the existing garage. Thinking entry door from garage to shop and overhead door from shop to driveway.

Need to come up with a way to weather-proof the overhead door so I'm not trying to heat the whole outdoors.

 

[Downeaster]

Well, here it is noon and not a peep out of the second real estate agency.

The concrete around the plan to stay here is curing rapidly.

Got to thinking, I can convert an existing (new in 2010) tool shed, 20x24 into a heated shop fairly inexpensively. Got a call in to the local utility to get a price for running power down to it.

Plan C, if my brother-in-law gets his own apartment is to partition off half the existing garage (reducing it to a one-car garage plus shop plus wood shop) and insulate and heat it. That would be the cheapest alternative by a wide margin seeing as it already has power.

 

[Mikey]

 

[Mailman]

That guys a genius!

 

[Mikey]

That guys a genius!
View attachment 187913

I've seen a few like that but his is so simple and the casters don't get in the way
Time to start drawing one up I have a big area where something like that would fit and I can get rid of my drop down table

 

[Downeaster]

Second realtor just left. She'll get back to me with a suggested price tomorrow or Saturday AM. She seemed favorably impressed, so I guess we shall see.

A bit of explanation. The "town" of Gouldsboro consists of seven villages, of which Prospect Harbor (my home) is one. The next one up the road, about 3 miles away, is Birch Harbor. She just sold a small house - 1000ish sq. ft. - on two acres, no water frontage or view, in 12 hours. Asking was $310K, sold for $350K after a bidding war. That gives me hope we may be able to get enough equity out of this place to build our dream.

If the numbers work, I'll talk Maw into going for it. If not, we'll dig up a couple of those coffee cans full of cash in the back yard and spruce this place up a little and call it good.