Wood Shop - A Starting Point

tl,dr: I have a wood shop, but it needs a lot of work. Here's where we're starting.

When I bought my house a few years ago, one of the key selling point to me was this longer than normal 1-car garage out back. Which already had power running to it.

Of course, I learned quickly that the power that was out there was wildly inadequate for what I wanted to be doing. I was basically just enough to have some lights in there.
So I hired an electrician, as I have about zero understanding of that kind of electrical work, and we got it updated. I did a LOT of physical labor to make that happen.

I spent most of a summer cleaning, updating, squaring (the whole garage was on a 7 degree tilt at the time), and just basically getting ready to have a shop. Then winter hit the first year and I had to stop. Because one thing this place isn't... is insulated.
So now I've got proper power, and some time. I started building without really planning. Never a good idea.

The pegboard went up super early because I wanted a spot to put tools that would be easily accessible as I built things. I did do that, but I wasn't happy with how things were really working out with it. Despite doing all the things you're supposed to, pegs would fall out and behind the work bench, which I ended up putting on casters so I could get behind it. And generally, it was a pain to work with. I'm way to clumsy and ham-fisted to work with pegboard. So now it's there as a reminder to think first.

I tackled two birds with one stone here. I put insulation in the wall and OSB over it to hold it in. Half because OSB is cheaper than drywall, and half because it offers better structural support. (And I wanted a wood, not plaster look). Then I added the french cleats over it. I thought ahead a little, and left the lowest cleat 48" from the ground, figuring highest I'd make a workbench for this side would be 40". Then I added one more at the bottom, becauseI made too many cleats. That will probably come off. I'm also debating painting the OSB, but not sure what color.
On this side of the shop, I'll be building more of a table saw station ,and a new miter/chop saw station, and thanks to seeing what David Picciuto did here, I think I'll add a router table to the side of my miter station.

Way in the back, I'm currently just storing wood. I want to build a rolling lumber rack, and some shelves to add there. The wood is super deep right now because I got a huge lot at an estate sale, and just unloaded it. I haven't even really gone through it yet. There was some drywall in that lot, too, and that's actually going to go up on the ceiling once I do the insulation, to help reflect light back down.

So projects already planned:

  • Barn doors to replace the garage door and mechanism
  • Leveling and epoxy coating the floor
  • More lights, so many more lights
  • Table Saw Station
  • Miter Saw/Router Table station
  • Cabinets, so many cabinets, some with lights.
  • Rolling lumber rack
  • Insulation
  • Find a wood burning stove

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Third try is the charm!