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It is deep within the inner sanctums of the workshop that the creative juices flow and the magic is done.
Marc Horovitz, Garden Railways Magazine, October 2003

I used to work on my large scale trains upstairs in a spare bedroom. It has a large window facing south, so even on cold winter days the room was warm and sunny.

Unfortunately my power tools were in a basement workshop which required a three storey hike downstairs and then back up. At my age it did not take long to realize this was not a good working arrangement and I began considering alternatives.

As I had sold my second vehicle after retiring, there was now room in my two car garage for my power tools. A quick sketch showed that the tools could be stored in the empty bay without interfering with the normal use of the garage.

The following week the power tools were moved to the garage. Here they are shown in their stored position.

When I want to use them, the doors are opened, the car parked in the laneway and the tools spread out around the perimeter of the garage. This provides with much more room that was previously available in the basement.

My chop saw is mounted on a government surplus credenza with the bookshelves removed from the center. Although inexpensive to buy, it has a steel frame, sturdy wooden top and sliding drawers for tools. There are blocks in the bottom drawer the same height as the base of the saw so long pieces can be supported. The nylon feet have been replaced with castors, so it can be rolled in and out of its stored position.

The planer and sander are mounted small government surplus tables. The sander is removable and can be replaced with my router and router table which is stored a shelf at the back of the garage.

The bench saw is mounted on a steel stand with casters at the front and rubber feet at the back. The rubber feet keep it from sliding when in use. By lifting the back of the saw the casters can be used to roll it back into its stored position. The blue plastic bin underneath the saw catches most of the sawdust.

The workbench is another surplus credenza. Hardboard has been fastened to the top with double-sided tape. When the top gets too chewed up or dirty, it can be replaced. My heavy tool chest sits beside it and is handy for automotive work.

The chop saw, planer, sander and bench saw no longer fill the basement with sawdust. After a work session the machines are cleaned with a leaf blower and the sawdust blown out of the garage.

After the woodworking tools had been moved to the garage, my model railway tools, work table and storage bins were moved to the basement.

The only heavy tool that remained was my drill press. It is mounted on a surplus credenza with hardboard covering the top. That $10 light next to it was the best accessory I ever bought for it. My next drill press will have laser sighting as mine is fading.

My desk, another surplus credenza, sits under the window with a view of the pool and lots of sunshine.

Next to it is my work table. It is a large government surplus table with 1/4 inch hardboard double taped to the top. Although the shop is lighted with fluorescent tubes, the telescoping light and magnifier mounted to the back of the table really help when working on small parts. Between the light and magnifier is a power bar fastened with double-sided tape.

Just above the table to the right are small parts bins fastened to the wall. Like everything else in the shop, the table is on casters and can be moved to the center of the room if two or more people are working on a project. Above the table to the left is a railway clock that will sound on the hour. A toggle switch has been added to the bottom to silence the clock when it is not needed.

Under the table are two storage bins that hold my most used tools. All the storage and parts bins are labeled so that any tool or part can quickly be found when needed.

The drawers have been lined with the boxes and foam sheets.

Around the corner from the work table are more storage bins for project materials and less frequently used tools.

During the winter the basement is used to store patio furniture which is used for coffee breaks. This along with other amenities such a beverage fridge, coffee maker, TV, radio and a few left over pictures, make the workshop a pleasant place to spend a few hours.