I am a Quality Assurance Evaluator for Air Force Contractors and live in Great Falls, Mont. My shop is 11 feet by 21 feet with a 10-foot ceiling. It was built on the back of my two-car garage. The floor is painted plywood and the walls are insulated and covered with sheetrock. A thermostatic controlled forced air heater enables me to work year-round.
Workbenches
Along one wall is a maple work-bench made from the tops of old workbenches, with metal drawers and cabinets below. A roll-around tool box is held in place with small bolt locks under one end of the workbench. An air compressor that can be pulled out to be used in the garage is under the other end of the workbench. The cabinet door can be closed to help cut down on the noise when using the air nailer. The wall above the workbench is covered with peg board where my most used small hand tools are stored.
The center workbench is from Sears with ¼” masonite attached to the back to keep dust out of the drawers. This is where I store most of my power hand tools. There is a retractable power cord above the bench which is used for hand power tools. The drill press rests on an old kitchen cabinet that holds hand drills, drill bits and accessories.
Tools
The table saw and planer are on locking wheels and are both set the same height as the center workbench which is used as an out feed table. The bench sander and mini-lath are mounted on work surfaces mounted to the wall. Small wood storage is in one corner of the shop and larger pieces are stored under the deck which is just outside the door on the end wall.
Besides the wood working tools I have a wire feed welder (Handyman test item) and a grinder/wire brush on a homemade stand for fabricating metal parts for my projects. An air filter hangs from the ceiling and an exhaust fan is mounted on one of the end walls.
I built the dust collection system around an older two-motor Sears vacuum. The vacuum is controlled with a remote control so that it can be turned on from where I am working. Most of my projects have been toys such as trucks and doll houses. I have also repaired and restored pieces of furniture found in dumpsters or along the street on garbage pick-up day.