Shop Tour - Summer 2025

A little over two years ago, we moved into our current house in North Carolina. Since then, I have acquired some tools, built some organizational solutions, and added some quality-of-life features to the garage workshop.The space is mostly functional, and easy to work in with the exception of the hottest summer days, but I’d like to add some more key things to enable me to do more projects. Here is a brief overview of the shop as it is, and some upgrade plans I have for the near future.

Overview

The space is a two-car attached garage, measuring about 20’ x 20’, though my shop area is mostly confined to the rear quarter. I have added pegboard and plywood panels around the walls, measuring from about 2’ from the floor up to about 6'.

Shelves, Hardware, and Consumables

The right-most pegboard holds cleaning and outdoor tools, such as brooms, mops, rakes, and the weedeater. This area is starting to get a bit cluttered, but most of these tools see infrequent use, so reorganizing it is a low priority.

The shelves hold odd things that do not have a dedicated place, such as cans of paint or varnish and tools that have yet to find their home in a drawer. Someday I would like to add more shelves, but this is getting the job done at the moment.

I got a great deal on the tilt boxes above the rolling toolcart. These hold consumables, like wood screws, 1/4-20 hardware, and assorted nuts and bolts I’ve pulled our of various projects but couldn’t commit to thowing away.

The toolcart was my first big purchase for the shop. I’ve always appreciated the quality of Craftsman tools, ever since my dad got me a socket set to keep in my car the year I started driving. That set of tools got me through many roadside “adventures”. The cart itself is ok, though I’d probably get a Harbor Freight one for half the price if I did it all over again.

Computer and Pegboard

The tabletop itself was salvaged from an old standing desk that was converted to a sewing/ironing station in the house. The computer is a simple thin client running Linux Mint.

To the right is the pegboard with the most used tools. I added two magnetic holders for wrenches, screwdrivers, and cutting tools.

3D Printer Area

In the corner is an Ikea Kallax unit that has been through several moves and several states. It used to have a place in the house, but after enough scrapes and dings it has been relegated to the garage. On top are my 3D printers: A Flashforge Creator Pro and a Phrozen Sonic Mighty 4K. On the right is an Anycubic wash and cure station, used for the resin prints that come off the Phrozen printer.

I would like to replace this with a proper bench, with drawers and cabinets to hold the printers and other large tools. After so many moves, the Kallax is becoming a bit flimsy, and I need something other than bins and cubbyholes for storage.

Between the printer corner and the side bench is the window, currently holding a simple AC unit given to me by my folks. It does not do much in the uninsulated garage to change the temperature, but it does help lower the humidity and take the edge off during the hottest of days.

Woodworking Area

This side bench is usually where I run the RO sander or clamp down wood for the circular saw. At the moment, it is covered with stuff (as you can see). It’s a good, stable surface with a nice storage area underneath, but the way I built the legs makes it difficult to add drawers or a cabinet.

The radial arm saw is my most recent acquisition. This was picked up at the local ReStore and have been planning out how to build a table for both cross cuts and rips. I used to have an old DeWalt or Black+Decker that I used for so many projects. I am excited to have another one for the shop, and am looking forward to getting a proper workstation built for this.

Assembly Table

The last item on the tour, and probably the first to get upgraded, will be my assembly table. At the moment, my wife and I are sharing this simple fold-up picnic table. I’ll use it for woodworking, and then clean it off so we can dye fabric for her cross-stitch projects. So many of our projects get their start on this table, so I think it’s time we set up a proper space for assembly.

Onward and Upward

Looking back on the past 10 years, it’s hard to wrap my mind around how much has changed in my life. Since the summer of 2015, I…

• finished grad school,
• got married,
• moved to Maryland,
• moved to Florida,
• moved back to North Carolina,
• and been through various restructurings in my day job.

I’ve grown, changed, and learned a lot over the past decade. One thing I’ve come to realize is that I am most content when I am out in the garage: Shaping wood, running 3D printers, assembling furniture, even just cleaning up. I want to spend more time doing that, and less time worrying about regrets of the past or fears of the future. I hope this blog is the medium through which I can be more present in my present, and maybe bring a few readers along for the ride, if they are so inclined. :-)