The trick to setting up a workshop in a two car garage is being able to get two cars in at the end of the day, or at least at the end of the season when the snow starts to fly, which is right about now in Indiana.

To accommodate all of my workshop must-have tools, as well as a couple of vehicles, I made my garage workshop modular so it can be rolled out of the way when not in use.

The key components to my workshop are a bunch of old recycled throw-away items, like dressers, TV stands and even a half-bath vanity from a previous remodel. Each has been reconfigured into its present utilitarian work station and outfit with casters for easy mobility. These items include:

• A Recycled Filing Cabinet (Miter Saw Station)
• A Recycled Dresser (Utility Table with 4-Drawer Storage)
• A Recycled Half-Bath Vanity (Table Saw Work Station)
• A Recycled TV Stand (Platform for an Antique Toolbox Built by my Grandfather)

When in use, I can pull both vehicles out into the driveway and configure these components for the needed task, whether it’s for a table saw, miter saw, router table or whatever.

The other challenge was to make all of these components the same height as both my table saw and miter saw so they can be used as out-feed support. This was accomplished by varying the height of the casters, which I picked up at my local independent home improvement retailer.

While this modular system is great, it’s no substitute for a real workbench. But again, the challenge is to have enough room to fit two full-size vehicles and be able to get in and out of them.

So I came up with a fold-down plywood workbench with legs on hinges that can be folded up out of the way and a workbench top (bolted to the beefed-up framing members with heavy-duty hinges) that folds flat and hangs against the wall. This gains me an additional two feet, which is crucial to being able to fit two full size vehicles in the width I have to work with.

   

Finally, for added storage I hung a set of recycled kitchen cabinets on the back wall above my modular work station. For cabinets that would otherwise have ended up in a landfill, they sure do the trick at keeping my tools and miscellaneous items organized and within quick reach.

The total cost of everything was probably a couple hundred bucks when factoring in plywood, casters and other hardware.

Have you come up with a creative garage workshop you’d like to share? Send me your photos and description of what you’ve done. I’m always looking for better ways to do organize my workshop that doubles as a two-car garage.