From 
Air-Compressor Loft
Air compressors—even small ones—take up a lot of
valuable space. To preserve every square inch of floor space, build a little
corner shelf overhead. Nestle your compressor into a corner of the floor and
measure the size of the shelf you need to fit it. Leave an extra 2 in. of room
at the front where you can screw on a 2x2 lip to “corral” the
compressor so it won’t walk over the edge while it’s running. Then
measure the height of the compressor to determine the proper distance from the
ceiling to the shelf so the compressor has enough clearance.
To build the shelf, start by fastening 2x6 ledger boards to the studs with 5/16-in. x 4-in. lag screws driven into each stud. Screw down a chunk of 3/4-in. plywood on top of the 2x6s for the compressor floor and another chunk on the underside for a storage shelf. A strategically placed 3-in. hole makes it easy to drain the tank from underneath. To really complete this air tool station, solder 1/2-in. copper tubing and attach it to the compressor with a swivel “snubber” hose. Connect an air hose reel for compact hose storage for long-distance needs and a curlicue-style hose for air-at-your-fingertips bench work.
Pay for Service
A small shop can’t handle everything. Most
stationary tools are expensive and space hungry, but they can save hours of
time over smaller tools like hand planes and belt sanders. When you need an
occasional helping hand, find a cabinet shop that’s willing to plane,
sand, shape and rip the work that you bring in. For example, the wide belt
sander in the photo will do a perfect job of leveling a glued-up tabletop in
minutes—and you can usually have it done for under $20. A friendly
relationship can also pay off in terms of advice on things like joinery
techniques and as a source of raw materials or hardware.
Folding Assembly Table
You may not have room for a permanent assembly table, but
you can always clear a spot for this temporary folding one.
Buy a pair of collapsible sawhorses. Screw an old or damaged door (lumberyards often have rejects at rock-bottom prices) to the top of the horses. You’ll have a large workspace that folds up and takes very little room to store. Screw two 1-5/8 in. drywall screws up into the edges of the door at the end of each horse. The table will set up in about 60 seconds.
Ceiling Drawers
Eke
out every cubic inch of storage in a basement shop with pivoting boxes that
hang between the ceiling joists. When a drawer is down, you have easy access to
its contents. Use glue and 1-5/8 in. drywall screws to hold together the boxes,
then customize shelving for whatever you want to store.
Ceiling Drawers Cont'd
Make the width about 3/8 in. narrower than the cavity it
fits in and use double-nutted 3/8 in. x 3-1/2 in. carriage bolts for the two
pivot points. Two plywood cleats pivot on 3-in. screws to hold each drawer in
place in the “tucked” position. The drawers are perfect for
anything you only need occasionally. But be careful to keep contents relatively
light so you can safely open and close the drawers. It’s definitely
not the place to store your
anvils.
Peg-Board Shelving
Panel your shop with Peg-Board instead of drywall or
plywood and there’ll be no shortage of space to hang dozens of hand
tools, no matter how small your shop is. Homemade shelving that’s specifically for Peg-Board
takes the concept one step further. Use 2x4s and 1/4-in. L-hooks to make the
shelves. Chamfer the top back edge so the shelf can be tipped in and tighten
the L-hooks for a snug fit against the Peg-Board.
Pre-drill the edges of the 2x4s with a 3/16-in. drill bit and about every 6 in., screw in threaded 2-in. L-hooks to match the holes in your Peg-Board. These shelves are surprisingly strong and can be sized to fit your specific needs.
Up-and-Away Storage
The perfect place to store small quantities of long,
narrow offcuts and moldings is right over your head. Build this set of overhead
storage racks either in high basement ceilings or in the open trusses in garage
shops. Use 2x6s for the vertical hangers and doubled-up 3/4-in. plywood for the
lower angled supports. Secure each 2x6 into the framing with two 5/16 x 3-in.
lag screws. Screw each hanger into the 2x6 with two offset 5/16 x 3-in. lags.
The angle on the supports keeps stuff from sliding off.
Swing-Up Grinder-Stored
Grinders are great tools, but if your shop is cramped,
their occasional use doesn’t justify a permanent corner of your
workbench. Try hinging your grinder to keep it handy but out of the way when
not in use. A pair of 6-in. strap hinges and a 12-in. hook and eye with an
extra eyebolt are all you need to build this swing-up grinder
base.
Swing-Up Grinder-In Use
First, bend one strap of each hinge. Hold the hinges in
place and mark the bend. Then clamp each hinge in a vise so the mark is just
above the jaws and hammer it over. Mount the grinder on a block of wood and
mortise in the hinges with a router or chisel so the block sits flat on your
bench. Add an eye bolt toward the back of the block and mount the hook and eye
under the bench top to hold the grinder in place when it’s
stored.
A Nest of Crickets-Diagram
Lowboys, stools or crickets—whatever you call them,
these stands are amazingly strong and versatile. There are four separate
lengths for the tops and sides for four different-sized lowboys. You can make
all four “boys” out of one sheet of 3/4-in. plywood. The
progressively larger sizes allow them to nest for storage, making them perfect
for a cramped shop. The 16-in. height is just right for large work that might
not fit on normal sawhorses.
A Nest of Crickets
For working around the house, that extra height
makes it easy to reach ceilings. If that’s not reason enough, when your
buddies come over to help you cogitate the finer points of your next project,
there’ll be plenty of seating.
That airhose reel needs to be a little lower, otherwise cranking it up will be a pain.
trying to find more tool-less storage hooks. I have the patent number 5636819 and a trademark which only has "Tool-Less" purchased by a relative (they think thru a catalog) but they can't remember which one. one piece black and red, looks like of like a weird C shape with the hook part coming out the back of the C. Help, any info appreciated.