Extreme Garage Shop Makeover Part 5 – Shop Starters

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Full woodworking shop layout after a garage makeover

Shop Starters for an Efficient Wood Shop Setup

In our ongoing saga on garage shop makeover ideas, we take a look once again at the October/November Issue #43 of Woodcraft Magazine.

This article explores three building blocks referred to as “Shop Starters,” the foundation for an efficient wood shop setup. Woodcraft Magazine Senior Editor Joe Hurst-Wajszczuk built four stacking stools, two torsion boxes, and a base cabinet to be used by themselves or in combination to get work off the floor, provide a work surface and give some needed storage. In a small shop environment, the best part about these three designs is that they will all store compactly, allowing for full use of your garage space or other shop machines —smart thinking for anyone planning a garage shop makeover.

Organized wood shop setup with starter equipment like Stacking Stools and Hardwood Torsion Boxes.

Stacking Stool

This Stacking Stool can be used as a work surface, assembly table, a seating stool, a sawhorse, or stands for torsion boxes if two are made. With this design, the stools are stackable and easily stored. These plywood Stacking Stools can be built step by step with this article and the assistance of the Cut List below.

Stacking Stool cut list

 

Illustrated diagram showing dimensions and labeled parts of a plywood stacking stool, including top, stretchers, and legs with rabbet joint details and measurements for building the project.

Woodworker assembling a plywood stacking stool frame on the shop floor using a nail gun, with a completed stool visible in the background.
Two stacking stools standing side by side with two additional stacked on top in a workshop, showing smooth unfinished wood. The design shown is a great beginner woodworking project.

Torsion Box

When a work area is limited for space, the Hardwood Torsion Box is reliably strong, yet a movable, flat work surface that is simple to create. Build it to your own specifications and shop space requirements, and pair it with the best starter tools for a wood shop to make setup and adjustments easier.
Cutaway illustration of a torsion box showing labeled parts, joinery, and hardware details including 3-inch screws, 1¼-inch finish nails, and a ¾-inch groove. The diagram highlights measurements, roundover edges, and construction notes for building the project.
Torsion Box cut list
Woodworker assembling a plywood torsion box on a stacking stool workbench in a garage workshop using a nail gun and air compressor.

Base Cabinet

The third piece of the puzzle in this building block is the Base Cabinet. This multipurpose cabinet can also be a support surface, but the main feature here is adjustability. Shelves slide in and out for various tool sizes, and the base has leg levelers in order to adjust the height even with the stacking stools or other work surfaces in your woodworking shop.

Plywood base cabinet with adjustable shelves storing power tools and accessories, shown under a workbench in a wood shop with overall dimensions listed beside it.


diagram of a plywood base cabinet showing labeled parts, joinery details, dado and rabbet cuts, screw placement, and adjustable leg hardware for assembly.
Base cabinet cut list
Woodworker using a drill to install adjustable leveling feet to the base frame of a cabinet during assembly in a workshop.

Listen as Joe and I talk through these smart builds at his shop in Alabama—projects that transform simple materials into functional cornerstones for any garage shop makeover.

 

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