Workshop Basics

Set up, equip and run a safe home workshop

Build a home workshop that is safe, dry and easy to work in

Plain-English guides for people turning a garage, shed or spare corner into a place to make and mend things.

Start here

Most workshop problems trace back to a few early decisions: where the bench goes, how the space is powered and lit, how dust is dealt with, and which tools are bought first. Our guides take those decisions in a sensible order and explain the reasoning, so you can adapt them to your own space and budget.

Empty single garage with a concrete floor, a bare workbench along one wall and daylight from a side window

Planning a workshop

Space, power, light, ventilation and damp in a garage or shed.

Safety glasses, ear defenders and a disposable respirator mask hanging from a hook above a workbench

Safety and PPE

Eye, hearing and lung protection, dust classes, guards and push sticks.

Chisels, a block plane, a combination square and a marking gauge laid out on a pale wooden bench top

Essential hand tools

The short list of hand tools worth buying first, and what to check.

Setting up the space

A garage or shed becomes a workshop when it is dry, well lit, safely powered and organised so tools are easy to reach. These guides cover the building, the bench and the storage.

A solid timber workbench with a thick laminated top and a front vice in a daylit workshop

Workbench design

Finding your bench height and building a top that stays put.

Hand tools hanging on a wall of timber French cleats above a workbench, with chisels in a slotted rack

Tool storage

Cleat walls, drawers, edge protection and keeping the floor clear.

A grey metal-clad double socket mounted on a blockwork garage wall above a workbench

Electrical safety

RCDs, extension leads, overloading and when Part P applies.

Tools and techniques

Good results come from accurate marking, sharp edges and the right fixing for the job, more than from expensive kit.

A cordless drill-driver and a corded jigsaw resting on a sheet of plywood beside a coiled cable

First power tools

Drill-driver, jigsaw, sander, and choosing between battery and cable.

A combination square held against the edge of a pine board with a fine knife line scribed across it

Measuring and marking

Reference edges, knife lines, checking squares and story sticks.

A chisel held in a honing guide on a flat sharpening stone with a film of water on its surface

Sharpening

Flat backs, bevel angles, microbevels and testing the edge.

Assorted wood screws, round wire nails and wall plugs sorted into compartments of a clear organiser

Screws and fixings

Screw sizes, drive types, nails, wall plugs and outdoor fixings.

A random orbital sander connected by a grey hose to a wheeled dust extractor on a garage floor

Dust extraction

Capturing fine dust at the tool, extractor classes and clean-up.

A cloth wiping a light film of oil onto the sole of a steel hand plane on a workbench

Tool care

Keeping steel rust-free and lithium-ion batteries healthy.

How we work

Workshop Basics is written by Tom Haldane, a DIY and workshop writer who works from a single-garage workshop. He is not an electrician, safety professional or trade-qualified joiner, so safety and legal points are checked against official sources such as the Health and Safety Executive and government building regulations guidance. Read more about how we research and our fact-checking process, or browse all guides.

We carry no advertising, sponsored content or affiliate links. Nobody pays us to mention a product. See our advertising disclosure.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Workshop Basics for?
People setting up or improving a home workshop for hobby woodwork, DIY and repairs. The guides assume no trade background and focus on UK homes, garages and sheds.
Do you recommend specific brands?
No. We explain what to look for in a tool and how to check it, but we do not endorse brands or products, and we carry no advertising or affiliate links.
Where should a beginner start?
Read the workshop planning guide first, then the safety and PPE guide, then the essential hand tools list. Those three cover the decisions that are hardest to change later.
Can you advise on my electrical installation?
No. We explain the general rules so you know what to ask, but any work on fixed wiring should be done or checked by a registered electrician who can see the installation.