FP,
Like you guys, I'm working out of my garage and basement. Click on the picture below then click the arrows left and right. The first thing I realized was that the power in my garage was not adequate for MY needs. It took a while to save up but I finally had the power to my house and garage upgraded to 200amp. Everything is on separate circuits so that I don't trip breakers when using more than one piece of equipment at a time. If you are going to be modifying the power in your work space plan ahead. Figure out where every piece of machinery will go first so you can put the appropriate receptacle near it. If you need 110/115V or 220/230V make sure it is where you need it. You cannot have too much counter area. Plan for a bigger table than you think you need. Think in three dimensions. Not everything has to sit on the floor or on the table top. Use the walls and ceiling to store items. Garage walls and floors are dirty, cracked have varied textures. I have a clean white piece of foamcore board that I can view the profiles/progress of my blades against. Like HomeBru says, DON'T GO CHEAP ON WHEELS! The wheeled cart I have my HT oven and forge on worries me. The rack is rated for something like 2000 lbs but I can tell you the wheels are not. The threaded rod that mounts the wheels to the bottom of the cart are bending. I'll have to replace those before the whole mess ends up on the floor.
I made my anvil stand out of layered 6x6s with big wheels mounted on the back. I can tip it up on the wheels for moving and then set it down on a flat bottom. I have a hole drilled in the front of the stand for a 4' length of black pipe handle. I pop it in for moving and take it out for working. Works great.
The two benches in the garage are about 8' long. One was there when I bought the house. The Grey bench I found on craigslist for a good price. It took me a while to build my work bench in my basement but it is a blessing to have. Lots of storage and a large sturdy top. Top height is 39", depth is 42". The length of the top is 12 feet. It is 2x4 construction with 4x4 foot posts. The top is made from 2x6s with a 1/2" plywood covering then topped off with Masonite for a smooth top surface. There is no flex. You could land F18's on the thing. I made sure to leave generous overhang of the top for working with clamps and so you are not constantly banging your knees against the front of the bench. I made the feet adjustable for leveling the bench on an uneven floor. Plan to have enough outlets. I also added some interior lighting. If you are planning to have wheels on your workbench consider using the type that you lift up onto the wheels with a lever and drop down onto the solid feet of the bench when in place. It's better to have a solid connection with the floor if possible when working.
As far as my forge cart goes, I ran an overhead blackpipe line out the side wall of the garage to a 100# LP tank. I wouldn't keep the tank near the forge. There are several places along the line to cut off the gas ( a valve at the tank, a ball valve overhead along the pipe, and valves on the intakes of the forge). I always triple check to make sure everything is shut off when I'm done. First at the tank valve, letting the hot forge burn off any gas left in the line, then at the overhead valve, then at the forge.
One last thing. Make sure you have adequate lighting in your shop. Run 2 or 3, 8 foot flourescent overhead.
