Men's Shed

An Aussie bloke has to have a Men's Shed. Now, I've had a few over the years. Some have been places where projects get done. Some have been places where a bloke just goes to chill, alone or with mates. Many have been nothing but storage spaces!

Men's Sheds can take different forms. Growing up at 91 Playford Avenenue in Whyalla, SA, we didn't have a shed. Dad's Mens Shed was three white 44 gallon (200 litre) steel drums standing between two orange trees against the southern fence. The drums stored his tools, etc.

"Raydon" Men's Shed

My first men's shed was on the property "Raydon" at Glenaroua, north of Melbourne. This shed had been used as a weekender by the previous owners, who parked their caravan inside the shed. The rainwater tank provided water to the shed, which had a sink. In the lean-to on the back of the shed was the Lister ST-1 single cylinder, 10 h.p. diesel engine powering a Markon LC28B (1500 rpm, 5 KVA, 250V 20A, AC) self regulating alternator to provide our electricity supply. The lean-to also housed a wood fired boiler and shower.

My first Men's Shed at "Raydon", Glenaroua.

Frankston South Men's Shed

When we moved to Frankston South, I gained access to a magnificent men's shed. The large double shed could fit four cars. The workbench we built at Cranbourne North was easily made to feel at home on the southern side. There was a large carport in front of the shed which provided undercover parking for the Haines Hunter V17L dive boat and the Jayco camper trailer. There was also a lean-to on the northern side of the shed which was ideal for washing down and drying dive gear.

However, the elctrics were a problem. Power to the whole shed and carport setup came off of a single powerpoint at the far end of the house. So, a separate circuit was run from the meter box to the shed, with a switchboard and fuse box in the shed.

Instead of s single fluorescent tube proving light to the whole setup, I ran powerful 50W LED floodlights throughout the shed, the carport, and the lean-to. I also put double powerpoints everywhere. About 54 outlets in total.

Plenty of shelving and storage boxes completed the setup. It was a dream men's shed, complete with a vintage stereo system!

Adjustable 50W LED Floodlight.

Power point cable duct with power outlets.

Moss Vale Men's Shed

In July 2025, I moved from Rye, VIC, to Moss Vale, NSW. I had a gararge, but not a Men's Shed. The solution was to join the local Moss Vale Men's Shed on 11 August 2025. A great bunch of blokes.

And, of course, if you're a member of a Men's Shed, you've got to have a project. For my first project, I've chosen to make a BBQ Cart.

Projects

6 ft x 4 ft Tipping Trailer — July 2025. It had seen better days!

• 6 ft x 4 ft Tipping Trailer
  — designed in April 1971 and built by Dean Borrett.
  Download/View the plans and materials list
  (PDF, 8 pages, 758 KB)
   
• Workbench
  — Dad and I create a wooden workbench in Oct 2008.
   
• BBQ Cart
  — My first Moss Vale Men's Shed project in Aug 2025.