Wiring a plug or putting up shelves was everyday simple. Often I’d repair, restore or even transform a piece of old junk into something else. Practical yes but usually eclectic, eccentric even! However most of these could only be simple projects as my resources were limited. The Mens Sheds (Camden and Rotherhithe) however, showed me the light and I realised that with the right resources there was virtually no limit to what could be tackled. Ironically Covid 19 has accelerated the process for me. During the isolation I was able to transform a small garden shed into a mini workshop and it has become, for me, the epitome of the slightly tongue in cheek original Australian definition of the Mens Shed… not only a place at the bottom of the garden to retire away from family and other pressures with a tinny and a smoko but also a positive and dynamic place where things get done. Over the last five months I’ve been able to tackle all sorts of various schemes that would never have been possible without a workshop facility. For instance, I’ve been restoring and fitting two old doors I scavenged to replace a couple of boring ones in the flat. A lot more work than just cleaning, painting and hanging though as nothing is square in these old cottages. Not only have I had to add three inches to the width but the bottom is now nearly an inch shorter on one side. On top of that the door was twisted so vast amounts of wood had to be planed away. The first one is hung now and I think it looks the business. Much better than the cheap glass kitchen door. The second one is ready to start and will need even more wood added to the width but before starting that I’ve started to construct and fit something I’ve always dreamed about.…. watch this space for next article…..
This should have been with the original post.
That door looks meaty! You'll need some good screws to hold that up. It might bring down the wall its hanging on!
This is fantastic Mick! Glad to see you're keeping busy and that we now have another Shed in the world!