Thread: Clasic Work Bench at Hall Men's Shed

Finally - I am getting to it. Well the men's shed movement is relatively new in Australia having started within the last few years or so. It was started as part of a mens health initiative. Aimed at men retired or not at work it is, I believe, affiliated with 'beyond blue'. The idea is to get men out of their homes and involved with other men. Some just attend as a social thing but they revolve around tools and doing things such as wood work, metal work, painting, gardening and mechanics.

The one in Hall, Canberra, is smallish and not terribly focused on production as some others are. What it has that I have not seen at any other shed is a great museum though small. They use a few buildings that form part of an unused school. Another building and play area is used by a Kindy and it seems the rest is used by the 'Friends of Hall' historical society or museum, not sure the end part of their name. For insurance purposes all the mens shed members are also members of the museum.

In the mens shed museum they have a range of tools etc.

One thing that really impressed me was this mobile work bench. Designed to come apart and be taken from one job to the next

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The bench vice also gives some idea of the age and authenticity

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For working on doors and panels is this leg with an adjustable height block

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With the use of two wood screws it can be slid in and out of the slots to the desired position

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The other thing I liked was the way you can clamp / hold flat work on top of the bench for working

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There is an end clamp / vice to hold the work in place with three positions for the dogs / pegs

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With numerous holes for these square shaped dogs / pegs work can be held in a range of sizes. The use of what I guess is spring steel such as you might salvage from an old tape measure has a nail in one end and serves to hold the peg in place.

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The top is heavy enough just to sit on the legs and can be separated to transport to the next job

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The legs and rails are help together with wedged through mortice and tenon joints as seen in the next two pictures.

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The maker of this table was seemingly shorter and it has been blocked up for current use in the Hall Men's Shed

That concludes this broadcast, stay tuned for further related eppisodes

Thanks to Gmoss and the Men's Shed for the privilege of the visit and tour

Dave