Central Coast Marine Discovery Centre Shark Project Entry

Bateau Bay Men's Shed accepted the challenge and entered a competition sponsored by the Central Coast Marine Discovery Centre to build a piece of outdoor furniture/fixture with a shark theme.

So with the inspired work of a few dedicated members the Pool Side Shark Chair with a Removable Fin Foot Rest came into being.  The project will be on display at the Marine Studies Centre at Terrigal on the Central Coast of NSW during the Christmas school holidays and all entries will be in the running for one of the major prizes on offer.  At the end of competition the entries will be auctioned with the proceeds split between the Marine Centre and the individual Sheds.

The Upside Down Rubber Duckie Award

The Upside Down Rubber Duckie Award is presented by The Entrance Surf Life Saving Club to the member who manages to roll and swamp the Rubber Duckie the most during the sumer season.

The Shed was approached and asked if it were possible for us to make up a model in a form that could be presented to the unfortunate member.  The Surf Club had no set ideas as to how it should be made or displayed so it was left to our members to dream up a design.

John "Woody" Woodward took on the task and the result speaks for itself.  Woody even visited the Surf Club to research the crafts shape and decals as well as the make of their outboard motor. He then set out to create a miniature of the craft.   

With 3 delicately machined brass rods and a polished stand the trophy is ready to have its first shield added at the end of the season.

It all started with a mock up made from a broom handle, 3 nails for supports and an off cut for the base.

Frames for Aboriginal Weavers

It's always surprising what we are asked to make in the Shed and this is an example of a prototype of a weaving frame for a group of Aboriginal women.  Up till now the members of the group have been working on the legs of upturned dining chairs, hardly an item that lends itself to quality work (and where do they sit?)

The original 'mud map' the Shed was given was bears little if any resemblance to what we ended up with but this final trail model was received very warmly and has been taken away for 'field testing and evaluation'.

We expect, that if approved, we will be asked to make at least 6 more frames so have begun looking for laminated board to put aside in readiness for the bulk order.

Target Practice

 The men had trouble hitting the bullseye until Fred agreed to provide an extra incentive from then on  they had no trouble at all in scoring a perfect 10!

At the request of a community organisation the Shed was asked to make a 'Football Passing Target' for a festival day.

Fred, being the skilled tradesman that he is not only made the target to stand up in the strongest of winds but to fold flat for transport in the back seat of a car and then painted the target to stand out and attract attention.

We were proud to be able to place the Bateau Bay Men's Shed name on the finished job for all to see.

Our First Market Stall

 Three years after opening we have joined the "Market Stall Set" with our fist ever stall at the Long Jetty Senior Citizens Polling Day Market.
With plenty of quality toys to sell and well trained and enthusiastic sales assistants on hand to persuade shoppers to open their wallets the morning was a great success and well worth the effort.
It was also a wonderful opportunity to speak to people about the benefits of the Shed movement and we may even gain new members from our    attendance.

Shed Presidents Report - 4th AGM

BATEAU BAY MEN’S SHED INCORPORATED

ANNUAL REPORT - 4 SEPTEMBER 2012

Welcome everyone to the 4th AGM of the Bateau Bay Men’s Shed.

It gives me great pleasure to present the Bateau Bay Men’s Shed Presidents Report to you this morning after what has been another very productive year.

This is the 3rd Annual Report I have had the pleasure of presenting since the Shed held it’s inaugural AGM in September 2009 and each year has seen developments that improve the facilities for all members.

In January it was decided to reduce our opening hours as very few members were attending the afternoon sessions.  While this may have affected a small number of men most have arranged their schedules and now attend during the morning opening hours. Attendances have continued to be strong and in the past 12 months the average attendance on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday has been 21. Tuesday continues to be the busiest day with an average attendance over the past 12 months of 26.

The Shed continues to be actively supportive of community groups and community events. The Erina Before and After School Care group are regular visitors collecting materials for their students and during the July school vacation we visited them to conduct a woodworking class with 20 children making serviette holders. Speaking engagements have been conducted at Reynolds Court, Elderslee and Kia Lodge Retirement Villages. Our proximity to, and close relationships with, the Tuggerah Lakes Community Centre means we are regularly asked to assist them in small and some very large projects for themselves and their clients.

A major task during the year was to make 4 Marimba musical instruments for St. John Fisher School at Tumbi Umbi.  This was a major undertaking but the rewards were great when those involved were able to attend a full school assembly and listen to the students of all years play them for us. So successful were these full sized Marimbas that were have since made 4 Mini ones capable of being carried from room to room and school to school.

Our outreach continued with a workshop day for a group of Argentinean and Uruguayan men and women. Shed members worked alongside our Latino visitors in a day of using machinery and hand tool to make a take home project. The day was thoroughly enjoyed by all and it is hoped that arrangements can be made for a similar function next year.

While the development and modifications to the Mobile Dental Van sponsored by the Ourimbah University has been somewhat of a problem project the hours spent by Kevin Armstrong and his helpers has seen this outreach project meet the needs of so many people on the Coast. Reports indicate that now that it is operational it is constantly booked out by clients.

I cannot fail to make special mention of the efforts of members for their support of the toy project for the Salvation Army Christmas Appeal during last years Mens’ Shed Central Coast Christmas function. That a truck was needed to take the donations away is something that all who were involved should feel very proud. To make the day more enjoyable the entertainment from the country singer Adam Harvey added something special to the occasion.

During the year we benefited from a guest speaker from Area Health on the subject of blood borne diseases (hepatitis) who was so interesting that she found it difficult to get away from members wanting to ask questions.

Then as a change of pace the visit of speaker from the Vintage Fire Engines Association along with a fully restored 1971 Fire Engine drew more than 30 members and visitors to the Shed.

The year ahead holds a number of challenges we have not faced in the previous years. Our operating budget will need to be considered very carefully and unless additional funding sources can be arranged our spending will need to be reduced substantially. This will be detailed by our Treasurer during his Financial Report.

This Shed is a ‘palace’ compared to many Sheds with equipment and facilities almost second to none but it will not continue to be so if we don’t look forward and plan for the future. As we move into our 4th full year of operations there may be a tendency to leave the management of the Shed to those who have done it before. But as we all get older and as we are all volunteers there can be no guarantee or expectation that the management of this Shed can be left to a few.  I see the coming year as one of change with the understanding that Bateau Bay Men’s Shed will only continue to operate with the success it has to date if others are prepared to accept additional responsibilities.

I wish to thank the outgoing committee for their efforts during the year and especially their willingness to open and close the Shed on their rostered ‘Shed Supervisor’ days. To Graham Craike, Barry French, George Madden, Alex Lee, Richard Thorpe and Bruce Tubnor my thanks to you all. Formal Committee meetings have been kept to a minimum this year as most of the day to day governance issues are managed during informal discussions but for those scheduled meetings your willingness to be involved has been invaluable.

Missing today is a very special person whose involvement in this place has been an uplifting association for all of us. This is not simply because of her links with ADSSI but with the personal friendships that have developed over the last 3 years.  I speak of course of Colleen Cooper who is no longer employed by ADSSI.  Colleen has said she will keep in contact with us and when possible will visit so we will not loose contact and the friendships we have seen grow will continue.

In finishing I want to pay special tribute to Kevin Armstrong ( Vice President/Secretary) and Nigel Stretton (Treasurer) for the enormous amount of work they have done during the year.  Most of what they do passes unnoticed but with Kevin using his skills in obtaining funding, to name just one point, and Nigel ensuring money is banked on time and bills paid overnight the rest of us are able to spend time woking on projects in the knowledge that all is under control in the “command centre” Nigel has indicated he will not be standing for Treasurer again as he feels he needs a break after 3 years and he will be very missed.

I wish the incoming Executive and Management Committee a successful year confident in the knowledge that this Shed has firmly established management policies and day to day working arrangements that have positive influences on all members and those in our community with whom we come into contact.

John Sharples

President Bateau Bay Men’s Shed Inc.

4 September 2012

Bateau Bay - The Musical Shed

The men in the Shed did such an excellent job making the full sized marimbas last year that we were this time asked to make 4 Mini Marimbas. These can be transported between schools so that students not fortunate enough to have access to the full sized instruments can at least gain from the learning on the smaller versions.

With the experience gained on the larger varieties Tom and his team really raced through this project to the delight of the school and teacher.

While not shown Tom designed a carry rack so the instruments can be stacked and carried from school to school and class to class as a single unit and each instrument has a locking mechanism to prevent the bars falling off when being set up by students.

Latinos & Friends Day At The Shed

The Shed hosted its first Multicultural Day on Saturday when a group from the Latinos & Friends spent a day making Garlic Bread Trays, sharing in a special morning tea a typical Argentinean/Uruguayan BBQ and a lot of laughs.

The morning tea of home made lemon biscuits and bread & butter cake was then topped with a BBQ of the biggest ribs we had ever seen. Some of us had not eaten as much meat in a month.

Oh, and yes there was some serious work done with each Latino taking home a Garlic Bread Tray they had made, they also received a Certificate for their efforts as well as a roll of Garlic bread to put in the tray.

 

Boys & Their Big Toys

The 1971 Dennis with a Jaguar engine was the feature of a Tool Box talk from Guy Ellis.  One of 8 units in his collection it captured the attention of more than 30 members who were on hand to listen to his talk and then get up close and personal with this vintage machine.  Guy even sounded the siren which had the locals all coming out to see what the commotion was about.

Dreaming of the damage he can do.

There must be a fire somewhere so all aboard and let's get moving.

What! More Table Markers

What skilled workmanship!  Cutting out square blocks, drilling a hole and sticking a number into the top of the dowel.


But the Retirement Village who requested the set of table markers were very appreciative and now have numbers to make the delivery of the correct meals to the correct tables easier.

Sometimes it's the little things that are appreciated the most.

What Talent

If only everyone in the Shed had this talent!  Mike has only been working on restoring this table since the start of the year and it has been in and out of the Shed so many times we are thinking of installing castors.

How often has one seen a "skilled" craftsman with the ability to use 2 finishing sanders at the same time?

The reason for wearing the ear protection is so he can't hear the comments from the members when they see what he is up to.

Now all he needs to do is plug the machines in and stop posing.

Never Work with Animals or Children!

Two Happy Woodworkers

Finishing my Project

For over 12 months the Shed has been saving timber offcuts for the Erina Before & After School Care Group.  This resulted in us being asked to visit them during the school holidays and supervise a 'woodwork session'

They say in the classics, "Never work with animals or children" and this saying holds very true.  Apart from having no work benches and having to rest on garden seats in the school playground many of the children were much more interested in  chasing spiders  and other creepy crawlies for their specimen jars,  playing in the sand pit or making their own masterpieces from scrap timber.

Those who did attempt the serviette holder project managed to end up with a high quality job in a reasonable time and with a chance for the better ones to finish the job by spraying them they went home well pleased with their afternoons work. 

Next time it will be another members turn to experience the joys of keeping 15 -20  6  to 11 year olds' occupied for an hour using hammers and nails!

Birthday Celebrations

Our 3rd birthday celebrations were a very happy affair with a lot of laughter and good food to follow.  Colleen our 'Shed Goddess' was on hand to cut the cake and to accept a pot of flowering Pansies on behalf of all the men in the Shed. No offence is meant between mentioning Pansies and our Shed members in the same sentence.

This was followed up with a BBQ for which at great expense we imported master chefs Monsieur John and Monsieur  Linden who we all know charcoal the best steaks and sausages on the Central Coast.

The connection between the Emergency Assembly Point sign and John and Lindens gastronomic skills is purely a coincidence.

Our Irish Link

Our links with the Killarney Shed in Ireland continue to grow and recently we sent this Certificate of Fellowship to them.


Mark, our resident creative member, designed a presentation certificate that linked our Sheds under the  nations flags and the combined  logos of the two Sheds.


We hope Killarney Men's Shed will display this framed certificate in a prominent place in their Shed as a reminder to all of the links we have developed.

Helping the Blind to Read

Bateau Bay Shed continues to work in support of Vision Australia and our latest project was to make a Braille Teaching Board.


This will be used with young blind children when teaching them the Braille alphabet.


During the design phase we learnt that when this alphabet was invented in France by Mr Braille he didn't use the letter "W" as it was not included in the French alphabet.  Thus the reason for the 4 white pins which now make the letter "W" on the bottom right hand side of the board.

Community Garden Off To A Roaring Start

 With the scrub cleared and pushed into a pile the next stage with the garden was to get rid of the unwanted cuttings in readiness for levelling the area before starting into the drainage.  What better way to get rid of a pile of bush than to invite the NSW Fire Brigade to set the bonfire alight and manage any threats to the surrounding buildings.
After a slow start the dry cuttings generated some spectacular photo opportunities but the heat prevented those who came prepared with mash-mellows from toasting them.
There were only 2 phone calls from neighbours reporting that the bush was alight and soon after the flames died down light rain began to fall.

Now That's A Saw!

The Lucas Mill demonstration at Alison Homestead was watched with great interest by a number of Shedders from across the Central Coast and beyond.  What a great piece of machinery that could be put to good use by Sheds who have access to logs or large pieces of timber they need reduced in order to make them manageable and in a state where they can be taken into the workshop to be further worked on.


Now all we need is a few thousand dollars and somewhere to store and transport the frame and cutters.

Australia is Safe

The Crew

Following the visit by members of Bateau Bay Men's Shed to Garden Island- our countries ultra secret Naval Station - it was pronounced that Australia is once again in safe hands. 


The crew from HMAS - BBMS are ready and willing to fight for our country so all Aussies can sleep soundly knowing they will be safe in their beds.


Poor misguided people.

Photo taken by Barry French aka The Cabin Boy

Santa's Workshop Down Under

There is just no stopping Santa's Big helpers as they continue to churn out toys of all types. What with Steve producing the base models and Norm providing the decorations the array of finished products is a testament to their skills.

So Many Toys So Little Time To Play

Christmas is still months away but Santa aka. Norm has been hard at work in his corner and the toys are building up. With not enough time in the Shed he takes parts home to paint, now that's dedication.

Everything Old is New Again

Bruce has taken some timber from the scrap bin at Wideline windows and laminated up two circular table tops which he has finished with a splash of satin lacquer to produce the soft glow evident in the photo.

The legs for one table have been salvaged from a friends pot plant stand and the other from a rejected bird bath frame.

As for the long table, it was a 1300mm circular coffee table made from recycled Black Butt. Bruce has now recycled it again and with the offcuts has made up the legs and rails.

The top and legs will be filled and stained with an Oak stain and again will have a a semi gloss finish applied.

While his wife has decreed the two circular tables will remain in their home Bruce will be giving the long table back to the lady who supplied the timber. I'm sure she will be very happy to receive such a beautiful piece of furniture.

Inspector Barrie

Barrie has been a member of the Shed from our very early days and hardly misses a Tuesday where he keeps a close eye on what people are up to. While his eyesight is not the best these days his mind is still razor sharp. All too often he remembers a piece of hardware or special tool we have stored away somewhere and when we eventually find the item it's just what we need for the job.

As Assistant Treasurer and Electricians Apprentice he plays a key role in the daily activities of Bateau Bay Shed.

Happy Birthday George

There's always someone in a Shed who makes people laugh and George is certainly in this category. He made it very clear that he didn't want anyone to know it was his 82nd birthday last week but then proceeded to tell anyone and everyone who set foot through the Shed door that it was his special day. He enjoyed his birthday cake and made sure he divided it up so that everyone had a piece of the same size. (A bit different to last year when he brought his own cake in case we forgot, put it in the fridge for safe keeping, only to find that someone had eaten it!!)

George, our Shed would be all the poorer if you weren't one of our cherished members.

Shed at the Coastal Lifestyle Festival

With a prime position at the Forresters Beach Retirement Village Coastal Lifestyle Festival we were able to promote the Coasts Men's Sheds to many interested visitors. Our range of wooden toys out front drew many admirers which gave us the opportunity to engage them in conversations about Sheds. It also helped when their children took a fancy to the toys and by the end of the day our sales meant we had more than covered the cost of making them and still had as many set aside for future events. Its always nice to be working with a positive bank balance.

Thanks to Doug Evans, John Innis and Bill Barrett for their support from beginning to end.

Our Cleaner Healthier Shed

Thanks to the NSW Government through their Community Builders Funding our Shed is now a cleaner and healthier place to work.

Five Filter cartridges have been fitted to the dust extractors attached to our major machinery and all are working very efficiently. Previously air was ejected through calico bags hanging above the extractor fans but when these became clogged with fine dust particles the extraction system became less efficient.

Now with filters that can be easily cleaned everyone in the Shed can breath more easily.

Our next step is installation of 6 ‘Whirly Birds’ in the roof to remove the heat from the frantic activities of our hard working members.

Bateau Bay Men's Shed Links with Ireland's Killarney Men's Shed

Killarney Men’s Shed in Ireland approached AMSA for information on a Shed in Killarney in Australia.

Bateau Bay Men’s Shed was approached as we are located very close to Killarney Vale in NSW.

From this initial contact we have begun to exchange information about starting a Shed, Induction procedures, constitutions and governance as well as general chatter about our respective operations.

While the links are still in their early days it is hoped that they may develop and that our exchanges are frequent and rewarding.

Any volunteers to arrange a trip and act as tour guide?

The following is an extract from an early email received from Killarney Shed.

The name of Killarney is derived from Cill Airne in Gaelic means the Church of the Sloes. Cill or Kill is Gaelic for Church. There are a lot of cities, towns and villages with the word in their name. Killarney Vale came after our Killarney I am sure. Can you find out some more about it for us?

With luck we may have someone in our Shed with skills and interests in genealogy that can answer this question.