Hamilton Community Men's Shed

The Pirate Ship Playhouse project launches.

Further to the last two posts, Neil has sent me the membership policy and since it is referred to in the Core Values Statement, it is here again, for comment. Again, if you feel that an area has been overlooked or there are gaps, please feel free to share your thoughts, in email, when you see any of the trustees or the coordinator. The Shed embracing the community is not possible without opinion and personality and your ideas are valued here.

If you would like to share some ideas around this work or your thougths toward it in confidence, pelase feel free to contact the coordinator in the first instance.

Further to Membership Policy:

1. Everyone is welcome as outlined in our Vision and Core Values Statements.
2. Membership is by invitation of another member and an induction process that may include a probationary period of up to three sessions. Men are encouraged to experience ‘the Shed’ before deciding on becoming a member. Those men who are supported to experience the Shed must continue to be supported while at the Shed.
3. The Shed is accessible to all members, their guests and related organizations[1]
4. Men are encouraged to take up membership once they decide the shed is beneficial for them. 
5. Membership means they will abide by the rules of the shed especially those relating to health and safety. A support person will be considered to be part of that membership. A member who requires support will maintain that support until the Shed coordinator and the support person agree in writing that the member can be self supporting or supported by the Shed members.
6. Any grievance will be dealt with by the shed committee and board of trustees in accordance with the constitution.
7. Disclaimer for Application forms:

I participate in the Hamilton Community Men’s Shed with the understanding that Trustee members and Partner’s in the Men’s Shed, will take every effort to maintain a safe environment in the Shed for its Members. The sponsoring organisations, their representatives and people appointed as supervisors in the Shed do not take responsibility for the personal health, safety and wellbeing of the people participating in the Men’s Shed Project. Above-mentioned organisations and individuals take no responsibility for the loss or damage on any personal items taken to or from the Shed.

[1] This point relates to the possibility of expanding local membership to include guests from groups like the Motor Caravan Association who could benefit from contributing to and utilising shed resources as they tour about the country away from their personal sheds.

Some weekend chores knocked off the list.

Further to the previous post, in order to qualify as an organisation, some basic structure is expected by other concerns we may wish to partner with, recieve support from or give support to. Part of this structure includes a Core Values statement. You may have one at your palce of work. An organisation’s Core Values statement is a test of integrity, in that, any new direction can be comapred to theCore Values statement.

A review of the Core Values statement is up for comment if anybody has any input, please feel free to email any of the trustees, Neil Bruce or myself with your feedback. If need be, all feedback can be confidential or anonymous.

Thanks in advance for your support.

The proposed Core Values Statement:

• Everyone is welcome.
• People work together.
• We respect all people and property.
• We promote health, safety and positive relationships.
• We are inclusive in what we do.
• Men are encouraged to be the best they can be in their many and diverse roles.
• The Shed programme is alcohol and drug free.

There are some points that refer to other organisational documents, being; “Everyone is welcome” in accordance with our membership policy and;  “alcohol and drug free”, while refering to the use of recreational substance also includes prescription medications that may impair a members obligations to be safe to be around a workshop without creating a risk situation to self or any other person or property.

We look forward to everybodies views.

Looking busy on a Wednesday night.

In order to qualify as an organisation, some basic structure is expected by other concerns we may wish to partner with, recieve support from or give support to. Part of this structure includes a Vision statement. You may have one at your palce of work. An organisation Vision statement is an anchor of reason, in that, any decision can be referred to the Vision statement for reference.

A review of the Vision statement is up for comment if anybody has any input, please feel free to email any of the trustees, Neil Bruce or myself with your feedback. If need be, all feedback can be confidential or anonymous.

Thanks in advance for your support.

The proposed Vision:

The Hamilton Community Men’s Shed provides a place where people gather, are valued and share opportunities together for education, socialisation, companionship, physical health and personal well being. In this environment people give and receive support to become positive role models in all areas of their life.

We look forward to everybodies views.

This text has been passed around a lot and the originator is lost. If this is your work, please let us know, we have no intention of violating copyright.

Oil Finishes

The oil finish is one of the most traditional approaches to completing your project. While it does not provide as much protection as more modern finishes such as varnishing, oil finishes bring out the natural beauty of the wood better. If you want to stain the wood prior to oiling it, use a water-based stain as oil-based dyes will clog-up the wood’s pores, thus stopping the oil finish from soaking in effectively.

Safety Note: Never leave an oily cloth rolled up. As the oil oxidizes it generates heat and it is not unusual for the cloth to spontaneously combust. Even if you intend to throw the used cloths away, you must first allow them to dry, unrolled, outside.

There are four main types of oil covered below: linseed, Danish, teak and mineral. We also include a reader review of Organoil.

Linseed Oil

A linseed finish takes a considerable amount of time to dry and new wood will need several coats in order to produce a satisfactory finish. Boiled linseed oil takes “only” one day to dry and, as such, is a more popular option. Pure linseed oil takes about three days to dry, but provides better protection. Neither type of linseed oil is suitable for outdoor projects.

Apply the oil with a cloth and rub well into the wood. Leave at least 24 hours between applications. Once you are satisfied with the finish, buff with a soft cloth.

Danish and Teak Oils

Danish and Teak oils take less time to dry than linseed (thank goodness) and also provide a more resilient finish. Both oils are better suited to new projects than linseed, and it is best to relegate linseed to the older projects that already have linseed on them. Teak oil provides a slight surface sheen while Danish oil leaves a low luster.

Apply these oils with a soft cloth of brush and do not apply too much oil at a time (as it will not soak in). In between coats of oil, sand the wood down with a fine silicon-carbide paper. Typically, it is best to use four coats of oil.

Mineral Oil

Mineral oil is a laxative that is readily available from any chemist. Although this will not provide the same level of sheen as the above oils, it is ideal for projects such as cutting boards when you need a non-toxic substance.

Organoil

The below feature on Organoil was contributed by Gregory McGrath, Bunbury, Australia.

Organoil is a specially formulated finish made from pure plant oils and a highly-refined white beeswax. The underlying foundation of the product is Tung Oil.

I discovered this product at a timber and woodworking show in Perth, Western Australia. It is the type of finishing process that appeals to me as it is easy to apply to large projects. What is more, the process is not too time sensitive and can be completed over several days at your own leisure.

The added benefit of using this particular product is the rich, sweet aroma that fills your workshop while you are working. It smells wonderful and the finished wood presents a wet look, highlighting the wood’s natural patterns and grains. The oil penetrates deeply into the wood, enhancing its natural color. This process is especially suited to grain- and character-enriched timbers. I have used it with impressive results on Sheoak, Blond, Pink and Red Jarrah to date. The oil finish also allows the wood to age and darken naturally over time.

Application

The oil is applied through a technique known as wet-on-wet burnishing. This technique requires the wood to be sanded down through the various degrees of smoothness until you reduce the grit down to 600 or 800 grit wet and dry sandpaper. At this stage the wood begins to show a slight lustre. Don’t lose the extra fine sawdust from the last piece of sandpaper that you used as this will serve as a fine filler when you apply the oil.

Apply the oil to the wood surface, allowing to soak in for a few minutes. Then, using the last piece of fine sandpaper (which has the extra fine sawdust in it still) start to massage (or burnish) the oil into the wood’s surface. If the surface becomes too dry, add more oil. Once the entire surface has been oiled, the wood should have a satin finish. At this point you can apply a Natural Wax Oilish to bring the surface to a lustre. Do not add a second finish until the wood’s surface is completely dry.

Alternatively, continue sanding the surface with 1200 grit paper, adding more oil as needed. Two or three sanding/oil combinations may be needed to arrive at the ultimate finish.

During the last week Larry Spitz from the Centre for Fine Woodworking contacted us to let us know of their establishment.

“The Centre for Fine Woodworking has been established to facilitate high quality educational opportunities for woodworkers from New Zealand and around the world.

Our primary aim is to maintain a learning environment focused on fostering an awareness of, and a commitment to achieving the highest standards of fine woodworking.

By establishing a network of international connections we also hope to encourage interactions between woodworkers from all around the world.”

Larry has sent us some flyers with more information and contact details, which can be found in the Shed and will be mentioned tonight. Immediately, a long weekend in Nelson seems like a good idea ocnsidering the grab-a-seat bargains from Air New Zealand.

Have a look at their website for more infomation www.cfw.co.nz, courses, contact details and more.

Neil Bruce at work.

This report was written by Dr Neil Bruce and is being published a few days prior to the New Zealand Mens Shed Conference in Masterton, it dates back to 2009 but is relevant today.

With financial assistance from the Hamilton Community Men’s Shed and approval from the Melville High School Principal, I was able to attend the 2009 three day biennial,  3^rd Australian Men’s Shed Association conference held at the Wrest Point Conference Centre in Hobart.  After a wonderful flight from NZ to Melbourne and then on to Hobart –Hobart emerged as a beautiful harbour-side city, possibly more extensive than Wellington Harbour, with a slightly smaller “Auckland Harbour” type Bridge at the northern end. The “Tasman Bridge” as it is known crosses the Derwent River that flows from the North towards the mouth of the Bay in the south. A large rocky backdrop of Mount Wellington towers 1270 metres West of the bay over looking the city and the bridge where in 1975 a disaster unfolded within seconds. A huge bridge pylon was smashed by a ship below which then sank under the weight of a massive concrete bridge-span which collapsed plunging cars into the river. Thirteen were killed severing Hobart’s vital road link over the Derwent River to the Airport and north for many months.

 After a brief opening speech on the Sunday evening, I joined over 170 delegates and three other New Zealanders to a trade display and chance to mingle and chat. Having visited several sheds through out Australia earlier in April as a part of a Winston Churchill Fellowship, I was able to rekindle contacts with a number of Shed representatives from Perth to the East Coast. Our New Zealand delegation, represented a good cross section of NZ sheds, which I have calculated would now total upwards of 10 sites – One had yet to be built and become operational, two  were firmly underway, and our Shed in Hamilton has been in the process of reinvented itself after we lost our first temporary venue. Ailsa Carey from REAP Blenheim,  Picton Men’s Shed; Arthur Buckland, Waiuku, Franklin Men’s Shed;  and  Trevor  Scott from Oxford Area School, Oxford Men’s Shed joined with me to gather ideas for implementation in our sheds in New Zealand.  The theme “Where to from Here?” seemed to focus predominantly on those sheds that were already in existence and several Key Note Addresses were focused on Men’s Health rather than the startup tips and procedures that  I recalled from the previous conference in 2007.

 I was satisfied with the conference as a whole, however, with a change made from the original dates, heralded for some earlier in the year, two of our group needed to fork out  more for flights to get return travel on altered dates.  Of particular benefit to us all were the new ideas and stories of success in the shed movement – the projects and initiatives that springboard off a shed being a community venture with unique people and physical resources. The diversity of sheds was amazing to learn about. Some began as a Drop-in Centre if they had no facility or venue to do trade type activities in. Some had programmes to support new migrants retain their culture and develop confidence in a second, third or fourth language. Others sheds in existence for a number of years had established programmes that linked in with Schools, Justice Programmes, mentoring opportunities, and other unique marketing projects. Some were even exploring the extent to which training could be offered in conjunction with more informal shed programmes. Most had developed significant links with various health providers and agencies who are quick to acknowledge large numbers of men attend sheds where they don’t feel quite as bad at talking about health issues arising from discussion when they are doing something practical for themselves or others.

 For some, the sheds were organized with precise military-like flair, whereas others were far less formal. It was daunting for some to think about the level of safety that is required to ensure people are not hurt or injured. This is an area where shed men in New Zealand will need to do some important work in the coming months and it was felt by those of us present that it would be good to get a national association developed in the lead up to the new year to address some of the consistent problems that sheds always face as they startup and develop new programmes. The matter of Shed safety and Insurance seem to loom as urgent matters to be addressed consistently on a national basis if possible.

For me, the health messages were good to hear and the challenge here is how to introduce more positive health practices and a greater awareness of how sudden negative health situations can arise without turning each shed into a health centre. The message of prevention and dealing with symptoms before it is too late came through. Consistently among the messages was the need for men (people) to stop smoking. It was the one recognized action to do to prolong life and maintain good health. Mixed in with that was an awareness of how good diet, regular sustained exercise, regular checkups with a medical practitioner could enable men to keep better health longterm.

Two major health initiatives were introduced to conference delegates – One was  Beyond  Blue : a national Australian depression initiative www.beyondblue.org.au  which focuses on what is a major debilitating condition it is for many men. Depression can include anxiety disorders, bi-polar disorders, post natal depression, relationship conflicts, situations applicable to different age and gender groups, as well as those who are affected by illness, death of loved ones, moving house or downsizing and so on.  The website above is a great window for gaining more details relating to a particular condition and programmes that exist for support.

The second initiative is known as the M5 project of Men’s Preventative Health. This initiative arose from members of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners observing patterns of incidence that simply acknowledges family history plays a large part in determining a range of health conditions that are inherently genetic and can be prevented or minimised.

The M5 project http://www.m5project.com.au/ acknowledges that men die earlier than women on average by 5 years and as a project it is a call to action which seeks to raise the profile of men’s preventative health. The M5 Project focuses on the five main health risk factors of  Age, Family History, Bowel Disease, Obesity, and Smoking while aiming to decrease the five preventable deaths each hour to zero; Heart Disease, Diabetes, Cancer, Mental illness and Other Medical Conditions.  Each delegate was given two pieces of advice – stop smoking ( if they hadn’t already) and to fill out a Sharing my Family History document (given out as part of the delegation pack, designed to make explicitly clear what genetic predispositions there were for each member of each  family. The project maintains that while we have fought in the past for beliefs, land, religion, peace equality and attention, “as men — fathers, sons, brothers, partners and friends — we have a new cause to fight for — our health”.

To conclude, in presenting a paper summarizing my research of Community Men’s Sheds in Australia and the United Kingdom, I conveyed a notion that Community Sheds that have developed from within Australian communities were a most positive development for supporting men. While each shed establishment has unique community influences  that can be traced through colonial influences and in particular the harsh environment and a larger population of Australia, similar influences and links are present  in New Zealand and the uptake of such a community shed movement seems to be accelerating rapidly too. While Australian’s are unsure of the exact number of sheds presently (above 300), having doubled every two years since the 1980s, they cannot continue to grow at that rate and rationalization is starting to occur. In New Zealand as we are smaller in size and population, initial growth will be similarly rapid but there is no room for competition – the resources we need to operate effectively are too scarce to squander on wasted energies. In Australia at least two local governments are involved in providing startup funding of between $20 – 25,000 for each shed; Victoria State and Brisbane City. These areas recognize the importance for the community of having men physically and mentally well and in good spirit. They recognize all of the features of a community shed are positive – life-long learning through collective energies, community mindedness, recreative experiences, independence, personal and mental health benefits for families, and an enthusiasm that motivates and inspires others including the rapport shown by men in mentoring relationships with the young.

This conference reflected to me the rejuvenated energies of predominantly older men belonging to community men’s sheds. I also acknowledged the dedication many women demonstrated when becoming involved with sheds and related agencies, particularly their support of men meeting and working together. While many women would also like to get involved with sheds themselves, initially men need to get things going and to sort a few things out for themselves at first – what ever that means  – even muddling along. It is a cathartic journey and not just a destination for many older and lonely men where a lot of support is needed to get some men’s  feet in the door. I see down the track, many shed facilities will be used by both men and women, as some are already doing with night classes being held in a Shed. Arthur (Waiuku) is currently running a furniture restoration course at the West Franklin Shed and I saw Computer and Ukulele classes being run in the Freo Men’s Shed in Fremantle.

To be done? Lets get a meeting of shed coordinators / managers organized possibly through a video conference of local education centres and once this has been created, some of the consistent concerns – Insurance, safety, projects, ideas, finance can be advanced for the benefit of all the local sheds being set up at the moment.  Within the next fortnight we’ll coordinate with as many sheds as possible a conference situation that can springboard us forward toward an Association of NZ Community Sheds.

Neil Bruce (Dr)

Chair Hamilton Community Men’s Shed

Editors note: Neil Bruce’s contact details are on this site in the ‘About’ section.

5 Steps to Setting up a Men’s Shed

Prepared by Bowral Men’s Shed Aug 1 2005
www.mensshed.com

[Note: Original words and text are here - http://www.mensshed.com/5%20steps.pdf ]

The following steps have been prepared to assist interested parties in getting started with the set up of a Men’s Shed in your area.

1.  Research existing Men’s Sheds (and the broader Men’s Health context) to get a clear understanding of what is a Men’s Shed and how they generally operate. This will allow you to communicate it simple and succinctly to others, especially potential supporters. (Le. sowing the seeds and vision for the Project)

2.  Establish a Planning Group. Identify potentially interested people – think of potential agencies in your area. Are you in a position to coordinate/facilitate the Planning Group? If not who can? Consider

• Community Health for counselors, psychologists, and community nurses, social workers…
• Local Church Leaders and networks
• Rotary and other service clubs
• Ambulance Staff
• Dept of Community services (DOGS) and other Government agencies like Centrelink – Social Worker and local Council Community services planners
• Dept of Veteran Affairs contacts via RSL sub branches and National Serviceman ETC.

Explore all possibilities aiming to set up a Planning Group for your local Men’s Shed. Invite people to the meeting and increase your interested network from there. (Remember good food, humour and clear direction context (Men’s Health) are essential for an effective meeting)

3. Identify Resources. Hopefully, via members of your Planning Group and their networks. Brainstorm all possibilities – explore all reasonable (and unreasonable) options.

• Potential Venues
• Funding Sources (Dept. Veteran Affairs area definite if you are aiming at the veteran community)
• Sponsors (local businesses etc.)

Develop a simple flier that communicates the concept of a Men’s Shed and your contact number to leave with potential supporters.

Project Partners are organisations (like a Church Group) that area legal entity that has charitable status and insurance to cover for the Project (Usually under Volunteer Insurance – as Men’s Shed Members will be attending The Shed as volunteers)

4. Link with an existing Organisation (partner) or form an Incorporated Association that can apply for Project funds.

As mentioned above, it is’ essential that an umbrella organisation is linked with that can cover insurance issues. At the Bowral Men’s Shed – WHAM Inc. (Wingecarribee Health Association for Men) applies to various funding bodies to enable the expansion of the Project and provides a Men’s Health and supportive structure for the Project)

5.  Develop an Implementation Plan. Through the Planning Group and Partners in the project work establish your plan and chip away at the issues that need to be addressed. Encourage progress and don’t lose your sense of humour.

If it doesn’t come about at first, remember- contacts have been made and ’seeds’ sown that may come good around the corner when some factors change. Watch for this opportunity!

Mahi Tahi is a wing of the Integrated Recovery Services which are owned by the Waikato District Health Board. It is through the Board we have secured a licence to operate on the premises in specific hours. This ensures we do not encroach on the facilities the IRS use to work with their clients.

The Workshop is located under the house, on the opposite side from Ohaupo Road. Access is via Unity Lane. Currently we share the premises and tools with IRS staff. Tools on the premises include a drop saw, drill press and some tools that need a little attention, but are very useful, such as a band saw, belt sander and a variety of hand tools.

While we acknowledge the facility is small, it is not being used as much as it could be. To encourge member use, Bruce, Arie, Mike and Stan have secured a great deal of ex ‘Bank’ fittings from a refurbishment. This material has been stripped down to flat sheets and is stored on the premises for general consumption. Mostly it is treated and finsihed Rimu, but there is some Pine in there. Clean, nail and screw free, ready for a quick plane and cut to your next big job. Additionally, if anybody requires any other material, please contact Gund Wehsling – 021 241 8180 / gund@nzrides.com.

The license agreement with the Board includes a componenet of OHS. This component at present restricts the use of the premises to the formal hours of the Shed, being 10am Wednesdays and Saturdays and 7pm Wednesdays. Unfortunately, these times there needs to be a member of the organistation, if the shed is unattended during this time, we are likley onsite someplace ona  job, please feel free to call to arrange access.

We were going to post this entry as a link, but thought it worth more of a mention. This webpage has many links that point to help and information around funding and managing of funds for community groups. It is Australia based, so please do not take the information as completely legal in NZ, there may be some variances to tax laws etc. Maybe somebody at some bank here may see the value in a local cause?

The main link to the said Westpac document is broken, all other links seem okay. Let us know otherwise.

http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/financial/financial_article.jsp?articleId=2205

As part of our agreement to share premises with the Integrated Recovery Services at 107 Ohaupo Road, we had been tasked to create a sustainable garden for them, their clients and anybody who wished to be involved.

The task is to use the open ground out back and build a raised planter and some compost bins from untreated materials from a sustainable resource.

Andrew Thompson heads up this office of the Waikato DHB and he asked us to do something that could ultimatley turn out as successful as the community garden project in Wellington Street.

Neil had secured some funding from the ACE project for help with this in that it should involve people and help them learn about sustainable living in the city, help them get out or just get people to think about food in a different way. With this in mind, we sourced some untreated gum sleepers from Hookers Sawmill (at a really good rate compared to the ‘wholesale’ and ‘discount’ garden and hardware stores in town) and set about building a ’small’ 1.2mx3.5m raised planter.

The planter took about 3 hours to complete and we let it settle for a week to be sure it would hold up in the weather while we went about sourcing some filler material.

Using untreated Gum from a local sawmill helped us save a great deal of cash, and the material met our sustainable and organic aims fo the project, easily. The sleepers were heavy and are held in place by being level, under their own weight and with an assortment of galvanised coach bolts we salvaged from members sheds’ or supplies.

Mike, Stanley, Bruce and Gund put the sleepers together, about knee high (for easy access if anybody has a tight back) and in such a way as to hold about 2.5 cubic meters of earth. The placement was such that the bed receives the best sun all year round and it is still possible to drive up to the bed to offload compost or soil (or harvest heaps of food straight to the UTE).

We then sourced some untreated pallets from around town (some businesses leave them in tips or on the curb). The better of the pallets would become compost bins in the next weekend.

How to get involved or build your own:

If you want to build a garden of this type and/or would like to be involved in this ongoing project before you start your own, please contact Andrea Simson on Wednesdays, 9am to 1pm at the Integrated Recovery Services offices’ – 07 843 0456. Andrea is employed by the Waikato DHB for some hours a week at each garden, this new one and the community garden in Wellington Street.  Come around, find out what is involved and then ask the Men from ‘The Shed’ to help you build your own.

Should you wish to build something like this or have us come over and help you build one for yourself, your church or community group, please feel free to contact us or come over and be part of this very social community effort. We are always on the look out for any social or community working projects.

The materials we used on the first weekend and approximate costs:

- 20m Untreated 8×4 gum sleepers (cut to order at Hookers Sawmill) in 4×3.5m and 4×1.2m pieces as well as 4 2×2 stakes about 1m long each (and then cut on site to meet the planter). $150+/-. Contact Hookers Sawmill in Hamilton 07 849 6879. We were also offered as much untreated sawdust as we wished to take away – great for composting!

- 16 Galvanised coach bolts about 6″+ long (need to reach through the sleeper and the stake). About $70 +/- from a local hardware store. Don’t forget washers and a few fresh drill bits, wet gum will put up a fierce resistance to drilling.

Tools we used:

-  a power drill and an extension lead, (don’t forget earth leakage protection as you will be in wet grass with a power tool!).

- a spade or post hole borer for the stakes.

- some mates. The sleepers are heavy and you may need another set of eyes to help you line up the planter, besides which, this project is about tea and scones as much as it is about Saturday mornings and projects.

- spanner and socket sets.

 Best approach:

Line up the stakes first, lightly in the ground with some line and a tape to get an idea of the size and where it will be in terms of sun and shade in your garden. If you think you have it, lay out the bottom four sleepers on the ground to give you a better idea of height and lay of the land (it looks flat till you put a 3.5m sleeper across it).

Bore or dig the stake holes and fix opposite ends of each sleeper to the stakes such that each layer of sleepers up will alternate. If you get it wrong, that’s okay, one more hole in the sleeper will not affect strength or anything about the project and bolts can just be undone and refastened. If you are unsure, try stacking the sleepers in different positions till they loook ready to be fastened and secured.

Once the box is made, adjust the level of the sides, each at a time and use old bricks or offcuts to raise or lower each side till it is level (or as you like it). Knock the bricks or offcuts into place under the sleepers with a hammer. Be sure the gap between the sleepers and the ground is either blocked or flush. For the best lifetime of the product, the sleeprs should lie on the ground, but not under it or in it.

You will likely be mowing around the planter in the Summer, so be sure there are no protruding bolts, edges or anything that could snag the mower (or your ankle/knee).

Cut the extensions of the upright stakes once the project is near complete such that they are flush and will not snag gardeners.

Try not to cut the bolts, place them such thet they are conceled and will not be an buried ’snag’ obstacle. Cuttin the bolts will expose an ungalvanised area and the bolts will rust quickly against wet dirt.

Next week, we fill some of the planter and build compost bins.