Our Community Projects
At The Men’s Shed we are frequently asked to undertake projects for other community groups, non-profit organisations and for individual members of our wider Forest Community. Our members are justifiably proud of the many such projects we have undertaken some examples of which are briefly outlined below
Narrabeen Tram Restoration
Northern Beaches Council asked us to participate in a project to fully restore an old Sydney tram which when restored would be located at the ‘new’ tram-shed café at Narrabeen.
Over a period of about 2 years many of our members carefully restored all of the interior timbers which were rotting, missing or covered with graffiti.
All of the timber panelling throughout the tram, the timber seats and window frames all had to be scraped back to the original timber prior to staining and varnishing. In many cases new timbers had to be cut, shaped and fitted.
The work involved many hundreds of hours of painstaking and dedicated effort and the restored tram now takes pride of place at the Tram Shed Café – Narrabeen.
Community Service Clubs
Lions Club - Speakers Lectern
Frenchs Forest Lions club was the original ‘sponsor’ of The Men’ Shed Project. As a ‘thank-you’, Shed members designed and crafted a speakers lectern incorporating a microphone and PA system.
Probus Clubs - Speakers Lecterns
More recently the same Shed members designed and crafted another lectern to be shared by two local Probus clubs.
Street Libraries
Northern Beaches Council asked The Men’s Shed to make a prototype Street Library for a Council Child Care Centre and Council plans to roll-out similar libraries to other centres.
Our members have also made 4 other street libraries for schools and child care centres across The Northern Beaches.
As well we have made libraries for various residential communities and one such street library was made to help a Frenchs Forest neighbourhood during the Covid-19 Pandemic Lockdown.
An Unusual Project Lands us in Jail
A local Rotary Club asked us to build a de-mountable Jail which they needed for a charity fund raising event. Over 2 metres in height, weighing 20 kilos and made entirely from re-cycled timber the frame had folding arms on the sides to provide stability and had to be transported from The Shed by trailer.
Pirates Ahoy!
Newport Rotary Club asked us to make 20 free standing signs to advertise a charity event. The signs made from Corflute material were provided by Rotary and the ‘mounting poles & stands’ were constructed from re-cycled timber.
Reading Thrones
Six local schools have each been given a timber Reading Throne crafted by our Shed members. One of our members volunteered to make a small prototype throne which he took to one school and the teachers were so excited about the idea of creating a ‘special place’ to encourage reading that they asked for a full size throne to be made. The Bunnings store at Belrose donated the timber and the paint for all 6 thrones.
Antique Restoration
What can you do with a 100 year old tallowwood laundry bench that looked like it was destined for the tip? The owner was keen to see it restored and used in her garden.
Well… we did some “Google Research’’ and discovered what it may have looked like in its heyday (see image) so then we set about strengthening the old bench, we turned up some timber to make rollers and fashioned a mangle
Australian Native Bee Hives
The Coastal Environment Centre at Narrabeen (Northern Beaches Council) asked The Men’s Shed to make a number of Native Bee Hives. Constructed from high quality weatherproof plywood the task involved many hours of painstaking work cutting the timber to size, assembling with glue and screws and then painting. The CEC was delighted with the result and would like us to make more.
