Frank’s Shed Story

In my working life – for the last 20 years I worked in an electrical company. I was in the shipping department packing delicate instruments to go all over the world. I had to leave because a bit of a family problem – that put me under lots of stress. So, coming to Shed was a way of getting out and socialising in a type of work situation – it felt like having a job again.

I joined the Men’s Shed several years ago years ago. I used to make furniture out of pallets garden benches and things like that. I did these kinds of things at the Shed and I can give other Shedders advice and things – most people have their own ideas, but I can show people if they want me to.

At the Shed I have learned how to use machinery like band saws and lathes. I have done a bit of lathe work before, and how to use different hand and power tools. The first thing I did was to make a bird box. I have made several other things on commission such as a hedgehog box and planters.

Some of my artwork in the past has been surreal. The most different thing I have made here was a planter it was like and upside-down pyramid, on four legs made of layers, different bits of wood then painted. I did one for a Shed customer and I made another one for a friend, painted with carved cats on it. Working for commissions is good. There was one customer who had a lover’s chair for repair. I managed to restore it and repaired the woodwork. She was absolutely chuffed with it.

I look forward to getting some more commissions for the Men’s Shed. Before the lockdown we had many more commissions, planters compost bins things like that. We are given a spec which we had to follow to the best of our ability – and put a little bit of our own personality into it.