San Remo Gavel

The Kincumber Shedders decided that they wanted to make a ceremonial gift for the new San Remo Shed to wish them well and to assist in control of toolbox meetings in the new facility.

Alan Hagan presents the gavel to Kim Hopkins,
chairman of Steering Committee
for the San Remo Community Shed.

Alan Hagan was commissioned to turn the item up on the lathe and undertook to burn a message from the Kincumber Men's Shed to the San Remo Shed.

It was a golden opportunity today for the (very) Rev Alan Hagan to present the Gavel in his ceremonial garb.

In all seriousness its a generous gift that the men from San Remo will treasure as a start in their journey to having a functioning and viable facility like their brothers in Kincumber.

Many thanks of behalf of the San Remo shed.

Concept drawing of the
San Remo Neighbourhood Centre
and shed

Blessing the Apron

The very Reverend Alan Hagan.. i think it has all gone to his head... or was that collar too tight ?

Alan began blessing the turned ground, layered with metal and ready for concrete. Holy water and all, he proceeded to bless the sacred ground of The Shed, watched by the heavy metal crew.

Pastor Frank was on hand to ensure that no area of the form-work missed out on the splash of holy blessing. NOW we are ready for that concrete pour !!

.. bring on the truck... and the barrows....

The Very Reverend Alan Hagan

Alan Hagan holds his overalls closed with white tape, something that lends him the air of a minister with reversed collar.

Alan's ordination

So today he was ordained in 4 second ceremony from Pastor Frank, who reminisced that it took him a good 4 years to achieve his ministry.

Alan seems to have enjoyed his swift ascension to the status of Shed Chaplain for the day.

collar reads "the (very) Rev Alan"

Pastor Frank

Pastor Frank of the Kincumber Uniting Church dropped by to check out all the new work and have a chat to the Shedders.

Pastor Frank and Ernie fighting over the rake.

There was sure a lot of activity going on outside today. Looks like everyone was keen to be in the great outdoors after the ten days of continuous autumn rain.

Pastor Frank's wife chatting
with Jim and Alan Sparkes.

Pastor Frank's wife also dropped by with project for the Shed. The womens church group will be making some clocks and she has brought over some materials for the shed to prepare for the group as clock backs.

Ready to pour

Doug and a few good men were busy ensureing that the "metal" was all set up for the pour tomorrow. Not only the metal but the levels and the external landscaping were careful crafted to ensure the best result.

The extended area of concrete apron will give the shed a bit more useable area outside. That would be for working outside .. although it looks like a great area for a picnic table and a barbie ...

Restored Rocker

Don (and Bob) have been hard at work restoring this rocking chair. The rocker is looking quite bare now that it is cleanedup to the point where it can be re-caned and re-varnished.

Don has offered to so show, anyone interested, how to recane a chair like this one as he completes the job over the next few visits.

Mick, where this chair is destined, is looking forward to leaning back and taking it easy in the restored rocker. Not that any of us think that Mick would sit still for very long in any chair !!

Southern Standing Stones

After Joes efforts with the excavator on Saturday, there a now not one, but two standing stones at the southern end of the shed.

Undecided if they should be left as they are and claimed to be megalithic remnants from our celtic origins, or turned into a Zen rock garden, they still will form a striking feature to any garden established in that area.

A brilliant piece of inspired creativity from Joe, recycling found objects. Beautification by excavator.

Joe with the found rock pillars
before erecting then in-situ.

Bob's dollhouse

Bob is putting together a dolls house for his 3 year old granddaughter. After the cutting, nailing and glueing, this "little" dollhouse will be painted white in preparation for its lilliputian inhabitants.

Nurturing Neville

While there was a hullabaloo outside with all the earthmoving and form-work, Neville kept at it nuturing his task for the day. He was carefully smooting the curve beneath the this lorry toy "blank".

Cutting out "blanks"on the band saw creates a "rough" that still needs a some careful hand finishing to a standard that can be passed to places that use the "toy blanks" as an exercise in fine motor skills, in the painting of the toys during rehabilitation or occupational therapy.

Neville may seem to be just filing the "roughs" but he is also nurturing his own woodworking skills, nurturing the patients who will use these items to assist their own therapies and nurturing his own, and The Shed's, contribution to the local community.

Where's the machine ?

The smaller machines around the forward partition have done a big reshuffle. The bench grinder and scrollsaw are now on the northern side where they are accessible and have more space for access.

On the southern side of the partition, the sanding disk and linishing machine are now located near the dust extractor. Also, each machine now has a vacuum exhaust attached, so please remember to turn it on before use.

And a gentle reminder -
if you make a mess working on a project,
it is your responsibility to clean it up!!

Trestle Tower

Alan Eaton is stacking up those trestles for the Car Boot Sales. Thats quite an output there Alan.

Just goes to show how you can bring in a Community project and make use of the space and tools to quickly produce and complete worthwhile projects.

Alan gets framed

Alan Hagan is usually found holding a chisel over the wood-lathe turning out round and intricately turned wooden items.

Today he was working on carved wood. Here is showing the 4 piece-carved mirror frame that he was assembling this morning. The parts were cut out rough on the band saw, carved to shape and joints prepared. It now awaits assembly and a mirror of course .... can't turn that out on the lathe!!

Six Shedders

Six Shedders or is that six supervisors.

This photo for no other reason than the guys were outside having a chat in the crisp fresh autumn air. The Shed is as much about getting together and sharing a story, joke or yarn with some mates as it is about all the good hard work.

Doug, Wally, John, Alan, Bob & Stretch.

Shed Safely

Ever conscious of the need for safety at The Shed, Alan has roped off the area where the temporary form work could be a hazard.

Shed Lizard

This beautiful blue-tongue lizard was sunning itself for a little warmth at the rear of the shed today. Possibly disturbed by the activity around The Shed or just eager for some of that wintry sun that filtered thru he was quite content to nestle among some of the shed items and ignore those pesky shedders.

Container Concrete

Not only was the front apron of concrete being formed up this morning. Around the corner, Bob and Alan were hard at work ensuring that there is formwork prepared and ready for the delivery of concrete so that there will be an all weather path from the The Shed to the Storage Container.

No longer will Wellies or waterproof boots be required to go and fetch that important piece of wood for your project no longer the stepping stone hop to the fetch a piece of rod from the container.

Well done guys !!!

Stretch Concreting

Stretch just dropped by to say hi to his mate. . . . and now he is helping to set out and form up the new slab extension in front of the shed.

He was assisted by John Connor this morning to get the levels correct, matching the levels and falls to the requirements of both the old shed, the new extension and to have a broad flat area where the workers from The Shed could work comfortably outside when the weather permits.

Stretch does concreting locally for a living, so if you need some work done remember his generous assistance and give him a call for a quote.

Excavation & Earthworks

No!! Wally and Joe were not comparing the size of their shovels. Nor were they competing to see who could move the most dirt.

What they were doing, was preparing the surface for the new slab extension. This will provide a wider (3 metre) flat hard concrete surface in front of The Shed to enable more outside working area or possibly a sitting place for those not gainfully employed. At the very least there will be more walking area to get to and fro access at the front of The Shed & between the woodwork and metalwork sections.

Does Joe have a license to drive that big toy.

Joe handled the excavator like a professional. He detrucked and retrucked the machine and made good use of the time it was on the ground. The turf was cleared from in front of the old concrete apron and the area to the southern end of the Metalwork slab was leveled and compacted. Joe even found some surprises in the among the soil but nothing is too big for Joe when he is at the controls of the biggest toy the shed has ever seen. Pity we had to give it back.

This final picture records the work done by Joe and Wally to ensure that the he new slab will be at the right level. They also achieved the levelling at the side of the shed for a future garden. They have also compacted the earth to ensure the whole is stable and sculpted a battered descend that retains the aescetic of the site and allows for mowing.

AND... it is all ready to be be formed up for concreting and completion before the team turn up to construct the new metal work extension.

Joe's going batty

Joe Homer thought that the blokes at The Shed were pulling his leg when when told that he could solve his mosquito problem by enticing microbats into the backyard. Having never seen or heard of these dynamic little critters he was sceptical about their existence and the possibility of them colonising the Microbat Boxes being built at The Shed, especially with openings no bigger than his finger.

Nonetheless, Joe is now a convert!! Not only has he taken a number of the Microbat Boxes to hang in his yard, he has visited the local bat enthusiast to collect some poo and pee to place inside. He has been advised by John Connor, batbox designer and builder, that this is the way to attract an active and viable micro-bat community to his garden. During the visit to the "bat lady", Joe was offered the opportunity to hold a Little Forest Bat in his hand. (pictured above)

The Shed is eagerly awaiting reports from Joe about the success of his bat colony.

Amazing what you learn at the Kincumber Men's Shed !!

The Lectern

The Lectern for the Kincumber Neighbourhood Centre was assembled today. It stands proudly on a bench awaiting the setting of the glue that holds the two parts of the pedestal together.

Two table legs were converted by Alan Hagan on the wood lathe to make a single turned wooden pedestal. With the assistance of Joe Homer, the whole was assembled into the finished product.

Recycling at its best and the finished product is a tribute to the skills available in the shed for community projects. A work of art, well done guys!!

Joe & Alan fine tuning the fit
for glueing the lectern pedestal.

Jack the weedpuller

Although this photo, at first glance, looks like Jack has taken up an iron cross for the Pope's visit on International Youth Day, it is far from the reality of the matter.

Jack is holding a prototype weed puller put together at The Shed from recycled materials. Whilst appearing sturdy this prototype failed under field testing by herculean strength of Peter Jessop.

The weed puller was a project brought to The Shed by a local gardener, who's original commercial model had failed. This device was an integral part of her gardening regime that allowed her to pull up weeds without that inevitable bending over. The tool is no longer available from retail outlets in Australia.

The weed puller built by Jack was a far superior model all shiny, with stronger materials and high tech. With additional functionality that enhanced the original by ejecting the weeds, Jack had exceeded expectations.

Thats what its all about at The Shed a project that helps everyone in the community and exceeds expectations.

Supply means supply

Peter, Wally and Kim have been working on a banner design for the Community Drug and Alcohol (CDAT) Team locally known as the Kincumber Action Team. The CDAT teams play an active part in many communities. Kincumber has made an effort to engage youth and address community issues. The Kincumber Action team is an integral part of this community improvement.


The draft banner design was circulated around the Toolbox meeting today. The Shed will be responsible for putting the banner up and taking it down when is booked for the display on the corner of Frost Park. That's the well built Banner Frame constructed by the Kincumber Men's Shed for Gosford Council.

It was emphasised to the men in the group that
supply of alcohol to anyone under 18
can lead to fines of up to $12,000.
Although it is permitted to provide alcohol at home to a son or daughter,
providing alcohol to their friends or
other underage relatives remains an offence.

Physio steps

That stack of close to 20 physiotherapist steps is a testament to the persistence of Frank Parker assisted by Ron, Bob and Tom.

They are guaranteed sturdy having been built with the new brad gun and plenty of glue. These step won't come to pieces under the pounding multiple repetitions.

Is there a "Kincumber Men's Shed" sticker on each one ..?? .. its a damn good way of advertising the Shed!!

Coffee Machine

A new Coffee Maker is now available to lift the quality of beverages consumed during the Toolbox meetings.

There's always been the trusty jugs and the hard working urn. All of which are required to meet the demands of the thirsty crew when they knock off at the sound of "cuppas on ".

Even if you do not have a yen to cut wood and fabricate metal, come on down to the shed for a cuppa. There is always coffee, tea, sugar and milk available and often a bikkie or a slice of cake. [well not always but mostly]

Postal project

Here is a project one of the chaps created in The Shed.

A post box is just the project to whip up in short order at the shed. With tools and materials about, small projects and even some more challenging ones easily come together with a clear work area, some recycled materials and the right tools.

If you have a small project that need a boost along, bring it to the shed and get started. There will even be the occasional helpful hint or another pair of hands when required to speed the job along.

Storage Stair

Harry Potter may live under the stairs at the Dursleys, but at Kincumber Men's Shed there would be no room for him at all.

The space beneath the stair to the mezzanine is carefully filled with the materials and ready cut components for Hospital Art, Possum Boxes, Micro-Bat Roosts and Toys.

The Shedmen have become good at the magic of storage as it helps to keep the benches and work areas clear.

Learning Lathe

Ian has been picking up some skills on the wood-lathe. Alan Hagan has been teaching his hard earned skills to anyone who willing to learn.

If you are interested in learning a new skill in the Kincumber Mens Shed come on down and spends some time with skill tradesmen who can show you traditional skills and a few new tricks as well.

Note the sign:

Safety Advice
Please do not speak to machinery operator
while they are working.

an important piece of safety advice in any workshop!!

Wet slab

Even on rainy days, the shed is an invitation to the guys to gather. Noone was about because of the rain and the gathering in the enclosed room for the morning tea toolbox meeting.

On the right side of the shed the new work on he Metalwork Annex is clearly visible and in the this second photo, the new slab can be seen, ready now for construction to commence (once the rain clears, of course).

Significant Contributors

Kincumber Mens Shed

We wish to acknowledge the following
as
Significant Contributors
in
Cash - Time - Equipment
to make the Kincumber Mens Shed a Reality

Founding Steering Group:-

Peter Jessop
Wally Morison
Alan Sparkes
Kevin Walther
Dave Paton

We gratefully acknowledge these Community members for their time, their giving of their knowledge and experience to make the KMS a Community owned and operated facility for the betterment of the Gosford Regional Communities.

Significant Contributors

The Kincumber Uniting Church
The Uniting Church Synod: Mission Resource Fund
NSW State Government
Gosford City Council
Coastl Village Construction
Bob Warren
Mick Clarke
Mitre 10. Kincumber
Chris Hartcher MP
Peter Jessop
Paul Jessop Electrical
Wally Morison & Family
Joe Homer
Lisa Brand
Bruce Benson
Ross Murray
Gordon Taylor
Alan Sparkes
Dave Paton
Davie Dunbar
Bert Hurford
Jack Newton
Tom Van Dam
Merve Addison
Jim Nicholson
Les Verity

...and many others
who have given freely & generously
to support this worthwhile commmunity resource.

This list is not complete and is dynamic and hopefully will grow with time. We acknowledge there are many more to be added to this list and we may have overlooked some, please contact us and please accept our apologies, your contribution is appreciated.

Boot Sale Trestles

The Kincumber Uniting Church hold a Car Boot Sale on the first Saturday in every month. The event is now so popular that the organisers exhausted the supply of trestles and table for the sellers on the recent sale day.

Alan Eaton from the church is cutting and assembling more trestles so that their supply will meet at least current demand. Alan has been working alongside the chaps at The Shed and enjoying the cameraderie of the Toolbox Meetings.

Held on the first Saturday of each month except January

Venue: Kincumber Uniting Church car park

Cnr. Avoca Drive & Killuna Road, Kincumber

Tea & coffee, soft drinks and sausage sizzle available to purchase.

For Bookings Contact: 43695939

Time: Early till midday

Pam thanks

a thank you card and note from Pam Warton. Local resident and foundation shed supporter.

the blokes have done some repairs for Pam and has responded in print to thank the members of the shed who assisted in her small repairs.


card/photo of pelicans on Tuggerah Lake near The Entrance.

Frequently Asked Questions - FAQ

Here are some answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the Kincumber Men's Shed.

If there is a question that you wanted answered or have been asked at some time, do not hesitate to send us an email or contact us directly.

Where is The Shed ?

The shed is in the grounds of the Kincumber Uniting Church, located at the corner of Avoca Drive and Killuna Drive Kincumber. Enter the grounds from Killuna Drive. There are bus stops located adjacent in Avoca Drive or plenty of parking in the grounds.

When is The Shed open ?

The shed is open on Monday and Wednesday mornings from 8.30 am to 2.00 pm. The Shed will be open other days for special interest groups providing their own supervision.

What do you do in The Shed ?

Mainly we get together and share a bit of company, either over a cuppa or doing a project.

There are three main categories of activity at the shed. Personal projects, Shed improvement projects or community involvement projects. Members are welcome to be involved in any or all of these as is their own capability or interest. Or just to come to the shed and have a chat with these friendly guys as they go about their tasks.

How do I become a member of The Shed ?

Come and check us out and see what we do... no compulsion to join, just see what we do. If you like what you see... you can join for a fee of $5.00 and your signature on a membership form that asks for minimal information.

Do I have to pay for ongoing visits ?

No. Membership entitles you to attend the shed, become involved in Toolbox Meetings and commence work on your own projects or assist on Shed or community projects.

Members are encouraged to donate a gold coin in the Red Box each time they sign in. This is a donation only not a fees. Members choose to pay or not depending on their own circumstance. The ethos of The Shed is about inclusion so this is not meant to be a barrier to attendance.

However, the funds are important to the shed to keep up the standard of morning tea and provide some of the consumables that are require for the ongoing running of The Shed.

What is a Toolbox Meeting ?

Toolbox Meetings are the core democratic management of The Shed. These meetings are held over morning tea most days the the shed is open. This gives an opportunity to advise members, make resolutions and resolve disputes. The meetings are mostly casual affairs that discuss anything from tool maintenance, through safety concerns to major financial decisions for the The Shed. Everyone has the opportunity to express an opinion and a vote on major issues.

These meetings are generally presided over by Peter Jessop, the man with the wooden gavel.

[Don't be fooled, there is also a lot of laughter
and the chance to spin a yarn or two...ed]

Who pays for The Shed ?

There are are many sources of funding, sponsorship and significant contributors for The Shed. Major contributions include Kincumber Uniting Church in providing the land and Uniting Care Aged for funds to purchase the shed building. Many individuals donated or loaned funds at crucial times to allow The Shed to progress to the current operational stage. In addition, grants from community funding from Gosford Shire Council and the Federal & State Government have assisted in some projects.

Sourcing funding for the Kincumber Men's Shed is an ongoing challenge well worth the effort for a community resource that does so much to benefit not only for the men involved but the wider community as well. Donations, sponsorship or even some hours volunteered are all welcome at the Kincumber Men's Shed.

Where do you get the funds for materials and projects?

The Shed has received donations of material from members and the community, that have been used in many of the successful projects. However, for personal projects The Shed recommends purchase of you own materials, which can then be supplemented by on-hand stores where appropriate. For shed development projects, material will drawn from stores or sourced locally at the most suitable price. For community projects, we are able to provide labour and skills tools and workshop, but materials are the responsibility of the contracting organisation.

Len's Toys & Frank's Steps

Len Johnson has been hard at work cutting out toys. He is seen here with one of the end products and a stack of blanks that have been cut out on the band saw. There is always a job in the shed that is not only keeping the men busy but producing useful items that are distributed into the community.

In the rear of this photo Bob is hard at work on the drop-saw cutting out the Step Boxes. This a project for a local physiotherapist. The idea was brought into the shed by Frank Parker. There is a new skill and these are much appreciated by those undergoing physical thearpy.

Ernie's Garden

The Kincumber Men's Shed Garden may forever be known as Ernie's Garden for all the effort that Ernie Lawson has put into setting it up, sourcing the planters and soil and tending to the budding plants in the rear of the shed.

Not that he does it all alone he has had plenty of help setting up planter benches and and with an additional two new benches he is set to get into more serious planting over coming weeks.

There are already plenty of hardy herbs popping up their heads in the existing boxes. Lettuce and tomatoes are also coming through assisted by some warm autumn weather.

The garden may benefit considerably from the excellent soil that Joe has been delivering of late. Meant for fill around the new slab, Ernie spotted its potential and quickly incorporated the windfall topsoil into his garden project !!

Hospital Art Frames

Another 25 frames ready for delivery to Hospital Art. The new jig and the nail gun have certainly sped up production. Nothing get done without the manpower behind the production. This project has been helped along with the dedication of John Connor and Bob. They are both doing a sterling job of meeting the annual target on this project.

Storage Heaven

Amazing!! the stores in the shipping container are as well arranged as ever. The racking put together by the hard work of Alan Sparkes has made it easy to keep the right material in the right place. Ernie's planter boxes have found a niche down the back awaiting inclusion on the new benches at the rear of the shed.

Well done guys!! Who thought we would ever be this organised. It is great to have all these materials out of the shed working area. This makes working in the shed that much safer!!

Metalshop Slab

Peter and Wally inspect the form-work and reinforcing mesh that is all prepared for the pour on Tuesday.

Astounding to think that it was only about a week ago that the decision to go ahead with the Metalwork Annex was ratified by the Toolbox meeting.

The Kincumber Men's Shed does not muck about when theres a project to get its teeth into. Make the decision, find some funds, get the resources into place and it gets done in the blink of an eye.

Stand by for the photos and story of getting the new Metalwork Extension operational and full of busy blokes. Before long we will be needing new members to fill up the gaps on the project list for woodwork jobs and gardeners!!

The concreter, Carl dropped in today to set up some 'chairs' ready for tomorrows pour.