In the MenzShed rickety old antique chairs are stripped down, missing bits replaced, old shellac scraped off and sandpaper lovingly worked for hours to renew the grain hidden for many years. With glue and clamps the chairs are born again, tall and straight and ready for a new coat of varnish to last another half century at least.
The amazing thing is that the restoration is done by blokes who for 50 years of their lives had jobs that were not connected with wood. David worked in animal research, Eddy in heavy engineering and Dave in computer programming when computers were huge and water cooled. Their skill with wood is now their major interest and love as a hobby, and a huge gift to the MenzShed.
They are passing on their knowledge and many Sheddies have repaired, reproduced and created numerous pieces of furniture, artefacts and toys for young and old.
There are many in the Shed who are passing on their knowledge from their backgrounds and the newly acquired technology of industry. This is the legacy of the MenzShed: The sharing of knowledge, the developing of friendship, supporting each other and helping the community.