Katoomba Mens Shed in Katoomba, New South Wales | Community organisation

Katoomba Mens Shed

Locality: Katoomba, New South Wales

Phone: +61 2 4782 7433

Address: 6 Orient St 2780 Katoomba, NSW, Australia

Website: http://www.kms.org.au/

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• Non-profit organisation
• Community organisation
• Social service

25.01.2022 Very big day today at the shed with the arrival of our new Jointer/Thicknesser made by Hammer in Austria and distributed in Australia by Felder. We were very fortunate to get the support of Bendigo Bank who very kindly gave us a grant which, when added to our own funds, enabled the acquisition to go ahead. The morning started with the unloading, unpacking and locating of the machine quickly followed by a test run from the Felder installation engineer. We then gathered around ...for our initial safety briefing (always an important aspect when using machinery in the workshop). Shed members with projects who had been patiently waiting for today formed an orderly queue clutching their work pieces eager to try out the machine. At lunch time we had a visit from Peter Carroll, one of the Bendigo Bank Directors and Chair of their Sponsorship Committee, who presented the cheque to our President Peter Kinkead and Treasurer Bruce Ward. See more

24.01.2022 Surprise visit today from Derek and Marilyn Keiller all the way from Scotland. The Mens Shed movement is thriving in Scotland and Derek has been an active member since the very early days - his Shed in Dundee was the second to be established. Derek is the current chairman of the Scottish Mens Shed Association. He and Marilyn have a son living in Springwood so they visit Australia regularly. They try to drop in on 3 Sheds on each trip - Marilyn is very patient! We enjoyed a good yarn over a cup of tea before a tour of the Shed facilities. The photo shows KMS day coordinator Kevin with Derek and Marilyn.

24.01.2022 A number of things to report from the KMS today. First, today is the final day in the Shed for Bruce Ward. Bruce has been a key member and major contributor to the shed for the past 7 years and will be sorely missed. Bruce and his wonderful wife Jill are moving to Geelong to be closer to family and everyone at the Shed wishes them every happiness for this next phase of their life. The Shed is also very busy with a project in support of Mikayla Children’s Centre in Katoomba wh...o had a large number of wooden building blocks which were in dire need of refurbishment. The blocks are being trimmed of sharp edges, sanded and sealed ready for the little fingers and creative minds of the children who attend the Centre. This is the first stage in a number of projects with which we will be helping them. Photos below: The other event of note was last Thursday when an unnamed person dropped off a donated wood lathe, chucks and tools. We are often the recipients of the kindness and generosity of Mountain Folk and this is a prime example. The gentleman arrived unexpectedly, made his donation and left without leaving his details. The Shed Committee would really like to be able to ‘officially’ say Thank You over and above the thanks offered by those in the Shed on Thursday morning. So, if anyone has any information about this donation please contact a Committee Member. Photos below:

24.01.2022 We had a visit today from Sherlie McMillan from the fledgling Blue Mountains Womens Shed. The Katoomba Mens Shed has offered some temporary storage space for donated equipment until a permanent home can be found for the new Shed. We have tried to support each of the new Sheds in our area as they have established including another Womens Shed in Lithgow. The photo shows David Christie Sherlie McMillan and Peter Kinkead after a tour of the KMS facility.

23.01.2022 Our Management Committee met yesterday by phone conference and we are hopeful that the Shed will be able to reopen in the next month. While the new arrangements starting tomorrow still do not allow community groups to gather indoors, we expect that the next stage may allow us to reopen, assuming there is not a rebound of COVID-19 infections in the next three weeks. We are planning a modest and cautious approach to reopening with heightened hygiene and possibly a limit on numbers. We will also reduce our opening times to two days per week. There will almost certainly be enhanced sign-in arrangements, maybe including a temperature check. While we dont expect to pick up any COVID-19 cases this way, the temperature check will be a good reminder to members not to come in if they are sick!

23.01.2022 KMS are pleased to announce the creation of a new Facebook Group. The group is mainly intended for members of the Katoomba Mens Shed, but we wont lock out other people who have a good reason to join the discussion. We are hoping this will provide a way for members to keep in touch during the COVID-19 shutdown. The group is now available, you just have to answer a simple question so that we know who we are letting in. Go to https://facebook.com/groups/kms.shedders/ and join ...the new group. This is only one of several initiatives that the Shed Management Committee will be trying to keep members connected while we are unable to meet in person. We are aware that even when restrictions are lifted (allowing community groups to resume meeting face-to-face) there will be many among our members who will remain in self-isolation as they or family members are in a more vulnerable group. See more

23.01.2022 Representing Katoomba Mens Shed at a community mini-expo in Blackheath - all about backyard wildlife recovery organised by the Blue Mountains Recovery Wellbeing Committee. We are sharing. Table with the fledgling Blue Mountains Womens Shed.

23.01.2022 Great roll up at the Katoomba Mens Shed today for the end of year BBQ. Our special guests were Blue Mountains City Councillors Kerry Brown And Kevin Schreiber. We were also pleased to see Andrew from the Central Mountains Mens Shed.

22.01.2022 Things are looking up for a possible reopening of the Katoomba Mens Shed on 1 July. We are still awaiting confirmation that the regulations will allow us to open. Provided there is not a worsening of the situation, the Committee is expecting that we will be able to operate as normal, with heightened hygiene practices. We will keep you posted!

22.01.2022 Modern take on an old idea! A group of blokes at the Katoomba Men’s Shed are building a pinball machine - nothing like a challenge! So take one promotional plastic toy from a well known supermarket, add coloured lights, and you have yourself a neon dog to sit on a tuckerbox as one of the obstacles in the machine. Most of the physical construction of the machine is complete and the team have moved on to installing and testing the complex electronics. It will still be a month or two before the Shed starts to sound like a fun parlour.

22.01.2022 A good roll up of volunteers this morning to get the shed ready for reopening tomorrow morning. Chairs spaced around the lunch room and signs in profusion to remind members of the new rules to ensure individual and collective safety and well-being Looking forward to moving into the next phase of our shed story!

21.01.2022 The February 2020 edition of the KMS Newsletter has just been published. In this edition - Bendigo Bank contributes to new planer... - Presidents report - Annual General Meeting - Shed highlights - Vale Poul Erik Hvidkjaer - Prostate cancer - Watering stations for wildlife - Safety Snippet: Push blocks - What do you do at the Shed - Tool tips - Warping in wood You can download the newsletter from our website at kms.org.au.

19.01.2022 Big day at KMS on Thursday as we cleared out the Shed Annex With the kind approval of BMCC the Annex shed will be utilised by Blue Mountains Women’s Shed until the have secured a more permanent home As always the job took longer than expected but with help of willing hands and a cheerful attitude it was completed The final push will be next Thursday when trailers and utes will be loaded and the tip visited Big Thank you to all the helpers

19.01.2022 The CNC router project is progressing steadily, but still a lot of work to do before it is ready for making things. Last week we got to the stage where a pencil was loaded into the router, and the machine was able to draw on a flat surface. Today they got the actually router working, albeit being driven manually from the computer terminal. next they have to get it to run the router around a programmed path and do multiple passes at different depths to produce 3D objects. As the photo below shows, chip and dust control is a priority!

19.01.2022 The November (Christmas) edition of the Katoomba mens Shed newsletter has just been published and is available from our website at www.kms.org.au. In this edition - Presidents message - A visit from Scotland... - Shed highlights - Facing a major health event - Mental Health First Aid - New Mt Riverview facility - Safety Snippet: Pay attention - Tool tips - Adhesives - You get all sorts at the Shed! See more

19.01.2022 Sorry to say that the Katoomba Mens Shed has had to close for the time being due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We are thinking hard about how we can continue to support our members and the local community without being able to physically get together - we will keep you posted! You can keep up-to-date with our situation on our website at kms.org.au.

18.01.2022 Katoomba Men’s Shed is delighted to support the fledgling Wiseman’s Ferry Men’s Shed with a donation of some equipment surplus to our needs. A small delegation from Wiseman’s Ferry visited us on Thursday to pick up the equipment.

17.01.2022 The famous Pin Ball Machine undergoing early trials So far so good - its an amazing project that has captured the imagination of many members

17.01.2022 John Paul Young's sensational voice and smash hits through several generations (such as Love is in the Air and Yesterday’s Hero) have been part of Australia’s... soundtrack since the seventies. Now he's released a brand new Men's Shed song and music video! Be warned, it's an extremely catchy tune. It's set to bring laughter and a much-needed feelgood factor as we approach the end 2020. Written and performed by the one and only JPY in conjunction with The Jingle Joint's Danny Marx Young, Donny Whitworth and Jake Tuffin. Video co-stars are the Raymond Terrace Community Men's Shed Band See more

17.01.2022 The pinball machine is starting to look and sound the part. A few blokes are suspiciously skilled during testing.

16.01.2022 More from the PBM test

15.01.2022 A wonderful Sausage Sizzle today as we bid farewell to a KMS stalwart - Bruce Ward. For many years Bruce, supported by his wife Jill, has been a key member of the Shed and the Shed Committee holding a range of positions at various times. We all wish Bruce and Jill all the best for their move to Geelong and hope to see them again on return trips to the Mountains

15.01.2022 A very different atmosphere at the KATOOMBA Mens Shed on the first day back after the Covid-19 shutdown. With the kitchen closed and physical distancing in force, there were not the normal long yarns over a cuppa. But there were still some tall tales to tell from the months in isolation. The Shed is operating on a reduced basis - just Wednesdays and Thursdays while we see how things work out. We also have heightened hygiene and cleaning in place. Photo below: The blokes perfecting a physically distanced yarn - this was a completely candid photo - not posed!

14.01.2022 On New Years Day the Katoomba Mens Shed (KMS) opened specially for an important visitor. Allan Bottomly is a retired engineer and inventor who designed the sheet metal bending machine built by the workshop team during 2018. Before his retirement, Allan commercially manufactured the machine, but in retirement, he has made the designs freely available. He also provided advice and support to the KMS team, so while visiting Sydney on holiday, asked if he could come to Katoomba... to see the completed machine. Allan said he helps a lot of people get started with a build, but very few successfully complete the project. He was suitably impressed that KMS had completed the machine and was also impressed with the quality of the work. Even so, he was able to make a few small suggestions to improvements, such as finger recesses in the larger clamping blocks. The KMS blokes tried very hard to interest Allan in their latest project - a CNC router (almost complete), but Allan only had eyes for his beloved Magnabender! The Photo shows Allan Bottomly (right) with Kevin, KMS Workshop coordinator. See more

14.01.2022 A wonderful Sausage Sizzle today as we bid farewell to a KMS stalwart - Bruce Ward. For many years Bruce, supported by his wife Jill, has been a key member of the Shed and the Shed Committee holding a range of positions at various times. We all wish Bruce and Jill all the best for their move to Geelong and hope to see them again on return trips to the Mountains

14.01.2022 The Pinball machine has scoring lights! Made on the Shed’s 3D printer and backed with globes in boxes it is all starting to look the part.

14.01.2022 We had a great example this week of Mens Sheds working together to help others. The Dural Mens Shed put out a call to the other Sheds in the Northern Sydney zone (which includes the Blue Mountains). The Dural blokes have been making weekly trips to help the Cobargo community through their bushfire recovery and they have found a high demand for spare tools. Even people who managed to save their home lost their Shed/workshop, including their tools. While they are capable and ...resourceful people, the lack of tools is a real problem in doing repairs. Katoomba Mens Shed President Peter Kinkead and Assets coordinator John Stanley did a quick sort through the tool-room at KMS and took a van-load of spare hammers, chisels, spanners, pliers and other basic tools to the Dural Mens Shed late last week. By today those tools would be at work in the Cobargo district. KMS has benefited from many tool donations over the years, so could easily spare a few to help a good cause!

14.01.2022 Exciting news from the Shed! Having successfully built a complete 3D router the fearless members of the Shed were looking around for a new project. Discussions went on long into the night as various suggestions were discussed and rejected until EUREKA!!! we have it - Lets build a Pinball Machine We are off and running with a project that will probably last all year (the unofficial goal being to have it fully operational by the 2020 Christmas party in December)... The main attraction of the project is the opportunity it presents to involve numerous shed members in the broad range of skills and activities needed to build a pinball machine. This will involve, but not be limited to: Metal turning Wood work Electronics Computer programming 3D routing 3D printing Graphic art Below are the first photos of early components - on the left is a prototype bracket for a pop up bumper On the right, a coil winding being wound for the pop up bumper From little acorns mighty oaks do grow Stay tuned for further updates

13.01.2022 Great news this week following the Shed Committee meeting. The Shed will be resuming normal opening times from this coming week, meaning the Shed will be open Tuesday to Friday each week. We are still operating under a Covid-safe plan to limit the risk to members and visitors and this will continue while Covid-19 remains a problem. Members and visitors need to be aware that the entry to the Shed is at the rear while the Covid-safe plan in in operation. This is to ensure that ...people sign-in and sanitise before entering the main part of the building. This means that the main roller door of Orient street usually remains closed, and the Shed does not look like it is in operation. The Men's Shed is dedicated to addressing social isolation and loneliness among Men, and the gradual return to normal operating conditions will allow more men to get to the Shed for their fix of mateship and camaraderie. See more

13.01.2022 Another special activity at Katoomba Mens Shed last Sunday with a group of members assembling almost 200 wildlife watering stations for the #waterforwildlife project. There were simultaneous efforts at the Central Mountains Mens Shed at Lawson, Lower Mountains Mens Shed at Mt Riverview and Nepean Mens Shed. The project was in conjunction with #DoSomething and #AnimalsAustralia.

12.01.2022 The Shed will reopen on Wednesday 1 July from 9:00 am. There are some new arrangements and rules required for us to reopen and the details can be seen on our website at http://kms.org.au/covid19 Please stay away if you are unwell. Entry is through the rear doors only - probably easiest to park in the Showground, near the grandstand. There are new sign-in requirements - you must use hand sanitiser and give contact details. By singing in you agree to follow the new COVI...D-19 rules - copy available from the website above. We will only be open on Wednesdays and Thursdays until we see how things go. See you at the Shed! See more

12.01.2022 Matthew came int the Katoomba Mens Shed a few weeks ago and asked for some help completing a small woodwork project that he was attempting. Shedder Des stepped up and helped Matthew complete his bird house. You can see how pleased he was with the finished product! Matthew came back this week with a lovely box of chocolates for the Shed blokes to enjoy. Thanks Matthew! They were very tasty.

11.01.2022 In this test, the router is being manually controlled from the computer terminal.

10.01.2022 The blokes from the Katoomba Mens Shed have just completed another term supporting students at the Katoomba North Public School. They have made lots of interesting projects including pencil boxes, wooden trucks, string art and nail echidnas. The grand finale was a free-for-all with odd pieces of wood and the children could make anything they wanted. Kids are so creative! Katoomba North Public School

10.01.2022 Outside expert at the Shed today in the form of Russells son Jake who is doing the final programming of the controller for the new CNC router. I missed the ideal photo opportunity when the display was upside down so Russell was holding the computer monitor upside down to compensate.

08.01.2022 Katoomba Mens Shed had some great news yesterday when Bendigo Bank advised that our application for a small grant has been successful. The grant of $3350 will go towards the replacement and upgrade of the Sheds thickness planer. Our old planer has served us well, but it is far too noisy. Part of the noise problem is because it is old technology, but part is due to it slowly wearing out. We will be replacing it with a combination thicknesses/jointer. This will add a jointi...ng capability that the Shed does not have at present. Buying a combination machine will save space. Jointing and thickness plaining are complimentary operations that allow you to make rough-sawn or recycled timber ready for woodworking projects. The jointer is used first to make one side of a board perfectly flat. The jointer can also be used to make a second side perfectly square to the first side before the planer is used to plane the other sides and bring them down to the required size. Bendigo bank will be kindly contributing half of the cost of the new machine. The remaining funds will come from the Sheds own funds. The new machine is already on order and will be installed in January. We are intending to have a launch event, probably in early February. See more

07.01.2022 In the ever-changing place that is the Katoomba Mens Shed there are always opportunities for a surprise. Over more than 6 years of membership I have seen blokes build guitars, repair guitars, make guitar stands, make amplifiers for guitars and even strum a note or two on a guitar. But today we had a full- blown but impromptu guitar lesson. Long-time member John has just been given an old guitar - when he discovered that new member Shane is a guitar teacher - bingo!

07.01.2022 Good roll up at the shed this morning Lots of energised conversations at morning tea

03.01.2022 Katoomba Mens Shed has adopted a mask-wearing policy to enhance Covid-19 arrangements. It was proving unexpected difficult to maintain physical distancing while collaborating on projects, so masking up makes good sense. Combine masking-up and a cold morning and there were cries from everyone as they came in - Who IS that masked man? For those who know the source - no it is not Mr Walker (aka The Phantom). It was our Coordinator!

03.01.2022 Spent half my day with Mens Shed groups - such great blokes. NSW Community Building Project grant money has & will enable these guys to socially connect, make ...friendships, build work sheds, source and use tools, repair toys & furniture & improve their well-being. The new Central Mountains Mens Shed hosted a morning tea & chatted about their future plans; and, Blackheath Area Mens Shed fired up the BBQ for lunch & we opened the new welding shed! Australian Mens Shed Association See more

03.01.2022 Particular thanks to the Katoomba & Upper Blue Mountains Community Bank Branch (Bendigo Bank) for their support of our purchase of a new woodworking machine at the Katoomba Mens Shed. The Bank provided a sponsorship grant that funded 50% of the cost of a new jointing and planing machine that was installed today! This is part of a progressive upgrade of the workshop machinery at the Shed. Many of the upgrades are purchased directly from Shed funds, but this machine would hav...e stretched the annual budget. The grant has allowed us to continue the upgrade project without dipping into our hard earned building fund. The grant also demonstrates the ongoing support that the Katoomba & Upper Blue Mountains Community Bank Branch has provided to all the Mens Sheds in the mountains. On behalf of all the men who benefit from the programs on offer at the Sheds, thanks Bendigo Bank! See more

03.01.2022 Four members of Katoomba Mens Shed were guests for the opening of the brand new Shed facility at Mt Riverview today. The Lower Mountains Mens Shed has been working towards this moment for 4 years. It is great to see this facility in operation. Men in the mountains now have 4 Mens Sheds to choose from - Lower Mountains (Mt Riverview), Central Mountains (Lawson), Katoomba and Blackheath. The photo below shows the ribbon being cut by Prof John McDonald, Patron of the Australian Mens Shed Association.

01.01.2022 KMS member Geoff has been designing and making parts for his model trains using the Sheds 3D printer. There is a small but enthusiastic group of model railway men at the Shed.

01.01.2022 Katoomba Men’s Shed has adopted a mask-wearing policy to enhance Covid-19 arrangements. It was proving unexpected difficult to maintain physical distancing while collaborating on projects, so masking up makes good sense. Combine masking-up and a cold morning and there were cries from everyone as they came in - Who IS that masked man? For those who know the source - no it is not Mr Walker (aka The Phantom). It was our Coordinator!

01.01.2022 You just cant get through to some people! This bloke comes to the Shed very regularly, never signs the attendance book, wears inappropriate clothing and never contributes anything. But he sings a nice tune if you are lucky and he cleans up any crumbs on the floor.

01.01.2022 Katoomba Mens Shed (KMS) held a successful AGM today with all management committee positions filled. It is particularly good to see new faces on the committee with all four ordinary committee members serving a first term. Leadership succession is vital for any volunteer group. The outgoing committee has worked very hard at succession planning and this paid dividends in a very smooth election process. We owe a particular debt of gratitude to outgoing President Peter who has... done the maximum allowable 3 years at the top. Three other committee members have stepped back after multiple terms of service. But four men continue to serve in other voluntary roles in the Shed. By my rough count this was the 15th AGM for our Shed. Long may it continue! Dont forget we will be open tonight from 7.00 pm as part of our night-opening trial! See more

28.12.2021 Good roll up at the shed this morning Lots of energised conversations at morning tea

19.12.2021 Katoomba Men’s Shed is delighted to support the fledgling Wiseman’s Ferry Men’s Shed with a donation of some equipment surplus to our needs. A small delegation from Wiseman’s Ferry visited us on Thursday to pick up the equipment.

03.12.2021 What is he making! New member Col had his first day at the shed today and started working on a malee burl (lump cut off from the side of a tree). In the photo he is flattening one side on the power planer - and it looks a lot like some sort of animal. He is intending to hollow it out to make a bowl, but he might try to keep the animal for when the bowl is upside down!

04.11.2021 The Pinball machine has scoring lights! Made on the Shed’s 3D printer and backed with globes in boxes it is all starting to look the part.

20.10.2021 Big day at KMS on Thursday as we cleared out the Shed Annex With the kind approval of BMCC the Annex shed will be utilised by Blue Mountains Women’s Shed until the have secured a more permanent home As always the job took longer than expected but with help of willing hands and a cheerful attitude it was completed The final push will be next Thursday when trailers and utes will be loaded and the tip visited Big Thank you to all the helpers

17.10.2021 Modern take on an old idea! A group of blokes at the Katoomba Men’s Shed are building a pinball machine - nothing like a challenge! So take one promotional plastic toy from a well known supermarket, add coloured lights, and you have yourself a neon dog to sit on a tuckerbox as one of the obstacles in the machine. Most of the physical construction of the machine is complete and the team have moved on to installing and testing the complex electronics. It will still be a month or two before the Shed starts to sound like a fun parlour.