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In Australia, the back shed is a blokes haven, it is somewhere to escape from the world and, well, just do your own thing. Some men set up their shed to play pool, darts, or old time Pinball machines, many even install a drinks bar so they can invite a few mates around and have some fun.

But What do you do in your shed?

Let me tell you what the more industrious or creative types do in their sheds. There are many blokes sheds around that have fantastic machinery installed which are used to do all sorts of special projects. Often, these people are retired engineers, professional trade workers, and semi-skilled self taught home handy man type of people. There has been some amazing self built creations that have emerged from the humble backyard shed.

A mans got to have a shed to relax, to create, to repair, to rebuild or to just lose himself for a few hours. A mans shed is his castle.

Here is what some men build in their sheds: Wood turning is a widespread practical type of hobby that almost anyone can do, it is not hard to learn, and equipment & tools can be bought or home built, and "timber or wood" is plentiful. The skills to do wood turning can mastered by anyone with the desire to learn.

Furniture making can also be undertaken by the home craft person, if you are skilled enough you could create furniture pieces that would be worth many thousands of dollars if bought in a furniture store. Reproduction antiques, modern, or classic design furniture can be made in the home shed if you have the skills and some good hand tools, the old time furniture makers had unique skills with normal hand tools, they did not have access to precision saws, routers, planners etc, basic skills and elbow grease were the secret to their success.

If you don't like working with wood or timber, then you could try your hand at working with metal, of course you will need different types of tools and skill sets to work with metal, but again, the skills can be easily learnt from books, night classes or even private tuition. Metal can be cut and bent & shaped into all sorts designs using special forms or dies, decorative wrought iron designs on domestic gates are created using these techniques. Is it possible for the home worker to do this in his shed? Absolutely, learn the skills, buy some tools and get the creative juices flowing to make your own unique metal creations.

Metal Casting, I.E, the melting and pouring of molten metal into sand moulds is one of the fastest growing creative metal craft hobbies around the world. Some of the most amazing objects have been created in back sheds, everything from simple doorknobs, to handles and levers for machines, to special parts for vintage car & motorcycles, even home built aeroplane engines for micro light aircraft. Or you can design and build things for special projects you may be working on.

You may think that this is just pie in the sky stuff, but it is not, it is happening at this very moment somewhere around the globe, and probably be happening in a shed not far from you, you would be surprised at just how many people there might be in your area who are busy creating all kinds of things form metal.

You could be one of these special breed of people to... all you need is a shed, some tools, a few basic skills, and a good dose of imagination, it wont cost you much to set up, and the satisfaction value returned to you will be multiplied tenfold in self esteem and personal rewards.