Ballina Men’s Shed is a working shed, not just a meeting room. Men come here to roll up their sleeves, use proper gear, and work alongside other fellas on real projects for themselves and the community. While we’re proud of our machinery and tools, the heart of Ballina Men’s Shed is the blokes who use them. It’s a friendly place to share skills, learn something new, have a yarn, and work at your own pace in good company.
Woodturning area
Our wood lathe section has three quality lathes set up in a dedicated space. The area is supervised, with members who have extensive turning experience on hand to help blokes learn or improve their skills.
Main woodworking machinery
The main woodworking area is equipped like a small cabinet-making factory. We have a comprehensive range of large machines you’d expect to see in a professional workshop, set up for safe, practical use on all sorts of timber projects.
Metal shop and welding
The metal shop includes two metal lathes, a milling machine, and a selection of welding equipment. This gives members the chance to tackle metalwork jobs, repairs, and custom builds, from simple brackets through to more detailed engineering projects.
Workbenches and hand tools
Our workshop section is filled with sturdy workbenches so there’s space for everyone to set up and get stuck into their project. The tool storage area holds an impressive range of tools, with the main focus on modern battery-operated hand tools, mainly Makita gear, so the work is easier on the body and simple to use.
Timber and heavy sawing
The whole operation is backed by a large inventory of different timbers, ready for furniture, garden projects, repairs and community work. Outside the shed we operate a portable bandsaw sawmill, where large logs are loaded onto a steel bed and sliced into boards and slabs for shed projects.