At one end of the SAMS Shed, there
are men who deal in steel – or any other kind of metal in fact! They are known
as the ‘Steelies’.
Ably led by Ian (Macka 2)
McPherson, those dedicated men can be seen and heard as they cut, shape and
weld metal into magnificent fun and functional creations on any Wednesday between
9am and 4pm.
The ‘Steelies’ can take something as
innocuous as an old gas cylinder and turn it into a letter box, a sculpture or
even an upright stove. Any scrap metal that the ‘Steelies’ come across is not ‘scrap’
for very long as it is transformed from unwanted to wonderful!
The ‘Steelies’ take a particular
interest in restoring old metal objects and making them new again. One such
area of restoration is old trailers. A trailer that has received the ‘Steelies
Treatment’ usually ends up looking as good as brand new!
The ‘Steelies’ workshop boasts an
impressive range of tools and equipment – all of which is available for use by
the men to use to pursue both SAMS endorsed projects as well as their own
personal projects. And you don’t have to be a metalwork ‘genius’ – there are
quite a few men who have an intimate knowledge of metalwork and will gladly
share that knowledge with ‘novice’ metalwork enthusiasts.
As is the standard throughout the
Shed, the ‘Steelies’ adhere to strict workplace health and safety practices so
that all the men can enjoy the creative benefits of ‘mixing it with metal’ in a
safe environment.
Of course, the benefit of tinkering in the 'Steelies' workshop is not just creating something out of metal, it's also the pleasure of enjoying the friendship and fellowship of like-minded men.