I am Matthew, a 17 year old budding engineer and this is my workshop, where all my creations take shape. My workshop was reborn from a shed a neighbour was getting replaced. It was old, rotting and falling apart. Since, I have converted it into a fully fledged workshop making the best use of the small space available. There are also 2 sheltered hammocks outside, along with an extra storage area.
The workshop is located at the bottom of our garden, under a weeping willow and next to a little stream. A fan heater, speakers and the lights create a very comfortable and enjoyable atmosphere to work in, be it the height of summer or late into the dark evenings of winter.
The building of this workshop was done on a very tight budget. The only bought items were some roof felt and a large perspex panel. This was to ensure the workshop stays watertight and lasts for a long time. The items used in construction include a 12x8ft shed, 3 old doors from a cob cottage, a scrap double glazing unit found in a lay-by, a kitchen work surface, old decking built into a workbench, fishing net from the Isles of Scilly, marquee floor matting and many other scavenged parts.
The workshop is predominantly used to build and maintain racing ride on lawn mowers. On the left side my workshop features a dedicated engine rebuild bench with storage for engine spares underneath the bench, and all the necessary bolts and other spares on shelves on the wall. Around this part of the workshop, green floor matting clads the wall to act as insulation and damp proofing. Straight ahead there is a second workbench. This houses my pillar drill and a large bolt storage rack, and underneath are all my toolboxes full of tools and a tool chest. On the right side of the workshop there is a table with all of my power tools and a double socket. Next to this there is the double glazing unit standing on its end. Finally there is a shelving unit that stores lots more parts and tools. On the ceiling there are 4 LED lights and a large 1m square plastic skylight. This allows lots of light to enter the workshop during the day. At the front there is a double door that opens the whole front up. This is great as it allows large projects to be brought into the shelter of the workshop. All of this is crammed into the 8ft square inside area of the shed.
As the original shed was 12ft long and the roof was in good condition, I kept the extended roof. This allowed me to have a sheltered area outside. Here I used some big stakes and some fishing nets to make 2 very comfortable hammocks and a storage area underneath. The storage area can also act as an engine test bed for fresh re-built engines.