Or do they? Do we??
The memories of Heidi going through six days of labour were still very fresh, but the memories of building my last flat pack hive had faded enough that I bought another one. So either I could pop round to Dad’s and borrow his Workmate … or, now I have a garage, I could buy my own workbench.
As soon as I had the idea to buy one I was very excited and however much I analysed my actual, functional need, there was little that was going to dampen my emotional desire to own a workbench. I had to buy one. Not a pop up one, but a permanent fixture.
A real man would chop down a tree and build their own, chunky workbench. I went online, did my research and bought a flat pack workbench for £78. I could justify £78. £10 functional value, £68 emotional value. (If you’re interested in this workbench follow these links: UK Link
I assembled the workbench in less than an hour. Most of this time was spent wrestling the top shelf into the frame, but what a friend calls “the bodge hammer” sorted it out with a few bangs.
Now my workbench was assembled and a little damaged from my efforts, my sister asked what I was going to do with it? I repeated the mantra that “every man needs a work bench”. But she persisted and asked “what for”? “I needed it”. “What for”? “To build my flat pack hive”. “And then what”? Errrrmmmm.
The truth is I want to be the type of man who has a workbench. The type of man who goes in his garage and bangs away with other people fearing the development in progress and comes out proudly holding a box of no particular use. I want my garage door to be the equivalent of a wardrobe door that takes me to a DIY Narnia where I am King. I want to sometimes leave my garage door open so elderly neighbours walking past can see my shiny but well used tools. I want my workbench to shout, he knows stuff, he makes stuff, and he can show Nick Knowles what to do with his wrench!
After buying the workbench, I was feeling newly masculated until I went to an NCT (National Childbirth Trust) house party. I was given a tour to discover that the Man Of The House had a Harley Davidson in his garage …
If you liked this post and want to know where the manliness anxieties started, you might like to read I Am Not A Beeman.
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I’m impressed by your workbench… living in a London flat I have to construct my frames over our fireplace, and at times when the neighbours won’t mind banging.
Nice workbench, now all it needs is a vice !
My Wife has plenty of vices for the two of us!
Love the blog mate!
I’ll trade you a ride on the Harley for some honey anytime 🙂
Keep up the posts.
It’s a deal but no more than 30mph initially!
Nice workbench and excellent website! I have pictures of mountains and the BAR F1 cars from old calenders above mine because A) they were free and B) I really just like them. A small vice is super handy for repairs. A garage is a good place for the beer signs, Ww2 aircraft pics, and any other manly paraphanalia deemed too tacky by the Mrs.