Belated 10th Anniversary of the birth of the Man Cave

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity I've had my man cave for 10 years now, it was originally installed on 27th July 2015. I just missed the anniversary even though I knew I had to finish this post.

Although I 'promised' a new coat of paint this year that's going to be put on hold until 2026 I think. Instead I do plan to paint the roof. I found a leak I in the ceiling earlier this year. Although it has not leaked again since I'm worried what is happening. Now, a rubber roof might be the sensible choice, but it was over £100 and I was going to have to fit it myself. The adverts say it's easy and can be done in an hour. But for the same effort and £30 I can 'paint' it with Cromapol. It's an acrylic resin with fibreglass fibres in it. It's really thick, you have to use a trowel to apply it, but I have to do my outbuilding roof as well so having two tins means I will have plenty spare. I'm thinking it will definitely make it waterproof. My only concern is how it'll handle heat expansion. But, if it doesn't work I can do the rubber roof next year.

I've had a blog post in draft for years that I finally felt I could repurpose to cover this anniversary, so forgive me if it seems rambling [but when isn't my blog?]:

I think it's well documented that the 'hobby' can be an amazing source of good for the mental health of many people. Overall the calm reflective time we each spend painting toy soldiers or the social aspect of gaming with friends both old and newly discovered can really help people. It's a vehicle for interaction that some might otherwise struggle with, a shared experience and background that is a perfect conversation starter. Painting can help soothe a troubled mind and the joy of completing a model or even just getting an eye right for once, creates a wonderful sense of satisfaction. To be part of such a community, and on the whole it is supportive [although it has toxic elements like any group], is a blessing; and Games Workshop being the largest company deserves a lot of credit for helping to spread that well-being.

However, I have an obsessive personality, bordering on addiction. Thankfully it doesn't stretch to the substances that cause genuine damage to your life but when I become interested in something I'm all in. I've had a number of extreme passions in my life, Citadel miniatures possibly being my first, my favourite band - Pitchshifter second, and thirdly when I was practicing kendo. Thankfully there wasn't much of an overlap in these obsessions - I went to uni, so I couldn't game but discovered kendo. I came home and stopped kendo but had more freedom to see Pitchshifter in their prime. I started kendo again and then had to stop, rediscovering the hobby to fill the void and then Pitchshifter went on hiatus.

Now I am all in on the hobby. For a decade and a half I've been building, painting, gaming, blogging and thinking about the hobby almost constantly. It is all-consuming. As my passion grew it took over our back-room until I had to move out into the man-cave. But it had caused significant friction leading up to that point and spending around £1200+ on a hobby shed seemed an extreme length to go to, to further my toy soldier obsession. Of course I rationalised the cost with the fact we would end up with a proper dining room, but that took another 2 years to get done! I also figured a Warlord Titan cost about the same and this was definitely a better investment.

So, with a dedicated home to paint in and slightly more organised approach the man cave was a fine purchase. Add in lockdown and home working and it would become absolutely invaluable. According to Solid Sheds, they have a lifespan of 15 years, so I have something of a 'ticking clock' going to try to stave off the inevitable. It definitely deserves a tidy up, if not a repaint. Here's to keeping it going!

SHED 2.0 (part 1)

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity ever since the covid lockdown lifted my gaming crew have convened almost exclusively at Otty's in his shed. A veritable treasure trove of his hobby and a welcome escape for the daily trials and tribulations. We've had an absolute blast in his man-cave but he felt we'd out grown it and he wanted an upgrade. The old shed would become his workshop and SHED 2.0 would become our 'Games Workshop' [seriously, what do I get that play on words]. Originally he looked at buying a shed but Otty is proper handy thanks to a previous job of fence and shed building so he's got real 'man skills'. A fair bit of clearance work heralded the beginning of the build, although he'd also downgraded SHED 1.0, removing the apex roof and loft space to provide additional materials to be re-used here.

With the floor beams in place it was time to start on the walls.

I think Otty and Ben had spent significant time building wall sections - prefabricating them ready to put round the outside.

With additional timber for the roof and some bits of insulation which would be added to in due course.

Each new visit would reward us with progress, only made less exciting by the pang of guilt I was getting by not having had chance to contribute to the shed raising.

Lifting these big beams were apparently something of a challenge, I think Otty was supported by his family in helping.

And managed to get all the main beams on. And start building up the apex roofline. I think this was the day we went down to Warhammer World for the MESBG tournament. 

We spent a lot of time discussing what needed to be done and I still hadn't been able to take time off to help out. When the apex is finished it needs boards and the rubber roof cover. But that would need dry weather and this was at the height of our wet summer, as you can see by  all the wet timber.

Well this was a surprise! The next time I visited it was all roofed over. Scott is admiring Otty's handiwork. The weather turned for the better and he got it roofed and rubbered. I still hadn't been able to help so was desperate to get some time in.

With Ben helping lay the flooring down there were OSB boards for the walls, which would have cupboards in front of, and MDF for the walls we will see. Insulation panels were incoming so we could start on the walls internally.

Thankfully I had a couple of weeks holiday booked and going nowhere I was finally able to help out in part 2.

Belated 9th Anniversary of the birth of the Man Cave

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity I've had my man cave for 9 years now, it was originally installed on 27th July 2015. But it was mid September before I'd finished insulating and boarding it out, not to mention getting the electricity fitted and moving in.

So a little late in celebrating it's installation but it's all good. I've been busy recently, had some time off and finally been able to get to Otty's on a good day to help with his new hobby shed. I've got a fair few pictures of it being built that I'll share down the line. Sadly [or conveniently?] I wasn't able to be there when a lot of the heavy lifting was needed but I did get to paint one end of the shed, which looks pretty cool.

And then helped Otty, Phil and Liam with insulating and boarding the inside. 40% of the walls were done in 5 hours and we got some insulation in the ceiling too. I'm down for another day on Tuesday, maybe we can get all the walls done by then?

We've had so much fun in his original shed and my own is now 9, it will definitely need a repaint next year for its 10th birthday. Sheds are ace! All hail the man cave.

8th Anniversary of the birth of the Man Cave

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity I've had my man cave for 8 years now, it was originally installed on 27th July 2015. 

Still the best hobby purchase I've ever made but now it's also my home office. I use it every day and I had hoped to have some updated internal pictures but it's a complete nest now, but I can't find time to tidy it up 🤣 But I can confirm that I believe the floor upgrade last year was worth doing. I definitely had a warmer winter, but that might be down to rearranging how I use the electric oil radiator, so it's more efficient in keeping the heat lower. Without the new floor it wouldn't be so easy for it to be moved around and equally it wouldn't be as easy for my Herman Miller office chair to get around.

Conversely, it still gets quite warm in hot weather but my fan is helping to reduce temperatures by 2 or 3 degrees by moving air around at the top of the ceiling. I have picked up an additional air cooler which I might deploy on the worst days but haven't needed it yet. I've also considered a sun shield/net. For less than £20 I can cover the entire shed to block the sun and hopefully keep the temperature down but I'll need to find ways to anchor that so it doesn't get blown away. I might look into it next year.

One last thing, one of the fluorescent bulbs finally gave out, 8 years, we thank you for your service! Unfortunately I do need both bulbs and the only one I could get at short notice was a warm white, but it was only £1.20 so gave it a shot - no, very wrong! It was cheap because they're trying to move these over to LEDs, but the battens need to have their 'ballast removed' for this to work and although it would mean more efficient bulbs I wasn't able to swap them out and instead ordered another 2 daylight tubes. So I should be good for another 8 years before I need to address the lighting issue. It is surprising to see an 18W bulb described as energy efficiency of G! Remember when we all had 60W incandescent bulbs? Of course the landscape has changed and I figure they've revalorised the energy ratings but even so, odd.

Anyway, another year older for the shed - you're doing a grand job for my hobby, my mental health, wellbeing and the wellbeing of my marriage!

7th Anniversary of the birth of the Man Cave

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity I've had my man cave for 7 years now, it was originally installed on 27th July 2015. However, when COVID hit and we went into lockdown the best hobby purchase I'd ever made - the Man Cave, became dual-purpose in becoming my home office. One thing I discovered though, was it was freezing in winter and one reason for that was there was zero insulation in the floor. For over a year I've been contemplating adding a layer of insulation and new floor but it was a nightmare to arrange - getting the materials, excesive delivery costs for such a small project, storing all my stuff while I made the upgrade and once done there was no guarantee i'll make a difference. Anyway, I finally managed to get all the planets aligned, my son was at uni and with the Queen's Jubilee bank holiday weekend I took some extra leave and had 6 days to turn this place upside down, inside out and back to front. I pre-empted the build by putting most of my stuff in my son's bedroom. This represents about 75% of what was in the shed and yet seems to take up more space - the opposite of the TARDIS!

I was then able to remove a wooden chest, some shelving units and my oversized computer desk/storage system. I had ordered new carpet tiles - easy to install, relatively cheap £20 for the 24 I needed and durable, perfect for my Herman Miller Mirra 2 office chair to roll around on.

I had wanted carpet, but couldn't find a good deal, this patchwork offcuts from two previous carpets in the house had served me well but I did not know what their condition was. I had a number of rugs on top that had offered more protection and warmth but they'd started to perish and so I'd convinced myself the carpet would be beyond saving. In truth it might have been OK, but I had the carpet tiles now.

I built a wooden frame and put down some weed supressing fabric. I've seen it used in shed wall linings [something I foolishly didn't do in mine, goodness know what's happening behind the plasterboard and glasswool insulation] as a breathable membrane. As I had some I thought I'd put it down.

I debated the best position for that cross beam, where the 6mm plywood sheet would rest and figured the additional support would be better under my chair rather than towards the back wall.

I was sure the insulation board, frame and plywood would be strong enough but that additional solid wood should prevent any sinkage. So much of this was straightforward and simple, although there wasn't a single section that measured the same. Operating the 'measure twice, cut once' approach just seemed to drag on and concerns about my back ended up with so much kneeling that I was exhausted and my knees were so painful, even with knee pads. 

The weather came in and it started to rain, so all the desk, chair and shelves had to come back inside with the plywood down on the floor for the evening. I was pleased at my progress but a little disappointed. I'd bought a tin of anti-mould paint years ago and wanted to paint the bottom half of the walls, just for added peace of mind. I haven't really had a mould problem since I got the dehumidifier, but even so that would make me feel better. Despite the cramped interior and my fatigue I managed to get a coat of paint on the walls. It looked like cream chees when it went on, it had been in storage for 5 years afterall. 

The next morning I got in there early and gave it a second coat. Having more room in the tin to shake meant it went on like any satin varnish, it looked awful at first but has a great finish, except for protecting all the scuffs and bumps the wall has suffered in the last 7 years. I then went about sealing everything up with aluminium foil. I'm not sure if it makes a difference but it looked cool.

I used two tubes of no more nails under the plywood and also counter sunk screws to ensure maximum strength and no squeaky floor boards. I didn't want the plywood shifting and creaking but the shed expands and contracts with heat, cold and moisture so who knows what will happen.

I tried sealing in the joints between the plywood boards too but it was just bit of faffing. It was quite the challenge to cut those two strips. I tried a Stanley knife for one and my Dremel for the other. Both were knackering, but I got there in the end.

I then fit the carpet tiles, using a spray adhesive. I'd watched some videos on how to do it and seen how you cut them to fit the wall but didn't quite understand why you did it that way. Having glued the 2nd to last piece down from my first row and went about cutting the final piece I THEN understood why you do it that way - lesson learned.

Except it wasn't, because I'd glued down the second to last tiles in the first and second columns before I realised I needed to apply the same approach and to the final corner piece too! Oh my that was a head scratcher. Regardless, the tiles went down and  I even ended up with 3 spare, which was slightly annoying as because these were recycled from an office space I'd actually used 3 slightly damage ones that would run along the back wall, unseen, under the desk and shelves.

You'd never see them, but I knew. I just had to put it out of my mind and start putting stuff back in. The weather got better at least, which made thing easier to deal with but I was going to have to be organised and try to get rid of some of the huge amounts of things I'd hoarded.

Like these Citadel inks I'll be putting on ebay.

I organised all my shelves and used small labels on all the boxes to help me find the things that were in them. Figure boxes on the bottom - they're plastic and aluminium so better in corners where damp and mould likes to originate. That shelf is about 5" off the ground though which allows some air circulation. Preventing these micro-climates is another approach I believe has helped keep me mould free for 7 years and something I will continue with. The ability to check the bottom walls at a glance, to spot any changes early, is also good practice in this environment.

OK, so after everything got back in it hardly looks any different and I'll admit there is some 'surface debris' and a variety of things I still haven't organised but this is a significant improvement to how it was before, both for  hobbying and working from home. My work situation is in a state of flux but any working from home will benefit from this upgrade.

Whether it is warmer in the winter has still to be seen. I've been able to put my fan on the middle shelving unit, which when turned on manages to reduce the temperature by 2 degrees, because it's blowing the hot stuffy air at the apex of the ceiling down. I hope it will be able to do a similar job in the winter circulating the warm air that sits above waist height and the insulated floor doesn't bleed heat the way it did when it was just 12mm thick board and a couple of carpets. Finger's crossed this keeps the shed viable for another 7 years.

A month or so on and things are doing OK. The plywood floor is doing fine, although the no more nails wasn't quite as effective as I'd hoped - the boards do squeak a bit but despite the small amount of flexing it feels otherwise stable and solid. The carpet tiles are great and it's super easy to move around on my office chair. No cold days to speak of but we've had warm days, including the hottest in UK history [we're so screwed in future years]. I was able to mitigate some of the heat during the day with the fan but it did eventually get up to 34-36 degrees. 32 is manageable but those temps are too much. When my feet started getting warm - it's a problem. Anyway, more to think about regarding cooling in the future. Other than that I'm really pleased. 

Belated 6th Anniversary of the birth of the Man Cave

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity I've had my man cave for 6 years now, it was originally installed on 27th July 2015 and once again I've been a little busy this year to remember to celebrate on the day.

I say busy, I mean actually busy doing nothing! I had some time off at home and rather than do some jobs I've just been chilled, watching the Olympics and then we got a new cat so that's required way more attention than I was expecting.

Anyway, getting into the man cave of late for hobby hasn't been too easy but prior to that it had become my home office. I must have moved into here in September/October last year and I didn't really prepare very well for it. I didn't tidy up too much and it has been problematic sharing hobby and work space. I also discovered how cold it could get in winter and how hot it got last month.

I had made plans to install some additional insulation on the floor as even with the heater on in winter it can get warm in the top of the shed but still very cold at floor level - my feet were freezing! I may regret not doing anything about it come winter but just sourcing the materials was a pain because you can't really get 25mm foil backed insulation delivered in small amounts. They don't want to sell two sheets so they charge a fortune for delivery. It got to the point where I was completely discouraged from doing it. Having to source all the materials and find a time frame [48-72 hours] to remove everything, install the flooring, apply anti-mould paint around  the bottom half of the walls and furniture. Install a new carpet and replace everything - it was just too much faffing.

So, we'll just have to see how next winter goes. I have a new office chair, and I mean a proper Herman Miller Mirra office chair [worth £650] it's second hand but it was free and immeasurably more comfortable than my old one. Mesh seat and lumbar support is a boon, but it's airiness may feel cold in the winter. Again, we'll just have to see, but I made the right choice in accepting it.

 So, here we are, 6 years on and I had no idea the Man Cave would become a 'working from home office'. Without it I'd probably be back in the office, but thankfully this will keep me effective and safe for a good few more months yet.

Belated 5th Anniversary of the birth of the Man Cave

Afternoon #warmongers and #warhammercommunity I've had my man cave for 5 years now, it was originally installed on 27th July 2015 and as I've been a little busy this year with painting my kitchen, bathroom and fence panels I hadn't had time to celebrate.

Additionally, I'd been planning to repaint the shed so I thought I'd just wait a bit so I could share it's fresh new coats.

I had to sand this baby first, which was an absolute nightmare. So many people say preparation is important but I hate sanding. But I did it, washed it down and got two coats on the front and sides.

Once again I scrimped on the back, I only did one coat, it's a nightmare to get behind between the shed and the hedge and I'm constantly at risk of cramp or pulling my back again.

I'd previously filled in all the nail holes so it was much easier to paint this time round. I've a third of a tin of paint left, I may do that again next year and fill in some more gaps in all the corner strips and the bevelled timber. I'd thought about doing it this time but just wanted to get on with it. Hopefully I'll have more energy next time.

Also I painted all the metal work black. I used some matt black spray in some places - the door latches which immediately came off on the Cornish Cream paint. I also used matt black Humbrol enamel on the hinges, just to give it a nice touch.

As I continue to work from home and my wife needs her workspace on the landing back I may well have to tidy inside so I can set up my laptop and work from here. Surrounded by hobby I'll have to resist the temptation though and keep focussed! 😉