For our electronics features in issues 110 and 111 of The Shed magazine we stepped away from a build project and instead head to a makers’ fair in Europe, this one in Belgium. Young and old were there, keen to display their electronic creations as well as to learn, share and to just enjoy fellow electronic sheddies’ skills.
“Compared to other more famous maker faires events across Europe – Brussels, Rome, Hanover, to mention just the most renowned – the Ghent Maker Faire is considered a minor event. However, it still played host to thousands of visitors and is well worth attending because of its very special character.
As you may have already read in the “News” in The Shed issue 109, the faire hosted the first European power tools racing along the lines of New Zealand and USA competitions. It was organised by the effervescent Henk Ryckaert, who was also the man behind the scenes for the power tools racing on the first day.”

A movable bench with fold-away legs
Before I down-sized my workshop, I had a garage workshop area and plenty of room to have the traditional type of sawhorses or saw stools. Now I have just half of a double-garage which means the stools have to be stored out the back in all weathers.
I was looking at a sheet of 16 mm ply that was 1200 mm square and could see it would make two stools that would fold away flat and could be stored inside. They wouldn’t take up space standing permanently in the garage/workshop and they would need very little room folded away.