Singapore Expats

How does one do woodworking in Singpore - typically one needs quite a bit of space, and most landed houses seem to have a carport rather than an enclosed garage or basement. Are there any woodworking clubs around?

I did it using the domestic quarters when I lived in Seletar Airbase's black & whites. Also used a very large tarps around a shed (actually a 14' x 22' walless carport that was standalone)

Unfortunately, now days I'm limited to fooling around with my dremel tool only as I've bought an HDB so had to sell all my heavy power tools (table saw, router, belt sander, power planer, Drill Press, chain falls, etc. - Kept a drill, pad sander & jigsaw plus the dremel tools and a selection of chisels and assorted hand tools, planes, bar clamps, etc. More for repair now rather that NewBuild as before.

Never found / or was aware of any woodworkers clubs here as most woodworkers here are businessmen (local) and most expats are more social than of the earth - I'm an ole farmboy myself. This HDB flat is killing me!

sms

SMS, so sorry to hear that. I think it must be very tough. If I am your age (sorry but no disrespect intended), I would probably want to be surrounded by familiar sound and objects, especially from childhood. I can only imagine your pain.

Is there a place, either in SG or Malaysia, where you can rent a workshop so you can woodwork to your heart's content?

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sundaymorningstaple wrote: walless carport that was standalone)

Unfortunately, now days I'm limited to fooling around with my dremel tool only

And your wife approves???

Our cheesehaed friend has a good suggestion - or how about those little plots od land to do your stuff on on week-ends? (Eric, help me oit - in German they're called Schrebergarten)

She approves as long as I do it on the balcony and it's something for her.

The rental of a shop space is a bit too much for a hobby although my other pasttime is restoration of classic sports cars (and others) although the only thing I restored here in Singapore was a '66 Mini Cooper Mk 1. The stand alone shed with tarp and my amah's quarters worked just fine.

Sadly, when I bought the flat I sold all the tools except for the small bits so am patiently waiting until I get back to the farm where I also have a proper workshop and decent sized barn with concrete floor to work to my hearts content.

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Looks like it works best to rent some space at an industrial site in Ubi. Anyone know what the rental out there would be - I would need about 20 or 30 sqm.

abdl154 wrote:Looks like it works best to rent some space at an industrial site in Ubi. Anyone know what the rental out there would be - I would need about 20 or 30 sqm.

If you're pretty handy with the errrr.....hands, why don't you approach schools near your place eh.

Be chums with the technical studies teacher/instructor/workshop hands and you never know, you might get some 'free time' on weekends.

Just be nice.

tiki wrote:

abdl154 wrote:Looks like it works best to rent some space at an industrial site in Ubi. Anyone know what the rental out there would be - I would need about 20 or 30 sqm.

If you're pretty handy with the errrr.....hands, why don't you approach schools near your place eh.
Be chums with the technical studies teacher/instructor/workshop hands and you never know, you might get some 'free time' on weekends.

Just be nice.

That just sounds kind of wrong . . .

Quasimodo wrote:

tiki wrote:

abdl154 wrote:Looks like it works best to rent some space at an industrial site in Ubi. Anyone know what the rental out there would be - I would need about 20 or 30 sqm.

If you're pretty handy with the errrr.....hands, why don't you approach schools near your place eh.
Be chums with the technical studies teacher/instructor/workshop hands and you never know, you might get some 'free time' on weekends.

Just be nice.

That just sounds kind of wrong . . .

..I'm sure he's a happily attached Man.

Not sure which way this thread is dangling, but I am fully attached with 2 kids! The school idea is a good one, but I have quite a bit of big machinery as well, which I have acquired over the years and would be pretty devastated to have to leave behind or sell. Do you guys have U-Store-its in Singpore where one could comfortably store stuff for 2-4 years at pretty minimal rates for a few cubic meters of stuff?

Yes there are places like that here (it's a relatively new concept here - not like at home). That said, depending where you are coming from why would you pay shipping just to put them in storage? Or are you in Malaysia and coming by land? If coming from UK, US or Aus I would advise storage there as the humidity here is rough on woodworking equipment that's not being utilized regularly. The places here may well be airconditioned but I do not know.

sms