The Taieri Blokes' Shed may only be open six hours a week, but it takes up almost all of president Ian Miller's time.
''[My wife] doesn't see me about five days a week,'' Mr Miller said.
''That's how much time it takes!''
If he is the first one there on the Wednesday and Saturday mornings the shed is open, Mr Miller will open it up, turn the power on - ''we have one member who looks after our morning tea; he was a grocer by trade and that's what he likes doing'' - and then spend the day co-ordinating the projects shed members are working on.
At any given time, the shed has a variety of different community projects under way - from planter boxes to picnic benches - which they build for a small fee.
Members can also come in to work on their own projects, ''if they haven't got the equipment at home to do what they want to do'', Mr Miller said.
Shed members pay a $10 yearly fee for the right to go there and use the tools.
They also put one dollar in a jar each time they visit, which goes into a ''social fund that allows us to take our wives out'', he said.
''We get great support from all our wives. When we have an open day or a sale, our wives put on morning tea. If we need food for a special occasion, they put it on for us.''
Mr Miller said that some women - he did not specify whether they were shed members' wives - have asked to join the shed.
He would not stop a woman if she tried to join, but he (and many other shed members) would prefer for the shed to stay ''blokes only'', Mr Miller said.
''Part of the concept of the shed is wellbeing, is men's health.
''If they can get out from the four walls at home and do something .. . some of them just come along for a yarn and a cup of tea and go home again. If that's good for their health, that's fine with us.''
