In Issue 89 of The Shed we featured the work of John Hickey.
John created a career and a business for himself making unique furniture following a workshop injury which resulted in him losing the lower half of his left leg.
John is an inspirational sheddie.
In Issue 89 of The Shed we featured the work of John Hickey.
John created a career and a business for himself making unique furniture following a workshop injury which resulted in him losing the lower half of his left leg.
John is an inspirational sheddie.
The incentive for the project came from Dave’s sons, Josh and Andrew. The boys were jumping their bikes and Josh (13) came up with the ultimate idea—throwing their bikes with a trebuchet which they had seen in action on computer games. The boys started with a small trebuchet using stones but it didn’t throw them far so dad got into the act. Dave checked out machines on the internet that were even throwing cars. The world record is a 630-metre throw. He was impressed and thought he would give it a go. He had some Lawsoniana trees he intended to drop so thought now was the time. He finds the Lawson trees were straight and the wood is very flexible.
I moved recently and in the haste to pack I loaded my lathe complete with its stand. The stand, which is really just a couple of sheet-metal cabinets, didn’t really survive the move all that well and it was bent out of shape.
That didn’t really bother me since I have wanted to make a decent stand for the lathe since I got it, and include some drawers for tooling and other bits and pieces. Now that the lathe is in its permanent home I have my chance. This is just a small lathe but it weighs 250kg nonetheless.
I wanted to make something sturdy and solid that would serve to support the lathe without sagging and eliminate any vibrations.
Our parliament is currently considering a member’s Bill, drawn by ballot, called the ‘Right to Repair’ Bill. It’s due to go a Select Committee for consideration, and we can make submissions i.e. say what we think of it, before 3 April this year. It’s important because it will make spare parts and information for doing repairs far more readily available and this should slow the rate at which appliances, toys and so on, get sent to landfill.
The Shed magazine is eclectic, informed, and always fascinating. Aimed at those with a few tools and perhaps a few clues: this is the magazine for real sheddies.
Packed with ideas, projects, advice, and peeks into other people’s sheds providing inspiration, ideas, and techniques, or just for the sheer enjoyment of the sheddie’s endless inventiveness, The Shed is the project enthusiast’s bible.
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