The Shed

Have you got that in nylon?

Need nylon fasteners or washers? Hi-Q Components is the go-to solution for the widest range of nylon screws, nuts, bolts, and washers in both metric and imperial sizes for all engineering or assembly needs. Threaded rod in 1-metre lengths is also available in M3–M20 sizes. Hi-Q Components also

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The Shed May/June 2021 Issue 96, on sale now

Our cover story in the May/June 2021 Issue No. 96 of The Shed is about a sheddie who decided to avoid spending a fortune on tools for his new career and instead make his own. Why? Because he could, and it saved waiting months for delivery in these Covid ravaged times. Plus there were considerable financial savings to be had.

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The Shed March/April 2021 Issue 95, on sale now across Australia

Making Damascus steel is a true skill and the patterned finish really adds style to any knife. These knives are rightly famous for the keen edge they can be sharpened to and the length of time they retain that edge.
But how do you get those distinctive patterns the same each time and do that consistently? Well, we have found a knife maker who can do just that. Matt James has been making Damascus steel since the late 1990s and now does so from his well-equipped and spacious workshop.

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A garden arch in a weekend

A garden arch can add a little class to an entrance or gateway or serve as a base upon which to grow a climber or climbing rose. It adds some structure to a garden environment.
The beauty of this arch is that it can be made in a weekend. This arch is very simply constructed but its design can be endlessly varied to suit the whim of the landscaper. It’s quite possible to use this with four posts and form an entrance.

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Man of metal

Metal is Bill Martel’s passion. He realises his own dreams in metal and those of his customers out of a very large “shed” in Plimmerton, the engine room of his business, Metalmorphic.
During 17 years of high-precision work, he and his team have made all sorts of furniture, balustrades, ornamental light shades, and more, even a 17th-century wrought iron sundial, four metres in diameter, which they “cut up into little pieces” and reassembled to correspond with the southern hemisphere.

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This cradle rocks

When I got the news that I was going to be a father of a baby girl I thought that maybe I could get out of redecorating the baby’s room if I embarked on a special project under the house.
The idea of building a cradle boat was inspired by photos in an old magazine so I went bought a copy of The Expectant Father’s Cradle Boat Book. But the boats were either very basic or so intricate I’d be lucky to finish it in time for her 21st birthday.

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Video of the knifemaking workshop of Brent Sandow

In The Shed magazine Issue 92, we featured master knifemaker Brent Sandow and learned a lot about his knifemaking skills. While we were there, Brent also gave us a guided tour of his well-equipped knifemaking workshop. Be prepared for workshop envy.

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Best of The Shed2 on sale now across Australia

Whatever your workshop passion, from woodworking to welding, from electronics to outdoor projects, there are some great ideas here. If you are a newbie, give them a go — you have to start somewhere in your journey to be a creative sheddie. We have 16 more great projects in this second edition of Best of The Shed. All have clear instructions that demonstrate the build process and include diagrams and parts lists.
Sheddies on both sides of the Tasman have been inspired by the projects and informative features we run in the magazine, and this is a selection of some of our most popular articles from the first 15 years of The Shed.

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Best of The Shed2 on sale now

Whatever your workshop passion, from woodworking to welding, from electronics to outdoor projects, there are some great ideas here. If you are a newbie, give them a go — you have to start somewhere in your journey to be a creative sheddie. We have 16 more great projects in this second edition of Best of The Shed. All have clear instructions that demonstrate the build process and include diagrams and parts lists.
Sheddies on both sides of the Tasman have been inspired by the projects and informative features we run in the magazine, and this is a selection of some of our most popular articles from the first 15 years of The Shed.

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Installing sliding doors

French doors give a house much readier indoor-outdoor flow, especially when they open onto a deck. The old villa being renovated for this project had existing French doors leading from the back of the house to the outside.
However, the owner wanted a wider, more user-friendly opening and the answer was a bigger set of doors. The doors in this project are unusual

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The Shed March/April 2021 Issue 95, on sale now

Making Damascus steel is a true skill and the patterned finish really adds style to any knife. These knives are rightly famous for the keen edge they can be sharpened to and the length of time they retain that edge.
But how do you get those distinctive patterns the same each time and do that consistently? Well, we have found a knife maker who can do just that. Matt James has been making Damascus steel since the late 1990s and now does so from his well-equipped and spacious workshop.

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Sawing with shush

If you haven’t heard these Tusk Silent Timber blades in operation you can’t fully appreciate what a difference they make. They are not silent but they are significantly quieter, and probably never squeal. These ultra-thin, deep-cutting, premium-quality saw blades are made especially for use on electric or cordless circular saws. They feature a patented sound

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How to save crumbling wood

Earl’s Wood Hardener penetrates into soft and rotted wood fibres, restoring them to near original strength. It makes repairs possible to even the most fragile wood, ready for full restoration. Forget digging out rot. Earl’s Wood Hardener will penetrate wood fibres, and once dry, you can patch and paint, if necessary.

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Channelling Houdini

In a sash-windowed meeting room in the upper reaches of the historic Thistle Inn in Wellington, an unusual band of people is preparing for their monthly meeting. Master lockpicker and meeting organiser Derek Robson, aka D.Roc, is assembling an array of locks; dozens of them—mortise locks, pin tumbler locks, tubular locks, various padlocks, combination locks, wafer locks, even a selection of handcuffs, to challenge tonight’s group.

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