The Shed, Author at The Shed

The Shed, January–February 2018, Issue 76

5 December 2017

In the January/February Issue 76 of The Shed, we decide the best way to enjoy summer is to create some outdoor fires that Sheddies can happily build themselves. Jude builds one for a measly $200 out of Corten steel and we follow the build of a block kitset fireplace that takes less than two days to set up. David Blackwell visits the Melbourne Working with wood show and we meet Des Thomson of Christchurch who endless skill-set sees him build a unique pod for his small campervan. His skills will astound you.

Alistair Allen’s Kiwiana sheds in Oamaru

17 November 2017

Wurth Flexidrive Shed 76 Jan–Feb 2018

14 November 2017

As part of our article on sockets, spanners, and bolt sizes in The Shed Issue 76, enjoy this video of the Wurth Flexidrive standard in action.

The Shed, November–December issue out now!

2 October 2017

In the November–December 2017 issue of The Shed we get ready for all that summer fun outside the shed and get building a Cold Smoker Barbeque out of a couple of metal drums. Evan Wade and Jude Woodside show us how.

New tools: drill press revolution

31 August 2017

The drill press is one of those tools that we all take for granted. Its design hasn’t changed in a hundred years: a chuck on a spindle that is spun by a sequence of belts and pulleys. Now a New Zealand company, Teknatool, has thrown that out with the launch of a revolutionary new concept that has implications for machine-tool technology across the board.

Catalina Dreaming

28 August 2017

Anyone flying into New Plymouth airport may look twice at a hangar on the western end of the airfield with an unusual tail of a large aircraft poking out. Few would realise what’s within: ZK-PBY, a 1944 Catalina flying boat, the only airworthy one in New Zealand and a remarkable aircraft with a remarkable history.

Free Wheeling

28 August 2017

New Zealand has been slow to adopt the electric bike revolution that is sweeping the globe but a couple of keen Kiwis (and a Canadian) are using their ingenuity to create e-bikes with a difference.

Simple Solution

28 August 2017

Hydroponics is all about growing without soil. In many ways this simplifies the lot of the gardener, but it gives them added responsibility for providing plants with the right level of nutrients. As water with nutrients tastes, feels and looks much the same as plain water, a testing instrument called an “EC meter” or “CF meter” is used.

Bend it

28 August 2017

How often do we need to bend sheet metal, but are put off because of the drama involved? We may turn to a couple of bits of angle iron fitted into the jaws of a bench vice and try to exert even pressure as we fold the metal. I’ve done this and felt less than satisfied with the results.

Rub-a-Dub-Dub

28 August 2017

Chris decided the solution was build an outdoor bathroom featuring two baths so he and Meg could both enjoy a long soak together.

Make a Tidy Charging Station

28 August 2017

There are two sure things in modern life (and no, not death and taxes): they are technology and cables. Lots and lots of cables. Some are used for interconnecting devices such as HID or human interface devices, a computer mouse, keyboards and the like. In many cases, wireless technology is thankfully removing the umbilical tether.

Three – Phase Grunt

28 August 2017

When a friend at Metpresco Engineering offered Jason Clarke an old, universal tool and cutter grinder for his garage workshop, Jason had to think about how he could power it.

Big Wheels

28 August 2017

If there’s one sort of person that cannot resist a challenge that’s a Kiwi backyard inventor. When a mate sent Dave Hunger an internet photo of a giant wheeled contraption and a challenge to reproduce it, Dave rose to the task.

High-fliers in Waikato

28 August 2017

Don’t try this at home. In the town of Niagara Falls, you are heading along a street. You suddenly overfly a car, then a bicycle travelling along a path near the water. In an instant you are over the lip of Niagara Falls. In a scary moment you find yourself looming over the precipice and then zooming away across the face of the thundering water.

Instead of watching television

28 August 2017

“You must have too much time on your hands.” That’s what people often say when they see my model cars. I’m never really sure what to reply, because it’s something I do instead of watching television or building the real thing. But the question I get asked the most is how long it took to build.

The Shed

The Shed, January–February 2018, Issue 76

Alistair Allen’s Kiwiana sheds in Oamaru

Wurth Flexidrive Shed 76 Jan–Feb 2018

The Shed, November–December issue out now!

New tools: drill press revolution

Catalina Dreaming

Free Wheeling

Simple Solution

Bend it

Rub-a-Dub-Dub

Make a Tidy Charging Station

Three – Phase Grunt

Big Wheels

High-fliers in Waikato

Instead of watching television

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