February 14, 2021

The Shed January/February 2021 Issue 94, on sale now

February 14, 2021/ The Shed

There’s a real Triumph in the issue of The Shed and a twin-engined one at that as well as the bonus of our annual The Shed 2021 wall calendar.
Our cover story this issue is about a central South Island marine engineer sheddie who really is living the dream. A love of classic cars and motorbikes has seen this marine engineer buy a working garage to store and restore his own collection as well as operate it as an everyday mechanical repair garage for local customers.

November 22, 2020

A satisfying lidded box

November 22, 2020/ The Shed

The size and shape of the lidded box is limited only by the size of wood you have, and your imagination. Keep in mind that the size of the lid must please the design of the box as a whole. I usually strive to make the size of the lid approximately one-third of the total box size.

November 19, 2020

The Shed Issue 93 now on sale in Australia

November 19, 2020/ The Shed

Well, it took a bit longer to arrive than usual but at last, the November/December 2020 Issue 93 of The Shed is on sale across Australia from today, Thursday 19 November.
The COVID 19 pandemic has played havoc with international freight shipping so its later than usual arriving in Sydney for distribution around the country. Australian subscribers will start receiving their copies from this week as well.

November 02, 2020

The Best of The Shed 2 is coming soon

November 02, 2020/ The Shed

Here is something to keep an eye out for, the Best of The Shed 2 is coming soon. Another best-of compilation from our first 15 years of the magazine with 16 great projects for you to have a crack at. This 192-page publication will be for sale at your favourite magazine store from mid-November or you can purchase directly from us on our online shop

October 27, 2020

Sharpen up your blades

October 27, 2020/ The Shed

When honing a cutting edge on a steel blade, you are progressively over three or four stages reducing the size of the scratches on the two faces which meet up to make the sharp point.
The much-vaunted “mirror” edge simply refers to the stage where we cannot easily see the scratches with the naked eye and hence it looks smooth and shiny. This process, therefore, requires several sharpening stones with finer and finer surfaces (325 grit, then 1200 grit, then 6000 grit).

October 06, 2020

An elegant table with cabriole legs

October 06, 2020/ The Shed

Walnut is a great wood to work with and machines and finishes superbly. Timber like this deserves to be used in something special and this piece although it looks deceptively tricky is actually relatively straightforward and something that will be of use for generations. The elegant curves of a cabriole leg add an organic feel to a table.

October 04, 2020

Show your shed to the world

October 04, 2020/ The Shed

Our 2021 The Shed Calendar will be accompanying the January February 2021 Issue 94 of the magazine, on sale November 30.
We are calling for readers to send us a photo of their shed to feature in the calendar and get bragging rights over your mates for all of next year!
Head to our Facebook page for more details and to enter. Competition closes October 4. Good luck.

October 04, 2020

The Shed November/December 2020 Issue 93, is on sale now

October 04, 2020/ The Shed

We showcase the metal-shaping and coachbuilding skills of Rod Tempero Motor Body Builders Ltd from Oamaru in The Shed Issue No. 93. The company’s world-famous and internationally sought-after car-building talents make it one of this country’s finest coachbuilders. We head to the mainland to meet Rod and his team and do our best to dig out as many metal-shaping and car-building secrets as we can.

September 23, 2020

Folding wooden sawhorse plans from The Shed Issue 93

September 23, 2020/ The Shed

Here is an easy download for the plans to construct a foldable wooden sawhorse from The Shed Issue 93.

September 16, 2020

Shed 92 on sale across Australia today

September 16, 2020/ The Shed

For all our Australian readers the wait is over to grab the latest issue of the magazine. The September/October, Issue 92, hits the shops all across the country from today 17 September.

September 02, 2020

Installing a sash window

September 02, 2020/ The Shed

Old villas don’t necessarily have all the windows desirable for modern living.
In the project here, the homeowner wanted to install another window into an outside wall. The most effective method was to buy a window that was made by a joinery ﬁrm to match the existing window and create the hole in the wall to match.

August 17, 2020

Modern man, ancient craft

August 17, 2020/ The Shed

Asked why he has spent the best part of 20 years producing garden trugs, besom brooms, bentwood log carriers, wooden pitchforks, and rakes, he says he's always had an inbuilt love of wood, of trees and the desire to work with his hands. “I was brought up on a farm in North Otago and in the Moeraki village.
My parents valued things like gardening, sewing, and cooking, and being self-sufficient. And those values were inculcated in me.

August 10, 2020

The Shed September/October Issue 92 is on sale now

August 10, 2020/ The Shed

There’s a real treat for knife makers in the September/October Issue No. 92 of The Shed.
We head to the Auckland workshop of master knifemaker Brent Sandow to get insights into what makes him such a well-regarded exponent of the art. We watch and learn as he goes through the steps on how he makes a Springbok Hunter knife.
Get ready, secrets are shared.

July 28, 2020

Make a simple toy truck

July 28, 2020/ The Shed

With toys, in particular, maintenance and reparability are important to ensure a long life. A broken plastic toy goes in the bin, whereas a well-designed wooden toy can make many trips to the repair shop over generations of play.

July 13, 2020

A toddler’s table and chairs

July 13, 2020/ The Shed

You can follow the basic design in this article or design your own version. Once you have absorbed some of the basics of furniture-making, there is a great sense of satisfaction in designing and making your own. As an amateur hobbyist, I ﬁnd the process is just as important as the finished product itself, so to check this I decided I would try to make a scaled-down version of an adult chair with a curved back.

July 08, 2020

Make a camper trailer

July 08, 2020/ The Shed

American teardrops first became common in the 1930s after DIY magazines such as Popular Mechanics published plans to build your own. The ultra-lightweight concept normally only sleeps a maximum of two adults in the cabin and has a small outside galley or kitchen at the back of the trailer. Often these campers weighed little more than 450kg and were very streamlined so were ideal for towing behind small cars or for long road trips.

June 21, 2020

The Shed May/June Issue 90 on sale today throughout Australia

June 21, 2020/ The Shed

The Shed Issue 90 is finally in shops across Australia from today.
The COVID 19 virus disrupted all shipping so this issue of The Shed is over six weeks late to arrive in stores. Our apologies for that delay but we hope you find the wait was actually worth it. Check out the fully illustrated content rundown for this magazine.

June 15, 2020

The Shed July/August 2020 Issue 91, on sale now

June 15, 2020/ The Shed

The July/August 2020 issue of The Shed, No. 91, has got something in it for every sheddie.
Even though there is something of a nautical theme to this issue, our cover story is on building a very powerful, vertical, hydraulic log splitter. Bill Stevenson from Christchurch walks us through the construction of his trailer-mounted log-splitting machine that was started prior to the Covid-19 lockdown, worked on during, and completed immediately after. A great effort.

May 13, 2020

Rimu Dining Chair

May 13, 2020/ The Shed

Start by drawing a full-size plan of side elevation and seat plan. You will probably want to make at least four chairs so it is easier to measure angles and sizes and maintain consistency in measuring from a full-size plan. Make a template from 12 or 16 mm MDF or plywood for forming chair back legs directly from the plan shape. I have found the easiest and most accurate method is to punch holes with an awl or sharp point and simply connect up the dots.

April 30, 2020

High flyer

April 30, 2020/ The Shed

What better way to introduce a legendary aircraft to another generation than through the universal medium of toys? While there are a number of limitations in a toy around scalability, safety, and complexity, I wanted to still give a firm nod in the direction of the original inspirational aircraft. A search of the internet yielded some basic plans of the original plane and images of recreations of the Sopwith taken from various angles.

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