Originally devised as a plaything for young boys, they quickly became the sort of toy that a lad was only allowed to play with on special occasions. They returned for a brief period of popularity during the 1960s and 1970s but even then were more adornments for a bookcase rather than well-used toys. This was probably due to the exorbitant cost of the product rather than any regard for safety.
I regretted losing the Dyco as it was quite clear the newly acquired, imported machine I had purchased was nowhere near the quality. I bought the Tanner because I had an idea to build a small vertical slotting machine to cut small keyways and splines inside gears for my old motorcycles. I had made up a rather ugly prototype for a slotter as a proof-of-concept test which seemed to work OK.
But a very good friend of mine had recently built such a unit using an old unwanted drill press so this was the main motivation for this purchase.
This raises the possibility of casting wheels in aluminium. Casting aluminium is not as complicated as it may seem; common sense is the main ingredient. In the case of a tractor or traction engine which has two small and two much larger wheels, the contrast between the sizes is important. Further, the large wheels need to be wide but have thin tapered spokes.
In The Shed 82, the Jan/Feb 2019 issue, its time to join the low & slow cooking revolution – to do that we need to build our own offset smoker barbeque.
In our cover story this issue we showcase three sheddies from around the country as they have their own way of making a smoker just the way they like it. Two out of steel and one out of a wine barrel, yes, a wine barrel. We have all you need to know about low & slow cooking with rubs, woods, cuts – the lot. Get building, get smoking and get stuck in.
This design-and-make plan will enable you to make a small pan sheet metal folder that folds mild sheet metal from 18 to 26 gauge. With it, you’ll be able to fold “U” or “Z” sections or a lip on a sheet of metal. The way we’ve constructed the metal folder will also allow you to bend metal to more than 90 degrees—try that with two pieces of angle iron mounted in the vice.
In Issue 81 of The Shed, Des Thomson showed us how to solve the problem of sweeping up metal waste and nails from your workshop or shed. In this video, Des discusses the build, then displays the sweeper and its uses.
When I came to select an old gas bottle for this project, the most likely candidate proved to be full of gas. Far too much gas to vent so having committed to making the forge I opted for the second-best option and bought a new bottle. At only $45 it wasn’t a huge outlay although I know that many of you will be shaking your heads at my frivolous wastefulness.
Buying a new bottle has one very handy up side: there is no volatile gas in the bottle. If there was then certain precautions are absolutely essential.
The frame is braced by angle-iron cross members and has a sturdy, ply wooden deck. It’s best to use not less than 5-ply 12 mm minimum — in this case we have used 7-ply 17 mm. With minor variations, I have built a standard 1200 mm x 1800 mm (6ft by 4ft ) domestic trailer with a solid frame of rectangular hollow section (RHS) mild steel.
Cambridge sheddie Kim Dawick decided to build a drift trike for a mate’s birthday. It was relatively simple and so much fun to ride he decided to build eight more to bring the old gang from school back together. Click through to see the Kim take Mike’s trike for a spin, and another one, and another one….
The 2018 Auckland Blade Show in Parnell this weekend was a huge success. Over 25 knife makers from all over NZ took stands as well as a shop from Gameco Artisan Supplies. A steady stream of visitors enjoyed an awesome display of great Kiwi knife making with no exhibitor quite like another. Organiser Brent Sandow promised us all we won’t have to wait as long for the next event which will require a larger venue to accomodate all the knife makers that couldn’t attend this 2018 Auckland show. If you are a fan of knives and knife making, do not miss the next show.
A crucial step in building this trailer is to get the axle stub straight, otherwise your tyres will chop up as they run. I use a jig of angle iron to get this straight. But I can show how to do it for home workshop, simply by holding the axle stub firmly against the bottom and one side of the box section axle to ensure it is square. There must be good welds on the axle stub.
Great news for Australian Shed magazine readers, The Shed is now on sale again in all Australian states at all good newsagents.
Click on this link for a complete list of Australian retail outlets so you can find your nearest stockist. Welcome back to The Shed.
https://www.theshedmag.co.nz/…/find-your-local-australian-t…
Great news for Australian Shed magazine readers, The Shed is now on sale again in all Australian states at all good newsagents.
In this short video we head to a small town in North Otago to enjoy the ancient skill of the blacksmith. This smithy is unique in that it also acts as a school that a group of farmers rallied together to ensure its survival. As featured in Issue 80 of The Shed
A linisher is near the top of the list of the most-used tools in the workshop, whether for deburring steel to stop cuts in the hands, or sharpening tools and drills. There are few projects where it doesn’t get used. They seem to be expensive for what they are, and can easily be made for a fraction of the purchase price. The budget using new parts for this project is around $400.
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.
Sign up here to The Shed monthly email newsletter for exclusive reader offers.
Sign up here to The Shed monthly email newsletter for exclusive reader offers. For signing up, we’ll send you a free copy of The Shed, just simply put your postal address in the form.