Indholdsfortegnelse for March - April 2018 i The Shed

DON’T GET CAUGHT OUT Supplementing your water supply by harvesting nature’s reserves can really save on water costs, but in those drier months it can be a struggle to keep anything in reserve. The Hansen Rapidflo Rain Relief Valve is your insurance against an empty tank. Designed to supplement your rainwater tank by 50 or 100mm from an alternative source when your water level gets too low, it will ensure that you always have water on hand, but also allows enough space in your tank in case rain is on the way. Visit www.hansenproducts.co.nz for your local stockist and more info. SWITCHING UP If you’re keen to reduce your water usage by making the most of nature’s generous supply, you may want to consider the benefits of using rainwater alongside…

The other day I was having a conversation with The Shed editor Greg Vincent, and I realized that although we have been doing a variety of articles on electronics, we haven’t talked about the tools needed to do decent work. Everyone knows that at some stage you need to blame your tools (after the other excuses have run out), and like most things you can pay a little money or a lot, and sometimes there is little difference in the result … or so it would seem. The purpose of this article is not to separate you from your hard-earned cash, but to share a few tricks and provide some information so you can make an informed choice when buying equipment. Stations and irons Everyone knows that the best soldering…

“That’s my shed. I can take it all round the country” Dave Neame: chainsaw milling Sentimentality and chainsaws don’t usually go hand in hand but Dave Neame uses the machines not to massacre but to preserve pieces of wood for posterity. The long-time logger, who is based in North Canterbury, uses his prowess with a chainsaw to mill trees into slabs that can be turned into furniture, kitchen benches, or used as building features. “I get approached by people who’ve got trees that have sentimental value and they want more than firewood or mulch out of them. I come and mill them up and they can get made into something that becomes a family heirloom,” he explains. Dave’s gear Dave’s mobile mill comprises a Kubota tractor and three chainsaws, which…

Letter of the MONTH Jakob’s hut Over last winter my eight-year-old grandson and I built a hut for him in his parents’ backyard. Before we started I turned to two back issues of The Shed magazine (August/September 2013 and April/May 2015) to get some guidance. I wish to acknowledge and thank the contributors of the two articles (Build a Playhouse and Child’s Play). Between them they started us off in the right direction. We thought that you might like to see some photos of the final result. My grandson Jakob had a very good idea of what he wanted. Among the requirements [were that] it had to have a porch, windows that opened and closed, a table to work on, and a bunk. In place of the last item we…

Chris Gordon has been devoted to the internal combustion engine since his earliest days when his next-door neighbour was a motor mechanic. At 14 he was a crew member for Ron Collett, who successfully ran a Top Eliminator class dragster at strips throughout New Zealand. His Chris Gordon Racing Team won the 1998/’99 125cc New Zealand Road Racing Championship, with well-known rider Dennis Charlett riding a Honda RS125 that Chris owned and prepared. Chris and his team ran the bike in the 125cc class at the Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island in 1999. Chris has also from a very early age made things: models, an electric bicycle, an electric go-kart, a fibreglass road-registered scratch-built car, and a 500cc V8-powered Grand Prix racing bike. He has a minimalist approach to tools…

Visit www.menzshed.nz or email: secretary@menzshed.nz MENZSHED KAITAIA INC John Richardson 09 408 0042 cadfael@xtra.co.nz KERIKERI MEN’S SHED Wade Rowsell 09 407 8263 kkmensshed@outlook.co.nz WHANGAREI COMMUNITY MEN’S SHED Jeff Griggs 09 435 1759 chairman@mensshed.co.nz DARGAVILLE MENZ SHED Paul Witten 09 974 7685 or 0274 593098 pdub351@gmail.com MENZSHED WAIPU INC Kit Singleton 09 432 0436 kitsingleton5@gmail.com HIBISCUS MENS SHED TRUST Stuart Johnston 09 424 7854 or 027 4923357 hibiscusshed@outlook.com MEN’S SHED NORTH SHORE Larry Klassen 09 442 2145 or 021 311036 admin@mensshednorthshore.org.nz DEVONPORT CLAY STORE COMMUNITY WORKSHOP Tom Murray 09 445 8786 tomandlily@xtra.co.nz MASSEY COMMUNITY MEN’S SHED Andrew Wilson 027 516 6415 masseyshednz@gmail.com MENS SHED AUCKLAND EAST Pete Montgomery 027 496 6901 mensshedaucklandeast@gmail.com AUCKLAND CENTRAL COMMUNITY SHED Ken Buckley 027 3036 636 aucklandcentralshed@gmail.com HOWICK COMMUNITY MENZSHED INC Andrew Harvey 021 808 815…

A KIWI EXCELS IN A WORLD-CLASS COMPETITION FOR TRADIES It’s enough of a buzz to have the skills you’ve developed as an apprentice recognized nationally but to win international plaudits launches the thrill level into the stratosphere. Aircraft engineer Jarrod Wood is familiar with the excitement of having his skills acknowledged after winning both regional and national WorldSkills competitions for aircraft maintenance. He crowned this achievement by winning the gold medal in his field at the recent international WorldSkills competition in Abu Dhabi. “It was a truly amazing experience,” the Air New Zealand aircraft maintenance engineer says of attending the event. “I was blown away just to be there and wasn’t expecting to win, so that was just the icing on the cake.” Jarrod says that he still finds it…

“Be warned that some people will tell you that it’s all too hard and to forget the whole thing” Archery is a satisfying sport that has its roots fixed in the primal skill of hunting. It is an added bonus that you can make at least part of your own bow yourself. A bow like the one in this project is called a ‘recurve’ and consists of a handle, or ‘riser’; two ‘limbs’ (the flexible parts that bend); a string; and an arrow rest. When you pull back on the string, the energy is transferred to the limbs, which on release propel the arrow forward. Limbs are graded into poundage: beginners may use 28 pounds whereas the pros may be drawing 40 pounds or more. Hunting bows can go up…

“You’ll only get one shot at finishing so it’s certainly worth ensuring that you do it properly” In the previous issue of The Shed (Issue No. 76), we built a kitset block fireplace from Aztec Fires. This month, we’re putting on the finishing touches. A quick Google search will return thousands of finishing options for outdoor fires. From brick to timber to polished concrete, the options seem endless. It is, of course, ideal to tie the look of your fireplace in with the surrounding area, as the outdoor fire will undoubtedly become your main entertaining area in the summer months and can’t be beaten on a still winter’s evening. Regardless of the desired finish, you will need a few hands on deck to ensure levels are just right and that…

Best of The Shed Featuring 18 of the best projects from the last 10 years, The Best of The Shed includes all of our most popular projects. With step-bystep instructions, the 176-page book will take you through a variety of projects, including a pizza oven, a trailer, a rocking horse, and a knife. How to Weld Learn how to weld with this best-selling book on the subject. Suitable for beginners through to experienced welders, this 207-page book will help you to transform ordinary steel into a blank canvas for invention. The Complete Kiwi Pizza Oven This 288-page book is the ultimate guide to Kiwi outdoor living. Including a step-by-step guide on how to build your own pre-cast oven, as well as profiles of 17 Kiwis’ ovens, with their (often hilarious)…

No question, it was déja view. The moment I saw the building I knew that I’d been there before, and that recollection triggered a rush of other memories, most marvellous, some bittersweet. As the building was the old officer’s mess at Wigram, where I’d been the after-dinner speaker one anxious evening, and Wigram was my first field of dreams, back in the days of 3s 9d Airfix models and visions of Vampires — de Havilland Vampires, you understand, the kind the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) flew. And since little Jim, fighter pilot supreme (in the cockpit of his imagination), wanted to fly them too, he got the Brasso, polished the buttons, pressed the sky blue tunic, and turned up at No. 9 hangar Wigram every Wednesday to parade…