The Shed

The current rash of storms and mega weather events across the country has, you would think, taught us many things. One, I hope, will be an increased encouragement for the development of workshop skills in the younger generation. We must accept that t

In Peter Loidl’s living room, a 1:2 scaled-down Model T Ford made from various timbers does duty as a liquor cabinet. The bonnet and trunk lift up to reveal a stash of spirit and wine bottles that have accumulated for years — they are mostly unopened

The National Convention of the Model Engineering Association of New Zealand (MEANZ), known this year as ‘CANMOD 2022’, was run at two Christchurch venues between 5 and 11 January 2023. Powerful vehicles towing immaculate custom trailers set out from

The model steam locomotives that attended CANMOD 2022 were mostly fired by coal. The organisers had a ban on the burning of smoky coal, and coal that burns virtually smoke-free was used, so that the effect on air quality — and the driver’s eyes — was

Dear Sir, My grandson has been buying a yearly subscription for me as a Christmas present for three years. I so enjoy receiving my copies of The Shed. Issue No. 106 is again a treasure. I was fascinated to read Spinning, Spinning, Spinning. There wer

No serious workshop should be without its complement of air tools. No matter what your craft or work, there is an air tool that will make your hard labour easier and faster. The versatility and sheer scope of the range of air tools are staggering — t

Selecting the correct air compressor for a particular job should be a relatively painless exercise. The right choice will provide you with a useful machine that can last for many years, provided you maintain it well. However, far too often, choosing

I was all fired up to report on the tree-house I was planning for the grandkids, when Greg (The Shed editor) emailed asking about chicken coops. I thought about it for a while; we already have adequate housing for our two flocks, and a comet-trail of

By now, many readers will have heard the term ‘Alexa’ and wondered what it is, how you use it, and if they need it. ‘Alexa’ is a virtual or voice assistant that connects to the internet via your Wi-Fi and listens for your command. This gets processed

Promoting Bodhi’s place would stretch the most creative real-estate agent to breaking point: “Enjoy generous vistas of shipping containers. Privacy guaranteed by a 3m high hurricane-wire fence topped with razor wire. Superb indoor–outdoor flow by way

John Priest, 83, lives in Woodville, a thriving country town at the eastern end of the Manawatu Gorge — at least, it used to thrive, until the gorge road was closed permanently. Although it can now hardly be called thriving, it does host some useful

In part five of this series about learning the basics of the Alibre Atom 3D digital design program, we are going to lift our skills to lofty heights by tackling ‘lofting’. This is how complex shapes are formed that would be difficult to draw manually

This article outlines the design, planning, construction, and internal fit-out of a shed at my property in Australia. I have a varied range of interests, including machining, welding, casting, robotics (CNC, electronics), woodwork, and composites. Ov

After the rain events at the beginning of the year, no one will need reminding of the importance of installing a fit for purpose drainage system when you’re building your shed. All those tools and projects deserve a little extra attention to protect

markseek@rocketmail.com I have been delighted by the response shown by the men who attended the monthly men’s group Fuel Tank here in Christchurch at the Throttlestop Cafe. The most outstanding aspect for me has been the generosity of encouragement t

To describe the project as simply and clearly as possible, I will explain it by referring to the images in turn, describing in detail the procedure, tools, and site references that I have used. The software components and the SVG designs for laser cu

As a pilot, Arjen (pronounced ‘ari-ahn’) Visser is a relative newcomer to the skies; he has been flying solo for only three years. However, his passion for aviation began as a young boy. It is something that he shares with his father, a glider pilot,

Trailers are useful vehicle accessories that are particularly vulnerable to unauthorised use and/or removal. Aftermarket accessory businesses cater for standard ball couplings. Their devices usually consist of a frame locked onto the ball coupling to

What a summer! I’m actually looking forward to winter; surely it can’t be any worse. Two cyclones in a month and one exactly 12 months after the last big one — who would have believed it? At least I didn’t suffer the heartbreaking damage that so many