The Shed 123, October/November 2025

Beyond the grain
At age 15, Edward Prince declared to his Dad, “I'm going to be a cabinet maker”. Nowadays, Edward the furniture maker is pushing timber's boundaries through innovative projects like bodging chairs, carving bowls, crafting bows, and designing bass guitars.
A forest of lithe, towering ricker Kauri, adolescent Rimu and tall ferns shade the glade around Edward’s workshop. Leaf mulch, bark chips and forage strips camouflage the paths. Twisted logs rest against a small retaining wall awaiting a fresh designation, and a cluster of rustic timber chairs encircle a brazier on the lawn above. From the tree tops, invisible Tui chime and call while through a set of dusty French doors, an apparition of Edward can be seen and heard, cutting, carving and creating.
Edward remembers when he first set eyes on this place; it reminded him of an image on a postcard that he had saved in England. He recalls, “It was a picture of a small church in a hollow, surrounded by trees. It struck me as a place of peace and tranquillity. I thought how nice it would be to live in such a sanctuary. This place is what I had in my mind.” 
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Tribute to Trevor Scott
The New Brighton MenzShed hosted a regional meeting to honour and give thanks to Trevor, who was instrumental in introducing the MenzShed concept to New Zealand.
Building a wooden sea kayak
The wooden sea kayak I built is 5.2 metres long and is made from 4 mm-thick marine plywood.
Restoring a 1952 AJS Part 6
Electricals (breadboard testing), suspension, controls, petrol and oil.
The restoration road will never run smoothly. Peter has some issues with the electrics that have come out of the blue, and the nickel-plating that’s already been completed is not behaving either.
The Shed cryptic crossword
Now that you have mastered your workshop skills, it’s time to test your word skills with our cryptic crossword.
Arduino 102 I2C and more
Our Arduino expert outlines the advantages and disadvantages of various methods for sharing data.
Rod Benjes: Racecar Builder
A highly successful career in building and racing drag cars began with reading hot rod magazines in the 1960s. This passion for speed and cars has led this self-taught sheddie to become one of our most accomplished and sought-after racecar builders.
A coffee and a book
After finishing his recent TV cabinet project, Nigel decided to continue adding to his living room furniture. This time, he plans to build a coffee table and a bookshelf.
The birth of a museum
The Auckland fire service has changed dramatically over the years in so many ways. With its rich and long history, the time is right for a museum to commemorate these heroic Kiwis and their tools of the trade.
The Shed Shrink – the joy of collecting
Our Shed Shrink mingles with a group of seasoned collectors, all excited and mesmerised by the eclectic items they find in a new local store.
Off the grid – why restore old tools?
Murray’s mantra is always repair and restore rather than replace, so he gets stuck into choosing which tools will get the Grimwood-Restored plaque.
Blacksmithing – a Knight and his shining armour – Part 2
Leon shares numerous insights into his methods for making armour and demonstrates all the tools he consistently uses in his work. You could say it serves as a beginner's guide on how to create your own armour.
Better than Weta
Paddy McIvor's shed is no ordinary shed.
It is overflowing with memorabilia, toys, games, and puppets – just a few of the attractions at Shannon’s Toy Circus.
Back O The Shed: Fools, rushing, and all that jazz
Jude discovers that sometimes the answer to a misbehaving tool dilemma is not as complicated as it may first appear to all and sundry.