The Shed 83, March — April 2019

In the March/April 2019 Issue 83 of The Shed we get stuck into that huge home job that, when you do yourself, can save you thousands of dollars - house painting.

We talk to to the paint and filling product manufacturers to get all the latest technical info and arm you with advice on how best to undertake this very important part of home maintenance. With the current paints, technology and fillers you will learn techniques and methods that may amaze you.

We meet a team of Mahurangi College students who undertook the 2018 EVolcity challenge and test out a Tusk circular saw blade that claims to run silent - you will be surprised at the result.

Des Thomson showcases the talents of Raymond Eder who makes fun wooden toys like a lawn mower and an exploding Kiwi dunny before we meet Ron Panckhurst who has been creating science exhibits for schools for over 25 years. By the way, Ron has a very impressive shed. Plan for the worst and hope for the best is the advice from Mark Atherton when importing expensive equipment like a laser cutter from overseas and Murray Grimwood introduces us to a community workspace in Dunedin where a group has come together to converts cars and bikes to electric power.

In our electronic feature this issue, Enrico Miglino uses BBC micro bit to create a fantasy joy machine. This is his most ambitious project so far using the BBC micro bit for control. As the holidays rolled in, Mark Beckett went to get a WOF for the family caravan only to find he suddenly had a rewiring job on his hands - “sounds like a great Shed article” he said to us. His new CNC router came in handy too.

Patrick Meffan is a surgeon who lives in Nelson who does amazing woodcraft from staircases to wardrobes and more in his spare time. You will be impressed by his efforts. Cameron Goodchap made his three year old daughter a miniature farm toy for Christmas two years ago and now the world is beating a path to his door for his Mini Farms products - he even show us how to make one.

There is part two of our Milling Series in this issue, this time advice is given on restraining movement before we learn how to turn a van into a campervan thanks to two English tourists, Alex and Jon Boxall. The result is a fantastic achievement. A Shed reader, Emil Nye, shows us how he made an Ebony cross for a friend before we meet a well-respected hand printing master just outside Auckland, Tara McLeod. His limited edition books are held in collections all around the world.

Jude closes the issue with his regular Back ‘O’ The Shed column where he ponders on the current state of industrial relations.