The Shed 92, September — October 2020

There’s a real treat for knife makers in the September/October Issue No. 92 of The Shed.

We head to the Auckland workshop of master knife maker Brent Sandow to get insights into what makes him such a well-regarded exponent of the art. We watch and learn as he goes though the steps on how he makes a Springbok Hunter knife. Get ready, secrets are shared.

Enrico Miglino gives us the second instalment on how to make your home a very smart one. He commences by deciding it’s sensible for this project to split your home into zones then begins in zone one by designing an efficient door opener.

It’s also part two and the final instalment of our Iona boathouse build. In this issue we detail the finishing of the interior of the tiny house using traditional metalworking and carpentry skills.

Rod Kane is back writing in The Shed after a few years’ absence, and he didn’t waste any time in lockdown. He used the enforced break to make that letterbox he has been meaning to do for more years than he’s keen to remember. Strangely, it looks very similar to the one he already had in place!

Our beer-brewing advice column this issue is about how temperature is an important part of obtaining a good brew, then Emil Nye steps us through restoring a longcase clock — one that was built at the same time as Captain Cook was making his first visit to New Zealand.

Jason Burgess makes a visit to the amazing Rotorua Settlers and Steam Museum, and in this issue’s Off the Grid column, Murray Grimwood’s lockdown experience prompts musings about our resilience and passing knowledge on to the next generation. Oh, and he completed his building of a 10-rater pond yacht during lockdown as well.

Coen Smit shows us how to get an extra pair of hands in the workshop by making a Moxon vice for timber-construction tasks and one for metalwork jobs as well.

Enrico Miglino is back upcycling vintage technology in this issue, and takes a stylish Bush transistor radio from the ’60s and commences turning it into a fun digital device using some Arduino boards. The basic principles shown here mean you can use this approach to turn many vintage tech items digital.

Nathalie Brown visits the stunning Pleasant Point Railway and Museum in South Canterbury run by a dedicated team of enthusiasts who are celebrating their 50th anniversary this September. The set-up of the railway is a real credit to the team.

Sarah Beresford reviews a book about the internationally renowned Kiwi typographer Tara McLeod, whose work we featured in Issue No. 83 of The Shed, and then Jude closes the issue as usual by sharing with us the great resources for sheddies available at the local library. There are many for us to enjoy.