The Shed #83 Preview

HOW TO REWIRE CARAVAN LIGHTS

STEPBY-STEP CAMPERVAN BUILD

MARCH–APRIL 2019 ISSUE 83

CREATE SOME GREAT WOODEN TOYS

SAVE THOUSANDS

PAINT YOUR OWN HOME

ALL THE LATEST TECH, PAINT, FILLERS ADVICE, & TIPS

771177

045002

NZ $14.95 INCL. GST AUS $15.95 INCL. GST

A SHEDDIE’S HOBBY

BECOMES A BOOMING BUSINESS

Contents

ON THE COVER

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House painting

Get the latest info on paint and fillers and save yourself thousands by painting your own home

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Make some wooden toys

Some fun toys to make this issue: a lawn mower and an exploding Kiwi dunny

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Miniature farms

Ron Pankhurst has possibly the perfect shed where he creates science exhibits for schools here and overseas

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Importing tools

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A sheddie shares his experience of importing a 160W laser cutter from China

A Taranaki family’s children’s toy idea turns into an internet sensation and now a booming family business

The Shed 83 March/April 2019

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Science-exhibition maker

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Crafting wood

A Nelson surgeon’s love of woodcraft is revealed all over his home

Handprinting

Tara McLeod uses printing techniques of the past in his Auckland shed, resulting in worldwide acclaim

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Off the grid

A community shed grows from the desire to build your own battery-powered cars and bikes

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Caravan wiring

Time to upgrade the caravan lights to LED; thankfully the CNC router is to hand

Every issue 1 Editorial 18 News 20 Letters Subscribe to The Shed 40 Shed books for sale 107 Shed back-issue order form 118 Back o’ The Shed 120 Jude muses on industrial relations with the current rash of strikes in our great nation

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88

Milling machines — part two

Peter shows how to restrain movement when milling

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News

Some Mahurangi College students take on the EVolocity challenge

BBC Micro Bit

This time we step the creations up a level and build a fantasy ‘joy machine’

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Ebony cross

A friend’s new role in the priesthood is a sheddie’s opportunity to create a gift

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Building a campervan

Two English visitors take us through their camper-van build from start to fantastic completion The Shed 83 March/April 2019

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House painting

PREP BEFORE

PAINT

By Ian Parkes

Photographs: Bob Lowe, Adam Croy

IT SEEMS AN EASY TASK BUT LEARNING THE TRICKS OF THE TRADE AND THE RIGHT PRODUCTS TO USE WILL RESULT IN A SUPERIOR, LONG-LASTING JOB

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The Shed 83 March/April 2019

The Shed 83 March/April 2019

7

Wooden toys

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The Shed 83 March/April 2019

A RETIRED SHEDDIE’S HANDMADE EXPLODING DUNNIES AND WOODEN MOWERS GIVE LOTS OF ENJOYMENT

By Des Thomson Photographs: Des Thomson

W

hat does a miniature exploding Kiwi dunny and a toy lawn mower have in common? They are both made by Halswell Men’s Shed member Raymond Eder. Over the past 30 years Ray has been making toys for friends and relatives as a hobby, and now in retirement he continues to do this at the shed.

For 35 years Ray had been involved in management roles at Plumbing World with his working career taking him from one end of New Zealand to the other. In 1981 he and his wife moved to Christchurch to settle down closer to family. A recent move into a retirement village and a smaller home meant that he

“I now have access to all the tools and machinery that I used to have, plus a great workshop environment to be in” no longer had the workshop space that he used to have. “Joining up with the Halswell shed has been a lifesaver,” says Ray. “I now have access to all the tools and machinery that I used to have, plus a great workshop environment to be in.”

Ray makes small production runs of toys and sells them by word of mouth.

Two that always bring a smile to faces are the exploding dunny and the little wooden lawnmower. These make great gifts, and here he describes how to make them.

Kiwi dunny

Ray explains: “Many people have memories of toilets like these and when they see one sitting on a bench they can’t resist the temptation to pull the door open.”

And that is where the fun starts!

Cleverly concealed within the toilet is a loaded mousetrap, which is set off The Shed 83 March/April 2019

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Exhibition maker

PURSUIT OF PERFECTION FROM SCIENCE EXHIBITS AND MODELS, TO WINEMAKING, POTTERY, AND PAINTING A KEEN SHEDDIE HAS AN EYE FOR EXCELLENCE

By Ritchie Wilson Photographs: Ritchie Wilson

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The Shed 83 March/April 2019

Ron Panckhurst in his huge shed where he makes working exhibits that explain science ideas to children. He has been selling these exhibits to science centres, museums, and the Science Roadshow for more than 25 years

The Shed 83 March/April 2019

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Off the grid

Sharing a Shed

By Murray Grimwood

Photographs: Murray Grimwood

Another electric bike being assembled

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The Shed 83 March/April 2019

Tilting and towing – what more could you ask?

AN EV CONVERSION HAS LED TO A CENTRE FOR LIKEMINDED PEOPLE TO GET GOING ON THEIR OWN PROJECTS

The building was once a private motor museum

A

short distance up North East Valley, Dunedin, is a community shed. When we visit, there’s a woman outside, prepping steel brackets for painting — turns out they’re part of her electric-car conversion. There’s a strange bike-towed caravan parked on the footpath. People are working on their bikes in the communal space, a man is demonstrating e-bikes to a middle-aged couple. Further inside, we walk past a space dedicated to electric-vehicle (EV) conversions, on through a room dedicated to solar-panel installation, and then to another full of looms and busy weavers. Other spaces are taken up with piles of assorted bike parts and such like. It’s a busy place with a friendly yet purposeful feel.

Converting to oil-free

How did it come about? Rosemary Penwarden, long-time member of Oil Free Otago, figured that she ought to put her convictions into practice and went looking for somewhere that folk like her could do EV conversions. The place she found was a deceased estate that had once been a private motor museum. 

For the farm Batteries where there once was a fuel-tank

James Hardisty and his quad-bike conversion

An intriguing project lurking in one

48V, 86A/hour Chinese-built batteries

corner is a Yamaha quad bike being

to give a reasonable (use-dependent)

converted to run on electricity. Bought

range. Three bonuses will be

dead-motored for $300, it will soon

regenerative braking, extended range,

be back paddock-bashing — albeit

and reduced brake wear. Another will

silently, thanks to its 13kW, three-phase

be the ability to recharge battery-

motor. There are two battery boxes —

powered tools in the field. Already

one forward, and one where the tank

there are plans for the next one, the big

once resided — containing enough

change being lower-mounted batteries.

The Shed 83 March/April 2019

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