THE SHED SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2019 ISSUE 86
BUILDING A WINEBARREL GO-KART
RECREATING A HISTORIC INSTRUMENT
BLACKSMITH
KNIFE
MAKER
NZ $14.95 INCL. GST AUS $15.95 INCL. GST
9
771177
045002
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MAKE A VIKING KNIFE MAKE ANY BIKE ELECTRIC SEAL YOUR SHED FLOOR BUILD A WINE-BARREL GO-KART BATHROOM SHOWER RENO LASERS
SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2019 ISSUE 86 the-shed.nz
MAKE ANY BIKE ELECTRIC
FIT YOUR OWN ELECTRIC MOTOR
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR SHED FLOOR
Contents
ON THE COVER
4
Making knives the blacksmith’s way “I’m not a knife maker; I’m a blacksmith who makes knives”
44
How to weld — part two Learn the basics of MIG welding
40 26
Protect your shed floor
We trial a paint product designed to keep your workshop floor looking like new
18 2
Barrel go-kart
Building an American barn If you are going to build a shed you will want to do it right
Who says you cant make what you want from whatever you want? Not us or this clever sheddie from the Waikato
The Shed 86 September/October 2019
56
A rare instrument
106
A sheddie designs and builds a clavichord from scratch
Get on yer bike
We show you how to make any bike an electric bike by fitting an electric motor
66
Bathroom shower upgrade
How a small job quickly became a complete overhaul of a shower unit
Laser cutting and engraving
76
Explore some creative alternative uses for using lasers
96 36
Micro Bit experiments
Get the charming sound of a music box using BBC Micro Bit and Arduino technology 1 14 16 34
54 125 126 128
Every issue Editorial News Letters Subscribe to The Shed — every new and renewing subscriber gets tickets to Big Boys Toys this November Product showcase — which dust extractor is best for you? Shed books for sale Shed back-issue order form Back o’ The Shed — Jude gets back into brewing and is enjoying the big changes in home brewing
116
Plastic welding
We found one Dennis McDonald, a plastic welding guru
Driftwood artist
An artist makes stunning sculptures from driftwood
84
Off the grid
Generate your own electricity using micro-hydro
88
LED lighting
A guide for those considering making the move to LED The Shed 86 September/October 2019
3
Blacksmith
4
The Shed 86 September/October 2019
R A Z O R S H A R P
HOW TO MAKE A GOOD ALL-PURPOSE VIKING KNIFE
By Helen Frances Photographs: Tracey Grant
The Shed 86 September/October 2019
5
Go-kart
A great vintage — the barrel racer on display
18
The Shed 86 September/October 2019
A FURNITURE RESTORER HAS A GREAT TIME USING A WINE BARREL TO MAKE A BESPOKE RACER
A BARREL OF FUN By Tom Rodwell
Photographs: The Shed
Y
ou’d be hard-pressed to find a more appropriate match of man and machine than Russell Cooper and his barrel racer. The surname ‘Cooper’, after all, means ‘barrel maker’, and is derived from the German for ‘cask’, which is in turn from the Latin word cupa meaning ‘barrel’ or ‘tun’ (a large cask). To that piece of poetic justice, add Russell’s career in both fine furniture restoration and upholstery, plus a passion for motorsport, throw in a kitset go-kart, and you’ve got a recipe for a witty and offbeat vehicle that gives a new twist to the term ‘drink-driving’. Traditionally, coopers used heat and steam-bending techniques to produce barrels — in fact any wooden cask with a bulge in the middle. Logically enough, a furniture restorer has the patience and experience with fine timber — in this case French oak — to repurpose a barrel for an eccentric new purpose.
Wood is in the blood
Based in Hamilton, Russell’s business is Furniture Refabricators, specializing in the restoration of pre-1960s furniture of all types, including tables and chairs, wardrobes, suites, and the like, as well as stocking supplies for the DIY enthusiast.
The Shed 86 September/October 2019
19
Trade profile
Building an American barn
Kiwi-style QUALITY AND PROFESSIONALISM MAKE FOR A REWARDING SHED BUILD
American-style barn garage at home in Northland
40
The Shed 86 September/October 2019
I
f you are going to build a shed you will want to do it right. The owners of this stylish American-style barn are happy to recommend the team that put this together. Shannon Jordan and Louise Simmons sold up in suburbia and bought a block of land in Ruakaka three years ago. They planned to live in a caravan while planning and saving for their house. From this magazine’s point of view, they had their priorities right and decided to build a shed first. It would give them space to expand into and meet both current and future needs. They parked the caravan alongside and put a bench, fridge, and small oven in the shed. It
also gave them space to store all their furniture from their previous home and building materials for the next one. The shed was designed to take their boat and the caravan which meant they needed oversized doors, even though both vehicles had to live outside in the meantime.
Finding the perfect shed
Shannon and Louise shopped around for the right steel-frame building. “My background is in sales but frankly the attitude of some of the other companies put me off,” says Shannon. “One said come back when I knew what I wanted … I knew then what I wanted was to
go somewhere else.” They had already decided that an American-style barn would look much better in their spectacular setting than a plain steel box, and it would give them the height they needed in the middle for the boat. They also had colours and materials in mind that would complement the house. Shannon went to Kiwispan, and builder and Northland franchise operator Stephen Cross struck the right note straight away. “He showed us a couple of options for door and window placements, and he pointed out that the higher door meant he could line up the angle of the roofs, which would look better,” Shannon says.
By Ian Parkes Photographs: The Shed
Shed specs Width: 12m plus 3.5m open lean-to Length: 12m Height and knee height: 3.3m plus 4.5m Cladding: Walls — Slimclad in Grey Friars colour; roof — corrugated Zincalume
The Shed 86 September/October 2019
41
Electric bikes
GET ON YER
BIKE!
IT’S A SIMPLE PROCESS TO CONVERT YOUR BIKE INTO AN E-BIKE. HERE’S HOW By Rex Thorley Photographs: The Shed
Rex Thorley fits electric motors to new and older bikes
56
The Shed 86 September/October 2019
The Shed 86 September/October 2019
57
Plastic welding
Dennis McDonald’s shed has tools for “any job”
96
The Shed 86 September/October 2019
Driftwood artist
Jack Marsden Mayer’s big bullock made from driftwood — now a feature in the middle of Eastern Taranaki’s Whangamomona, pulling a big log in recognition of early pioneer bushmen
116
The Shed 86 September/October 2019
Wwondooerdelannd AN ARTIST MAKES STUNNING SCULPTURES FROM DRIFTWOOD By Ray Cleaver Photographs: Rob Tucker
The Shed 86 September/October 2019
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THE SHED SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2019 ISSUE 86
BUILDING A WINEBARREL GO-KART
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR SHED FLOOR
RECREATING A HISTORIC INSTRUMENT
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SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2019 ISSUE 86 the-shed.nz
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THE SHED JULY–AUGUST 2019 ISSUE 85
WELD LIKE A PRO — ARCWELDING TIPS
CONSTRUCTING THE ULTIMATE ELECTRIC TRIKE
THE ART OF SEGMENTED WOODTURNING
BUILD YOUR OWN LPG- OR OIL-POWERED FORGE
JULY–AUGUST 2019 ISSUE 85
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