The Shed

The Shed is Eclectic, informed and always fascinating, there is something to interest everyone in The Shed. Aimed at those with a few tools and perhaps a few clues, this is the magazine for real sheddies. Packed with ideas, projects, advice and peeks into other people’s sheds.

The Shed

ENERGY

GOING SOLAR • Solar power seems like a great idea – who doesn’t want free power, right? But what to choose, and what are the pitfalls? The Shed’s Andrew Broxholme shares all the good, the bad, and the ugly of his recent large solar power installation journey

SOLAR POWER? • What about our place?

Two-stroke tsunami in B-Town • The latest Syd’s Run may have been the best attended yet. The event is for small motorcycles or anything with a small single-cylinder petrol engine. Some were modified motorcycles – one had a skateboard for a seat, another had a body accurately modelled on a Wattie’s baked beans tin

Free to a good home • A Bruce McLaren sculpture is looking for a saviour

THE SHED ONLINE • What’s happening online at theshed.nz?

SOME KAYAK-BUILDING ADVICE

AJS LIGHTS

THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH A GOOD RANT

MAKING A DIRTSURFER • A simple wheeled board makes a great school project

ONCE UPON A DIRTSURFER

FROM KEYBOARD TO FRETBOARD FROM CODE TO CRAFT • Malcolm Locke is a computer programmer by profession, but his passion he undertakes from the other end of his work-from-home shed. Nigel Young follows Malcolm’s creation of a mandolin from its green timber beginnings to an instrument that works beautifully for Irish and Appalachian tunes

RESTORING A 1952 AJS • Peter’s restoration is taking much longer than he had hoped, with those snakes and ladders still frustrating progress. In Part 8, his goal is to start the engine and hear that throbbing piston music – but will he succeed?

FIX THAT PIC EASILY AND FOR FREE • Enjoy manipulating your digital images but find Photoshop too costly and complicated to use? Well, there is a great option for you, and it’s free. Time to bring out the GIMP

Resene Paint Expert Jay Sharples shares his advice for painting in hot weather

GET A FREE T-SHIRT WORTH UP TO $25 • WHEN YOU RENEW OR SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHED MAGAZINE FOR ONE YEAR

LEARNING HOW TO VENEER • Master craftsman Edward Prince joins The Shed team to share his woodworking skills and vast knowledge. In this first article, he shows how a piece of furniture can be transformed by using veneers. The skilful use of veneers can transform a dull but sound carcass into a dramatic display of craftsmanship

LOUIS CUBE PROJECT

CASTLES IN THE AIR • Tree huts are a lot of fun, and children love them. With Christmas approaching and his grandchildren set to visit, Murray sees the perfect opportunity to build a tree hut in a tree that he has been eyeing for a couple of years. And boy, didn’t he enjoy this project!

IT’S A SMALL, SMALL WORLD • A deathbed promise to brilliant modeller Royston Lake and his father Bob Walters by Phil Walters has meant some rare, stunning and valuable models have been preserved for us all to enjoy. But what will happen to this jaw-dropping collection in the coming years? Chris Hegan is fascinated with this extraordinary collection of models, the likes of which will never be repeated

CONFESSIONS OF A BOXAHOLIC • Coen comes clean and discloses his total obsession with making boxes. In his final article, Coen reveals that he was a sheddie through and through. His passion and projects will be sorely missed

New Zealand Classic Car

THE HARDWARE STORE OF YOUR DREAMS • Remember those cool old hardware and motor parts stores? The good news is they are still around, and we found one just north of Auckland that has the kind of products you thought you couldn’t...