Stonefields School classroom teaching aid
Based on an old fashioned set of scales apparently used for demonstrating good and bad behaviour.
We had to come up with a design prototype utilizing springs to control the movement, then made 3 more.
Stonefields School table top installs
Sheddie Nigel High, ably assisted by Steven Bissett, finished this project installing 8 of these new cubicle table tops.
Much to the joy of students and teachers alike.
An elegant solution to a first world problem
Sheddie Jack was irritated to discover his nice new spa pool had nowhere to rest a wine glass. Holding it was very tiring at his age. So, brother Douglas (also a sheddie) designed a removable wine table and made it from recycled Kauri. A locking pin prevents inadvertent rotation and possible spillage.
Orders taken... Patent pending.
Rehab devices
Grant Sewell took over this job from Roger Van Kuylenburg who is leaving our shed shortly.
It involves 2 rehabilitation devices for stroke victims to regain their co-ordination skills.
Alan Simpson joined in the project by lasering the foot and hand outlines.
The undersides of these simple devices features roller ball wheels, which allows easy horizontal movement in any direction.
Simple and effective !
Cane seat replacement
Malcolm Hardie's job last week, was replacing the cane seats on a couple of bentwood chairs... an old skill revisited.
This was a family project, as Malcolm enlisted the expertise of his wife, to figure out how !
Wedding flower pedestal
John Edwards putting the finishing touches to his flower stand destined for a
wedding celebration.
John built this out of kauri and turned the centre pedestal on our lathe.
Something different.
Liquorice movie stools
Sheddie Paul Whitcomb was given 3 pedestals to dump, but he was so impressed with their integrity, he decided to create some stools for his home theatre.He built the box seats on top of the pedestals so they will lift up
to store your drinks and snacks and he decorated them to look like his favourite liquorice all sort.
Great recycling project, strong and useful.
Phoenix wheelbarrow
The Shed was asked to restore a garden wheelbarrow. On close examination it was discovered that only the steel wheel could be recovered.So Sheddie Murray Greg rolled up his sleeves and built the rest of it from scratch.
Now its good for many summers, to decorate a gardeners patch !
It's gone back to a very happy gardener, with its new "bones" and memories intact.
Hihi (Stitchbird) boxes for Tiritiri Matangi
Last week the team finished an order for 50 Stitchbird nesting boxes for DoC to go to Tiritiri Mātāngi Island.
One of our most complex projects,
with
each box having 34 components, the
pictures show the prototype, sub-assemblies and inside the box. Fifty boxes have been completed and are ready to ship.
There
are currently no mainland colonies of Hihi and the principal NZ breeding location is
Tiritiri Mātāngi in the Hauraki Gulf.
We are privileged to be part of this preservation initiative.
Round and round we go
An unusual project at the shed last week was the production of some round plywood blanks.Roger Van Kuylenburg built an ingenious attachment for our router, so he could produce blanks about a metre in diameter.
The customer is using them for some elaborate panels, and sent us some pictures of the finished product.
Lladro for Vinnies
Stephen Petterson did an excellent repair job on a piece of porcelain this week for the Society of St Vincent de Paul Charity. He elevated something broken and worth nothing, to something worth many dollars towards the service run in New Zealand. It consistently achieves significant social impact through its grassroots network, supporting over 50,000 Kiwis annually.
A cast iron sewing machine frame repurposed
The top is fashioned from a beautiful Kauri slab with natural edge back and
front. This has been professionally flattened by member Tony Miller and finished with
Rubion Monocoat which is a hard wax oil.
The frame was cleaned and treated with two coats of Penetrol to prevent rust
and maintain the patina. .
The table is from a "Laidlaw Special #3" sewing machine. These were
American made but branded for NZ by Robert Laidlaw, the founder of Farmers
Trading Company. Dates from between 1909 and about 1920.
"WOW" Treasure "Chest"
Violet
Oliver is a former winner of the famous World of Wearable Arts
"WOW" show. She has come up with a new concept this year around pirate treasure
chests.
Violet has been working with Peter Hoyle in the Shed, and others, to
design, make and fit these! She will be submitting her design for acceptance into the competition
shortly. Fingers crossed.
Violet will bring her entry into the shed to do a show and tell.
Bet there's no other Shed that's made one of these !
Biggest pest trap order yet!
Bound for Obodo's forest at
Kiangaroa we have now completed the biggest order yet for Obodo Timber.
From plantation to protection, the timber’s journey has come full circle, originally growing in Pan Pac Forest Products forests and returning as traps that now safeguard the ecosystems they once grew beside.
Modified Kiwi carrier
An
order for 15 Save The Kiwi transport boxes was collected on Thursday last week,
after being made by our Conservation Crew in the barn. They
were immediately sent on a barge to Motutapu Island. Over the next few
days, 15 to 20 kiwis will be collected and taken to a number of pest-free
sanctuaries to set up breeding. Motutapu's birds were established as a safe
haven colony during Covid-19 shutdown. They have thrived and there are now
several 100 birds on the island. The Save The Kiwi staff gave very positive comments on
our masterpieces and will give any further feedback after this relocation
exercise. We expect to get another order for a further 35 boxes.
Storage for Saint Heliers Kindergarten
Alan Lendrum whipped up this cupboard in the shed last week for the littlies to store their gear.
Clock fix no. 1
Using
the power of Shed friendships, Michael Buczkowski recently refurbished his
treasured Black Forest Hunting Clock, in the Shed.
Master carver, Stephen Petterson, carved and coloured an ear for the deer head
of the clock and shortly Michael will clean and oil the mechanism under
the watchful eye of Clockmaker Michael Cryns.
All ready to resume its pride of place in Michael's master establishment.
Clock fix no. 2
Our
resident clockmaker, Michael Cryns, restored a Dutch clock to perfect working
order last week.
One of several mechanical clocks returned to running order in the shed
recently.
