The Shed - Videos

Making a workshop bench video

22 March 2026

Every shed needs a utility bench, and most sheds usually have one or two.
It’s a place where things can be worked on or stored. I have built a few recently, and I have developed a simple process that makes the process quite easy and results in a sturdy workshop asset with space for storage.
The advantage of this design is that it doesn’t require good, straight timber. In fact, I often buy very cheap, knotty 2nd or third grade timber from my local sawmill, who specialise in Macrocarpa. I can get long lengths, but they are rarely straight or twist-free. Sometimes I can get relatively straight pieces, or I can find 3 metres or so in a 4-5m length. For the most part, you can usually find enough pieces of around a metre that are relatively straight.

Video of Geraldine Military Museum military revival

16 December 2025

Two years ago, Don Pelvin set up the Military Museum in Geraldine as a retirement project.
He is pretty happy with how things are going, with an average of a thousand visitors a month, especially as his museum is one of six in the small South Canterbury town. He also organises the Rangitata Island Military Revival on the Saturday and Sunday of Labour weekend every year.
This is a combination of a display of military vehicles and gear, and reenactments of actions from WWI and WWII, and it all takes place at the Rangitata aerodrome, an airfield owned by a local farmer. About 50 reenactors turned up in their historically correct uniforms with their suitable weapons, after word had spread in the tight-knit military history world that the event was happening.

From Rust to Rrroaarrr video, part 5

7 August 2025

In the first article, I wrote about nickel welding repairs to a broken cast-iron cooling fin (parts from a barbecue hot plate), magneto check, head repair, valve work and nickel plating the push rod cover tubes. The second article was mainly about how I developed nickel and copper plating, with a little bit about kick starter repair using nickel plate on a worn shaft, and grinding teeth. Third article, the start of frame painting; engine, clutch and gearbox assembly and installation, with magneto timing.
In my last article, part four of the series, I described my efforts to rebuild the bike’s dynamo (generator) by reconstructing the disintegrated commutator, rewinding the armature, replacing the bearings and then testing. Sadly, with no success.
I have achieved a little bit of progress with fixing the fuel tank and the seat, but I have not really met any targets. When I started this series, I expected that by this article, part 5, I would be writing about fixing the famous ‘Jampot’ and ‘Teledraulic’ suspensions, and at the end of part 6, I would have re-laced the wheels, having nickel-plated the spokes, rims and hubs ready for a trial ride.

Video of From Rust to Rrrroaarrr Part Four

11 June 2025

In the first article, I wrote about nickel welding repairs to a broken cast iron engine cooling fin, magneto check, head repair, valve work and nickel plating the push rod cover tubes.
The second article was mainly about how I developed nickel and copper plating, with a little bit about kickstarter repair using nickel plate on a worn shaft and grinding teeth.
The third article, the start of frame painting, engine, clutch and gearbox assembly and installation, with magneto timing.
For this fourth episode, I had planned to write about how I rebuilt the electrical system, reupholstered the seat and renovated the fuel tank. There has been progress on each of these three things but little in the way of meeting targets.

Video of from Rust to Rrroarrr Part two

28 January 2025

From Rust to Rrroarrr Part Two
As featured in The Shed magazine, February/March 2025 issue 119
A six-part magazine series on the restoration of a 1952 AJS Motorbike
PART TWO – Metal plating:
The secrets of successful nickel plating
In part one of this restoration series, Peter described how he started rebuilding, as cheaply as possible, an old bitser AJS 500 motorbike, and discussed the start of his nickel-plating tasks.
For this Rust to Rrroarr project, he has decided on a nickel-plating finish instead of chromium for his AJS. In this part two of the six-part series, Peter describes his nickel-plating process

From Rust to Rrroarrr video – part 1

21 December 2024

Out of the shed and into the sun – part 1
After storing his bike for 50 years, Peter has begun t o restore it. He doesn’t want his bike to look flashy and new; he just wants it to run well and look the part.
In The Shed magazine December/ January 2025 issue 118, we begin a six-part series on the restoration of a 1952 AJS motorbike.
This series of videos will accompany each article from the magazine.

A video guide to creating electronic music part one

10 October 2024

Introduction to electronic music – part one – instructional video
Have you ever imagined yourself as a John Bonham or a Jimi Hendrix? The magic of electronic music means you can set up your own one-man band, create original masterpieces, or rearrange your favourite instrumental.
In this new series in The Shed magazine, Enrico Miglino shows just how easy this can be with advice on what tools and aids are needed to get you started.
This video is to accompany part one of the series published in the October/November 2024, issue 117.

Video of the wooden fairground organ built by David Dilks

6 November 2023

The 320-pipe fairground organ that David made from scratch is visually and acoustically impressive. The array of beautifully crafted pipes, different shapes and sizes, the accordion-playing monkey, and the drums make quite the show. It’s hard to resist jiggling — but then David and wife Joy, both ballroom dancers, kick up their heels and show their form. Music is a big part of their life.

Video of Austins Foundry’s final pour

3 October 2023

This is video of a family firm that has provided a good living for at least two generations, building up an impressive skills base while manufacturing essential farm machinery for more than 90 years. The Austin family has run a foundry in Timaru for 93 years. Ken Austin, grandson of the founder, says the business has faced increasing headwinds since the Covid-19 pandemic, so he has tested the winds of change and decided to close down. The Shed visits to celebrate their technical foundry skills, the likes of which we may never see again in New Zealand.

Video of the Ghent Makers Faire

8 September 2023

For our electronics features in issues 110 and 111 of The Shed magazine we stepped away from a build project and instead head to a makers’ fair in Europe, this one in Belgium. Young and old were there, keen to display their electronic creations as well as to learn, share and to just enjoy fellow electronic sheddies’ skills.
“Compared to other more famous maker faires events across Europe – Brussels, Rome, Hanover, to mention just the most renowned – the Ghent Maker Faire is considered a minor event. However, it still played host to thousands of visitors and is well worth attending because of its very special character.
As you may have already read in the “News” in The Shed issue 109, the faire hosted the first European power tools racing along the lines of New Zealand and USA competitions. It was organised by the effervescent Henk Ryckaert, who was also the man behind the scenes for the power tools racing on the first day.”

Video of power tool racing in Belgium

9 June 2023

In late April, the city of Gent, Belgium, hosted the annual Gent Maker Fair (https://www.makerfairegent.be/nieuws), an exhibition dedicated to all the crazy inventions of makers in Belgium.
On the fair’s opening night of 30 April, the Belgian Power Tool Drag Racing Championship entertained the visitors in a one-off event.
Popular in many countries around the world, this is a spectacular race of electric ‘vehicles’ powered by 220VAC and built with one or two power tools such as drills, chainsaws, and any other kind of electric-powered hand tool. The only rule is that it must be a tool that can be used by hand.
In the next issue of The Shed, issue 110, I will give more detail on the challenge. If it sounds like your kind of fun, there is the option to participate in the 2024 event.

Videos of metal shaping and motorbike guru, Steve Roberts

17 November 2022

In the November/December issue 105 of The Shed, our cover story is on a Kiwi legend of metal shaping and motorbikes, Steve Roberts.
If you enjoyed that article here is a link to a website that has even more of Steve’s story as well as videos of the cars and bikes he has constructed and inside info from chats with Steve.

Video of a restored 1910 Atlas power hammer

18 October 2022

One of our favourite sheddies here at the magazine is Rudi Buchanan Strewe whose engineering shed we featured in issue 102. When we visited Rudi, he was restoring a 1910 Atlas power hammer. Here it is, restored, and up and running as good as new.

Video of Enrico on the road

25 November 2021

This is a short video of the campervan hi-tech modifications series written by Enrico Miglino as featured in the magazine. This film covers the articles in Issues 98-100

Video of bronze sculptor and junk artist Glen Macmillan from The Shed Issue 98

1 October 2021

Glen Macmillan works between his two sheds creating sculptures from recycled waste. A large part of what Glen creates, though, is made from bronze, and he shares with us his method of casting bronze using the lost wax method. This is an ancient process that serves him well in the creation of sculptures large and small. In this short film, Glen shows us the steps to bronze casting and we watch him in his workshop while he creates a junk sculpture.

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