patches

Started watching this on the plane the other day https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0429087/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0 Not bad so far, Don't know if it's just Charlie Hunnam's acting style, but despite being set in India and him playing an Aussie, it still has a Son's of Anarchy feel.

+1 on this. Looking forward to tomorrow when the next episode is released.

My garage is far from that, but I have spent a small fortune on tools over the years. I still justify it to the wife with the whole "the tools pay for themselves"... but I doubt that they really do 😅🤫

No apparent difference between the two CAT Impact Drivers, and R3700 is definitely on the steep side for a DIYer level tool. However, R1700 is not a bad deal for a brushless impact driver with 2 batteries and a charger. The battery looks very similar to the Black & Decker one... wouldn't be surprised if there's some cross contamination in the factories. As for the Hikoki, definitely the more reputable brand, however the tool in the link is an Impact Drill, not the same as an Impact Driver (Which is also not the same as an Impact Wrench). It's also a brushed version, so even though Hikoki is a pro-level brand, this is aimed at DIYers (which is no issue if that's all one wants). But in my opinion and for the money, a mid-level brushless from a pro-sumer brand (between DIY and Pro... like AEG/Ridgid) will probably be a better bet.

Yeah, it was determined by the off-cuts on hand. I have tons of 18mm off-cuts, some long skinny 12mm, and no 9mm (only half sheets). Plus with the 18mm and my hap-hazard construction I'm less likely to stuff up the brad nailing and blowout the sides of a skinnier piece 😅 (All the French cleat tool holders to date have been constructed from off-cuts).

Haven't used either, but the Festool ETS 150/5 EC, Mirka Deros 650 CV and 3M Xtract are all that next tier up from a prosumer carpentry tool, ok for dabbling in some wood-work to an actual professional fine woodworking tool. That said, it's probably like a factory tuned Ohlins rear shock... I'm nowhere near talented enough to notice the difference over the decent kit I already have. So yeah, the Bosch GEX 18V-125 is pretty awesome in my books and I can't see myself upgrading sanders anytime soon.

I think it's pretty good. Sure it's no Festool, Mirka or 3M, but it's also a fraction of those prices. I really like the hand position and profile. Way better than the shape of most other cordless random orbit sanders. Scored pretty well on the Project Farm tests.

Good little gadget I found while aimlessly wandering the aisles of the tool shop... Sure, a piece of masking tape does the trick, but these are pretty cool. Also, unlike the regular depth collars, no allen key required, and they clamp the bit better. Sometimes those grub screw ones struggle to find the land between the flutes and don't get too much grip.

Oh and I made a simple holder for my sander to go on the French cleat wall... Handy tip... Fasten some of those AliExpress 90 degree clamps down to some scrap, to make a quick jig for holding boards flush and square while gluing, screwing, and brad nailing.

After much procrastination, I finally made a little progress on some cabinet drawer and door fronts that have been on my to-do list for months (possibly a year). I needed to devise and create a consistent, repeatable and accurate way to route a drawer pull detail. First, there was a jig. A super simple and easy to make jig to run a router guide bush around. A great idea I saw on Hawe & Awe's Youtube Vids was using the mitre saw to do the cuts quickly. Even though you can see the mitre saw overshoots the mark, it doesn't affect the guide bush. (the circle is not part of the jig. Just part of this MDF scrap). That brought me into the guide bush... Finding a 45mm bush for a discontinued Festool router and aftermarket base would be nigh impossible. So some quick Fusion360 and about 2.5hrs of printing... Not my finest print but will do the job. The multiple mounting holes were set at slightly different PCD's as I couldn't accurately read the PCD of the router base. So I just printed in some options at 0.5mm increments either side of what I thought it should be. Now for the test... I clamped a test piece, engaged safety squints, and let her rip! Did about 3 passes, working my way towards the back of the template. The result wasn't too bad for a first attempt. Some tear-out as expected, but nothing a quick sand wont fix. Not sure what happened there so will run another test to see if I maybe lifted the router up slightly or something like that. Think I'll paint/stain the inside piece black (taped in green to give rough idea). So yeah, a lot of effort to route 1 detail. I guess that's why I had been procrastinating it. 1 more test piece and if successful I'll hold thumbs and do the real thing (6 drawer and door fronts, all grain matched, hence why I can't afford a mess up).

Yesterday I saw a Royal Enfield Himalayan Scram 411 parked on the roadside. The paintwork on the tank caught my attention and initially I thought it was a far more expensive and custom bike. https://royalenfieldmotorcycles.co.nz/model/scram-411/ About 8,300 Kiwi Kwacha, which is similar to a Husky Vit or Svart Pilen, so would still take the Svartpilen over this. But nice smaller commuter option.

After my sinful post about thinking of selling my bike, I have paid some penance for my blasphemy. I entered the 2023 Kriega Dusty Butt, as a sort of last hurrah. 10-15hrs/day for 3 days, covering some 1400km of the finest dirt the South Island has to offer... I can't wait! I have until February to get my bike roadworthy, figure out how I'm gonna get down to the start (a 1300km ride on it's own), and maybe do some training. I'm a bit out of it, and some of the challenge sections can be pretty gnarly (from what I remember when I did the event in 2017). Day 3/3 on the 2017 event. Stopping to take in some scenery. 5L fuel container strapped to the tail. "Ghetto GPS" ( old phone and GoPro Mount), and a saddle that felt like a bed of nails after 3 days). This time the bike will be better equipped... the rider, perhaps not 😅

Aah this thread takes me back. Sold that bike about 6 years ago, not long after I moved to New Zealand. As for the rivnuts, it never had any. It was a slopestyle/4X bike, so no bottle cage, plus the brake hose and rear derailleur cable ran down the top of the down tube. Are you worried about corrosion of the rivnuts during the anodising process?

And in slightly more serious news (although Brazilian cheese breads are legit), I'm guessing the potential migrants here have seen that Skilled Migrant and Parental Resident Visas are reopening. The 3yrs delay (partially due to Covid and partially due to an "overhaul" of the system), is a bit of a joke, as they have just rehashed a slightly different version of what they had before. A mixed bag with some good and bad... 2500 Parental Visas processed/year (vs the 1000 they stated for the "new" system which got instantly paused 3 years ago)... but only 500 of those will be new EOI's from a ballot system (aka lucky-dip). 2000 will be them trying to get through the backlog, which will take 3-4 years. Anyway, I think they (being the government) have finally learned that they desperately need skilled labour, they need to make it more pragmatic and offer some incentives (like quicker pathways to residency allowing or the ability for that imported talent to bring their parents over). Overall, it's good news.

Any Aucklanders braved Costco yet? I had a gander on my way home from work last week. Sure, it wasn't the same as Costco in the US, and not all the prices were great, however the range was pretty decent and definitely some bargains to be had. My find of the day was the Brazilian cheese breads Available in nearly every Coles, Woolies or Aldi in Aus, but I've never seen them in NZ. Highly recommend for anyone who hasn't tried them, and they're Coeliac approved so MUST be healthy 😅

After seeing them in 100's of Youtube videos, from fork servicing, to applying finish to furniture, I found them (by accident)... The blue shop towels! (and no, they're not the same as kitchen paper towels... but also not vastly different, haha) Costco has just opened in New Zealand, so thought I would go check it out. To my surprise I saw the shop towels so figured I'd give them a go. The catch... they only sell a 10 pack. So far, they definitely seem better for soaking up oil etc.More "cloth like" than kitchen towel. Don't know if they're worth the $45 premium though. Ouch!

Just finished watching season 1 of Mayor of Kingstown on my commute this morning. Binge watched it over the weekend. Pretty decent. Adrenalized drama with a Sons of Anarchy feel. Available on Amazon. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11712058/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

Thanks for that! Yeah, as a weekend-warrior with limited hand tool experience my skills will be surpassed by anything more than a caveman's flint stone 😅 That said, I recall buying an inexpensive coping saw and getting the hell in with it as the frame flex resulted in the blades deforming rather easily and made controlled coping rather difficult. Still possible, but a PITA. Just wanted to make sure the more affordable Stanley block planes did not fall into that category, but sounds like they don't. I think that's a good start though... a Stanley plane and maybe some investment in a sharpening system (thinking the "scary sharp" method with flat glass plates and 3M Lapping Paper). If I really take to the plane and find myself reaching for it all the time, maybe then I can justify the Lie-Nielsen 😅

A few YouTube videos convinced me I need a block plane. A few more convinced me I need a low angle one. But I didn't stop watching there and now I'm convinced I need a Lie-Nielsen 😅 Truthful-jest aside, can anyone recommend a decent quality, hand-tool novice friendly, low angle block plane that won't require a complete overhaul to get decent results from? Options I've available in NZ range from about R1200-odd for a "house brand" or basic Stanley to R5800-odd for some space age looking Veritas. Here's what I've been looking at, in ascending order of price: https://www.placemakers.co.nz/online/tools/hand-tools/files-planers/hand-planes-surforms/block-plane-60-12-150mm-1-12-060/p/4880258 (this Stanley doesn't look like the low angle version, but the description claims 13 degrees) https://www.carbatec.co.nz/product/15113-carbatec-block-plane-13-low-angle https://nzsafetyblackwoods.co.nz/en/stanley-black-decker-low-angle-block-plane-60-1-2-35-x-160mm-each--02943183 (not sure if this is the same Stanley as above, based on model numbering, but looks like it's actually low angle) https://www.timbecon.com.au/melbourne-tool-company-low-angle-block-plane https://www.lie-nielsen.com.au/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=844&search=block+plane https://www.carbatec.co.nz/product/38192-veritas-block-plane-low-angle-pmv-11 https://www.carbatec.co.nz/product/25355-veritas-block-plane-dx60 I'm semi-tempted by the Lie-Nielsen as that seems to get the best reviews. Although it's a tool well beyond my capabilities, it's the buy-once-cry-once option.

Not woodwork per se, but woodwork related... Yesterday I purchased a Festool vac accessory kit that was on clearance. Although I run a Makita vac, I wanted some of the benefits of the Festool hose (additional length and snag resistant "skin"). The accessory kit and Systainer were a bonus. But no worries, 20min with some verniers, the hoses (old and new) and 20min on Fusion360. Then about 8hrs on the 3D printer and tadaah! A Festool-to-Makita hose adapter. As for the Systainer... that has been earmarked for the nail guns. Need to design an insert, but it should be roomy enough

I think from a strictly legal point the plate should be visible. if not, a secondary plate should be displayed. However, when looking through the Woodhill parking lot, I reckon only 1 in 15-20 vehicles with these racks has a secondary plate. Most Kiwis don't bother and I don't think the police care too much.

If you go by every YouTube Celebrity making river tables then Total Boat is apparently the only epoxy/resin to use, hahaha Can't get Total Boat in NZ, but as the boat building industry here is pretty big, West Systems stuff is available. Not cheap though. As for which types of epoxy, I have no clue. I believe the slower it cures the better the finish and less chance of bubbles, but that's based on youtube knowledge.

I did the very same thing this evening with the CA glue 😅

New addition to the toolbox... + Old news to model builders, new to my workshop. Cyanoacrylate Glue and activator. Instant adhesion. No clamps needed. So many uses!

For all the Aucklanders on here... not as well publicised as one would have thought, but the WRC is in town, and there's some sort of opening event in the Auckland Domain this evening. https://www.wrc.com/en/championship/calendar/wrc/rally-new-zealand/overview/ I work right next door at the hospital so may pop down for a look.