patches

The key words right there, haha! I'm sure nearly everyone has seen this meme

Just finished The Man in The High Castle. Overall it was one of those shows that took me on a journey. Really enjoyed it. Last season (season 4) felt a bit crammed, but without spoiling it, I still would recommend on the whole.

If you want a witty feel-good British comedy give Trying on Apple TV+ a go. My wife and I just finished watching Season 2, and it was great. There are not many shows we watch together as our tastes differ, but this was one we both thoroughly enjoyed.

Tested this out last week. Used it on some plywood to mark out 480mm and 300mm measurements. Gauge is accurate. Weight does make it hefty to position and push along the reference edge. But the weight also helps the scribe wheel cut in without the need from downwards force by the user. The mechanical pencil also worked well. Overall though, it was a splurge purchase and there are plenty of other ways to get the job done. The cost of convenience for a home-gamer like me definitely outweighs the benefit.. Still a beautifully manufactured tool though.

Just a heads up to any NZ residents planning on visiting Aussie (for tourist reasons) in the next little while. Apply for your Class 600 Visitors Visa asap. Current processing time frame is listed as 5-8 months ???? If you had a visitors visa that expired during the covid restrictions, you can apply for a new one and not repay the $160-odd. One just needs to pay for new biometrics $25.

Oh yeah indeed. They make a 150mm version for smaller applications. This version has a larger fence to counteract the length. I think with the fence firmly against the sheet and an even movement, the cutting wheel should stay parallel to the reference edge. Guess I'll find out this evening when I mark some and cut some ply panel intended as structural support for some pendant lights I'll be installing.

The Woodpecker Panel Marking Gauge I bought was delivered today. Being my first tool from the pricey red brand, I inspected it pretty carefully. I can confirm that the workmanship is top notch. However, it also weights a ton due to the 650mm long x 20mm diameter solid stainless steel shaft. They did produce an alu shaft version, but the St/Steel was the only one I could find.

There are a few options for mitre saw fences and stops out there Here are some ideas A DIY system using aluminium extrution The FastCap Best Fence option. And then for the stops, the Katz-Moses No Deflection Stop Block seems to be quite a popular option. Typically used on cross-cut sleds, I'm sure it can be used on a Mitre Saw station if there is a universal T-track in use. It it's accuracy you're after then mitre saws are not usually the go-to. Cross cut sleds are generally considered to give better results. Although one can spend some time and effort tuning their mitre saw (watch the Build It Fix It series of videos for more detail). If it's just ease of use and speed that you're looking for, the Kreg system should do fine.

On the subject of clamps (or at least quick clamps) and the fact that one can never have enough... What do you good people use? I really like the Jorgensen EZ Hold clams. Mostly because I got two packs on sale (so 4x 150mm and 4x 300mm). I have some Bahco clamps for my 600-900mm applications. They have the dovetailed back ends so can be linked together to extend the length. pretty handy. I know Bessey clamps are like the gold standard, but the price isn't justifiable quite yet.

Yeah i have also noticed that Drillpro features quite a bit. I bought some Drillpro versions of the Kreg corner clamps. They looked almost identical in the pics. Made me wonder if Kreg just buys the Drillpro ones and brands them (not uncommon in the cycling world). I can confirm that although they work ok, they are not quite the same quality as the Kreg ones. But at 1/3 of the price, I'll make that trade off.

One of my work mates is BIG into mountain biking. He typicaly does Riverhead Four40 and Rotarua all summer, then in winter (when it's muddy), he'll switch to Woodhill and Muriwai, which I believe is not bad, and free.

I really enjoyed that one. Was one of my bus-commute shows last year. Wish there was more!

I've been looking at some of these "equivalents" on Aliexpress. I did buy a $7 auto-punch from them. I figured it only needs to make dimples where I put it, so how bad can it be. But yeah, been looking at the Aliexpress versions of router bases, jigs etc too. Haven't searched to see if they have a version of Woodpecker's famous pocket T-square, but may be worth a look. Your case in point... That's a heap-load of pricey red aluminium in the background! But yeah! That's why guys like AvE are so good. They buy the tools with their own money/patreon donations and don't care what they say about them. I would love to get a Festool Domino, but I do admit that YouTube sponsored content creators are largely responsible for my Domino desire, despite how many of them make "do you really need a Domino?" type videos to try be more relatable to us budget constrained hobbyists. I guess though, if they can influence just 2 people to buy [insert whatever fancy tool here] based on their content, then the [insert fancy tool sponsor] has made a return on their investment. There must be Starrett and "Starrett" because the squares I have seen here are way more affordable than Woodpecker, but also seem cheap, mass-produced and not dissimilar to anything from Stanley. The specialist woodwork shop here in Auckland sells Incra and Rockler too. Those are pretty good alternatives, and story-sticks are free! ...unless you want the Woodpecker version

Are Woodpecker tools available in SA? I notice that most of the YouTube "woodworking celebs" use Woodpecker squares, jigs etc. It's not easily available here in NZ, so I made the mistake of venturing onto their website... some seriously drool-worthy items. Anyway, recently someone was selling a bunch of unused Woodpecker tools on TradeMe (NZ Gumtree) and I couldn't help but jump in on the action... Got myself a Woodpecker Panel Marking Gauge (the 600mm metric version) from their OneTime Tool collection (a series of tools they make based on some innovative new idea, for a limited time). Their marking gauges come with dual cutting wheels with spacer kits (for marking dados etc) and a mechanical pencil which stores away in the shaft. It was a bit of a splurge for something my drywall T-square can do, but I thought it may be nice when working with plywood, panel glue-ups, or other sheet goods.

Recent and current shows on my playlist. Some I watch as gap fillers. Some I binge. Some I watch alone (as my wife has different tastes in shows). Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet - Apple Tv+ Similar to Silicon Valley. I watch the weekly episodes as gap fillers The Morning Show - Apple TV+ Star studded cast and similar to Newsroom. I binge watched with the wife. Looking forward to Season 2 (Mid September) The Man in the High Castle - Amazon Prime Video I watch this on my bus rides to/from work. Loki - Disney+ Watch weekly episodes with the wife, sometime during the weekend as a gap filler. See - Apple TV+ Was my previous bus commute series. Really enjoyed it. Looking forward to Season 2 (late August). Other series worth a mention: Invincible (Amazon Prime) Chernobyl (HBO) The Righteous Gemstones (HBO) Vice Principles (HBO) Luther (Netflix) Broadchurch

Prtty big MTB scene in/around Auckland. Mostly trail & enduro orientated. Woodhill (bike park) and Riverheard Forest (free) are the 2 most popular places to ride. Riverhead gets too muddy during winter so many riders divert to Woodhill. Have a look on the Trailforks app. It should give a good indication of what is available in the area. Hope that helps!

Yeah, I fear that having lent some simpler cheaper tools to this person in the past may have fostered a culture of repetitive dependence. It started off with a small torpedo level and some drill bits. Now it has progressed to: Milwaukee Framing Nail Gun (along with batteries and charger) AEG 15Ga Nail gun (along with batteries and charger) AEG Collated Screw Gun Bosch 3 plane laser level AEG Mitre Saw Assortment of drywall rulers, cutting and plastering tools Like you say, if something were to go wrong and he were to be presented with the cost of replacement, I think he'd poop himself. Exactly! I have some more ceiling replacements in my near future and although I don't use the previously mentioned tools often (hence my guilt about having "all the gear but no idea"), they are life-savers when performing their designated tasks. The hassle of having to chase him up to see if I can get my own stuff back to do my own work is pretty off-putting. Yeah, this is the approach I took when he needed a table saw, track saw and router. He came over and we did most of the work without the tools leaving the premises. This next project is building a timber framed wall, lined with drywall sheeting. Something he has never done before, PLUS he's doing for a friend of his ???? . I am tempted to offer my assistance, partially to ensure my tools are looked after and partially because I'm curious as to how the build may go, although I'll struggle to standby and watch things get done incorrectly ????. My hesitation in offering assistance is that I have plenty of my own renovation projects to complete. Weekends are precious, haha! Anyway, I told him I need to knock out some of my work first. I may offer assistance after that, or just have the hard conversation around my reluctance to lend out tools.

Lending Tools... What's your policy on lending tools to friends? I'm sure we all have that one friend (often more than one) that kinda knows enough to be dangerous and has never been wiling to invest in their own tools because they rely on the fact you have the tools they need and they'll just bum them off you. I have this fairly frequently and for the most part I have mitigated this by saying "come over to my house and we'll work on it together" or "the local Men's Shed has way better tools for the job and the membership is reasonable" (45 NZD/year). But lately the challenge is that this particular individual is wanting to lend tools relating to an onsite build, so both the above solutions are invalid. My concerns are 3 fold: injury to person due to inexperience on using dangerous specialised tools damage/loss of tools and cost to replace (tools requested total approx R20,000 in replacement value) inconvenience of not having tools available should I need them The guy is a long term mate and doesn't want to intentionally cause me grief. I'm just conscious that I am becoming the local tool-library and the above-mentioned concerns grow each time. Interested to hear your stances on things like this?!

I was thinking about this the other night, and how the kitchen cabinet installer jokingly said "you have more tools than I do" when walking through my garage to lay down the cabinetry. I start feeling guilty for having 3 battery powered nail guns (18Ga, 15Ga, and Framing, the latter 2 of which have probably fired under 50 nails combined). I feel guilty for having some awesome tools which are massively underutilised, not because I am disinterested, but because my needs are sporadic. But just when I'm thinking "imagine how much cash and space I can free up if I sell some of them", I rebuff myself with "hell no, what if I need it for [some obscure project in the distant future]", or "if I lose my job as a desk-jockey, I could always become a handy-man for hire" ????

Oh yeah, bridge is definitely better than no bridge. With reference to Sydney's bridge and the walking & cycling access there, the main differences are they have had cycling access since the bridge was completed (1932) the bridge is shorter and flatter (cycling up and over current Auckland bridge will be a workout) it's not the only harbour crossing, The M1 tunnel runs right next to it. Anzac bride is just a few KM away. But yeah, whilst well planned transport infrastructure is crucial, the designated purpose of this bridge seems to be the least of the city/country's worries. Just last week nurses were on strike because of the minuscule pay increase they were offered. Then there's the wider 3yr public sector pay freeze and the brain-drain implications from that (personal gripe of mine, haha), and let;s not forget the Pharmac underfunding and backlog. $700M which could improve the quality of life for more people in a far bigger way than said bridge. So I guess in the wake of those, a "nice-to-have" cycling and pedestrian bridge seems like a frivolous spend. My guess is that the majority of longer term use will be for recreation or "recreational-commuting" (cyclists who commute because they enjoy the ride, not because it's their only option. Picture Pinarellos heading to the boardroom ????). But hey, I may be completely mistaken and this bridge may be like the field of dreams, hahaha

The Bridge As a cyclist (albeit a lazy one) that lives on the Shore, I think the cost outweighs the benefits. I reckon the bridge will be a novelty which fades after a few months. The layout and logistics of the Shore will likely result in this mainly serving people from Northcote and Takapuna, with those living further north will still have to wind their way to the bridge. Add to the fact that the current bridge is long-in-the-tooth, due for upgrades, but unable to accommodate them, makes the $700M+ spend on a pedestrian/cyclist bridge seem like a misdirection of resource. In my uneducated opinion, focus should be on a more suitable harbour crossing (bridge or tunnel) for vehicles. Perhaps one which takes commercial vehicles and public transport off the current bridge (not dissimilar to the north shore's bus lanes) then one of the current bridge's clip-ons could be repurposed for cyclists & pedestrians. The current bridge would also last a few more years than planned due to the reduced load. But yeah, that's just my thought on it . EV's Whilst I do believe PHEV's and EV's are the way we should be moving, and current vehicle prices and capability make them prohibitively expensive or unsuitable to most, I welcome the idea of a rebate to assist those wanting to make the move. But as many have stated, it ends up being trades, farmers and the like (who are dependent on vans, trucks and utility vehicles) who end up subsidising little city runarounds for the middle-to-upper class. That is the part I think was a little short sighted.

Yeah, the Novas are awesome. My local Men's Shed has a Viking (not quite as cool as the Voyager, but still great), so there is that option if I really need. One-day when I'm rich and have space, right ????

Anyone here applied for an Aussie Visitors visa, in this time of Covid? The process seems about the same as it was, with the exception that if you had a previously granted visitors visa impacted by covid travel restrictions, you don't have to pay for the renewal. However I see "TTS" (the biometric people) seem to have vanished and VFS appears to be the replacement. Wonder how long the current approval process is?!

Yeah, generally I have found keyless chucks to have a couple of issues. The biggest one being the self loosening that can occur when one has larger bits in the jaws (I'm guessing this is why you are not a keyless chuck fan). I have this issue occasionally on my cordless hand drill when I use it for mixing drywall compound (I know, not the ideal use of said drill). If I don't triple tighten the chuck it inevitable work its way loose when I switch between CW and CCW mixing. However this little Bosch drill press, the keyless chuck has a few extra features to try mitigate this, as illustrated in my beutifully annotated diagram below ???? Top ring to aid in tightening. Lock ring to prevent self-loosening Radial holes which I guess are to allow the insertion of a lever (allen key, etc) for additional tightening. But yeah, keyed chucks are a fair bit more robust. So far I've only used the drill for 8mm and 40mm holes in walnut. No issues with self-loosening yet.

Two fairly recent NZ government initiatives I'd be interested to hear peoples thoughts on... Over $700M spend on a pedestrian/cyclist bridge to cross the harbour EV/PHEV subsidisation with the flip-side being additional fees applied to certain fossil-fuel powered vehicles