patches

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

I like the posts on here about heirloom watches. My wife and I both wear Garmin smart watches, which I know will have an end of life in the next 5-10yrs. So for our wedding (just last week) I decided to get her a little wedding day gift that has a longer lifespan and will also go better with her dress. Just a simple timeless looking Tissot ladies watch Hopefully the quality is good enough that this will become a hand-me-down over the generations.

Needed to drill some accurate holes with a 40mm forstner bit, so the acquisition of a drill press was in order. Got the little Bosch PBD 40 and I was very impressed. Compact. Sleek. Digital speed and depth display. Laser. Keyless 13mm Rohm Chuck. Can recommend to anyone looking for a benchtop drill press.

Rode the Lake Dunstan Trail today. 42km of amazing scenery. We did however do the lazy thing and rode it on rental eBikes.

Plus 1 on the cordless, and as you're already on the Makita platform, it's an easy choice. Love my little cordless Makita. Plunge, tilted and offset base options make it even better!

"most livable" clearly doesn't place too much weight on affordability ???? Recently had the in-laws over from Sydney and they were a little shocked at the cost of living here. With the average Auckland house price over $1.3m combined with the cost of food and goods. Add in a dash of lower pay compared to Aus and it doesn't paint a pretty picture. But as we've always said on this thread... There are things money cannot buy and that high cost of living is a worthwhile trade off for many.

Warning, the following pics may trigger jealous jaffas ???? Currently down in Queenstown... Remarkables in the morning from the AirBnB Remarkables at dusk as the Luma festival starts up for the evening. One of the forest exhibits at the Luma festival.

Sorry, a bit late now but Christchurch and Akaroa were fine this past week (and I think the weekend too). We were there Wednesday - Friday. Weather was amazing, floods cleared off the roads. No real issues. Some pics from Akaroa last week...

Today I made one if my most important pieces to date... A ring box for my wedding in 3 days time. Black Walnut with Neodymium magnets hidden beneath opposing corners to create closing latch system and a pivot to allow it to swing open. Fabric samples from SA to add a touch of home. Was a fun build with some interesting challenges.

Being vernierless, I used a steel rule to quickly measure up and model 2 options. The left based on the base opening (should offer more resistance against torsional flex). The right baed on the OEM Festool adpater (or as best as I could judge it.

Yeah was also thinking of printing one. I know roughly what the Festool one looks like. I just need to get some guide bushes so I can work on the ID of the adapter (although it should be 30mm as I believe that's what most threaded guide bush sets are. I did check thingiverse, but no luck, so I'll have to reverse engineer one... once I get my verniers back from Lost & Found at the Men's Shed ???? 1 Canuckistan Copec = 1.13 Kiwi Copecs. Maybe they should rather be called Kiwi Kwacha at that rate!

Stripped down the budget Festool router. When I got it the plunge wasn't working due to stiction. It's infinitely better now, and seems to be running great. Hopefully it's 81 Kiwi Copecs well spent. Next challenge is finding a guide bushing adapter for it. Local Festool agents don't have them.

Exactly! I think the culture and drive towards multiple home ownership is far more prevalent in NZ than I felt in SA. I'm not sure if it is genuinely that way or if I'm just more aware of it now. I know Mick De Brenni's statement of "Last year [2017], more people bought their seventh home than those buying their first." was fact-checked as false, but the sentiment of what he was trying to say is true. And even more so now. As for amending the graph to show feasibility of buying 3rd, 4th, 5th etc homes, I'll do that if I ever get there ???? In reality though, 2 would be more than I could ever hope for. One family home down on the South Island to live in. One in Auckland as an investment and to keep a foot on this super slippery ladder, because I fear that if I sell up here and move down south to buy something better and/or reduce debt, I may never be able to get back onto the Auckland ladder should I ever need to return (due to employment or the alpine fault line, hahaha)

I did this very thing this morning. Switched to an iPhone 12 Pro after a long history of Samsungs (S2, S3, S5, S7, S9, S10e), and having never owned an iOS device before. I used that "Dr app" (dr fone .). What it basically does is take the WhasApp messages on your Android (which I had backed up to Google Drive) and backs them up onto the devices local storage and then onto the PC via the phone's USB cable. One then logs onto their WhatsApp account on the iOS device, connects via lightning cable, and it pushes the backup onto it. It worked pretty well and it gives great step-by-step instructions all along the way. The only downside is that it isn't free. I think it was about $20. I searched for free equivalents, but couldn't find any. Hope that helps!

hahaha sorry gang. I had a random thought in my head one evening, explored where it lead, which was to the colourful graphs, but not to explaining it very well ???? My response to hayleyearth (below) may demystify my random thoughts a bit more. Aaha gotcha! Yeah the grey line tracks what sort of purchasing power one may have at any point in time, but based purely on equity and not on serviceability, because as you noted, life expenses etc vary, and some people may want a 2nd property to rent out while other just want the kiwi dream... "a batch". So for example, 1yr of mortgage payments (on a proactive payment plan, paying off 3.5% of the $800k capital) combined with the capital growth of the property (lets say at 5%) will give one approx $78,000 of equity, and therefore (at the 40% guideline) would enable one to purchase a 2nd property for around $195,000 (total value. $78,000 deposit/leverage and $117,000 loan). The point at wheich the 2 lines meet is when property 1 (initially purchased for $1m) builds enough equity to purchase a 2nd property of equal/similar value. As for the paying off faster, that's a tough one to weigh up if one takes the punt now, especially on emerging markets/areas before the prices get too crazy, or they wait until they carry more equity and make the more expensive purchase down the line. I'm not ready to be a landlord, and I can't afford to have a batch just sitting there, so I'll wait a while ????

I was running some housing numbers again the other day (as the housing crisis is always a hot topic in NZ). More numbers around that move from 1 property to 2. Here's what the scenario is based on 1st Property Purchase Price of $1,000,000 (Low for Auckland, but high for most other places) 20% deposit and $800,000 loan amount 3.5% of principle paid off each year 40% deposit requirement for 2nd property, and based on equity only (dangerous as that is, it's all the rage in NZ) Based on purchase of 2nd property at equal value to 1st. Serviceability of 2nd mortgage not taken into account (as it varies based on income, intent for 2nd property, ie rental, etc). Here's what my limited financial acumen managed to deduce ???? At 2.5% Growth PA (very conservative) One would be able to leverage to buy a similar value house (subjected to the same growth) after approx 9yrs. At 5% Growth PA (fairly conservative) One would be able to leverage to buy a similar value house (subjected to the same growth) around approx 6.5yrs. At 7.5% Growth PA One would be able to leverage to buy a similar value house (subjected to the same growth) around approx 5yrs. At 10% Growth PA One would be able to leverage to buy a similar value house (subjected to the same growth) around a little after 4yrs. At 12.5% Growth PA (not far off in current climate) One would be able to leverage to buy a similar value house (subjected to the same growth) around a little after 3.5yrs. I know the NZ property ladder and the lucrativeness of multiple property ownership is no secret. And the old saying "it takes money to make money" always rings true. I just thought it was interesting to visualise how feasible/possible it really is. It's crazy and just begging for a capital gains tax ????