patches

Whilst I haven't ridden with a Uswe pack, I do have some Kriega gear (similar strap concept) which I use on the dirt bike and it is life-changing. Moving that weight off the shoulders onto ones chest results in a lot less fatigue. Plus I find I don't even use the old strap around the love-handles, to prevent the backpack bouncing around, as the shoulder strap design takes care of that too.

Exciting news! It's really nice in and around Silverdale and Millwater! All the best for the build!

Squash tonight for me, but looking to ride riverhead/woodhill this weekend, if anyone is keen.

wow. (saying anything else seems redundant)

3 of those are the threads that I'm most active on, so yeah, it will be sad to lose them. Too right. I was viewing from the same perspective as you. Perhaps that's partly due to our emigrant status and not being able to benefit from things like the classifieds, events, or group rides. But yeah, it is a cycling forum at the end of the day, and that is why I joined the hub, approx 11 years ago. I came for the cycling. I stayed for the discussion (whatever form that took).

I initially got some round test magnets (22mm diameter x 8mm thick) from a hardware store, just to test a proof of concept. Those alone were about R160 equiv for a 2 pack. I then ordered the bar magnets (80x9x9mm with 21kg pull force) from a specialist supplier (magnets.co.nz) and they worked out to about R800 equiv (incl shipping) for the 5 magnets required. Ouch! I may take a gamble on some Aliexpress offerings and see what they're like.

hahaha! these are decently sharp. Fortunately I was wearing a protective wrist covering But yeah this was not the first test. Simply the first documented one, hahaha! I weighed all the bigger knives and selected this one as it was the heaviest. I conducted a number of tests on MDF of varying thicknesses to determine how thin I'd have to go to give the magnet a secure hold. Shake tests (with all knives attached were also performed), after all NZ is a seismically unstable place

Hopefully neodymium magnets are a lot more reasonable in SA than they are here in NZ. Those little suckers can break the bank!

Those belong to my better half, and are probably about a decade old too. The Furi knives are mine but were a Christmas present from her, when we started dating, as I had a cheap $20 set of Kmart knives that drove her crazy each time she'd visit and want to cook

Awesome! Ender 3 v2 it'll be then! As you say, there are a number of customisations and upgrades which are common and well supported, so that's good. Print volume is also pretty decent for an entry level machine. Hopefully the learning curve between regular CAD 3D modelling and 3D modelling for the purpose of printing isn't too steep.

I popped down to the local Men's Shed and managed to get the knife block done pretty quickly (thanks to the right tools). Hard Maple board came out pretty nice after a number of passes through the planer. FInal thickness, 20mm. Cleaned up the sides on the table saw. Used spray adhesive and a 1:1 printout as a template. Then it was on to the band saw to get rid of the bulk of the excess material (this photo was after 1st pass) After getting within 2-3mm of the line (my band-saw skills are novice at best), it was on to the table mounted disk sander to edge in on the final profile. I left the Men's Shed as I figured I could do the rest from home. I also realised the error of my ways and that I should have routed the slot for the magnets BEFORE making round edges So I made a ghetto routing jig with the band-saw off-cuts, clamps, and double sided tape. Had to route out about 17mm of the 20mm thickness so that the magnet would be strong enough to hold the heaviest knives. Here's 1 magnet in place. Preliminary testing was a success. Next was to round-over the edges with a 5mm radius bit. This went well for the most part, until my novice hands dipped the router slightly while going round the pointy ends of the block and took a decent shuck out. But nothing some sanding couldn't fix. Plus sanding back the flaw gave the ends a more natural shape, so was it not for the fortunate mistake, I would not have had the preferred result. Magnets fit nice ans snug in the routed slot. After installing all 5 (80x9x9mm) magnets, I buried them in epoxy resin to keep them in place. Handy tip: Use a big piece of steel (like a steel ruler) to draw the magnets to the bottom (face) while pouring in the resin. This ensures that the magnets stay as close to the face as possible. Then more sanding, and multiple coats of Rustin's Worktop Oil with light fine sanding between coats. No feet were stabbed in the testing of this product. All knives seem to hold. And a glimpse of what it'll finally look like (once the kitchen tiles are up) All in all, looks pretty decent. Loads of fun (and learning) while making it. Now need to think up what to do with the other 2m of hard maple board

hahaha until you see what tradies charge over here Here's a snapshot of a quote I got for some basic building, electrical, plumbing and gas work That's nearly half of what the kitchen cabinets and counters cost. It's insane! So I did as much as I could myself (skill wise and regulation wise). Still got a plumber, gas fitter and electrician out. But despite that, the estimated total savings are around between $9,000 and $10,000.

Fortunately I do have access to a stationary belt sander, so sneaking up on it will probably be the best way forward. On the Christmas list! But that may be ages away. Definitely keen to explore the possibilities that a 3D printer will open for jigs and templates! Which printer do you use? Whilst I have over 17 years experience in 3D modelling, I have zero experience when it comes to 3D printers, so I'm looking at the Creality Ender 3 v2 as a beginners setup.

Question Here: My next little project is to make a magnetic knife rack. Design and procurement are complete. It's one aspect of the manufacturing methodology that I'm a little fuzzy on, and perhaps those here may have some good insights. The Materials: American Hard Maple (24mm thick, rough sawn) 5-off 80x9x9mm neodymium magnets. The Design: I'm going for a scandi/mid-century modern look, with tapered edges and smooth lines. Here's a basic 3D model I threw together. The Challenge: Once wood is milled down, I'll print a scale template and attach to the piece. Cut the bulk out non the band saw, then refine on the belt sander. However the 13mm radii on each corner are perplexing me. Ideally I'd use a round-over bit and the routing table, but as the long side of the design is a curve, that may not work. My other idea was cut the curve as best as possible (but slightly shy of the line) on the bandsaw then fine tune on the belt sander, much like the majority of the piece. But perhaps someone here has a better idea that is likely to produce a more consistent result? Keen to hear your thoughts!

Latest bike related purchase was a flights, bike rental and a day pass to the Christchurch Adventure Park. Bikes (2021 Giant Reign SX 29er) were decently specced for rentals. Park was nice an empty as it was a work/school day. Weather was a overcast and a bit windy. Suspension was set to "wooden plank" and NZ loves riding moto brake orientation (right front) as standard, so that was sketchy at times. Trails were a little blown out, so my soft office job hands were a little worse for wear. But all round it was awesome! One of the views from the ski-lift, looking out towards Lyttelton harbour.

Oh yeah, that's at the end of my street. I think I have bought sausages there once. My regular butcher is Well Hung in Milford. They also do great wors. Westmere Butchery (if you find yourself south of the bridge) is also worth a visit. Years ago I got some wors and "eskcort" pork sausages from a South African shop in St Ives, Sydney. My partner's parents thought the sausages were some of the best they have ever tasted.

hahaha! Some Heller's plastic-coated snags with grill marks included. Yuck! There are 3 Australians in our core social circle, and all 3 strongly disapprove of what kiwis call a snag.

The good, the bad, the ugly... and the outright spectacular... View of Mt Cook from the hotel room. Feeling less enthusiastic about being back in Auckland today

At Coop at a table to the right just as you enter

I'll be downtown doing a little Christmas shopping, if anyone is around any earlier. Unfortunately I can't stay long as I have to pack for a 7am flight to Christchurch tomorrow. Heading down go ride the bike park, then Mt Cook for the weekend

It used to be far worse ... The trials bike (far left) was the only one in the last 6-7yrs not to get the Renthal treatment.

The CRC prices seem to be about on par with what we pay in NZ. This may be an option?! https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/za/en/steadyrack?keywordRedirectTerm=steadyrack&_requestid=1018708

I ride Woodhill most weekends (when I'm not immersed in tradie duties), but I like the luxury of 12sp and 160mm travel for that. so the little bike never gets invited along. I did stumble upon a little dirt jump spot about 2km from home. Perfect for dusting off the little bike. The pap brakes had other plans, so I just shelved it again

Yeah, that is helpful. My Trek (black) is fine as it gets used pretty often, whereas my Morewood (red) is seldom used so the brakes need a bleed after hanging upright for about 18 months.

If you can get away with a little extra width in the single garage, you may be able to squeeze something like the Steadyrack system and a car in. I have a single "garage" (technically a carport with a front and back door). Whilst I don't have a car to park in it, I do have some 600mm deep warehouse racking running along the left side. Were that not there, I think a car would fit in. The racks swing like doors and bikes can be stashed pretty close to the walls, and swung out when needed. They can also overlap to minimise the length of wall required.