The Shed

The Shed is Eclectic, informed and always fascinating, there is something to interest everyone in The Shed. Aimed at those with a few tools and perhaps a few clues, this is the magazine for real sheddies. Packed with ideas, projects, advice and peeks into other people’s sheds.

The Shed

WHAT ARE YA?

THE STUDE-MAKER • Studebaker marketed its groundbreaking 1950 Aero Nose models as “luxury for everyman”. In the 1970s, a young Trevor Halstead thought this was a bit of him, so began purchasing them

PARTS

TREV ON CUSTOMISING

Don’t miss Canmod, 8 January 2026 • Canterbury hosts the biannual national model engineering conference

THE SHED ONLINE • What’s happening online at theshed.nz?

Letters to the editor

WARM IT UP • A steel chimenea proves to be the perfect outdoor heater

SUBSCRIBING TO THE SHED MEANS THAT YOU COULD WIN BIG TIME! • Subscribe, gift or renew a Shed magazine subscription between November 17 and January 26 to go into the draw to win one of four $500 Prezzie cards.

Ayrburn Classic – breakthrough event • The Ayrburn Classic is a category nominee for the 2025 International Historic Motoring Awards Breakthrough Event of the Year!

Resene Paint Expert Jay Sharples shares his advice for painting in hot weather

RESTORING A TRUE ICON • Tiger Moths have a long and significant connection to New Zealand. Our featured Moth – the first one to be built here in 1941 – spent decades sitting in a shed following a crash on Great Barrier. In 2020, a dedicated group of aviation enthusiasts decided it was time to restore this historic Kiwi icon

Want to put together your own Tiger Moth? It’s … possible

RESTORING A 1952 AJS • Peter realises less haste is called for, although keen to complete the restoration. Feeling as though he’s playing a game of Snakes and Ladders, with snakes appearing at almost every turn, it’s definitely time for reflection

NZ SAFETY BLACKWOODS • Taking care of business, bigger and better

EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS • In the final instalment of this Arduino Basics 102 series, our electronics wizard Mark Beckett shares some tips and advice on how to transmit data over longer distances. There are many options and each has its advantages

BRINGING A PINBALL MACHINE BACK TO LIFE • Unashamedly a huge pinball fanatic, Simon Haxton shares his insights on how to restore an old pinball machine. It’s about respect, not perfection, with the minor flaws retained revealing a life well played

THERE’S “NO MONEY IN ENGINEERING” • Not your average travelling salesman, Mike Parker completed an engineering apprenticeship and started designing manufacturing machines, before moving into business ownership and a decadeslong interest in all things engineering – alongside a passion for speedway cars. Nowadays, he uses his skills to create some breathtaking small engines

Fan engines

Don Edmunds

MIKE’S MODEL ENGINES

Mike Parker’s speedway cars

KUMEU HOT ROD SHOW 2026 • KEEPING THE WHEELS TURNING TOGETHER

Patently identifying THE CUT OF THEIR GIB • Just like Alice, Murray often finds himself heading down rabbit holes – not to Wonderland as such, but more ‘What-is-this-and-who-made-it-land’. Happily, the internet ably helps with discovering patents and tool makers from decades gone by. And then there’s Bathurst to fuel his thinking on why we are definitely heading for a future needing simply-maintained tools

A GOAL WITHOUT A PLAN IS JUST A WISH • How did your 2025 go? Our Shed Shrink suggests that 2026 won’t improve unless you have a good plan and shows you how to make that plan simple and achievable

MACHINES A VISUAL HISTORY

New Zealand Classic Car

COMING ASHORE • After a lifetime of working in the...