The Shed

Our main feature in this issue of The Shed is about a young sheddie who has created an internationally successful business doing what he loves and is darned good at. I don’t know about you, but, when I was a schoolboy, almost every adult asked me, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” It was relentless. You couldn’t bump into any adult anywhere who didn’t ask you that question. I mean, am I out of touch – are folk still asking that of schoolchildren these days? When I was asked that all those decades ago, I had no idea what I wanted to be. I was well into my 20s before I started to get a handle on what was going to float my boat in my…

There is no room for mediocrity nor false modesty in the shed of precision engineer Tim O’Connor. His Instagram tagline is ‘Maker of the world’s finest minibikes’, and it would be a hard ask to find someone more motivated and committed to improving their product than this self-confessed perfectionist. For Tim, designing, building, and marketing his Hustler minibikes is not just about selling units. His scaled-down, pocket-rockets have a deeper, almost sentimental significance. He has been riding small bikes since the age of 12, and remembers building minibikes in the garage with his father. He says, “That is where my love for bikes and engineering started.” Anti junk Quality is Tim’s raison d’être, for all his projects. He believes that his generation grew up swamped by cheap imports and that…

This coming summer, Classic Cover Insurance are giving one lucky customer this custom-built Hustler Minibike!* Crafted right here in New Zealand at the world-famous Hustler Minibikes HQ, it features a Robin 7hp, 211cc, over-head-cam engine, making it a fun ride for any car enthusiast or petrolhead! If you’re a valued customer at the time of the draw, you’ll be automatically included – no extra steps required. You just need a current insurance policy in place by 5pm on Saturday 23 March 2025 and you’ll be in to win. Good luck! *Terms & conditions apply, visit classiccover.co.nz/hustler.…

Jacks is a long-established New Zealand company with branches in Christchurch and Auckland. It supplies woodworking machinery, from turnkey production lines for major industry players to home-workshop equipment for shed owners. Examples of the latter are the excellent Tormek sharpening system, Felder dust extractors, Ascent bandsaws, and Hammer multi-machines. With the absence this year of the once-annual Australian Woodworking Industry Suppliers Association (AWISA) woodworking trade show in Australia, and since Jacks recently took over as exclusive representative of the huge Chinese KDT brand, the firm thought it was an opportune time to hold one of its ‘JacksTech’ displays. Jacks teamed up with 10 industry partners to stage New Zealand’s largest woodworking industry trade show. It was held from 14 to 16 August in Auckland, at Jacks’ large East Tamaki premises.…

What’s happening online at the-shed.nz? Every week, we upload new content onto The Shed website to add to the hundreds of articles and videos already on the site for readers to discover, learn from, and enjoy. Some uploads of the past few months include: New life for old stuff Tired tools and discarded parts are reinvented: https://the-shed.nz/new-life-for-old-stuff/ Kaizen in wood Turning to small and delicate: https://the-shed.nz/kaizen-in-wood/ Preserving the past A sheddie’s extraordinary collection of objects gives a vivid snapshot of bygone eras: https://the-shed.nz/preserving-the-past/ Easy rider A bike enthusiast relishes the challenges of a rebuild: https://the-shed.nz/easy-rider…

MEMORIES FROZEN IN TIME LETTER OF THE MONTH I really enjoyed the story about AW MacDonald Refrigeration (The Shed Issue No. 77 and the-shed.nz). My mum, Ngaire McRae (née Tucker), worked there in the office at Weld Street in the mid 1950s for a few years. Her brother, Raymond Tucker, was a fitter and turner there. The factory manager had a professional photographer friend who took a lovely photo of Ngaire next to one of the coloured fridges. Mum is wearing one of her home-sewn dresses, red with white polka dots. I wonder if the MacDonalds have a history archive and would like a copy? Mum told me it was her job to collect the wages from the bank. One day, a man who lived over the road asked her…