Another hello from Auckland, NZ

Hi all

I've just joined the the forum after browsing for it a while. I'm a 43yr male and I work with computers all day so I am enjoying making stuff and working with wood. I noticed a few other members from NZ which is a bonus as I have found it hard to get good woodworking info related to NZ.

I'm getting back into woodworking after doing it at school and then messing around more in the last couple of years. My father has woodworked (and did a lot of woodturning) for most of his life and I used to help him when I was a nipper. A few years ago he gave me some handtools and it has resparked my interest. Also having a family has meant more furniture is required but I have less money to spend! Also my daughter has shown an interest recently so would like to encourage that.

Last year I started a night course at a local school and it was helpful but the handtools were in a shocking state (squares not square, saws blunt etc) but it is very useful to have access to the machinery that I don't have.

After a few small projects recently, I have started on building a proper workbench in my garage as the built-in bench is too high, and I have been amassing some tools (mostly hand tools). Progress on the bench has been slow and I have been distracted by having a go at making my own hand tools and restoring a few. However any time I get to wood work (even a few minutes when I'm meant to be getting firewood from the garage) is great!

Cheers
Kieran
PS if anyone is in the Onehunga area and wants to share some woodworking time let me know

Kiaora Kieran, I once spent a summer at Mangere at about the time that the Mangere bridge was being built, used to go running around the bay to Onehunga and then catch the bus back. Back then, Mangere was just farmland and market gardens and onehunga was the big smoke and sort of an exciting place to visit. So when you mentioned you're in Onehunga, it sort of brought back memory.
Anyway, I think you're in the right place and you'll get a lot of good advice here. See you around.

Hi Kieran,

Welcome to the forums, I'm sure your going to find all the info and help you need for working on your projects in here :2tsup:

Cheers
Tony

G'Day & Welcome "to the Great South Land" [the big island across the ditch] & to a top forum "Kieran".
You'll find working with wood rewarding & relaxing....
There are quite a few members from [the shaky isles] New Zealand on the forum as well as across the rest of the world..
You'll find a heap of helpful & knowledgeable blokes & ladies on the forum and for most very willing to assist.
Make sure you show off your handiwork as everyone loves a photo, especially WIP [work in progress] photos with build notes.
Enjoy the forum.
Enjoy your woodwork.
Cheers from On Top DownUnder, crowie

Hi Kieran, I am at East Tamaki :) I am 34 and I am like you, staring at PC all day at my day time job.

I know handtool is where the real woodworking is, and the guys who does it the old way earns my respect fully, woodworking to me is just a source of income, I can never imagine making something out of hand tool and selling on the market, if I can do it in seconds why spend hours on it?

I have a bit of machinery in my shed (recently bought another monstrous tool, an Omga pneumatic dual mitre saw ) if you ever needed a wide belt sander (930mm) to sand a table top give me a yell :)

Welcome to the forum Kieran.

Hi all

Thanks for the welcome.

I will take some photos of my workbench construction progress and some of the tool restoration I have been working on. Those are my priority at the moment because I have found it frustrating to try and make stuff without the right tools or a decent bench.

Albert, your workshop sounds impressive. The reason I am mostly using hand tools is co$t and I am more comfortable using them, but I can see why you have some big machines if you are trying to make some money out of it. But I might take you up on your offer sometime as I work in East Tamaki.

BTW I do have some power tools :U- mitre saw, skill saw, drill press and a Router with a dovetail jig and a router lathe. I also wouldn't mind a bandsaw and a bench planer.

Cheers
Kieran

Welcome to the forum. There are a few members on this forum that work in the computer field and have woodworking as a hobby.

Welcome to a forum

G'day Kieran, welcome to the forum, was over that way in 1965, lived with my brother for 6 mths. He moved their and worked as a industrial sewing machine mechanic. He was living over their for quite a few years. We lived at Titirangi. Cheers