The Shed

RELEASING YOUR INNER GANDALF

My niece Kathy is a Lord of the Rings (LOTR) tragic. She loves the books, films, and everything associated with LOTR. She has been a fan for decades, so much so she has converted a room in her Wellington house into a fan museum, showing off all the costumes, memorabilia, and stuff that she has collected over the years. She advertises it on social media and has a regular stream of visitors, all equally in thrall to the one ring.

Among the stuff in her fan museum is a large collection of costumes, which her visitors love to put on, grasp a sword or a bow, roleplay their favourite story characters, and take selfies. The costumes are quite heavy, and she has gone through three racks that all collapsed under the weight.

“I love a challenge like this. It’s the fun of thinking through the design options”

The challenge

She asked if I could help — either fix the rack she currently has, or make one that wouldn’t collapse. The racks you can buy are cheap but are very cheaply made. It was obvious from photos she sent that

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Shed

The Shed4 min read
Making Something Out Of Nothing At All
About eight months ago, the groundworks contractor that rented my yard went out of business. Among the many things left behind were dozens of wooden pallets – some in good condition, some not so great. I do hate waste, but it’s not always easy to use
The Shed12 min read
Building An Acoustic Guitar Part 1
Building an acoustic guitar is a very satisfying project that is within reach of most people with a modicum of woodworking experience. I have speed-built a guitar within a week, but for a more considered approach, it is more usual to take three to fo
The Shed16 min read
The Shed That Ate The House
If your shed is larger – much larger – than your house, is it still a shed? This is a question Marty and Zoe Radford might well ponder in their spare time – if they had any. Their house, a well-furnished, modern two-level dwelling, is built into a co

Related Books & Audiobooks