Join workshop host Bruce Haines in one of our Bike Maintenance Workshops to get familiar with the VTL’s bike tool collection, learn to maintain your bike (brakes, derailleurs, and more), and change/upgrade parts. Bring your bike to this hands on workshop in which you’ll be led through the basics of bike maintenance and have some time to work on your own bike with supervision and assistance. Feel free to bring any new bike parts you’d like to install so that we can help you with the process. Come rusted, leave adjusted!
Advance registration is required. Please pre-pay and sign up through the pay pal button below!
Workshop Registrants: please include your email address in the paypal form! This is how we’ll contact you with any workshop updates and to confirm your registration. Note that VTL Members will be required to present their member cards at the workshop.
Written by The Vancouver Tool Library, June 04th, 2012 | No Comments »
Who doesn’t wish they could bring a little bit of that tropical vacation back into their living room? One of our member’s thought maybe changing up his furnishings would let him do just that… check out our latest featured project, Ben Taft’s hand-built hammock stand!
VTL:Tell us a little bit about yourself. Are projects like these a hobby for you, or do you work with tools professionally?
Ben: I’m a filmmaker and spend a lot of time travelling or stuck in front of a computer pushing pixels around. Because of this, I felt a need to create something that would exist in a more tangible way for a change, something that could be enjoyed and perhaps last for a long time. Woodworking was the answer to this.
The Stand
VTL: Describe your project. What inspired you to build it?
Ben: My girlfriend and I travelled to Honduras a couple of years ago on a whim and enjoyed laying around the hammocks any chance we got. We intended to buy one there but ended up not being able to decide which one to get so we returned empty handed. When we moved into a new place a few months ago, we didn’t really have much furniture so I figured this was a great opportunity to get a hammock. Thus, I turned to one of my favourite sites, Instructables. There, I came upon this detailed guide by user “forke” on how to build a hammock stand. I built the hammock stand’s main beam with a 12 foot 4×4 and stained it, but other than that, it’s very similar to his plans.
VTL: What tools did you need for the job, how long did it take you, level of difficulty to put together?
Ben: It took me about a week worths of evenings, spread out over a month to complete. I haven’t really built anything by myself before, the most difficult part was cutting through the 4x4s at the angles required. I didn’t end up with perfectly even cuts but it all came together anyways. A better understanding of measuring angles, cutting on the outside of the line and a table saw would have helped. I also ended up getting treated wood since that was the only thing available at the Home Depot I went to (a lumber yard would probably have been a better place to source it). This is not really ideal if you, like me, intend to mainly use the stand indoors as it apparently makes staining it more difficult (although, I didn’t have any problem with the stainer I got) and I’m pretty sure the chemicals used aren’t particularly good for you. Specific tools I used were:
The Stand in Progress
Mitre saw
Reciprocating saw
Hand sander
Power drill
1″ spade bit (slightly larger than the diameter of your lag bolt)
a wood drill bit (slightly smaller than the diameter of the threads on your lag bolts)
Socket wrench
sockets to fit the lag bolt you choose
Measuring tape
Eye, respirator and hearing protecting gear
Paintbrush
VTL: So you got your design plan for the hammock stand from instructables.com. Have you used this page for DIY project before? Would you recommend it as a reliable source for project ideas and instruction?
Ben: I’m a longtime fan of Instructables.com and DIY culture in general. I wrote a stop motion & light painting instructable a few years ago. Although I’ve bookmarked a number of neat projects, this is the first one I’ve actually gone ahead and built. If it hadn’t been for The Vancouver Tool Library, I don’t think I would have done it as I don’t own a lot of tools and to rent them would have been way too expensive for the time period I needed them for. I also greatly benefited from the help and encouragement of the volunteers in the shop who helped me select the right tools. I wish there was also a space for members to work on projects like this, I built this hammock stand in my friend’s garage but now they are using that space for summer so I’m not able to work there anymore.
Hammock Lounging!
VTL: If you could hang your hammock one place in the world, where would it be?
Ben: I would love to travel around the world on a boat and hang my hammock from the railings or mast. Or maybe set it up next to a river or waterfall, I love the sound of flowing water, I find it very relaxing and soothing.
VTL: What’s next on your DIY project list?
Ben: I’d love to build a dinner table or desk out of scrap wood, this one is really beautiful.
See more photos of this project, and others, in our Member Projects Album on Facebook!
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This post is part of our “Featured Project” series which shines the spotlight on the projects that VTL members are currently working on. We hope it gives you an inside perspective on the many different jobs our tools get used on and provides some inspiration, too!
We’re always looking for more projects to feature, so please get in touch with Caitlin at communications@vancouvertoollibrary.com if you have a project you’d like to tell us about!
Written by The Vancouver Tool Library, May 24th, 2012 | No Comments »
UPDATE, June 14 2012: The application phase has passed and we will be announcing our new hire soon!
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We are very excited to announce that we will be hiring a part time Events and Promotions Coordinator this summer! We are currently seeking a dynamic individual to work along side our Board of Directors to help plan and promote the exciting workshops and events that the VTL runs. Interested in applying? Check out the full job description below, and get in touch with us at president@vancouvertoollibrary.com when you’re ready to apply. Deadline is Sunday June 3rd at 5:00pm.
Please help us find the right person by passing this job posting on to any great candidates you know.
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The VTL is currently seeking an Events & Promotion Officer to join our team.
About The VTL
The Vancouver Tool Library (VTL) is a cooperative tool lending library at 3448 Commercial Street. We are motivated by a vision of our community empowered by the tools and skills needed to transform their homes and communities into vibrant spaces. To get there, we’ve created a community resource that will reduce the costs of improving and greening the places in which we live, work, and play. More information is available on our website, at www.vancouvertoollibrary.com
Commitment
This is a contract position paying $720/Month for the fulfillment of the duties below (which we anticipate will take 12-15 hours per week)
Events and Promotions Officer’s Roles and Responsibilities
Identify member demand for the frequency and type of workshops to be held
Identify potential facilitators of workshops and enlist their participation
Develop, schedule, and promote workshop series (approximately one workshop per month)
Book and coordinate tabling and fundraising events
Develop monthly newsletter content in collaboration with the Director of Communications and help build the newsletter subscriber list
Update social media, including Facebook, Twitter, and blog, regularly
Ensure all website material is up to date
Coordinate the distribution of posters and other marketing materials for VTL events
Acquire and maintain sound knowledge and understanding of the organization
Represent the VTL in a professional and friendly manner when working with volunteers, community partners, and the general public
Attend monthly committee meeting with Director of Communications and Director of Events
Qualifications of the applicant
Demonstrated commitment to community development and education
Aligned with the values and mission of the VTL
Prior experience in education, workshop, or event planning preferred
Demonstrated ability to work independently
Interest in working in a non-profit environment
Organized
Professional communicator
Excellent skills planning group activities
Proficient using social media and online communication tools including facebook, twitter, gmail, google calendar, and a wordpress blog
Experience in a tool/trades related field is preferred but not essential
Benefits
Grow your personal network by meeting and working with a great Board and Volunteer group
Learn and gain professional experience in a leadership role
Opportunity to learn about tools and gain the skills needed to use them
Personal satisfaction of contributing to a non-profit community organization
To apply for this position, please send your resume and a statement of interest to president@vancouvertoollibrary.com by Sunday June 3rd @ 5:00 PM. We look forward to hearing from you!
Written by The Vancouver Tool Library, May 20th, 2012 | Comments Off on We’re Hiring an Events and Promotions Officer
The VTL is now accepting application for “Build It!” – Our Summer Volunteer Program
“Build It” is a program that aims to support our volunteers as they become more involved with their community while developing their personal skill set in tool use and woodworking. Over the six month duration of the program, participants work one shift per week at the VTL and receive monthly training and workshops, as well as all the necessary materials, to support them completing their dream wood working project.
Program Participants’ Commitment to Us:
A weekly volunteer shift in the VTL shop
Dedication and commitment to the VTL’s principles and values
Our Commitment to Participants:
The materials, parts and tools to work on a project
Monthly training and workshops on how to build your dream project
Program participants will be working in the shop on a weekly basis and will become the frontline face of the VTL, representing us to our members. The VTL expects the following qualification out of applications:
Honesty and integrity in the work that they do
A strong willingness to learn
Familiarity with the Vancouver Tool Library. Familiarity with coops a plus.
Customer service experience
Interested in gaining tool skills while volunteering a the VTL? Apply for the program today by sending an email to volunteer@vancouvertoollibrary.com. Please include a resume & paragraph on your dream project and why you’d like to participate in the program. Applications due Sunday June 10th, 5:00pm
Written by The Vancouver Tool Library, May 20th, 2012 | Comments Off on Recruiting for “Build It” Volunteer Program
The VTL has a great collection of garden tools that are finally seeing good use now that spring is here! One of our favourites is the 16′ Pole Pruner, which is definitely not a tool that everyone needs to own for themselves! Our pole pruners features both a saw, for larger branches, and a pruner, for smaller branches.
The pole pruner is useful for getting those out of reach branches and minimizing the need to use a ladder while pruning (which can be unstable when used on uneven surfaces such as lawns, not to mention difficult to safely manouvre on). Pruning is best done in the spring or fall, when the tree has yet to come fully out of it’s winter dormancy. For some shrub and tree species, it’s still ok to prune at this time of year but summer is creeping up on us so act quickly if there is pruning that you need to do this year!
Pruning is done for a number of reasons: to promote plant health, to maintain a plant’s intended purpose such as producing fruit or forming a screen, and also to protect people and property (ie: removing dead or hazardous branches). As any arbourist will tell you, there is a real art (and science!) to pruning, and learning about how trees respond to different kinds of cuts is pretty fascinating (and easy to pick up) stuff, and will quickly help you achieve the results you wanted to achieve. Needless to say, we suggest reading a few guides before heading out into the garden with your tools! Here are a couple suggested resources on pruning, most of them guides from American Agricultural Extension Service agents (which are a great resource for all other kinds of gardening advice and information, too!).
Join workshop host Bruce Haines in one of our Bike Maintenance Workshops to get familiar with the VTL’s bike tool collection, learn to maintain your bike (brakes, derailleurs, and more), and change/upgrade parts. Bring your bike to this hands on workshop in which you’ll be led through the basics of bike maintenance and have some time to work on your own bike with supervision and assistance. Feel free to bring any new bike parts you’d like to install so that we can help you with the process. Come rusted, leave adjusted!
