Posts Tagged: DIY

VTL x MakerLabs

admin-ajaxThe VTL has opened a satellite location with a little help from our friends at MakerLabs. As of July 2014, this second inventory will feature some of our most popular tools at a more central location in Mount Pleasant, 221 East 10th Avenue. Stay tuned for updates as they come! In the meantime, check out MakerLabs during their open hours.

Feature Member Project: Sailboat Restoration

Every month, we feature a project created by a different Vancouver Tool Library member. This month, we’re talking to Scott and Kim, who worked on two projects this summer: cedar planter boxes for their backyard and the restoration of their boat. They have been kind enough to share with us how the VTL’s tool inventory helped them with these endeavours.

Tell us about how your project helped you start growing your own food in your backyard.

We’ve been wanting to grow our own veggies for some time and were finally motivated after moving into a place with a lovely, sizable, south-facing deck. After researching many different planter designs (we also find the book library quite useful), we drew up plans for some substantial planters for our garden.  The father of a friend of ours runs a cedar processing plant and he graciously donated some beautiful cedar planks to the cause. With that, we were away. We were building six of the 2’x4′ planters, and rather than build them slowly one at a time, we decided to just get on with it and build them assembly-line style using VTL tools!  Tools were everywhere: planks were first cut using the library’s sliding mitre-saw, drilled using the drill-press, and finished off with a skill saw for the base. To boot, all the work was supported on saw horses from the VTL. In one long day, we got through most of the work and ended with a stack of empty planter boxes waiting to be filled with soil.  The next weekend we piled them high with dirt and planted our crops. We had a bountiful harvest of fresh veggies – notably a HUGE haul of tomatoes!  A project definitely worth doing and highly rewarding!

You’re working on a boat too! How did you get started on that?

Now, we’ve been focusing on the restoration of our 33′ sailboat.  This project came about when we decided to take a few months off work next summer and go explore the BC coast. We’re going to head for Alaska, but it’s likely we’ll get side-tracked on the way up exploring the Great Bear Rainforest and maybe Haida G’waii.  Since we weren’t in a position to purchase a “ready-to-go” boat, we found one that had everything we were looking for (solid full keel, pilothouse, cutter rig, good engine) but needed a bit of work.

What did that work involve, exactly?

Throughout the summer, we worked away on restoring the hull, scraping and sanding the old failing paint job off the boat, and re-applying a new paint system that should keep the hull protected for another 15 years. The job was totally gross and really dirty but the resulting paint job is fantastic. The VTL was awesome for us. We were regularly in to pick up random tools that we didn’t have on hand: large wrenches for loosening and re-installing thru-hulls, grinders for sharpening scrappers and tidying up teak with stubborn varnish, hole-saws for cleaning up holes that needed filling with fiberglass, various sanders for hard-to-reach places, and additional clamps which were super handy when we were epoxying together the pilothouse roof. As our boat project takes us into winter, it has been great to borrow the work lights to allow us to work into the evenings. Many of the jobs required unique tools that we would probably only use once; the VTL has been a huge help by giving us the opportunity to borrow the tools rather than buy them!

What is still remaining before you go?

The list of ‘to do’ items left for us is mostly made up of cosmetic stuff, including sanding, painting, and varnishing. We’re also in the process of replacing the boat’s pilothouse roof as the previous owner had dropped the boom on it, cracking the fiberglass and leaving a big soggy mess. Besides that, we have some smaller projects inside the boat but nothing that needs immediate attention; we’ll likely pick away at them during the trip. We call it a “project” boat…but we should really be calling it a “projects” boat!

Since there seems to be no end to a project of this nature, we are truly grateful for the VTL shop. Having tools and resources readily available is helping this project go by quicker than expected and making it much easier on our pocketbooks. Your staff and volunteers are always offering encouragement and interest in our work too! Thanks VTL!

Great job Scott and Kim! Have fun on your coastal adventure next summer.

November 24 – Intro to Electrical Workshop

Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, we have had to cancel this workshop for this month. We will hold it in the spring or summer of 2013. Please check back soon to see what other workshops we’ll be offering in those months. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Circuitry is a mysterious and potentially dangerous creature. A small area to work within and a jumble of coloured wires can make your head spin (or your hair stand on end). This Intro to Electrical Workshop aims to impart essential wisdom on the wonder that is household wiring.

This workshop will go over the types of projects in which you might encounter electrical work, the tools needed to complete these projects, and different variations of circuits and voltage. Above all, safety measures will be our focus. Your confusion level with the picture in this post is directly proportional to how much you need to attend this workshop!

When: Saturday, November 24th, 2012, from 11:00am-2:00pm

Where: The Tool Library, 3448 Commercial Street

Cost: $15 for VTL Members | $20 for Non-Members

What to Bring: All materials will be provided. The workshop will take place outside so wear comfortable, tighter-fitting clothing that is weather appropriate. Avoid dangly accessories for safety reasons.

Questions? Email lauren [at] vancouvertoollibrary [dot] com

Advance registration is required! Please pre-pay and sign up through the PayPal button below or come into the shop to register. Refunds are available up to 48 hours before the workshop begins.

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.

October 20 – Intro to Tools Workshop

Find yourself with a project to do and no place to start? Unfamiliar with the Vancouver Tool Library inventory and the functions of the tools? See the principles of physics at work in our Intro to Tools Workshop (and never question the real world applicability of high school classes again).

After this workshop, participants will leave with the confidence to name and use basic tools necessary for everyday projects. Our goal is for you to feel comfortable working with a variety of different tools in your own home. Safety around introductory power tools will be discussed and your new skills will be put to work through lots of practice!

When: Saturday, October 20th, 2012, from 11am-2pm

Where: The Tool Library, 3448 Commercial Street

Cost: $15 for VTL Members | $20 for Non-Members

What to Bring: All materials will be provided. Please wear comfortable, tighter-fitting clothing that is weather appropriate and avoid dangly accessories for safety reasons.

Questions? Email lauren [at] vancouvertoollibrary [dot] com

Advance registration is required! Please pre-pay and sign up through the PayPal button below or come into the shop to register. Refunds are available up to 48 hours before the workshop begins.

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.


Member or Non-Member?




September 27 – Woodworking Concepts Workshop

This workshop is now SOLD OUT. Keep an eye out for similar workshops in the future!

Most woodworking projects require the same basic principles: squaring, using power tools, connecting pieces with glue or fasteners, measuring and planning, finding studs, and finishing. Our Woodworking Concepts Workshop is designed to relay these principles so that participants may easily transfer their new knowledge to any project at home.

Facilitator Kimi Hendess will address the concepts of square, plumb, and level in the context of designing, building, and installing a simple cabinet. This is an intermediate workshop for those who are familiar with and comfortable using power tools such as the table saw and chop saw. To practice, participants will build a basic plywood box as a learning exercise. Safety measures will be reviewed and there will be a focus on proper body positioning and ergonomics to maximize efficiency while using the power tools. There will be time at the end of the workshop for a question period so feel free to ask about your project ideas!

When: Thursday, September 27th, 2012, from 5pm-8pm

Where: The Tool Library, 3448 Commercial Street

Cost: $15 for VTL Members | $20 for Non-Members

What to Bring: All materials will be provided. Please wear comfortable, tighter-fitting clothing that is weather appropriate and avoid dangly accessories for safety reasons. Sturdy, close-toed shoes or boots are best.

Questions? Email lauren [at] vancouvertoollibrary [dot] com

Advance registration is required! Please pre-pay and sign up through the PayPal button below or come into the shop to register. Refunds are available up to 48 hours before the workshop begins.

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.