Evolution TV Episode 7 | Exploring The Fun Side Of DIY | Deep Dive Into Van Life | Interview With Britain's Best Woodworker Alum

Real People. Real Places. Real Stories. 

If you are curious about any aspects of woodworking, would like to see a shed being built from scratch, want practical DIY tips that actually work, or are curious about the celebrated woodworkers in our country, then we cover this and more in our latest episode of Evolution TV. Not only this, but our crew also made a trip, attended the Van Life Festival, and interviewed different Van Lifers about life on the road (including one who modelled his Van on Stranger Things!). There is more to be excited about - a detailed DIY guide on making a garden planter, a giveaway for an LG 32" Smart LED TV and a Ring indoor cam, and announcing the winners of the last episode's competition.   

Here's all that you will discover in this intriguing read: 

Time to dive in! 

Life On A Narrowboat + DIY Fixes With Vikkie Lee  

Set against the beautiful countryside, sailing away smoothly, we spot Vikkie Lee's narrowboat. A temporary home, she was kind enough to give us a tour. Explaining how the unconventional idea took root, she and her husband were always interested in what living on a boat would look like. So, after they got married, they decided to stay in a boat for their honeymoon, and so far, it's been an enjoyable experience. She said that the stay reminded her of camping, in a way that you wake up in the wild and to a beautiful view.  

The one thing she loves the most about having a narrowboat is the scope of DIY and personalisation that one can do to truly make it their own. You can put your own spin on the surroundings, choose how the layout will be, and save tons of money in the process - that's undoubtedly what Vikkie has done.  

The boat's interiors are neat, and everything looks cosy, but it wasn't always this way. Right off the bat, one of the problems the couple got to tackling was the leaking sinks in the kitchen and the bathroom, and it is enough to drive anyone crazy! After discovering another leaky tap in the bathroom, Vikkie knew it was time to get her hands dirty and took to repairing the issues herself. Next, she took to restoring the dull kitchen worktops and added a drop-down working desk for her husband since they planned on staying for an extended period.  

While the lifestyle may sound dreamy and relatively simple, it is anything but. Vikkie reiterated that you must constantly be on the lookout for issues and conduct timely repairs. However, she wouldn't change a thing and considers herself blessed to wake up to a gorgeous view every day.  

The A-Z Of Building A Shed 

Vikkie splits her time between being on the boat and helping her father out in his woodyard. This time, she needed to build a custom shed for one of the customers. Giving a bit of background on the sprawling and very busy woodyard, she remembers how it was her grandad who first started this place in the '60s, but the rest of the details are only fragmented stories heard from family and friends. Enlisting the help of one very long-term customer - George Allen - she hopes to stitch the story and fill the missing gaps.  

George recounts that Vikkie's dad developed the woodyard and started selling sheds and fences and that people started flocking to get their hands on the goods. By the early '70s, it had grown into something that was seen as part of the community, and some regulars used to drop in every day just to have a chat and see how things were going.  

Next, we got a peek at Vikkie's proud creation - the shed, and we met up with Paul, the customer who ordered the shed. He required a small shed to store his gardening tools as there was not much space in the garage to get anything big. From the looks of it and his feedback, the shed looked great, just like he wanted it.  

You can click here if you are interested in a detailed guide to how Vikkie built this shed.  

Covering The Van Life Fest 

Ever since the pandemic hit and it halted everyone's travel plans - there's been a general spike in people accepting and adapting to life on the road. It also helps that making a moving vehicle your home makes it easy to be frugal and avoid the ridiculous inflation. To see how Van Lifers are faring and how the experience has been so far, we took a trip to the Van Life Festival 2022, held in North Yorkshire.  

The three-day event sees some of the most customised and best UK campers. There were many impressive vans and attendees, and we wasted no time interviewing many of them.   

Gleaming in the sunshine, a purple and white 2013 Mercedes Sprinter was the first to catch our eyes. Gushing about their hard work - Neil Todd & Shell Graham - showed us around. Matching the vibrant exteriors, the interiors were equally cosy - decorated with flowers and bathed in calming hues. They revealed that one of the most challenging things about living in a vehicle is figuring out the electrics. Even after installing a 200AH Leisure Battery, 200W Solar Panels on the roof, and a 16,000W inverter, they are still facing problems in cooking with their induction cooktop.  

Next, we chatted with Tony, who bought his van, fully equipped with one Leisure battery. The changes he made included upping the number of batteries to four, rewiring the entire electrics so that now he could be off-grid for almost six days and redecorating. Elaborating more on how the festival has been, he said that it couldn't have been better - the people are nice, everyone is keen to show their vans, and there are many creative ideas and solutions that you can get from the entire experience.  

Our rounds soon led us to the van that had been getting quite a bit of attention. Ian Greaves, the owner of a Stranger Things-themed van, revealed why he chose the show to model his vehicle after. He explained how it was pretty common to see vans with Marvel or Star Wars, but he wanted to do something different. At the time when he first started decorating the van, the show was quite new and not many people were aware. Owing to Ian's experience of building camper vans before, he was able to customise this one with lightweight materials.  

With that, it was a wrap! Seeing the sheer creativity and talking with campers about their experiences was amazing. If you would like to see detailed coverage and even more vans, be sure to check out this link. 

Getting Personal With Britain's Best Woodworker Alum - Radha Sivyer 

In this episode, we sat down with THE bespoke furniture maker, who has an undying passion for wood making. His incredible talent and creativity have led him to produce some truly spectacular pieces. Best known for being a contestant on Channel 4's show Britain's Best Woodworker - we excitedly welcomed the charming Radha Sivyer.   

The 25-year-old's work on the show was beyond impressive, and he told us about his background, "I have been doing woodworking for about ten years. I have got this weird obsession with details, and that's why I had to face many challenges on Britain's Best Woodworker, because of my desire to invest hours into a nice little joint that everyone may not see." 

Complimenting how his work always turns out and his infectious energy, we asked him about his childhood and whether his single mum had her hands full with three kids. He lovingly recounted, "Yes, definitely, especially me and my older brother, and we clashed regularly. So, my uncle is a fine woodworker, and he used to take me to his workshop when I was fairly young." 

Given that Radha started so early in his career, it was only obvious to ask his favourite piece that he has ever created. He says, "I think my favourite piece has been my most recent one, which was making these Japanese style cabinets and the challenge with it was that I decided to make it completely using Japanese Joineries. That was really interesting to do. I did these really tall, almost 6-foot Kumiko panels." 

We circled back to his experience as Britain's Best Woodworker and asked how he got selected. He revealed, "So, the show is similar to The Great British Bake Off, where essentially nine contestants go through a series of challenges with one eviction each week." Pausing in between, we told him how great he was on the show and said to him that we already knew a bit about him through our show's host, Joe. Thankfully, Joe was on set and joined in to make it a party of three.  

Radha fondly recalls, "You know, actually, my girlfriend Marsha is not into woodworking at all. It was only when she started seeing Evolution TV's show on YouTube that she expressed an interest in assisting me on one of my woodworking projects." Feigning offense with a loving smile, he remembered retorting, "I love woodworking, and I live with you! She wasn't that interested in what I do, but the show's what caught her eye."  

Asking about Joe's and Radha's camaraderie, we were curious to know how they knew each other. Radha explains, "So, we shot the show during COVID, and we all had to lock down. We had these little pods that contained a bed, shower, and toilet, and it was all in little individual parts. Joe just happened to be my neighbour during that time." Chiming in, Joe replied, "We were there for seven days, and we couldn't really leave. So, we had to stay in these containers where they brought the food, but we were allowed to venture out and meet with others. Radha brought a bike with him, so I'd be sitting with my door open, and I would see him go past again and again. That's how it began." 

We were curious to know what a typical day looks like on the set of such a big show. Radha explained, "It was intense. We were actually filming in really intensive blocks that ranged from 12-14 hours. We would usually be locked into the workshop, mic'd up, ready to be recorded with cameras surrounding us at all moments. Cameras are something you are not used to in your own working space, so on the show, you quickly learn not to vocalise when you realise you have made a mistake. Because if you uttered even one word where it would seem like you erred, all the cameras would converge on you to record the moment. But, I would still say that overall the actual atmosphere within the workshop was really nice, and the contestants were frequently helping each other out (to producers' dismay!)."  

On this positive note, we thanked Radha for visiting our studio and gracing us with the interview. If you are interested in catching the entire interview, click here.  

Quick DIY Project - How To Make A Garden Planter 

The first in our three-part series of maker guides - it was time to learn how to make a three-tiered garden planter.  

The process is easy, and all you need are basic Evolution Power tools. It is a great beginner project because you can make it from scraps or wood from your local DIY store. The entire setup looks fantastic, especially when colourful flowers are blooming. Again, you don't need to run out and get the same materials we used. It will work out even if you have some old wood lying around.  

Step 1 - Cut all the pieces to the desired length 

You can adjust the length how you want it, but we will be starting with nine pieces, each 150 mm wide board and cutting it to 300 mm long. These will be used towards two sides and bases. We need six pieces, 128 mm wide, for the other two sides. With the help of our cordless mitre saw, we started off by cutting one piece to the desired specifications and then using the cut piece to mark, measure and cut the rest.  

Next, we will cut up the legs and use 50mm x 47mm wide boards. Starting off by cutting two shorter legs, measuring 250 mm in length, two longer legs at 325 mm in length, and four longest legs at 400 mm long. We cut one piece to the desired specifications and then used the cut piece to mark, measure and cut the rest.  

Step 2 - Construction 

Now that we have all the pieces, it's time for construction. All you need is a hammer, 50 mm nails, and exterior wood glue. Take two pieces measuring 128 mm (two shorter sides of the rectangular box) and 3 measuring 300 mm (base and two long sides of the rectangular box). Glue the sides together, nail in the bottom to the sides, and to be safe, you can nail in the sides too. Repeat the process for the other two boxes.

Moving onto the legs, first, take the shortest ones at 250 mm and take one assembled box. Make the legs stand upright and put the box flush against the legs. Now, secure it with 50 mm screws and our combi drill. Repeat the same process with legs measuring 325 mm, and 400 mm, and two other boxes.  

Attach the finished boxes to one another with screws at the height you want, and you are done. All that's left is putting your own spin on it!  

Over the next few episodes, we will introduce a guide to simple woodworking projects that are easy to follow and affordable to make. Keep an eye out and for detailed information on this episode's project, click here.  

Readers' Most Trusted 5 DIY Tips 

We love hearing from you guys, and this week, our followers came through with their most trusted DIY tips: 

#1 - If you have an awkward area that you are struggling to get the shape of, then take a piece of paper, and sketch out the shape by placing it against the area. After you have drawn it, place the paper against the wood/ material you need to cut, and it will be easier! 

#2 - Always keep your workspace tidy.  

#3 - Preparation is critical. If you are flooring, ensure you have the right sub-base; if you are painting, ensure that you do the right sanding.   

#4 - Always use cling films for your brushes and tin foils for trays. This tip will help you wash up quickly. 

#5 - If you need to fill a hole in the wood - all you need is wood glue and sawdust, mix it up into a paste, then smooth the paste over the hole till it fills up, let it dry, sand it down, and you are all done! 

If you have some tips to share yourself, share the wisdom. All you have to do is send us a video of yourself explaining the tip, and you could be featured in our next episode. Here's a little incentive: We will send over a brand new Evolution Mitre Saw if you get featured!  

Competitions & Winners 

With every episode release, we at Evolution TV feel grateful to have such loving supporters and to show our appreciation, we give away tons of free gifts, including 32" TV, boutique hotel stays, Apple and Amazon products, Evolution goodies, and so much more. There are many different ways to enter yourself into the competition and stand a good chance of winning a great prize. The best way to seize the opportunity is by subscribing to our YouTube Channel, clicking the Bell icon to turn on all notifications, and keeping an eye on Evolution TV episodes. In the description below of each video, there will be some links that will allow you to enter.  

Evolution Power Tools 

With this, we wrap up our highly awaited Episode 7! We hope you learned as much as we did.  

At Evolution Power Tools, we are always toiling away to ensure that our customers get the best service and creatively-designed products. We guarantee that we will become your first preference once you start using Evolution power tools. Our products and dedication are just that good. Browse our store to see our entire range.  

When using Evolution tools, make sure you follow all health & safety guidelines. For more info, you can contact our expert support team based in Sheffield.