Popular Mech US 10 2015
Popular Mech US 10 2015
Popular Mech US 10 2015
DO A LITTLE
EXPLORATION
OF YOUR OWN.
DISCOVER THE
NEW LOGO
TURN THE PAGE
MARS
THE
MARTIAN
Get a behind-the-scenes look at:
Premieres
October 2
(on Earth)
EXPLORE
RIDLEY SCOTTS
NEW FILM
TURN TO PAGE 13
TO SEE HOW.
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The Future
of the
American Home
WorldMags.net
NEW LOGO
R IDL E Y
S C OT T
GOES
TO
M AR S
On the
set of
The Martian
with
science
fictions
greatest
director
THE R E A L
LIF E RA C E
TO MA R S !
Who will
get there
first? And
what are
they gonna
eat?
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Listed coverages are provided based on whether Comprehensive and Collision Coverages are purchased. Details of coverages or limits may vary by state.
All coverages are subject to the terms, provisions, exclusions and conditions in the policy and any endorsements.
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company State Farm Indemnity Company Bloomington, IL
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CONTENTS
WorldMags.net
4
6
7
8
14
16
OCTOBER 2015
HOW YOUR
WORLD WORKS
19
22
24
26
28
SKILLS
33
36
38
40
42
50
Ridley Scott,
earthbound,
on the set of
The Martian.
R
COVE Y
STOR
72
RIDLEY ON MARS
One of the most successful and ambitious
directors of our time
takes on one of the
most popular books of
the Internet:
The Martian.
A reckoning.
BY TOM CHIARELLA
CARS
53
58
60
82
THE FUTURE
OF THE AMERICAN
HOME
REPORT: CUBA
62
A BEAUTIFUL THING
70
PROJECT
107 A standing desk youll
be proud to put in your
office
78
THE SCIENTIFIC
COMPANION: MARS
A comprehensive (yet brief!)
guide to our efforts to land on
the Red Planetand how well
survive once we do.
POPULAR MECHANICS
FOR KIDS
84
SECURITY
The cameras,
locks, and even
guns making
our homes safer
than ever.
90
TECH
About these
Nest thermostats . . . The
early adopters
dilemma.
By Alexander
George
94
TOILETS
96
SOLAR
Will we ever
experience the
full promise
of renewable
energy?
By Eric Kester
102
REMODELING
WorldMags.net P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S _ OCTOBER
2015
FromWorldMags.net
the Editor
1902
1961
1965
1972
1994
RYAN DAGOSTINO
Editor in Chief
Publisher, Chief Revenue Officer Cameron Connors Advertising Director Adam C. Dub Executive Director, Group Marketing Lisa
Boyars Advertising Sales Offices: Executive Director, Digital Advertising Brian McFarland NEW YORK: East Coast Automotive
Director Cameron Albergo Integrated Account Managers Joe Dunn, Sara Schiano East Coast Digital Sales Managers Drew Osinski,
Brett Fickler Assistant Vincent Carbone LOS ANGELES: Integrated California Sales Director Anthony P. Imperato Integration
Associate Michelle Nelson SAN FRANCISCO: Steve Thompson, William G. Smith, Mediacentric, Inc. CHICAGO: Integrated Sales Manager
Paul Fruin Assistant Yvonne Villareal DETROIT: Integrated Sales Director Mark Fikany Assistant Toni Starrs DALLAS: Patty Rudolph
PR 4.0 Media Hearst Direct Media: Sales Manager Brad Gettelfinger Account Manager John Stankewitz Marketing Solutions: Senior
Marketing Director Jason Graham Associate Marketing Directors Bonnie Harris, Amanda Luginbill Marketing Manager Michael Coopersmith
Associate Integrated Marketing Manager Holly Mascaro Digital Marketing Director Kelley Gudahl Digital Marketing Manager Anthony Fairall
Creative Solutions: Executive Creative Director, Group Marketing Jana Nesbitt Gale Art Director George Garrastegui, Jr. Associate Art
Director Michael B. Sarpy Administration: Advertising Services Director Regina Wall Advertising Services Coordinator Aiden Lee Executive
Assistant to the Publisher Sara Blad Centralized Billing Services Coordinator Christa Calaban Production: Group Production Director Chuck
Lodato Group Production Manager Lynn Onoyeyan Scaglione Production Assistant Fabbiola Romain Circulation: Consumer Marketing
Director William Carter Hearst Mens Group: Senior Vice President & Publishing Director Jack Essig Associate Publisher & Group Marketing
Director Jill Meenaghan General Manager Samantha Irwin Executive Director, Group Strategy & Development Dawn Sheggeby Senior Financial
Analyst Naiobe Mayo
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
1961
2004
1904
WorldMags.net
2009
WorldMags.net
Water with
the wave of a hand.
MotionSense, only from Moen.
Wave over for a pot-filling
stream. Reach under for a
quick rinse. Its water how
you want it, when you want it.
moen.com
2012
Moen In
corporat
ed.
WorldMags.net
The WorldMags.net
Reader Page
PROJECT
OF THE
MONTH
A Band-Saw-Blade Jig
A CHICKEN-COOP TRACTOR
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
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Left-handed screwdriver.
@Bigkozi, via Twitter
If anyone disagrees with what your
fellow readers think this contraption
is or does, give us a shout at
[email protected].
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Letters
WE TEACH YOU.
YOU TEACH US.
PROPERLY WIELD
YOUR BELOVED BAT
QUIET A NOISY
REFRIGERATOR
A TWEET
W E R E O N LY
H A L F S E R I O U S LY
TA K I N G U N D E R
ADVISEMENT
#PopularMechanics
should rate
yard-tool-repair
difficulty with
number of fingers,
each representing
the likelihood
of losing one.
@QuinnOCallaghan
A shower. Laundry. Running the dishwasher. When dinner ends, the scramble
to use hot water begins. It doesnt have to be that way. With a Rinnai Tankless
Water Heater your family will have an endless supply of hot water for everything
you need. Hot water wars over. Peace and harmony at home achieved.
WorldMags.net
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Calendar O C T O B E R
How to get
the most out of
your month.
MONDAY
SUNDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
1
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
2
National Manufacturing Day. Also,
that movie made
by the guy on the
cover of this magazine? It comes out
today.
11
12
19
26
Watch competitors
aim for chainsaw
glory during Stihls
Timbersports
Championships
on ABC.
20
21
THE ONLY
MADE-UP HOLIDAY
WE ENDORSE
Manufacturing Day is
a concerted effort by
large-scale makers to
show off the beauty
of American industry.
Manufacturers across
the country will open
their doors today for free
tours of their facilities.
Find a local event at mfgday.com/events.
22
Leaf cleanup tip
No. 1: If youre raking, build your pile
on a tarp for easy
disposal.
27
28
29
WED
NEW SPORTS
TECHNOLOGY
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
TUES
10 / 7 10 / 27
IN NEXT
MONTHS
ISSUE
23
24
30
31
Halloween. Tricks
over treats.
Basketballs back.
10 / 13
17
The November
issue of Popular
Mechanics hits
newsstands.
FRI
10 / 2
10
16
25
9
Apple fanboy
mania and Oscarbait buzz converge
in Steve Jobs,
out today, with
Michael Fassbender as Jobs.
13
Columbus Day.
Honor the accidental discovery
of North America
by trying to go all
day without using
GPS.
18
Hockey season
starts today,
with Original Six
matchups between
New York and Chicago, and Montreal
and Toronto.
WorldMags.net
SUN
10/31
HOW TO MAKE A
TOILET-PAPER GUN
DO A LITTLE
EXPLORATION
OF YOUR OWN.
DISCOVER OUR
NEW LOGO
TURN THE PAGE
MARS
THE
MARTIAN
Get a behind the scenes look at:
EXPLORE
RIDLEY SCOTTS
NEW FILM
TURN TO PAGE 13
TO SEE HOW.
PROMOTION
THE GADGET
REVIEWS YOU LOVE.
(NOW ON EVERY GADGET)
The upgrade ideas, plus auto, tech & space news you love
BEFORE THEY HIT NEWSSTANDS
50%
OFF
NEWSSTAND PRICE
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Try it on your tablet today at
deal.popularmechanics.com
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OCTOBER 2015
Shop Notes
EASY
WAYS TO
DO HARD
THINGS
PRACTICAL
USES FOR
MAGNETS
AROUND THE
WORKSHOP
DETERMINE THE
TYPE OF METAL
UNDER A LAYER
OF PAINT
Its necessary
to use cutting
fluid when drilling steel but
optional when
drilling aluminum. Under
paint, how can
you determine
which is which?
A magnet clings
to steel but not
to aluminum.
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
HOLD SMALL
FASTENERS ALL
THE WAY TO
THE HARDWARE
STORE
Make a Bucket
Slosh-Proof
To eliminate any chance of drip
ping when carrying sensitive
liquids in a bucket, line the bucket
with a garbage bag. Fill the bucket
with the liquid, then tie off the bag,
sealing the contents inside.
M
FRO E
H
T
ES
HIV
A RC 2 ! )
(197
KEEP
CANISTERS
FROM FALLING
OFF VIBRATING
WORK
SURFACES
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REPORT-COVER GRIP SAFELY
STORES HACKSAW BLADES
RIGHT
WRONG
A Primer on Plumbing
Plumbing is invisible until it fails. Upon inspection its a morass of different pipes and arachnoid fittings. Use this handy guide to avoid confusion and prevent grisly plumbing disasters.
Revivify Down
Bedclothes
Over time down blankets, sleeping
bags, and comforters lose effectiveness as the air pockets in their
insulation collapse. A spin in the
dryer with a few tennis balls pulverizes matted clumps of down,
reopening air pockets and restoring usefulness.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY BEN GOLDSTEIN
POLYVINYL
CHLORIDE
(PVC)
CROSS-LINKED
POLYETHYLENE (PEX)
POLYPROPYLENE
(PP)
A D VA N TA G E S
COPPER
Inexpensive,
durable
Lightweight,
corrosionresistant
Inexpensive,
lightweight,
easy to use
Flexible, easy to
join, lower propensity to leak
Durable,
minimal risk
of chemical
exposure
D I S A D VA N TA G E S
GALVANIZED
STEEL
Develops lime
deposits in
alkaline water
Expensive, may
require soldering tools, may
get stolen
Limited to uses
that stay below
140 degrees
Fahrenheit, like
drainage and
wastewater
Damaged by
UV light
Expensive,
requires special
tools
JOINING
MATERIALS
Pipe is
threaded,
and joints are
sealed with
pipe-joint compound or tape.
Copper pipe
is traditionally soldered,
but modern
compression
fittings create solderless
joints, though
they sometimes
require special
tools.
Cut pipe to
length with
a saw, then
join to fittings
with adhesive.
Also accepts
compression
fittings, like
copper.
A heating tool
is used to semiliquefy the ends
of the pipe
to be joined.
They are then
hand-pressed
together.
FITTINGS
90-degree elbow
plug
45-degree elbow
P-trap
tee
90-degree
street elbow
wye
reducing
coupling
45-degree
street elbow
cap
union
WorldMags.netP O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S _ OCTOBER
2015
15
WorldMags.net
Great New Stuff
01
The two-piece
construction of the
wheels, a recycled
plastic core coated in
urethane made from
30 percent vegetable
oil, lets them roll over
gravel and potholes.
02
01
03
02
BUREO MINNOW
COMPLETE CRUISER
Tiny skateboards, like
this 25-incher, are why
skateboarding is great. So
small that youll actually
carry it around, it turns
sidewalks and, if youre
brave, airport terminals
into stages for carving.
The Minnows deck is
made from discarded
fishing nets (about
30square feet of wouldbe trash goes into each
board), so it flexes more
than regular plastic or
wood. $149
SALT X AETHER
SCOUT SUNGLASSES
Long motorcycle trip, first
fuel stop. You unbuckle
your helmet and shake
out the niggling discomfortsloosen the glove
you cinched too tight,
reinsert that loose earplug. The worst: Your
helmet has been digging
your sunglasses into your
head. The Scout fixes
that last one for good. Its
thin titanium temples and
nose pads fit comfortably
inside a helmet, sparing
you those red marks on
your face. When worn
with open-face helmets,
the side shields keep the
wind from dislodging your
contact lenses at
90mph. $600
03
DEVIALET PHANTOM
WIRELESS SPEAKER
Ignore the Sputnik prototype exterior and wait
for the bass notes to hit.
Thats when you see the
side-mounted subwoofers move like pistons
at high rpm, sending
out flawless sound loud
enough that youll feel
the vibrations in your
sternum. Speakers arent
supposed to engage so
many senses. $1,990
04
04
AMPY MOVE
CHARGER
Its easier to be active
when your smartphones
life depends on it. Keep
the Ampy in your pocket
and it converts your
bodys motion into battery power for anything
with a USB plug. Apple
et al.: Please put this in
your phones. Well use the
Ampy until then. $99
16
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
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MIKE GREENBERG
MIKE GOLIC
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The BEST TOTAL engine
protection you can get.
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BRAINS!
LOUD NOISES!
MEAT!
COLD WAR!
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Scientists at the
University of Virginia
have discovered lymph
vessels in the brains of
mice (they have done pilot
studies in human brains)
that could change the
direction of research on
brain diseases. This is
how researchers believe
the system could look
in humans.
CONGRATULATIONS
ON YOUR NEW
BODY PART!
Immune vessels
recently discovered
in the brains of
mice may also exist
in human brains.
Either way, research
on brain diseases is
about to change.
BY JACQUELINE
DETWILER
I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y B R YA N C H R I S T I E D E S I G N
WorldMags.netP O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S _ OCTOBER
2015
19
OTHER
BRILLIANT
COMBINATIONS
IN SCIENCE
WorldMags.net
BRAINS
our millennia into the study of anatomy, new body parts are discovered at about the rate
that comets buzz the earth, often with a similar amount of fanfare. The last one, in 2013,
was a knee ligament. Before that, it was a microscopically thin layer of eyeball. This summer Antoine Louveau, Jonathan Kipnis, and their colleagues at the University of Virginia
School of Medicine discovered a possible piece of anatomy worth a great deal more excitement: a section of the immune system that reaches into the brain.
The discovery was a viral news story for two daysLymphatic Vessels Extend Into Brain!
To many, it was another comet, but to scientists who study an unmapped,
last-frontier kind of system like the brain, a discovery like this upends fundamental theories, the same way finding iron-based cells or water on Mars
would. Over the past decade researchers had increasingly seen evidence that
the brain and the immune systems interact, but no one was sure how. We
were always trying to interpret how the two systems communicated based on
the fact that this structure didnt exist, says Louveau. Now that we know it
does, researchers who work on every brain disease with a suspected immune
component have the opportunity to try something completely new. Here are
four scientists who are excited about what that means.
Antoine Louveau
(top) is a postdoctoral fellow in the
lab of Jonathan
Kipnis at the
University of
Virginia. Louveau
found the vessels
while trying to
confirm that they
didnt exist.
20
FOR AUTISM
In some kids who have autism, getting a fever from the flu or a cold
can temporarily improve behavior, attention, even verbal skills.
Researchers suspect this may be
related to chemical messengers
called cytokines, which can communicate to both neurons and
immune cells. For me, knowing
that this system exists helps with
trying to match whats going on in
the body with whats going on in
the brain, says Judy Van de Water,
an immunologist at the University
of California Davis MIND Institute.
Measuring cytokines in the lymphatic system of mice in real time
could help researchers figure out
how the fever effect works.
FOR DEPRESSION
Some of the most exciting research
on depression concerns the role
of the gut microbiomethe contingent of bacterial cells that live
in the stomach and intestines.
Depressed patients are more likely
to have certain bacterial species in
their excrement, and feeding mice
particular probiotics can reduce
behaviors that mimic depression.
There was some beautiful work
just published that showed that
changes in the gut microbiome can
change the structure and function
of microglia, which are immune
cells in the brain. How can bacteria
affect those? says Kipnis. We dont
know, but were working with the
author of that study to find out.
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
WorldMags.net
Physics + Biology =
QUANTUM BIOLOGY
Deeper than molecular
biology, quantum biology
uses computers to model
the profoundly weird
quantum-mechanical processes behind biological
phenomena such as
photosynthesis.
Psychology + Genetics =
EPIGENETICS
Once geneticists had
mapped the human
genome, they could study
how the environment
changes the way genes
are expressed in real life.
One crazy finding: Some
changes to genes after
birth can be passed on to
the next generation.
Chemistry +
Materials Science =
CHEMOMECHANICS
Scientists in this field
study how mechanical
forces at an atomic level
affect the shape and function of materials, helping
to create smarter components for the fields of
medicine and construction.
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Satellites
1
Military satellites in geostationary orbits around the equator
cant make contact with Arctic
ground terminals because signals
are blocked by the curvature of
the earth, much the same way a fly
buzzing around an apples center
cant see the stem. Now the U.S.
Navy is launching a network of satellites, the Mobile User Objective
System (MUOS), that has more
high-power beams and waveforms
that can bend around the earths
curves to reach the poles.
WorldMags.net
GEOPOLITICS
U NI T E D S TAT E S
BY J O E PA P PA L A R D O
Aerial Drones
CANADA,
3
RUSSIA
N O R WAY
4
Submersible Robots
N AT O
5
Nuclear-Missile
Submarines
RUSSIA
22
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
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I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y S I N E L A B
PRO M OT I O N
WorldMags.net
A COLLECTION OF PRODUCTS & OFFERS FROM OUR PARTNERS
@ThePMWorkshop
WorldMags.net
THE JOURNEY
OF A STRIP
LOIN AT PAT
L A FRIEDA MEAT
PURVEYORS.
WorldMags.net
FOOD
BY W YLIE DUFRESNE
M YS T ERIES
OF OLD FOOD
RE V E A LED
24
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
1. Original
2. Aged 21 days
Collagen begins
breaking down.
3. Aged 30 days
About 15 percent
of water weight
lost.
4. Aged 40 days
Funkier tasting.
5. Aged 50 days
The white is good
mold and salt,
similar to that on
an aged cheese.
6. Aged 120 days
The true connoisseurs steak.
for 14 to 35 days at 32 to
39 degrees Fahrenheit
and a humidity of 80 to
85 percent. During that
time, collagen, a tough
connective protein,
breaks down, making the
steak more tender.
WorldMags.net
A WORK BOOT
THAT WEARS LIKE
A COFFEE BREAK.
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Conversation Starters
for Smart People
Number of emails
sent each day:
More than 205
billion
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TECH
T HE AR T
OF BEING
UNAVAIL ABLE
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
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BLACK
ORIGINAL
AVAILABLE AT
ORIGINAL
COVERT
ORIGINAL
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#mechanix
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BIG QUESTIONS.
ANSWERS YOU CANT FIND
ON THE INTERNET.
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
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We all need places to get outsideto explore, exercise, and recharge. But with Americas
open spaces disappearing at a rate of 6,000 acres each day, were at risk of losing our
most cherished outdoor escapes. Together, we can change that. Join The Trust for Public
Land to save the lands we all lovefrom urban parks to vast wilderness. Since 1972, weve
worked with communities to protect more than 3 million acres and create more than
5,000 parks and natural places for people to enjoy. Help to keep this land our land.
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OCTOBER 2015
2015
WorldMags.netPPOOPPUULLAARR MMEECCHHAANNIICCSS __ OCTOBER
33
33
WorldMags.net
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
HOW TO FORAGE
Oak
Maple
Hickory
27.6
25.5
24.6
Elm
Birch
Walnut
20
20.8
22.2
Aspen
Pine
Willow
18.2
17.7
17.6
WorldMags.net
I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y J O E L K I M M E L
FUEL
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SIGNS YOUR
WOOD IS
WELL-SEASONED
It doesnt smell like
wood. Most of the woody
scent you get is caused
by moisture.
Its dull in color. Seasoned
wood should look gray.
Its not heavy. Water
makes up as much as threequarters of the weight of a
green piece of wood.
The ends have cracks.
As the wood dries out, it
becomes more brittle.
The bark is missing
or comes off easily. When
the moisture goes, the bark
usually goes with it.
It sounds hollow when
you hit it against something. (Probably best if that
something is another log.)
I was busy with work, but scrounged the each resting on a cleat for extra support. In one
hours to remove what remained of the old stock- rack we framed the opening for a small gate.
ade. Then I paid a carpenter friend to install a
When winter loosened its grip, we returned
basic rack made with paired pressure-treated to the trees at the edge of the woodlot out back,
4 x 6s as posts and 2 x 6s running low and paral- and finished cleaning them up. Our neighbors
lel to the ground, like baseboards.
lent us their John Deere 52 log splitter, a miniA crude but eminently sturdy and func- beast and a gem from the early 1980s that had
tional system had taken form. Each section become slightly balky with age. We commenced
held more than a half cord. With nine sections the next step: splitting the gathered fuel to size.
and a southern exposure, our
After a few shifts I manwould-be fence amply stored
aged to break the pull cord off
(and cured) a sizable portion
the starter. A call to a friend
of our annual firewood needs
who repairs commercial fishing
In an age
while taking up almost no yard
boats led to a quick session in
when many
space. And it looked good.
the yard, during which we reAmericans heat
With time, however, flaws in
moved the starter, rethreaded
with gas, oil,
its quick design emerged. First
and tied in the cord, and then
or electricity,
the posts heaved ever so slightcleaned and tuned the carbuthe richness
ly during seasonal freezes and
retor. Soon the machine was
thaws, forcing the racks out of
purring, its old Briggs & Stratand rituals of
their original parallel arrangeton engine contentedly revived.
gathering and
ment. This not only looked bad
Over the course of the next few
seasoning
but it also changed the way the
weekends my sons and I conwood for homes
firewood sat, so much so that
verted about ten cords of green
risk fading
one stack between the posts
wood into splits.
into our past.
bulged and collapsed in anBy then spring had warmed
other hard storm.
the yard. Potatoes were sproutRestacking is labor lost. So
ing, and asparagus too. The
as the last of the seasoned firewoodstoves in the house and
wood found its way into our pair of woodstoves, the shack were clean and silent, idle until fall.
and as we found a new source for wood but The new green firewood was neatly piled about
could not work with it until a thorough thaw, it the property, beginning to dry. The chainsaw
was time for an upgrade.
was cleaned and ready to be put up for the warm
Using a level, heavy bar clamps and a come- season with a fresh tank of high-octane, noalong for tension, and framing lumber to force the ethanol fuel.
posts back square and true, we straightened the
We were done. And we knew the satisfyposts, bringing each perpendicular to the ground ing feeling of being, in one area at least, welland parallel to the others. These we locked in prepared by our own sweat and our own hands.
place with newly purchased pressure-treated My only regret was that it was over. Wed have
2 x 6s about 3 feet above the original bottom rack, to wait another year to resume.
1 Stack wood in
a single row, out
of the shade, with
enough space between
the pieces to allow air
to pass through. This
exposes more wood
to sunlight and breeze,
which helps dry it
out faster.
2 When stacking,
use a crisscross
pattern to make
pillars at each end
for stability. They act
as bookends for the
wood in the center.
3 Before splitting
wood on a stump,
secure an old tire to the
top of the stump. After
you split the wood, it
will lean against the
tire instead of falling
to the ground.
5 Check your
states policies
on cutting your own
firewood. Many states
provide licenses for
a nominal fee, or
even free, that permit
people to remove trees
from state land.
WorldMags.netP O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S _ OCTOBER
2015
35
HOW TO
WorldMags.net
HOW TO WORK WITH
RECLAIMED WOOD
OUR EXPERT
After working as a contractor, in 2002 Potter
formed Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. The group
made four studio albums. Early this summer she
opened for both the Rolling Stones and Neil Young,
and she released her first major-label solo album,
Midnight, in August. For tour dates (and albums and
some pretty weird T-shirts), go to gracepotter.com.
36
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
WorldMags.net
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Saving People
Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. GEICO is a registered service mark of
Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. 2015 GEICO
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TOOL TEST
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THE BEST BLOWERS
A new generation of battery-powered leaf blowers can handle just about anything.
BY JA M E S S C H A D E WA L D a n d R OY B E R E N D S O H N
fter testing eight nextgeneration cordless blowers, its clear that weve
reached a new age of
outdoor power equipment. Gas-engine blowers are
still the most powerful, but for a
wide range of medium-duty jobs
(sweeping out the garage, clearing
a dryer duct, light leaf cleanup), a
battery-powered blower is plenty
capable, not to mention faster and
easier. We ran four tests, the toughest of which timed how quickly we
could clear 6 cubic feet of hay from
a 400-square-foot patch of lawn.
Okay, the toughest was actually
when we used each machine to try
to slide a brick over concrete with
the blower at a fixed position
unfair, but many managed to do it.
Which means they shouldnt have
a problem with whatever foliage
falls from your oak tree.
B EST
ALL
OV E R
AIR SPEED:
Volts: 80
125 mph
Weight: 9.5 lb
Hay: 39 sec
Brick? Yes, 24 in.
Likes: Three distinct air-speed
settings make it easy to adjust
the blower to the job. Good
power, especially for how
quiet it is. Sounds more like a
vacuum than a blower.
Dislikes: Blower has a tendency to want to lift, requiring
more wrist rotation to keep it
pointed toward the ground.
AIR SPEED:
Volts: 58
120 mph
Weight: 11.5 lb
Hay: 53 sec
Brick? Yes, 1 in.
Likes: Powerful. Metalreinforced nozzle is good for
times when you have to poke
into flower beds or scrape
along the ground. Produces a
nicely concentrated and productive airstream.
Dislikes: Its not only heavyduty, its just plain heavy. That
can make it tiring to use.
AIR SPEED:
Volts: 56
92 mph
Weight: 8 lb
Hay: 42 sec
Brick? Yes, 3 in.
Likes: A beast of a sweeper
with good power-to-weight
ratio. Its airstream is broadly
focused, which makes it good
for working large areas. A
pivoting thumb latch lets you
quickly toggle between low
and high settings.
Dislikes: The high setting
quickly runs down the battery.
AIR SPEED:
Volts: 40
120 mph
Weight: 5 lb
Hay: 4 min 8 sec
Brick? No
Likes: Good for light-duty
sweeping of hard surfaces,
especially in tight spots, owing
to its light weight. The only
blower that comes with a
handy vacuum attachment.
Dislikes: Uses an on/off switch
and a roller switch to adjust
air output. We prefer a simple
trigger-adjusted speed output.
ONE-WORD REVIEWS
38 OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
P H O T Ogo
GR
P H / I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y T E E K AY N A M E
For more words on these blowers,
toApopularmechanics.com/leaf-blowers.
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A P H O T O G R A P H B Y TODD MCLELLAN
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DISASSEMBLY REPORT:
PITCHING MACHINE
MODEL:
PRODUCED:
NUMBER
OF PARTS:
644
TIME TO DISASSEMBLE:
5 HOURS, 34 MINUTES
PITCHING MECHANICS
LOADING
THROWING STRIKES
OFF-SPEED PITCHES
Colin Kaepernick
59 mph
Lark Brandt
70 mph
MP-6
85 mph
Aroldis Chapman
105 mph
Andy Roddick
155 mph
Bubba Watson
188 mph
Watch Iron Mike go from intricate mechanical device to a 644-piece pile of springs,
sprockets, and a baseball or two at popularmechanics.com/pitchingmachine.
40
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
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19
18
17
16
15
14
4
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WorldMags.netP O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S _ OCTOBER
2015
41
DRINKING
WorldMags.net
DIY
DRINKING
sk any Italian-American
from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, to Pittsburgh about
his grandpops homemade
liqueurs, and youll likely
get a wide grin. Despite their fancy
name, these libations are surprisingly easy to make, and remain a
culinary staple for many European
immigrants with backyard gardens. But lately, across the country
liqueurs are moving beyond ethnic
enclaves and into the mainstream.
Unlike the big strokes of craft
spirits distilled from limited
ingredients, liqueurs are incredibly nuanced, expressing the vast
diversity of the plant world: fruits,
flowers, barks, herbs, spices, seeds,
roots, and nuts. Syrupy and intense,
they are designed for sipping, not
shooting. With vivid colors and
heady aromas, liqueurs can be
throwbacks to medieval magical potions made from elaborate
secret recipes: Chartreuse, an 18thcentury French liqueur called the
elixir of long life, is composed of
130 herbs, plants, and flowers. Yet
other recipes require just a base
spirit and a few simple ingredients
for flavoring.
MAKE YOUR
OWN LIQUEUR
Not all liqueurs require a
wheelbarrow full of ingredients. Try making this
basic pear liqueur using
a recipe from Andrew
Schloss, author of
Homemade Liqueurs and
Infused Spirits.
42
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
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FOR YOUR
CONSIDERATION
DON CICCIO
& FIGLI
Concerto
Washington, D.C.
A complex interaction of 15 herbs and
spices, barley coffee, and espresso,
Concerto is a traditional liqueur from
Italys Amalfi Coast.
BLOOMERY
PLANTATION
DISTILLERY
Black Walnut
Charles Town, W. Va.
Bloomery prepares
its products by
hand on its farm in
West Virginia. Its
spicy Black Walnut
uses nuts from
the property.
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SUN
The
RENEWABLE
ITS DOABLE
Runs My Oven
Save the planet without
leaving the house.
Going solar at home helps reduce pollution and
carbon emissions in your city and around the
world. And its easier and more afordable to do
than ever beforethats why every four minutes
another American household or business goes
solar. Find out how you can be next.
worldwildlife.org/solar
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PROMOTION
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TOP
+
REINVENTING
ADVENTURE
FROM THE SHOP
TO THE TOP
SHOP
2015
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PROMOTION
THE BUILD
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THE ULTIMATE
ADVENTURE VEHICLE
Popular Mechanics teamed up with the gear gurus at
Galpin Auto Sports (G.A.S.) to turn an everyday truck into
an unstoppable of-roader. Outftted with Falken Tires
next-generation Wildpeak AT3W models, this all-terrain
terror is ready to tackle anything the outdoors throws
at it. G.A.S. customization experts J.D. Hendrickson and
Jordan Mann led the build, and brought the ultimate
adventure vehicle to life.
FALKEN WILDPEAK
AT3W TIRES
A HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE
The G.A.S. crew used Mechanix Wear gloves
throughout the build. The M-Pact gloves are
a favorite among pro mechanics. What I love
about Mechanix Wear is that it doesnt
matter if were assembling, fabricating,
or wrenching on a build, Mechanix Wear
has a glove to handle every job.
J.D. Hendrickson
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PROMOTION
WorldMags.net
A PERFECT TEN(T)
This is a special kind of
showstopper. The built-in
tent is housed on a custom
ladder rack elevated in the
truck bed for a totally unique
take on camping. Its a
one-person operation,
so you can set it up by
yourself. With the ladder
extension, you can pull
and unravel the tent,
and even unzip a room
downstairs.
Jordan Mann
PRESENTING PARTNER:
SUPPORTING PARTNERS:
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PROMOTION
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DARE TO FIND ADVENTURE
THE DRIVE
THE ASCENT
The 11-hour expedition started in Los Angeles,
and ended about 6,750 feet above sea level, with
a stunning sunset at Big Bear Lake. Along the way,
the wild San Bernardino forest and mountain trails
put the truckand its tiresto the test. Spoiler
alert: both came out on top. Literally.
Through it all, Falkens 35 all-terrain Wildpeak
tires handled rough roads, rocks, fallen trees, mud,
dirt, ditches, and more. With unparalleled traction,
control, and stability, these rugged of-roaders
are designed to conquer even the mightiest of
mountains. And thanks to Dupli-Colors Paint
Shop Finish System, the truck has a bold look
that stands out whether youre on the highway, or
driving high above the clouds.
The Elements
Running Springs
changed things up
with wet, muddy
pockets and
patches.
Climbing Up
Lake Arrowhead set
the tone early, with
large boulders and
steep climbs.
Traction
LA
O-Road Handling
01
Waters a priority,
so fnd (and flter) it fast.
Flowing water is best,
but standing water can
be purifed by boiling it
or leaving a clear water
bottle in the sun for a
full day.
02
03
To prevent a fre
from spreading, use a
fat area, ideally dug
a few inches into the
ground, at least 10
feet away from tents,
trees, overhanging
boughs, roots, and other
fammable items.
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05 No compass?
No problem. Point the
hour hand of an analog
watch at the sun, and
picture an imaginary line
halfway between that
and the 12. Thats south.
(As long as youre in the
Northern Hemisphere.)
PROMOTION
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Top View
Smooth Ride
Wildpeaks shoulder
block design made for
an ultra-smooth, quiet
ride to the top.
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ASK ROY
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BY ROY B ERENDSOHN
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
WorldMags.net
WELCOME
HOME THE
BRAVE
Contact us at: fndwwp.org
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BY EZRA DYER
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STATS
W E I G H T:
2,332 lb
E N G I N E:
2.0-liter four-cylinder
HEY, LOOK,
ITS THE NEW
MIATA!
And it finally looks as good
as it drives.
P O W E R:
155 hp
he Mazda MX-5 Miata is a misunderstood
148 lb-ft torque
car. To purists and gearheads, its the ultimate
T R A N S M I S S I O N:
affordable sports car, a lightweight tub of fun,
Six-speed manual
the rare track car that wont maul your wallet
B A S E P R I C E:
$25,735
every time you need brake pads. Car people not
only respect the Miata, they revere it. That view makes
sense. But the rest of the world thinks that Miatas are
a little bit goofyif Hollywood wants to tell us that a character is clueless, it brings in the
Miata. Remember the Chris Kattan bomb, Corky Romano? Corky drove a Miata. (License
plate: corkstr.) Mazda got so bummed out about the Miatas image that it once tried to get
everyone to stop saying Miata and just call the car MX-5. It didnt work.
Reviews p a g e 6 0
WorldMags.netP O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S _ OCTOBER
2015
53
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The Hunger Is campaign is a collaboration between The Safeway Foundation and the
Entertainment Industry Foundation to raise awareness and improve the health of hungry children.
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The Safeway Foundation and the Entertainment Industry Foundation are 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations. Photo by: Nigel Parry
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2 0 16 M A Z D A M X- 5 MI ATA
BY E ZR A DY ER
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BEWARE
THE ELIMINATOR
WorldMags.netP O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S _ OCTOBER
2015
57
STUFF
BY E ZR A DY ER
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FOUR
EASY
dead-battery cadaver.
Paddles! Clear! Seconds
after connecting the
Weegos stubby jumper
cables, the Lexus fired
right up. The pack also
has cables to charge
laptops and phones,
and a built-in flashlight.
Weego sent me this
one to test, but Im
sending back my credit
card number.
WEEGO JS12
HEAVY DUTY
JUMP STARTER
$130
AUTO UPGRADES
PEAK 3.5-INCH
WIRELESS
BACKUP CAMERA
$100
CL A IM: You can retrofit
a backup camera to
nearly any vehicle in
just a few minutes.
V ERDIC T: True, inasmuch
as a few minutes
means 88 minutes.
Peak: Come for the
antifreeze, stay for
the backup cameras!
Were not sure why Peak
got into the camera
business, but its 3.5inch wireless backup
camera is a pretty solid
effort. The wireless
part is a minor misnomerthe video
monitor doesnt
4
2
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
G E A R T E S T: P H O T O G R A P H S B Y M I K E B A S H E R
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DRIVE
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REVIEWS
BY E ZR A DY ER
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B A S E P R I C E:
$25,745
E P A M ILE A G E:
25 mpg city/
33 mpg highway
B A S E P R I C E:
$32,045
E P A M ILE A G E:
21 mpg city/
28 mpg highway
1
2
B A S E P R I C E:
$61,460
E P A M ILE A G E:
16 mpg city/
24 mpg highway
THE FIVEWORD
REVIEW
60
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
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2015 FERRARI
CALIFORNIA T
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REPORT: CUBA
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Popular Mechanics
goes to Cuba and
finds a people devoted
to hard work and
ingenuityoften by
necessity.
BY KEVIN DUPZYK
62
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
P H O T O G R A P H / I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y T E E K AY N A M E
WorldMags.net
N OUR SECOND DAY IN CUBA, we saw in one humdrum, ten-minute transaction a clue to the way life is lived in
a country where daily life is often a challenge.
We had hired a man called Francel to drive us from Trinidad, a five-hundred-year-old town on Cubas south shore, to
Varadero, a resort town three and a half hours northwest. Francel was tall and thin and wore black, just like his car, a mid1990s Peugeot. At twenty years old, it looked boxy and dated, but it was newer and in better shape than most cars in the
countryits not like everyone in Cuba drives a well-preserved American classic, the way you hear about. The Peugeots
floor mats were red plastic with a diamond-plate pattern. The air conditioning worked and so did the seat belts, both noteworthy. Every window was tinted dark with the exception of small cutouts so Francel could see the side-view mirrors. Inexplicably, the
cutouts were the shape of the Apple logo.
Just outside Trinidad, Francel pulled off the road into the side yard of a small house. A man with no shirt on sat on a chair out front, just sitting.
Francel drove around back into a small parking space under a split-rail carport with corrugated-steel siding. At the next house over,
across a small field, I saw a pig and a chicken lazing in the sun. The man from the front appeared and retrieved a gas can.
They barely spoke to each other, Francel and this man. They were operating within an invisible system. This transaction was, in fact, part of
the vast and intricate web of improvised systems that constitutes the only way Cuba truly functions. Multiple generations of life with rationed
food, little money, and a government set on isolation have produced a resourceful people. We humans are indeed a creative little animal, and
we find ways to help ourselves. Where I live, we have the luxury of exercising creativity for fun. In Cuba, they have to be creative just to live.
Once the man had finished filling the tank of the Peugeot, Francel fired up the car and we drove off. I noticed the fuel gauge on his car
didnt work. How do you know when youre empty? I asked.
He laughed.
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Y F R I E N D S A N D I T R AV E L E D T O
Cuba on a sort of curiosity vacation. We wanted
to see Cuba before the countrys newly normalized relations with the United States became truly
normal. In America the maker movement is at its height, a
wave of people building and making and creating things with
technologies that improve by the day. In Cuba, theyve had a
maker movement since 1960, fueled largely by necessity. I
wanted to see if the instincts were the same.
We spent our first three days in Havana in a casa particular, a private home that rents rooms to tourists. It works
much like Airbnb, but its a system the Cuban government
formalized in 1997. We had booked a room in Casa Leticia,
one of the most highly rated casas in Vedado, which, according to the Internet, is the hippest neighborhood in Havana.
A cab from the airport dropped us off in front of the
casa. The houses here were built right up to the crumbling
sidewalks, two or three stories high, and wore faded paint
stripped to dirty pastel shades by the salty ocean air. An old
man in a red Havana Club vest sat alone on the sidewalk. Two
skinny dogs lay on their sides panting. I thought thered been
a mistake. We double-checked the address. We were in the
right place. Upon closer examination I saw a sticker above the
door of the inauspicious building that was Casa Leticia: 2014
Winner, TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence.
We rang the doorbell, and Leticia herself opened the gate.
A large, sunny interior courtyard was paved with perfect
ceramic tile, lush with greenery, and outfitted with white
wrought-iron patio furniture. A peristyle surrounded the
courtyard, yellow-painted columns complementing greenand-blue-striped awnings hung between them. Inside, the
immaculate house had ornately painted twenty-foot ceilings
andcrucially, it would turn outa bathroom, complete
with shiny new fixtures.
Leticia, who was in her fifties, was short with blond hair
and fair skin. Her eyes never stopped smiling and dimples
appeared on her cheeks when she talked. She funneled us
toward the dining room, where we filled out the simple paperwork that logged our stay. Then she opened a handsomely
decorated liquor cabinet in the corner of the room and produced three glasses and a bottle of Havana Club, poured us
each a shot, and gave us advice for our stay or for life or both.
You are three young men. Watch out for chicas. There is
no such thing as love at first sight.
You will come across people who are very impressive.
WorldMags.netP O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S _ OCTOBER
2015
63
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Mecnica Popular
began publication in May 1947.
Above, covers from
November 1963
and April 1957.
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T S FUNNY, I
almost didnt get to go
to Cuba at all. My two
buddies went through
Cuban immigration without a hitch.
I didnt have any problems at first,
but when my suitcase went through
the scanner, it raised a red flag. I had
brought seventeen copies of the June
issue of Popular Mechanics, thinking I would meet people who might
like itpeople whove managed to
maintain a 1950 Chevrolet for sixtyfive years, or who keep buildings
from turning to rubble, or whove
cast livelihoods from the raw materials of everyday life. People who have
learned to improvise to the point
where improvisation becomes the
way to keep living. But Id overlooked
the possibility that a suitcase full of
American magazines might look like
propaganda, especially considering
that the headline on the cover of the
Maker Nation issue Id brought was
How You Can Join the Revolution.
The first customs agent asked if I
spoke Spanish (no). She brought over
a second agent with better English
to ask me to explain myself. I tried
to articulate what Popular Mechanics is about, then I tried to make up
a story about giving the magazines
to my friends to take home, but the
language barrier made it difficult
and, also, that made no sense. Seeing
the commotion, a third agent came
over and immediately started examining the magazine. Things began to
turn. I continued arguing my case,
but now I was watching this third
agent. He flipped through the magazine, stopping on all the best pages:
the beautiful things, the projects, the
makers. I struggled for words. He
saw something he recognized.
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oe Miller built his familys
home in Peacham, Vermont,
himself. On their small farm
hed put his young son and
daughter to work forging door
hinges and hooks in his blacksmithing shop or assembling
cabinets and drawers for carpentry
projects. Joe used horsesno tractorto haul wood from the forest
behind the farm. To tend to those
horses, he accumulated piles of
horseshoe rasps, the high-carbonsteel files used to maintain hooves.
Joes daughter, Chelsea, was
watching. When her father fell ill
for a spell in 2011, Chelsea, now
grown, returned home to Vermont
from New York. In between caring for her father, she helped her
brother make a hunting knife from
one of the old rasps. Then she tried
making a knife herself, reviving the
blacksmithing skills shed picked
up as a kid. The tinkering became
an obsession, which turned into a
skillshe went on to apprentice
with a Vermont knife-maker. It has
since become her livelihood.
Miller takes 17-inch-long rasps
and transforms them into oneof-a-kind chef knives. There are
functional benefits to repurposing
the old tools. The steel is extremely
strong. And the thick, crosshatched
teeth of the files, which she leaves
intact, become a grater built right
into the blade. Shes enlisted her
dad to cut and shape the knife patterns with a century-old bench
grinder. He sends batches of proto
knives, along with excess metal to
be made into smaller cheese knives,
from Vermont to her workshop
in Brooklyn. There Miller hones
the blades from their quarter-inch
thickness to a sharpened edge,
then affixes maple or walnut
handles, pieces of Vermont forest
from the family farm.
Its a time-consuming processMiller is able to produce
only about six knives a week. She
does most of the work on her own,
with the help of Joe and an assistant. Its the only way she knows:
Thats the way I grew up. If youre
hungry, then you go out and plant
something and harvest it. If youre
lonely, you go out and you make
friends. Everything is available to
me as long as Im willing to work for
it myself. Including an heirloomquality knife when all you have is a
MATT GOULET
rusty old file.
The Knife-Maker
Miller had been
living in New
York to pursue
an acting career
before she came
back home and
rediscovered her
propensity for
reshaping steel.
70
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
WorldMags.net
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CHEF
KNIFE
C O M PA N Y:
Chelsea Miller
Knives
L O C AT I O N S :
Peacham, Vermont
Brooklyn, New York
FOUNDED:
2012
WorldMags.netP O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S _ OCTOBER
2015
71
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R I D L E Y
S C O T T
is one of the most ambitious and successful directors of our time. In a fifty-year careerAlien,
Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, American Gangster,
Exodus: Gods and Kingshe has created astonishing worlds that challenge the limits of endurance
and possibility, but never reality. With his new film, The Martian, Scott adds a new dimension
to his legacy: Science, a frequent backdrop to the stories he tells, becomes a main character.
LA
BY TOM
CHIARELLA
R
73
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PG
IC
//
WorldMags.net
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
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Alien is a C film elevated to an A film, honestly, by it being well done and a great monster.
76
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
MARTIANS
IN POPULAR
CULTURE
Th
re
o
tt
hu
ma
ns
Vu
lne
b
ra
ilit
1897
WAR OF THE
WORLDS
high
Human bacteria
1948
MARVIN THE
MARTIAN
moderate
Bugs Bunny,
Michael Jordan
THE MARTIAN
CHRONICLES
low
Germs
1963
MY FAVORITE
MARTIAN
low
Detective Brennan
1976
THE FACE ON
MARS
low
Higher resolution
photography
1990
TOTAL
RECALL
moderate
Tri-breasted women
1996
MARS
ATTACKS!
high
2012
JOHN
CARTER
high
Tim Riggins
2015
THE
MARTIAN
low
1950
WorldMags.net
N A N O T H E R part
of this Mars, they are
blowing the hatch.
Its a low-level effect,
a small, controlled
explosion performed at the end of the
usable life of the lander-module component. A number of crew members
have gathered to watch. Earplugs are
distributed. Ridley Scott takes a
quick look from the doorway and
then moves on before they get to the
actual explosion.
Filming is near its end on the
soundstage. The hallways are dusted
in red. Red footprints lead from food
to banks of clipboards and then to
the world outside. Sets are being
broken down for storage. In every
corner boxes of innocuous riggings
and spare partsclamps, rods, pads.
This may be Ridley Scotts last look
at this Mars. Hes off to Jordan in the
morning to finish shooting. The disassembly of this operation echoes the
story it tells.
At the very end, when its evident
Watney will be leaving one way or
another, he sort of goes on a walkabout, because bizarrely hes become
fond of this environment, Scott says.
And if we tell it right, people will get
that about him. Hes cleaning up, taking care of the assets for the next party,
creating assets for the next person.
Hes been trained. Hes an astronaut.
Then Ridley Scott carries on, down
the dusty hallways. An assistant joins
him, passes a message, and they
change direction to another part of
that world. Youre looking at his back
again, which means theres still work
left to do, on this Mars and beyond.
WorldMags.netP O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S _ OCTOBER
2015
77
WorldMags.net
SCIENT
WorldMags.net
THE
INSPIRATION MARS
China didnt
send a man to
space until 2003,
but theyve been
aggressive ever
since. Theyre
building an orbiting space station
and looking to
launch a rover
to Mars in 2020.
One of their taikonautswhat
they call astronautswas part
of the Mars500
study in Moscow
that tested longterm isolation in
preparation for
a long journey to
the Red Planet.
Their current
plan is for a
manned Mars
mission between
2040 and 2060.
Vegas odds:
100:1. They are
late to the party.
78
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
MARS ONE Mars One offers oneway trips to the Red Planet, funded by
broadcast advertising revenue brought
in by its proposed reality show. The organization plans to use a series of missions
starting in 2020 both to build up infrastructure and prove its technology before
sending the first manned crew in 2026.
From everything we can tell, its a total
scam. Vegas odds: 15:1. If they do any
of the stuff they claim they will, the group
would be a huge sleeper.
THE MARS
SOCIETY A major pro-
WorldMags.net
I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y 5 W I N F O G R A P H I C S
NTIFIC COMPANION
WorldMags.net
Hohmann
transfer
This classic method
launches a
craft to meet
Mars directly
in its trajectory. Its not
ideal because
it requires
a lot of fuel.
The craft has
to slam on
the brakes to
avoid flying
past Mars and
getting lost in
space.
Ballistic
capture
Mars
Earth
The spacecraft
is launched
ahead of Mars
on its orbital
path. When Mars
catches up, the
craft is captured
in the planets
gravitational pull.
Although slower
than a Hohmann
transfer, this
method uses
much less fuel.
Ion Thruster
Ten times more efficient than a traditional chemical thruster, an ion thruster
is well suited to long-distance missions. You know, like a trip to Mars.
The engine ionizes xenon atoms, then
propels the craft by electrically accelerating the ions out and into space.
WorldMags.netP O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S _ OCTOBER
2015
79
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SPACE
VEGETABLES
What well need to grow
and how to grow it.
THE
TROUBLE
WITH
LIVING
THERE
Lettuce grows in a
reduced-pressure
atmosphere.
Developing
a protocol is
essential before
astronauts
leave for Mars
so that decisions
arent made
in a crisis
situation.
RADIATION
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
ILLNESS
WorldMags.net
23
Dennis Tito,
Inspiration
Mars Foundation,
2/27/13
22
Bradbury, May 1996
21
Obama, 4/15/10
18
Will.i.am., 8/29/12
2
James
Cameron,
10/26/09
3
Elon Musk,
3/9/13
4
Ray Bradbury,
May 1996
5
Cameron,
10/26/09
Aldrin,
10/24/09
16
George
W. Bush,
1/14/04
15
13
Carl Sagan,
May 1993
Mars One Mission Statement
14
12
Obama, 4/15/10
WorldMags.netP O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S _ OCTOBER
2015
81
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82
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
P H O T O G R A P H / I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y T E E K AY N A M E
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TOILETS
TECH
PAGE 94
PAGE 9O
SOLAR
PAGE 96
REMODELING
SECURITY
PAGE 1O2
PAGE 84
TYPE
P H O T O G R A P H / I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y T E E K AY N A M E
WorldMags.net
LUK E LUCAS
VOL.
NO.
PAGE
192
09
83
WorldMags.net
SECURITY
THE FUTURE OF THE
AMERICAN HOME
2O15
DIY Peace
Of Mind
The past five years have done more for home security
than the previous fifty: smart cameras, smart locks, even
smart guns. But how do you take advantage of it all?
We tested just about every product on the market to find out.
84
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
WorldMags.net
The Omniscient
Homeowner
WorldMags.net
THREAT
LEVEL
SECURITY
GOAL
WHAT YOU
NEED
HOW IT WORKS
BY DA N I E L D U B N O
SOMETHING TO
CONSIDER
LOW
MEDIUM
HIGH
To be notified of
intruders or other
risksbut mostly to
spy on your cat.
A security system
cobbled together
using various smarthome products.
A traditional system
from a company such
as ADT, Protection 1,
or XFINITY.
These compact,
single-unit security systems come
equipped with some
combination of
security essentials:
a motion-sensing
camera, night vision,
audio recording and
monitoring, a siren,
and even air or temperature sensors.
A live video feed is
accessible via an app
on your phone or tablet, and any motion or
disturbance triggers
an immediate alert.
Some work with other
third-party security
devices, but these
units are best used
as stand-alone systems for apartments
or homes that dont
require much surveillance beyond that of a
main entrance.
DIY home-security
technology has
come a long way, but
full-service security
companies still provide the most robust
protection. Their
services are also
expensive and come
bundled in a two- or
three-year contract
that is nearly impossible to squirm out
of. The good news is
that most companies
now have wireless
options, which means
no more holes in your
newly renovated
walls. Installation
and 24/7 monitoring come standard,
so if you have serious
safety concerns or a
lot of space to cover,
its best to leave it to
the pros.
EV ID EN CE
YO UR DO G
CA N T DE NY
WorldMags.netP O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S _ OCTOBER
2015
85
FO R TH OS E
W HO PR EF ER
ED
W OO D-TR IM M
SE CU RI TY
WorldMags.net
AN EVEN SIMPLER
SOLUTION
86
me several
times to spikes
in volatile air
compounds.
Good to know!
My only gripes
have to do
with the image
qualitya bit
blurryand the
absence of an
automatic timer
to turn alerts off
according to my
daily schedule.
I always forget
to manually
do that, which
results in my
iPhone chiming to show me
the sandwich I
just made two
minutes ago. I
do make a mean
sandwich, but
I dont need a
recording of it.
A N D R E W
D E L- C O L L E
DAV I D H OWA R D
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
As a single guy
with no roommates and a
freight-car-sized
apartment in
New York City,
I dont need
much in the way
of security
just something
to tell me if
someone has
broken in, really.
Thats why the
Withings Home
($200) has been
perfect for me.
Similar to security cameras like
the Canary, the
Home comes
with a 1080p
motion-sensing
camera capable
of 135 degrees
of viewing, a
microphone,
and an air sensor, which has
already alerted
WorldMags.net
THE FUTURE
OF THE
AMERICAN
HOME
WorldMags.net
1
Haven
One exception is
Haven, a smart
lock that bolts to
the floor at the
base of a door.
When armed,
it bars the door
from the bottom.
Its stronger
than a deadbolt
and ditches keys
in favor of digital
activation. Haven
still has some
hurdlesit only
works on inwardswinging doors,
for examplebut
its approach is
probably the
most interesting
new idea in
smart locks.
2
Lockitron
Lockitron might
be the easiest
lock to set up yet.
It fits over your
existing door
lock, so you dont
have to replace
any hardware.
Thats important
for the huge
number of people
who rent and are
at the mercy of
their landlords
skeleton key. The
idea is so brilliant
that the founders successfully
crowdsourced
the money for
their first manufacturing run.
SECURITY
3
Kaba Mas X-10
A big problem
with electronic
locks is power
what happens if
the battery dies?
Kaba Mas sells its
X-10 lock only to
the government,
so the company
has to make it
secure and reliable. Kabas
solution: The
twist of an input
dial generates
enough power to
turn the lock on
long enough for
a pass code to be
entered. Now it
needs to get into
consumer locks.
P H O T O G R A P H / I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y T E E K AY N A M E
4
Sunnect
AP501
WorldMags.net
Smart-Home
Obsession
A cautionary tale.
87
THE FUTURE
OF THE
AMERICAN
HOME
SECURITY
WorldMags.net
The Plight
Of the
Smart Gun
Technology to prevent gun
accidents exists, so why
isnt it widely available?
BY J O E PA P PA L A R D O
88
The watch
requires a
personal identification number
before the authorization signal
is sent. If the
PIN is correct,
good appears
on the display,
which also shows
charge levels
for the gun and
watch.
Guard Dog
Security Titan
A combination
flashlight, 18.5-inch
clubber, and stun gun
all wrapped up in one
medieval-looking
package. And it comes
with a lifetime warranty. $120
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
3M Safety &
Security Window
Film
This film can be difficult to install (best
to have a pro do it),
but once in place it
will make breaking
windows much more
difficult. Bonus: It helps
block the suns rays,
resulting in a much
cooler house and less
a/c usage. Price varies.
Arma 100
Essentially a
twenty-first-century
blunderbuss. It uses
nitrogen to launch a
variety of nonlethal
payloads, such as
a beanbag. Within
twenty feet this thingll
leave a mark. $199
WorldMags.net
Nightlock
Door
Barricade
This is an aluminum
device that installs in
the floor at the bottom
of your door and uses a
removable vertical wall
to keep the door from
opening. Its easy to
install, and there is no
chance someone
is going to get
through it. $40
W HA T TO
KE EP IN SI DE
YO UR SA FE
RO OM
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90
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
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TECH
AMERICAN HOME
2O15
BY ALEXANDER GEORGE
Do You
Want
A Nest?
This Nest company, with its
smart thermostats and smart
this and smart
that, seems to
be taking off.
Should you get
on board? To find
out, we asked a
few dozen early
adopters whether
Nest is as great
as everyone says.
WorldMags.netP O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S _ OCTOBER
2015
91
THE FUTURE
OF THE
AMERICAN
HOME
TECH
my moms house.
Jim, I knew, had Nest Learning
Thermostats. He mentioned it to my
mom when she asked about them
after replacing a/c compressors that
had been ruined by Hurricane Sandy.
So I asked him, the way youd ask
your neighbor about his new car: You
like it? Hows the mileage? It handle
okay? Seriously, do you like it?
Oh, theyre great, Jim said of the
two Nests in his house and the two
more hed installed at his motherin-laws, which his wife controls
remotely. Like a lot of the people
I talked to who own smart-home
devices, he didnt speak with the
breathless enthusiasm of, say, a new
iPhone owner. He didnt gush. But
he had conviction. We just love it,
he said. The heating and cooling
are separate so we had to get two,
because the system is a million years
old. But theyre great.
I asked about the Honeywell alternative that the technician working
on my mothers house was pushing.
Well, he said, its always better to
have competition. Noncommittal.
Didnt want to disparage a legend,
maybe. But he, a contractor, had
spent hundreds of his own dollars
on Nests specific vision of the future.
Jim was the first of dozens of Nest
owners I talked to. Nest is the center of the smart-home universe right
now. It showed that a house is a concentration of routines that could be
performed more efficiently with apps
and Wi-Fi. Now the company is building an empire on the back of its sleek,
round thermostatsmoke detectors,
air-quality monitors, home security.
I wanted to know: What do people
think? If you own a Nest anything, do
you like it?
WorldMags.net
li Levine, an administrative
assistant at Wichita State
University in Kansas: The
thermostat has been great. The learn
function, I initially didnt totally trust
it, but its been working just fine. I
have a twenty-three-year-old furnace
and air conditioner. The installation
was idiot-proof. I dont think it took
fifteen minutes.
Denis Lemire, up in Edmonton,
Alberta, bought a Nest when it came
out: If its smart, I probably want it.
I saw the viral video, and I was first
in line to preorder.
I found these people in online
forums and through Twitter. I asked
strangers at Apple stores (days before
92
the company removed Nest products from its shelves because, its
rumored, Nest isnt compatible with
Apples HomeKit). I asked friends of
friends. I finished every conversation by asking, Do you know anyone
else with a Nest? Peter Leuzzi, in
Chicago, tweeted a complaint to
Nests customer-service Twitter handle: the app update is crashing my
app after entering my ZIP code at
setup. Leuzzi told me he bought a
Nest Learning Thermostat for his
hair salon. It sits behind his station,
so his clients see it in the mirror. Frequent questions he gets: How much
was it? ($250.) Is that thing taping
us? (Sort of. It has a motion sensor
and tracks movement.) Has it saved
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
WorldMags.net
kept coming up. Futuristic, people said. Sleek. Slick. I asked Paul
Martin, an energy-management consultant in Charfield, England, why he
chose the Nest over the humdrum
model his boiler technician recommended: If its going to be on display
in your home, it has to look nice,
Martin said.
hat has been Nests ambitious goal: to improve the
unloved categories in the
home, according to Tony Fadell, the
CEO. After the Learning Thermostat,
his company turned to the smoke
detector. They call it the Protect. New
territory. Life-and-death territory.
Nest spent eighteen months developing the Protect and working with
U.S. and international organizations
to comply with safety regulations. I
found people who owned a Protect.
The question now was not whether
they liked it, but have they ever had
a problem? If I was going to recommend that my mother install one of
these in her home, where it could save
her life, I wanted to know more.
You dont really interact with
it much, if at all, said Davies, the
Atlanta renter. I triggered it once
when cooking something. A voice
comes up, says, We detect smoke.
In ten seconds were going to sound
the alarm. I took a bath towel, waved
[the smoke] away. In England
Martin once had his Protect triggered by the weather. We had a bit
of high wind, the windows had been
left open, and it had disturbed some
dust, and the Protect just needed to
be reset. But, of course, explaining
to a panicking wife over the phone
what to do is kind of harder, Martin
said. So I said, Just silence it. Which
you do by holding the button, and its
been fine ever since.
Davies said, I looked up reviews
and you see people who go through
three Protects from false alarms, but
Ive had no problems. No issues whatsoever. Im trying to figure out what
people are actually doing, because
Ive been completely satisfied. I love
it. I recommend it to everyone.
I called up owners who had
had these false alarms, wondering
whether the old computing adage
applied: For every computer error
there are two human errors, and one
of them is blaming the computer.
Last weekend Im out, thirty minutes away from my house, said Mark
Spirek, who has both a Nest Learning Thermostat and a Protect at his
home outside Chicago. I get an alert
on my phone: smoke in the hallway. I
freak out. No ones home. I think my
house is on fire and my dogs dying.
The fire department goes over and
they tell me that theres no sign of fire.
They ask if I want them to force entry,
and I say, Yes. Ive never had a false
alarm. Its gone off when someone is
cooking, so I figure, well, its probably going off because theres smoke.
They go in, theres no smoke, no sign
of anything, everythings fine. How
am I supposed to trust [Nest] again?
I heard a few similar complaints
from other owners, all of whom had
pets, which explains why the false
alarms fried their nerves. When
you call in, said Levine, the Wichita thermostat owner who also owns
a Protect and has a dog and cat,
[Nest] asks a series of questions:
How often do you dust? Is there a
vent near the Nest? How far is it from
the shower? I said to the lady, I dont
know if this is something youre trying to say weve done?
Do You
Want a Smart . . .
WorldMags.net
I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y S T E V E S A N F O R D
GET SMART
KEEP DUMB
Gardening Sensor
Washing Machine
(Edyn)
Hook up the smart
actuator to your hose
for fail-proof
homemade produce.
Key Chain
Meat
Thermometer
(Tile)
Even when smart locks
are a thing, youll still
have keys to lose between
couch cushions.
Garage-Door Opener
(Chamberlain MyQ)
Stop that nagging worry
about whether
you closed it or not.
(iDevices iGrill)
If you need a push
notification for
proper doneness, youre
too busy to grill.
Light
(Philips Hue)
Overnight guests will
use the light switch and
disable the bulbs.
WorldMags.netP O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S _ OCTOBER
2015
93
WorldMags.net
Are We
Ready for
A New
Toilet?
n the summer of
2014 sewage workers
in London toiled for
four days to disgorge a
fatberg, a congealed
lump of food grease and wet wipes
the length of a Boeing 747 that had
become lodged in the citys pipes. It
was only the most revolting sign of
a problem currently affecting many
municipalities: debris caught in
machinery at wastewater-treatment
plants. Bathroom moist wipes, the
squeegee to toilet papers buffing
cloth, make up about a third of this
debris. About 30 percent of wipes are
marketed as flushable, but clearly
that does not mean degradable. New
York City officials have reported
spending more than $18 million
during the past five years replacing
and repairing sewer-plant pumps,
gears, valves, and screens damaged
as a result of wipes.
According to global marke t
research firm Mintel, sales of flushable wet wipes increased by 14.7
percent from 2012 to 2014, while
toilet-paper sales increased only
1 percent over the same period. People seem to have determined that
toilet paper alone doesnt do the
job, turning to wet wipes to achieve
the immaculate behind. Toiletpaper companies, looking to sweep
up new customers, have launched
new, invigoratingly named brand
offshoots (Charmin Freshmates,
Cottonelle Fresh Care) to encourage
them. As of 2012 theres even a fratty,
postcollegiate startup proffering
vitamin E and aloe-soaked sheets
called Dude Wipes vacuum-packed
in black to the fratty, postcollegiate
94
TOILETS
AMERICAN HOME
2O15
A dispatch
from the front
lines of the
American
bathroom.
BY ANDY
ISAAC SON
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
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2015
95
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OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
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WorldMags.net
SOLAR
AMERICAN HOME
2O15
Will Solar
Ever
Work?
T
BY ER IC KESTER
WorldMags.netP O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S _ OCTOBER
2015
97
Is Your
House
Right
For
Solar?
WorldMags.net
98
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
In addition to state
incentives and local
sunlight, one element to consider before
installing solar is
whether your roof is
ideally situated to
receive rays. There are
four key characteristics solar companies
look for in the section
of your roof you intend
to pave with panels: (1)
roofing material, (2)
the azimuth, or direction the section of roof
faces, (3) the roofs
pitch, and (4) the hours
of sun the roof gets per
day. Assuming youre
buying energy from a
conventional utility at a cost of $0.25
per kilowatt-hour, and
youve got enough roof
to install the optimal
number of panels, here
are the savings you can
expect based on what
youve got.
HOUSE 1
ROOF
MATERIAL
Wood
shake (its a
fire hazard)
AZIMUTH
North
PITCH
36 degrees
HOUSE 3
DO N T
BO TH ER
SUNHOURS
3.5
ENERGY
PRICE
$0.25/kwh
IT S
W OR TH
IT
ROOF
MATERIAL
Spanish
tile
AZIMUTH
West
WorldMags.net
PITCH
22 degrees
SUNHOURS
5
ENERGY
PRICE
$0.16
$0.17/
kwh
I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y S T E V E S A N F O R D
THE FUTURE
OF THE
WorldMags.net
HOUSE 2
ROOF
MATERIAL
Spanish tile
(difficult to
work with/
walk on)
AZIMUTH
East
PITCH
12 degrees
HOUSE 4
ROOF
MATERIAL
Composite
shingles
AZIMUTH
South
PITCH
18 degrees
TH IN K
LO NG AN D
HA RD
SUNHOURS
4.5
ENERGY
PRICE
$0.18
$0.19/
kwh
W HA T AR E
YO U W AI TI NG
FO R?
SUNHOURS
6
ENERGY
PRICE
$0.14
$0.15/
kwh
AMERICAN
HOME
SOLAR
WorldMags.netP O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S _ OCTOBER
2015
99
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100
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
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THE FUTURE
OF THE
away anytime soon. But given the legislative muck surrounding solar, its
not hard to wonder how stable an
industry can be if its financial health
is so firmly bolted to the ever-shifting
whims of government.
The greatest hope for the solar
industry may lie in the determination
of its employees, who think of their
work not as a job but as a cause. They
believe renewable energy is the future
simply because without it, the earth
itself may not have much of a future.
Right now on thousands of roofs
across America there are solar proponents like Killian McDonald looking
up at the sun to project its path. But
for each McDonald there are dozens
of electrical linemen who are hanging, literally and figuratively, from the
millions of century-old utility poles
hammered deep into American soil.
The change will be gradual and it
will be long, but it is moving in a single direction. You likely wont regret
the decision to go solar in twenty
years, when photovoltaic panels are as
cheap and ubiquitous as cellphones,
and some new country is hoarding,
price gouging, or fighting everyone
else over oil. The sun has about five
billion years left in it. And it belongs
to everyone.
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SUNSHINE STATES
AMERICAN
HOME
SOLAR
GRADE
I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y S T E V E S A N F O R D
WorldMags.netP O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S _ OCTOBER
2015
101
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REMODELING
THE FUTURE OF THE
AMERICAN HOME
2O15
Home
Ownership,
Oh, Joy
BY RYAN D AGOSTINO
102
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
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WorldMags.netP O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S _ OCTOBER
2015
103
THE FUTURE
OF THE
AMERICAN
HOME
REMODELING
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104
Sawzall
There will be a lot
to cut: nail-studded
framing lumber and
cast-iron pipe, shingles,
tree branches, even
roots. Only one tool
handles all that, the
mighty reciprocating
saw. Our vote is for the
famous Milwaukee
Super Sawzall.
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
Framing Hammer
The solid-steel framing hammer is nearly
unbreakable. When
youre madly tearing
out lumber in a confined space or driving a
nail somewhere youre
sure to hit the handle,
youll be glad you have
this puppy.
Oscillating
Multitool
Although demolition
and remodeling can
be a savage business,
there are times when
precision is called
for. Enter the oscillating multitool. It cuts
in impossible places,
making clean slices
through wood, metal,
and plaster.
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Sledgehammer
No remodeling and
demolition kit is
complete without a
high-quality sledge.
Dont waste money on
a cheap one that will
chip when it strikes
concrete. Buy one
thats drop-forged and
heat-treated. Swing
with impunity.
I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y S T E V E S A N F O R D
Keep It Out of
Your Nose
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
DO
DONT
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Counterfeits Hurt.
You Have the Power to Stop Them.
Protect yourself from counterfeit products.
Visit NCPC.ORG/GETREAL
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BUILD
YOUR OWN
STAND-UP
DESK
THE
SWITCH
BY ALEXANDER
GEORGE
WorldMags.netP O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S _ OCTOBER
2015
107
1"
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A
THE DESK
BY RICHARD ROMANSKI
108
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
STA ND -UP
D ES K
D
E
8 "
12"
9"
4 1/4"
C
10 "
12"
5"
9"
12"
9"
2 "
2 "
E
3 1/4"
12"
9"
4 1/4"
M ATE RI A L S
2 9/16"
12
Supplies
17"
4 11/16"
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STA N D - U P D E S K
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YOU LITERALLY
WONT HAVE TO
LIFT A
FINGER
with 120-grit sandpaper, followed by 180and 220-grit. Lightly sand the dowels with
220-grit sandpaper.
Stain both sets of uprights and hinge
blocks, and apply two coats of clear satin
polyurethane to them. Apply one coat of
finish to the dowel rods and two coats to the
MDF panels.
109
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P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S _ OCTOBER 2015
AN C
ASSUR
IT Y
O .E .MR.
C O LO H
MA TC
UA
RANTE
QU AL
ASSEMBLY
It doesnt matter whether you begin the
assembly process on the front or the back
of the uprights. The most important thing
is to ensure that each dowel is square to the
upright and that each upright is parallel to
the one opposite it. You can accomplish this
any number of ways. You can use a framing
square to check the position of the dowel
relative to the upright, or you can build
yourself an assembly jig out of plywood and
a couple scrap pieces of wood.
Fasten each dowel to an upright with a
small glob of carpenters glue. When the
glue has cured, bore two pilot holes through
the dowel. I used a small block of wood with
a half-round groove and a pair of predrilled
holes to help guide the drill bit 4 .
Affix the dowels to the uprights by driving a pair of oval-head screws at each
connection 5 . When three dowels have
been glued and screwed on each of these
uprights, glue and screw the dowels on the
opposite side.
Fasten the hinge block to the front
uprights with four No. 6 1-inch wood
screws. Use the screws that come with the
hinge to fasten the front leaf of each hinge
to its hinge block. Swing the back uprights
open and fasten the rear hinge leaf to the
rear upright. Attach the self-adhesive rubber feet (bumper pads) to the uprights.
Slide the panels into the uprights and
lock them in position by spreading the
uprights apart until you feel a slight pinching action on the wood.
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morrow
car of to
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o
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RAPID PU
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with the
Stainless Steel
NEW
Models
Starting at
1,29999
DR RAPID-FEED
CHIPPER devours
branches up to
5" thick!
DRleafvac.com
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FREE
SHIPPING TRIAL FINANCING
SOME LIMITATIONS APPLY. CALL OR GO ONLINE FOR DETAILS.
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88835X 2015
88834X 2015
NEW
LOW
PRICE!
OR KIDS
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POPULA
HANIC
SF
MEC
TIME
CAPSULE
A project to build
with your children.
DESIGNED BY
TED KILCOMMONS
Materials
QTY. DESCRIPTION
Instructions
parent only
parent and kid
kid only
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2015
115
HANICS F
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OUR BUILDER,
Amanda Bonavita,
a 12-year-old from
Staten Island, New
York, is a participant
in the FIRST Robotics
Competition.
The nationwide
tournament
encourages kids
to pursue careers
in engineering and
technology.
KIDS
PO
EC
OR
PULAR M
PROJECT NOTES
TIME
CAPSULE!
A project to build
with your children.
DESIGNED BY
TED KILCOMMONS
Difficulty:
EASY
Time: 30 minutes
REASONABLE
HARD
Ages: 6+
G IV E
116
OCTOBER 2015 _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S
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Y O U R
K I C K
Y O U R
S E C R E T
Y O U R
D R I V I N G
W H A T
Y O U
P R O P E L S
T H I S
I S
S T A R T.
W E A P O N .
F O R C E .
W E A R
Y O U R
P O T E N T I A L .
M A C H I N E
T E C H N I C A L
W A S H A B L E
C A S H M E R E
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K I T A N D A C E . C O M
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