Innholdsfortegnelse for December/January 2017 i Popular Mechanics

ONLINE! Over on Popularmechanics.com, we take a tour of the Nerf factory and talk to the engineers of the new TerraScout drone. (See page 99.) Yes, there are Nerf engineers, and yes, it is the best job ever. Find out why at popularmechanics.com/nerf. INSTAGRAM STORIES! Photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours? Sounds familiar, and yet, we can’t get enough of it. Check out our new Instagram Stories feed and follow along as we visit science museums, work on projects, and scope out car shows. While you’re on the app, tag us (@PopularMechanics or using #popularmechanics) to share what you’re working on. ON CAMPUS! This summer would-be scientists, engineers, and makers can partake in our first ever STEM Experience, an 11-day precollege enrichment program on UCLA’s campus that will…

ILLUSTRATION BY JOSH MCKIBLE In 2013, when Eddie Bauer was redesigning its highly technical Ascent line of outdoor gear, the company turned to its resident athletes and mined their expertise to create the best pack possible. Using the company’s unique in-house feedback system, BaseCamp, eight different adventurers—skiers, snowboarders, alpine climbers—weighed in on the pack’s creation and reported on their time in the field with prototypes. Some wrote pages of complaints, hopes, and dreams. Others just wanted a different color. The result of three years of collaboration between designers and athletes and guides: the new Sisu pack, built for backcountry skiing but usable just about anywhere. A brief oral history of the Sisu’s evolution from just a few of the people who had a hand in it: THE COMMITTEE ▶ SCOTT…

▶ Conventional Tank Gas heaters are better than electric at answering high demand, so they are better for large households but lose some heat through vent pipes and are more complicated to install. ▶ Heat Pump Uses a compressorcondenser loop to transfer heat from the surrounding air to water. A backup heater kicks in when this is not enough. Best in warmer climates or installed in a hot room (next to the furnace). ▶ Solar Water (in warm climates) or heat-transfer fluid (in freezing-prone climates) is pumped through rooftop solar collectors to preheat water for a conventional heater. Only an option if the home gets good sun exposure. ▶ Tankless A heat-exchanging coil allows a burner to create hot water instantaneously instead of storing it—no heat is lost while water…

The Barrel Hitch On occasions when you’re lifting a cylindrical object a serious distance—say, hoisting roofing tools in a paint bucket that’s lost its handle—a barrel hitch secures the cylinder upright while adding a handle of rope. STEP 1 In the middle of the rope, make a loop and pass one end of the rope through it. This is called an overhand knot. Do not tighten it. STEP 2 Lay the overhand knot on the ground and arrange the rope into a pretzel shape. Loosen it enough that your bucket could fit inside its loop. STEP 3 Grab the top right loop of the pretzel and fold it over downward, creating a figure eight shape. STEP 4 Put your bucket on top of the middle part of the figure eight.…

READERS AGES FIVE TO NINE: Find the nearest adult and tell them about the Arrow Smart-Kart, an invention that addresses every issue that would prevent a well-intentioned parent from buying a go-kart. Parents of those readers: The Arrow ($1,000) is electric, so there are no fumes and no maintenance required except keeping air in the tires. You can use an app to lower the 12-mph top speed. Collision sensors on the front trigger automatic braking. If you fear your driver will intentionally or unintentionally escape your supervision, you can set up a geofence so the motor will function only within a perimeter you define. And if everything goes to heck, you can shut it off remotely. Or, if your parenting practices swing the other way, pay $50 for the plastic…

Dakine, the surf and snowboard accessories company, has always been better known for outfitting its packs and bags to best accommodate things like surf leashes and helmets. Now, it’s focusing on transporting easy-access soda and beer in what is clearly the mullet of backpacks. Up top, it’s all business: twenty-eight liters of storage capacity for your regular gear plus a protected pocket for sunglasses and your phone. Down below, it’s a party with a separate compartment that holds twelve cans and ice packs. The best part, though, is a zippered side dispenser. You can pull out a drink without having to take off the pack. Take into account the three insulated cozies and bottle opener on the shoulder strap and you’re a roving, unencumbered good-time Charlie. FACEBOOK MEMBERS A few…

PHOTOGRAPH BY ZACH DESART When we moved into our 1854 farmhouse a few years ago, there was, shall we say, work to be done. Faucets didn’t work, lights didn’t light. There were too many walls. The attic was inaccessible. There was no insulation. There wasn’t even a hutch for the rabbit we would eventually have. I needed—and wanted—what every homeowner needs and wants: a corner of the basement that I could transform into a workshop. I designated a small (nine by eleven feet) room for my shop, but there wasn’t much to recommend the space. It was dark, kind of damp, and dusty. Wires snaked across its ceiling and walls. A bare 40-watt bulb jutted out from one wall with a Rube Goldberg pull-string arrangement running to the side of…

Consider 2016 the year that brilliant innovations attacked all our technological annoyances. It was the year of home Wi-Fi that just works. Phones designed to survive a night out. The year we said To hell with tangled earbuds! and found a video headset we’d actually wear. But that’s just the everyday stuff. It was also the year drones got small and smart. The year the fastest zero-to-60 time belonged to an electric vehicle. Seriously. Behold the hardware and software that exemplified the notion that, in ways subtle and grand, technology makes our lives better. HEADPHONES PERFECTED Wireless earbuds were inevitable, but for years all we got were flawed prototypes and dicey crowdfunding campaigns. Now they’re finally available in versions we can embrace: The battery lasts for a typical commute. Fit…

At the turn of the 20th century, the shared geography of the Twin Cities helped create a prosperous manufacturing hub originally centered on flour and textile milling and the country’s largest stockyard. With the Mississippi River between them, both cities have a power source and a highway for commerce. We asked two maker couples, one from each city, to tour their sides of the river. ILLUSTRATION BY SINELAB THE MAKERS MINNEAPOLIS Erin and Nate Moren Tandem Made furniture and cabinet makers We met in woodshop at Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and quickly realized we were stronger together. Whatever we’re making just isn’t the same if we don’t build it in tandem. We live and work in the Northeast Arts District, where old warehouses and factories function as small-business…

01 / Never take your eye off the drone, or at least its live video feed. But really, never take your eye off the drone. 02 / When using the “home” function to bring your drone back to you, remember that it will fly a straight line back to its takeoff spot. Regardless of the number of trees in its way. 03 / Avoid aftermarket accessories. A better gimbal mount or bigger battery may be tempting, but even an extra ounce can beset your drone with the maneuverability of an airborne garbage truck. 04 / Don’t land. Most screwups occur near the ground. Fly it in just above head height and grab it, like a falcon landing on your arm. Then kill the props while they’re still safely above the…

PHOTOGRAPH BY JEFF WESTBROOK THE P ROVING GROUND FOR EVERYTHING YOU NEED Nicholson MSA 80975 WEIGHT: 1.6 lb SPARE BLADE HOLDER: Yes LIKES: This versatile saw can be folded into a low-profile configuration for tighter spaces, and it accepts a reciprocating saw blade, allowing it to be used as a jab saw with wood, metal, or drywall. DISLIKES: Needs a thumb rest. Could use a more comfortable handle. $35 Craftsman E0101674 WEIGHT: 1.4 lb SPARE BLADE HOLDER: Yes LIKES: The Craftsman is a lot of saw for the money. It’s lightweight and well balanced, and the rear grip and thumb rest are exceptionally comfortable. We made our cuts in steel with it and didn’t break a sweat. DISLIKES: None. $16 Starrett K145 WEIGHT: 1.8 lb SPARE BLADE HOLDER: No LIKES:…

ILLUSTRATIONS BY SROOP SUNAR Is there any benefit to steel plumb bobs over brass, or vice versa? DENNIS S., ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND For those who don’t know, bobs are used to find the true vertical when building a structure. Generally, steel plumb bobs are less expensive than brass. Brass bobs, however, are better made— nicely machined in a full-body taper. Most even have a replaceable hardened-steel tip. With steel plumb bobs, you usually get a hexagon bar with a cone-shaped tip machined on the end. Except for the expensive and impeccable steel plumb bobs from storied toolmaker L.S. Starrett. Those tend to be lighter, smaller, and narrower than brass, making them easier to carry in a toolbox. And their narrow profile makes them better suited for dropping close to a vertical…

1. The Three-Month Trial A while back, I got my son a subscription to Deezer, which is a streaming service like Spotify but with more electronic dance music. I signed up for three free months, but I had to put in my credit card. He doesn’t use it anymore, but years later, I caught a $250 charge. Other companies have incremental costs, but Deezer’s huge number was obvious. Luckily, it was easy to log in and shut it off. Tip: When you start a trial, set your calendar to remind you when the free trial ends. 2. The Outdated Data Plan If my wireless bill is higher than usual for no clear reason, I call up customer service and say that I’m dropping one of my lines. Usually, they’ll either…

Scrub Daddy is a brightly colored smiley-face sponge, with holes for the eyes and the mouth. It’s ugly. But it works. Invented by the former owner of an automotive buffing company, the Scrub Daddy uses a temperaturedependent polymer-based foam called FlexTexture, which was originally invented to help mechanics clean their hands. In warm water, the sponge’s texture changes, becoming softer and more malleable. When the water is switched back to cold, the sponge increases in roughness, easily scraping away old soap scum and mildew. And it smiles at you the whole time. No matter what it’s covered in. A BATTERY FOR YOUR HOUSE Tesla’s new Powerwall banks energy in an aesthetically pleasing reservoir so you can power your home with solar energy at night. It is a model of utopian…

It’s been 40 years since the release of Rocky. Stuck with a Charlie Brown tree in the living room? We can help. The 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Survivors of the USS Arizona can actually be interred with their crewmen on the sunken battleship when they die. The MythBusters build team reunites on White Rabbit Project on Netflix. Who needs Chewie? The first spin-off Star Wars movie, about the team who steals the plans to the Death Star, Rogue One, comes out today. Assassin’s Creed hits theaters today. Learn all about the movie’s crazy camera work on page 32. Happy Holidays! Still don’t know what to get your brother? See page 94. New year. Resolve to make a new work space. See page 103. Hockey! Snow! A…

For a few short days every year, it is perfectly acceptable to drink creamy, booze-laced punch from a dainty cup. Especially if it’s a version of the creamy, booze-laced punch George Washington used to serve over the holidays at Mount Vernon, his plantation house in Virginia. If you think you don’t like eggnog, that’s probably because you’ve had only the overly sweetened cartons from the supermarket. “The true version takes time and patience,” says Brooks Reitz (pictured), founder of Jack Rudy Cocktail Co., which makes iconic cocktail ingredients with a Southern point of view. “But it will blow you away.” Eggnog was a British custom transported to the colonies and favored by settlers who remained devout Anglophiles. Reitz uses a recipe from those times, passed down (through his “Nonnie”) from…

THINGS COME APART A PHOTOGRAPH BY TODD MCLELLAN NOTES: Started in Milwaukee in 1874 as a machine shop, A.O. Smith made parts for bicycles and baby carriages. Then it developed a lightweight automobile frame, and in 1906 Henry Ford came calling. In 1921 the company cut the ribbon on the nation’s first automatic frame plant. Twelve years later when Prohibition was repealed and Milwaukee got back to brewing, brewers had a problem: Beer corroded steel brewing tanks. So A.O. Smith figured out how to fuse a glass lining to the steel. It was also a perfect solution for storing hot water, which can be very corrosive. Today, most conventional tank water heaters use glass-lined construction, and A.O. Smith leads the American water-heating industry. COLD WATER When you open the tap…

Jeans may be as American as apple pie, but less than 1% of all the jeans bought in the U.S. are actually made here. Detroit Denim Co. Founder ERIC YELSMA decided to take matters into his own hands. After 15 years in the corporate world, he was let go and seized the opportunity to follow his dream—to make quality, U.S.-sourced, selvage jeans in Detroit. He says his secret isn’t really a secret, it’s just hard to do: “Work hard at something you love and help others along the way.” JEAN-IOUS AT WORK Eric found success not by following the typical path, but by following his own. TRUST YOURSELF: I knew deep down what I was meant to do, and all of my education and experience was just preparation. PUT PEOPLE…

CADDY, KNOT: ILLUSTRATIONS BY MORNING BREATH; PHOTOGRAPHS BY ERIC HELGAS Portable Parts Caddy From Scrap SENIOR EDITOR ROY BERENDSOHN recently designed this simple courier for project hardware. Start with scrap plywood—say 10 by 18 inches—then cut a second piece two inches shorter on all sides. Stack them, centering the smaller piece below the larger one. Now gather disposable but sturdy open-topped containers, like takeout dishes or tin cans. Fix them to the base with screws long enough to penetrate both layers. Tall containers (soup cans) are great for things like drill bits, wrenches, and drivers; short containers (cat-food tins) for nuts, bolts, and washers. The heft of the plywood keeps the courier sturdy, and the smaller bottom piece creates a lip so it is easy to grip, even one-handed. BETTER…

Why Snowshoe? UNLESS YOU’RE A skier, the snow-covered terrain of winter can mean four months inside wondering what the sun used to look like. But not if you have a pair of snowshoes. They make the outside world accessible year-round while requiring no more skill than what it takes to walk to the couch. We asked Mark Elmore, sports director of the United States Snowshoe Association, to walk us through the basics. After that, we headed outside. Snowshoes ILLUSTRATIONS BY STEVE SANFORD THE PARTS FRAMING Gives the snowshoe its structure. Width on most pairs is relatively similar, but length changes drastically depending on the type of snow that’s typical in your area. (The deeper, dryer the powder, the longer the shoe.) DECKING Provides surface area to disperse weight and support…

ILLUSTRATION BY RYAN INZANA MY MOTHER SAID every adult should be able to make a quick pasta marinara. I would add one more essential skill: knowing how to wield a wrench. After a semester abroad in Ghana, another student and I got it into our heads to drive to Timbuktu. We teamed up with a guy who owned a wellworn Peugeot 504, a sedan with a skid plate beneath it for light off-roading. I’m not sure we understood the scale of our trip. From the Ghanaian capital, Timbuktu is about the same distance as New Orleans to Chicago, but twice the time because of the awful roads. Three days got us to the right country, Mali, but not to Timbuktu since the sand was too deep for two-wheel drive. We…

Photographs by MATT KIEDAISCH The Cadieux Café sits at the corner of Cadieux Road and Waveney Street, in Detroit’s East English Village neighborhood, as it has since 1962. But the record books it keeps for the feather-bowling league—those date back to 1933. Framed portraits of the original owners hang above the long, dark wood bar. The café portion of the establishment, with its dim Christmas lights and jukebox and the big silver bowls full of garlicky mussels for eats, is worn in and wonderful and a destination in itself. But it’s through a door next to the bar—you’ve got to give it a good shove to get it open—where the feather bowling happens. And the feather bowling is why people from all over Detroit come here. The thing is, pretty…

Three-hundred-sixty-degree cameras have dropped to GoPro prices. (The 360fly is only $300.) The only real issue is editing. In terms of field of view, you’re looking at six to ten times more raw footage with a 360 camera. As with drone footage, unless you do something truly VRworthy— tour an Air Force base, dive with sharks, visit a cat café—only a portion of what 360 cameras capture is worth looking at. For now, the final video won’t be as focused or compelling as a tight 2D clip. It can’t be. Especially if the person you show the video to doesn’t have a VR headset or Google Cardboard. But this is about looking forward. Not to a day when everyone is using YouTube 360, which, honestly, will always be pretty fun…

I’m dangling near the top of a twentyfoot plate of glass. All two hundred pounds of me. On land, I can’t do a single pull-up—not even if you held a doughnut over the bar. But I got up here using my own strength, and if it weren’t for my nerves, I wouldn’t have broken a sweat. The suction-cup paddles in each of my hands are harnessed to my waist. Stirrups loop around my feet. As I shift my weight off my right leg and onto my left, the pneumatic fingers on the paddle in my right hand release the pressure holding the seven suction cups above them to the wall. My body weight moves to my left leg, pulling down the fingers in the paddle in my left hand. The…

A> MIZU V10 THERMOS Founded by former pro snowboarder Jussi Oksanen, Mizu wants you to stop using plastic bottles. The V10 thermos, with its copper lining and nostalgic design, is a convincing argument to do so. And it won’t retain any chicken-noodle-soup flavor when you fill it with Irished-up coffee. ($42; mizulife.com) B> YETI HOPPER FLIP 12 There’s a good reason why a Yeti, especially one as versatile as the Flip, makes people’s eyes go big: Aside from being perfectly sized to fit a 12-pack and a block of ice—or a tray of hot barbecue—it’s equipped with waterproof, leakproof zippers and a puncture- and mildewresistant shell. And it keeps ice for days. ($280; yeti.com) C> MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR STRETCH DOWN JACKET All down jackets are warm, sure. But the stitching and…

Install blocking on wall studs, move cables out of the way, and shim each full sheet of plywood level. Tack it, then do the same for the next sheet. After all the sheets are nailed home, lay out the wall standard positions using a level. Mark a horizontal line to indicate the top of the standards. Begin with one reference standard. Place it on its plumb line, and drive a single screw into its top hole. Plumb the standard, then finish fastening it. Place the next standard on its reference line and with a bracket mounted in it and in the first standard, fine-tune its position using a level.…

*COMMONLY AVAILABLE AT HOME CENTERS. DIAGRAM PROJECT NOTES TO SAND the inside of the dowel holes, wrap sandpaper around the drill bit and run it briefly in each hole. Also, when you go to predrill the screw holes in the plastic sheet, make sure the bit is slightly larger than the screw shank. We cracked two sheets using too-small holes. And finally, don’t store the dispenser in the window. At least not when it’s full. Jellybeans melt together, and M&M’s softened so much they got crushed when we turned the dowel. Instructions parent only kid only parent and kid 1. PHOTOGRAPHS BY REBECCA MCALPIN; ILLUSTRATION BY GEORGE RETSECK CREDITS p. 5 “Stupid or Amazing?” illustration: Doug Chayka; “House by the Lake”: Dylan Griffin; “Something Cool”: James Worrell; p. 6 D’Agostino:…

I STARTED COOKING with handheld tools and transitioned to machines only after mastering the classical, tactile ways to prepare food. In the mid-1990s, when modern innovative cooking came onto the world stage, I learned that when machines save time and cost or improve flavor or texture, then tradition could discreetly benefit from technology. That’s why I describe my work as “handmade food with the help of machines.” —As told to Francine Maroukian THE SUBJECT: Shola Olunloyo THE JOB: Chef and founder of Studio Kitchen food lab LOCATION: Philadelphia 1 / MINIPACK MVS 31X VAC SEALER There is no time I don’t use this. Beyond the basic packaging function, it increases efficiency and product integrity, from resting and accelerating the hydration of fresh pasta to compressing fruit to change its texture.…