Popular Mechanics articles from January 2005

Popular Mechanics archives from January 2005

The spirit of invention lives.(Editorial)
January 1, 2005... In a time when technology grows ever more complex, it often seems that the tools we depend on are increasingly beyond our understanding. There was a time when a reasonably savvy amateur could take apart, say, a Briggs & Stratton lawn mower...

The fixes are in.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... Thank you for publishing the "Quick Fixes For Everyday Disasters" article (Nov. 2004, page 83). We had two "poltergeist doors" in our house. I applied your solution and now both doors work like a charm. TONY RODRIGUEZ Via Internet I...

The trouble with HDTV.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... Nice article about HDTV ("Is HDTV Ready?" Nov. 2004, page 66). Now how about a followup story about how to deal with this expensive government mandate regarding television reception? Not everyone is ready to replace their TV sets. LEN...

Plane speaking.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... It was with great interest that I read about the new civilian supersonic aircraft being developed in the Skunk Works ("Fast Company," Nov. 2004, page 72). I noted that in a reference to other supersonic aircraft, the author omitted two of the...

Corrections.(Letters)(Correction Notice)
January 1, 2005... In "Atomic Wings" (May 2004) we reported that Capt. Christopher Hamilton conducted research on a hafnium reactor at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. In fact, Hamilton's research did not take place at Wright-Patterson and was limited to...

On thin ice.(100 Years Ago (January 1905))
January 1, 2005... Undoubtedly, [motor] iceboating is the coming winter sport," PM declared. Not to be confused with ice sailing-or, for that matter, Champions on Ice--this reckless ancestor of the snowmobile aspired to reach 100 mph.

Cool and the gang.(76 Years Ago (January 1929))
January 1, 2005... Snowmobile design as we know it today began to take shape around the start of the Hoover administration. This early ski-footed model, apparently owned by a sort of L.L.Bean-clad gang, was 26 in. wide. Today, Joseph-Armand Bombardier, whose...

The fall the of the wild.(48 Years Ago (January 1957))
January 1, 2005... Mechanization often means job losses for human workers. In 1957, dog sled reams were getting the pink slip as the "motorized toboggan" made its debut in the Canadian wilderness. While the bark of huskies was replaced by the "noisy yammer of...

When Killy was King.(35 Years Ago (January 1970))
January 1, 2005... Looking like a minitank with its bulldozer steering and treads, the 634cc Snow Eagle ATV-600 roared onto the winter sports scene (literally, with its dual exhaust). PM raved this was the "first--and certainly not the last--of a lickety-split...

Clean and mean.(Techwatch)
January 1, 2005... Hydrogen fuel cell concept cars are the automotive industry's way of giving itself good citizenship awards. Ignoring the societywide logistical challenge of rolling out a cost-effective hydrogen fuel infrastructure, designers and engineers are...

What's big in France.(This Month)
January 1, 2005... The newly opened highest bridge on the planet is now carrying traffic across the Tam River in southern France, filling a gap in the A75 motorway between the towns of Clermont-Ferrand and Beziers. Built at a cost of 320 million euros ($413...

January is.(This Month)
January 1, 2005... Family Fit Lifestyle Month... International Creativity Month... International Life Balance Month... Jump Out of Bed Month... National Be On Purpose Month... National Clean Up Your Computer Month... Get Organized Month... National...

The best bet.(This Month)
January 1, 2005... On Jan. 5, Microsoft alpha nard Bill Gates is scheduled to give a keynote speech at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The garner rumor mill is hot and frothy with the notion that Gates will announce the next-generation Xbox,...

This month's hurtling astronomical object.(This Month)
January 1, 2005... Comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) will be visible in the Northern Hemisphere in early January, moving through the constellation Taurus. it could reach magnitude 4 (bright enough to see with the naked eye). Reason to worry: None. Relax.

Smallest big announcement at the Detroit auto show.(This Month)
January 1, 2005... Mercedes-Benz has been selling its ultraparkable, plastic-paneled Smart cars in Europe for seven years now, and word is that the North American International Auto Show in Detroit (Jan. 15 to 22) will be the launching pad for the U.S. model, a...

The future bowls.(Techwatch)
January 1, 2005... While the high-profile competition on the gridiron is heating up with the start of the NFL playoffs, another contest is going on behind the scenes: the battle to build the world's best stadium. The budgets for these proposed arenas--which are...

Meow remix.(Ticker Tech)
January 1, 2005... Los Angeles-based company Allerca has announced its intention to sell genetically modified hypoallergenic cats by 2007. The sneeze-free kitties will sell for $3500 on www.allerca.com and will come spayed or neutered to prevent them from mating...

Glass half-full?(Ticker Tech)
January 1, 2005... The results of a Dutch study on the health effects of optimism and pessimism on the elderly were recently published in Archives Of General Psychiatry. It was found that optimists had "a 55 percent lower risk of death by all causes."...

Running on empty.(Ticker Tech)
January 1, 2005... While campaigning last spring, Arnold Schwarzenegger promised he'd convert his gaz-guzzling Himmer to hydrogen power. Turns out that the Governator was pretty busy, so General Motors build him a new hydrogen-powered Hummer. Schwarzenneger drove...

When bugs go bad.(Techwatch)
January 1, 2005... If you see clouds on the horizon in northwestern Africa these days, there's a good chance that the forecast calls for locusts. It's the worst outbreak of Schistocerca gregaria in nearly two decades and, according to the U.N. Food and...

The crash of flight 587: after a three-year investagation, the official report finally answer lingering questions.(What Went Wrong)
January 1, 2005... On the morning of November 12, 2001, an American Airlines Airbus carrying 251 passengers and nine crew members from New York's Kennedy International Airport to the Dominican Republic broke up just after takeoff and plunged from the sky, killing...

Screening your calls.(Upgrade: Laser Levels)
January 1, 2005... Ah, the videophone. That vision of progress that surfaces in a different incarnation every 10 years or so, and then, often as not, goes back from whence it came. Consumers seem to see these contraptions in their future, but never accept them in...

Laser shootout: we test four high-tech levels against a classic carpenter's tool.(Upgrade)
January 1, 2005... Stanley IntelliLaser Pro ($55) Compared to some of the wackier-looking contraptions in this test, in which we measured modern laser levels against a classic 4-ft. bubble level made by Irwin, the IntelliLaser gave a good first impression:...

Look ma, no tape.(Upgrade)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Digital video cameras get smaller and smaller and their resolution gets higher, but the tapes, itty-bitty DVDs and memory cards have had a tough time keeping up. Why not just throw a hard drive in the camera and be done with it? That's pretty...

Time off your hands.(Upgrade)
January 1, 2005... Guys who work with their hands often dislike wristwatches--which tend to get caught in machinery or other tight spots. The GuardDog Watch from Duluth Trading clips to your belt and stays out of the way, but flips down so that it is easy to read...

OQO model 01.(Head-To-Head: Mini Computers)
January 1, 2005... Design (Winner) Slide-out thumb keyboard. Slow USB 11 port. Bottom-mounting wheel speeds up scrolling while surfing. Performance Took 2 minutes to boot up. Battery lasted only 2 hours. Bells And Whistles (Tie) Bluetooth...

Sony VAIO VGN-U750P.(Head-To-Head: Mini Computers)
January 1, 2005... Design Has higher-resolution touchscreen display, but keyboard is not built in. Also noticeably heavier and bulkier than the OQO, with more confusing control scheme. Performance (Winner) Sony's 1.1-GHz Intel Pentium M blew away...

Swing blade.(Upgrade)
January 1, 2005... Sometimes the right toot for the job is decidedly low-tech. The Pro Tool Woodman's Pal has been hacking through the nastiest brush since 1941. Standard military issue from World War II through Desert Storm, the Pal is equal parts hatchet,...

Sour apple.(Upgrade)
January 1, 2005... $600 Apple iPod Photo 60GB: It's cool and beautiful but the price tag is steep. Here's what else you can get for the same cash. or $316 Creative NOMAD Jukebox ZEN Xtra 60 GB (from Newegg.com): Same Capacity, save $284. ...

On the map.(Upgrade)
January 1, 2005... Very few aftermarket GPS car navigation systems can measure up to the accuracy and convenience of the carmakers' built-in units. Bolt on systems often offer tiny, squinty screens and awkward regional mapping systems that send you running back...

Tweeters to go.(Upgrade)
January 1, 2005... What do you do when you want to make your portable music public? There are a host of el cheapo portable speakers on the market that are little more than glorified earphones, but Virgin's screw-together Boomtube speakers are bottom-of-backpack...

Security breach: biometric fingerprint scanners--built into PCs, keyboards and more--promise sophisticated data protection for the masses. Can our professional hacker infiltrate the defense?(Upgrade)
January 1, 2005... 1 Price: $1699 The T42 has a sensor located at the lower right corner of the keyboard. A finger scan can be used instead of a password when you power up, resume working from hibernate and when you log in to Web sites. On-the-fly hard...

To: electronics industry: from: your customers. Remember us--the guys who pay the bills? We've got some New Year's resolutions for you. Now listen up.).(To: electronics industry: from: your customers. Remember us--the guys who pay the bills? We've got some New Year's resolutions for you. Now listen up.)
January 1, 2005... Overseas Cell Out In a transparent conspiracy to humiliate beefy Americans, you Japanese and European manufacturers of cellphones outfit these products with tiny buttons guaranteed to produce embarrassing misdials. >>Your resolution: Make...

A rose by any name: GM introduces two vehicles that look, well, like minivans.(New Car Reports)(General Motors Corp.)
January 1, 2005... Buick and Saturn are making their first foray into the minivan market. Oops. The marketing folks at those GM divisions don't use the "M" word in reference to their new vehicles, the Buick Terraza and Saturn Relay. They'd rather we thought of...

Power by the wagonload.(New Car Reports)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The Dodge Power Wagon tackles extreme four-wheel-drive trails like a Viper does the dragstrip. The Power Wagon name dates back to 1946 when Dodge began building civilian versions of World War II 3/4-ton weapons-carrier military trucks. Today's...

The ultimate trail rating.(New Car Reports)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The more words Jeep adds after its Wrangler nameplate, the more we like it. Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon may be a mouthful to say, but it's one of the most useful and capable Wranglers yet. In simplest terms: Jeep took the newly introduced,...

Chunky chugger.(Spy Report)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... No relation to the high-performance Chevrolet SSR, this Chevy HHR features a four-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive. Designed to look like a small, modern version of the 1949 Suburban, the HHR designation came from the phrase "heritage high...

World's largest gun.
January 1, 2005... For sheer firepower, it's hard to imagine anything outgunning the planet-killing Death Star from the "Star Wars" movies. Not for lack of trying, though. Since the first catapults and cannons took aim, the search has been on for guns that can...

Breaking the sound barrier: fifty years ago, a test pilot with the right stuff changed the future of aviation forever.
January 1, 2005... On the morning of Oct. 14, I walked into the hangar at Muroc Army Air Base in the California high desert. We made ready to take a stab at cracking the sound barrier--up until that point aviation's biggest hurdle. The Bell XS-1 No. 1...

Weapons of mass destruction: easy to build, easy to hide, they pose a greater threat to the American way of life than all of Russia's nuclear bombs.
January 1, 2005... It happened across town from the POPULAR MECHANICS office. Fanatics exploded a truck bomb in the garage of the World Trade Center. Although the blast killed six and injured more than 1000, we got off lucky. "A lone madman or nest of fanatics...

Army's new ride: fast, light and lethal, the U.S. Army's new wheeled armored vehicles will take tanks off the battlefield.
January 1, 2005... Less than a decade after 70-ton tanks stomped Saddam Hussein in Desert Storm, the mighty weapons that elided World War I, started World War II, and possibly prevented World War III are about to ride into military history. A bold, new effort to...

The arch.(Coming in January)
January 1, 2005... Modern Marvels celebrates one of the greatest and most historic architectural breakthroughs of all time. Deceptively simple, an arch can support tremendous weight. We'll show you exactly how this marvel of engineering works so well, and we'll...

Poison.(Coming in January)
January 1, 2005... Throughout human existence, poison has played a part in nearly every human civilization. We will look at some of the world's most deadly poisons, such as arsenic and cyanide, or even rattlesnake bites. Find out also how this is monitored, from...

World's biggest machines.(Coming in January)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Giant, flame-breathing robots. A floating fortress, home to 5,500 sailors, longer than the Empire State Building is tall. And a diesel engine with 108,000 horsepower! Modern Marvels travels over land and sea to find these and more of the...

Desert tech.(Coming in February)
January 1, 2005... Modern Marvels explores the ingenious technologies used not only to cope with, but thrive in, one of Earth's harshest environments: the desert. We'll look at everything from military and adventure survival gear to the large-scale irrigation and...

Deadliest weapons.(Coming in March)
January 1, 2005... Follow Modern Marvels as we trace the tools of warfare, the blades, ballistics, the Bombs and the biological weapons and look ahead to the weapons of tomorrow as foreseen by the deadliest weapon of all--the human mind and its powers of...

Edwards air force base.(Coming in March)
January 1, 2005... The single most important aviation facility in America, and perhaps the world, for over sixty years. Edwards has seen more aviation "firsts" than any other place on Earth. Test pilots, including Chuck Yeager, became legends there. We'll look at...

Formal and funky front-drivers: Suzuki turns one into three with some clever designs.(Automotive)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Suzuki, once a niche marketer of small vehicles, just keeps on growing. Now with the 2005 Reno and Forenza Wagon, Suzuki offers eight different models. The four-door Reno hatchback and traditionally shaped Forenza Wagon both share their...

Fastest of the fast.(Detroit: spy report)
January 1, 2005... There will be a number of subtle and significant changes in Corvette's highest-performance ear, the Z06 Corvette. When the 2006 Z06 arrives, it will have wider tires--evidenced by the lip over the rear fender and the ill-fitting front...

Benz power.(Automotive)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Mercedes-Benz is flexing its muscles with two attention-grabbing models. First there's the new CLS 500. This is a most coupelike sedan with no window frames and a high belt line. The CLS is a new model, between the midsize E- and large S-Class...

It's a family trait.(Detroit: spy report)
January 1, 2005... Major styling changes are in store for the 2007 Cadillac CTS. Among the more prominent differences are the bulging fender flares that contrast the slab-side effect of current styling. Also new is something that auto designers call a "character...

Your bimmer.(Europe: spy report)
January 1, 2005... We've seen this midsize BMW coupe being tested. It's the new 4 Series. If the 6 Series is the coupe and convertible built off the 5 Series, then there's some logic in calling a 3 Series offspring the 4. This is a folding-top cabriolet, a la...

Testosterone-filled Toyota.(Asia: spy report)
January 1, 2005... Ever since the Supra was shelved in the mid-'90s, the rumors have been flying about Toyota's return to the high-performance sports car market. Well, the heavily disguised prototype, seen here circling Germany's famed Nurburgring, is in fact a...

Infinitely more powerful infiniti.(Asia: spy report)
January 1, 2005... One look at those wide rear fenders, that monster-size rear wing and mammoth wheels and you know this is not your average G35. It could be a special G35 modified by Nismo, Nissan's high-performance arm. Or, it could be an early test mule for...

Atop the eight ball: victory adds a cool cruiser.(Automotive)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... It's hard to believe that Victory Motorcycles is only 7 years old. Being the "other" American motorcycle company isn't easy when your competition has more than a century head start. But Victory has carved itself a cool niche in the cruiser...

Mom's bimmer.(Europe: spy report)
January 1, 2005... Here's a best guess of the appearance of the BMW multipurpose vehicle, due to hit the showrooms sometime in 2007. Multipurpose? That's BMW-speak for what other makers call a crossover. Officials of the Munich maker say this is not an SUV, a...

Ceramics class: freethinking at Porsche reinvents the clutch.(Jay Leno's Garage)(Column)
January 1, 2005... Few limited-production supercars represent real-world technological breakthroughs. Think about it. Most have followed the same old formula with tube frames, lightweight construction, sophisticated, high-horsepower engines, and some even have...

Who's spying on you? Technology makes our lives safer, simpler, faster. But each new advance comes with a price: in your car, on your computer, in the supermarket, even on the street, you leave behind a trail of information that others can follow. PM investigates the troubling state of privacy in America--and tells how to fight back.
January 1, 2005... James Turner had more than 400 miles and 8 hours on the road ahead of him as he set out from his home in New Haven, Conn., on a chilly October morning in 2000. Turner, a theater manager, was going to Portsmouth, Va., to check out a play he want...

Tools: we can't live without.
January 1, 2005... Ask a dozen mechanically gifted men to name their favorite tools, and the answers may surprise you. No one mentions an expensive table saw or a compressor-driven nail gun. A few toss out power tools, but most respond with something humbler--a...

How they raised the 'phoenix': on the set of the upcoming movie "flight of the phoenix," building a plane from scraps was the easy part.(Behind the Scenes)
January 1, 2005... AFTER FILMING F/A-18 fighter jets in 2001's "Behind Enemy Lines," 35-year-old director and flying nut John Moore eagerly signed on to remake the 1965 classic "The Flight Of The Phoenix." He cast real-life pilot Dennis Quaid in the James Stewart...

Wild in the streets: inside that ordinary compact car there's a high-performance speed machine just waiting to break out.(Hot Import Nights, Los Angeles, car show)
January 1, 2005... It's nearly midnight, and the Los Angeles Convention Center is still packed. As the bass line from a Daft Punk song pounds out of the exhibition hall's speakers, dazed teens in low-slung pants ignore the lime-green neon light show and shuffle...

Flat-screen face off: LCD or plasma? Our exclusive lab test handicaps the contenders for the flat panel crown.(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 1, 2005... THE ETERNAL QUESTIONS: Pepsi or Coke? Ford or Chevy? Plasma or LCD? It has been only recently that most of us have been able to ponder that last dilemma. Flat-panel TVs may be the ultimate media status symbol, but can you afford one without...

Home energy checklist: it's bad enough that a typical family shells out nearly $1300 a year on utility bills. what's worse is that so much energy is lost due to leaky windows, uninsulated pipes and other easy-to-fix problems. Here's some help: a homewide audit with 44 moneysavings tips to help you cut energy cost.
January 1, 2005... Final Draft * MORE THAN A DOZEN DEVICES penetrate the exterior of a house, including dryer and plumbing vents, phone and cable lines, and water and gas service pipes. Since many contractors neglect to caulk these openings on installation,...

Kid stuff: a maple storage cabinet and easel that you can build.(Project)
January 1, 2005... We all want the best for our children--even when their creative endeavors seem to overtake every surface in the house. How do you know when it's gone too far? Well, when you start writing checks with a Day-Glo pen or get the cold shoulder for...

Exercise in exactly 4 minutes per day: winner of the 1991 Popular Science Award for the "Best of What's New" in leisure products.(Advertisement)
January 1, 2005... ROM * MANUFACTURED IN CALIFORNIA SINCE 1990 * $14,615 TIME IS IT. Over 92% of people who own exercise equipment and 88% of people who own health club memberships do not exercise. A 4 minute complete workout is no longer hard to believe for...

Heat wave: staple-up radiant heating for warm floors.(Radiant Heat)
January 1, 2005... The deep comfort of radiant in-floor heating has been around for many years. Unfortunately, the systems add thousands to the cost of a new home, compared to forced-air hearing systems, because they typically use hydronic tubing encased in...

Flashing a chimney.(Homeowners Clinic)
January 1, 2005... The brick chimney in my house projects through the roof surface. I would like some advice on how to install flashing around the joint between the chimney and the roof deck. BILL WILLIAMS East Hartford, CT Chimney flashing, which is...

New ultimate battery charger saves you time and money!(Advertisement)
January 1, 2005... La Crosse Technology now introduces the ultimate in battery chargers. No more running to the store at the most inopportune time to go buy batteries for your electronics. The convenience of recharging batteries instead of throwing them away will...

Rotting floor joists: I have a problem with dry rot in the crawlspace under my house. The space is 3 ft. high and there are two vents with a window for access to the space. Can I treat the overhead floor joists with something, or do I have to replace them? Does the space need more air?(Homeowners Clinic)
January 1, 2005... If the floor joists have rotted to a point at which they no longer provide adequate structural support, then by all means have them replaced or sistered (that is, fasten another joist to the rotted one's side). Call an engineer or qualified...

A soldier's story.(Material Knowledge)
January 1, 2005... Solder is a surprisingly diverse material. There are separate types for potable water plumbing, automotive coolant tubing, electronic components and architectural sheetmetal. You might fund several varieties at the local hardware store or home...

MoneySmart Makeovers--Bathrooms is more than just money smart, it's also mechanically smart.
January 1, 2005... MoneySmart Makeovers--Bathrooms is more than just money smart, it's also mechanically smart. It examines a guest bath and a master bath with three different makeovers done to each: economy, midrange and high-end. Clear and crisp color...

Sharp design.(Toolbox)
January 1, 2005... Many basic hand tools went for years with little or no change while power tools grabbed all the glory. Irwin Industrial Tool is changing that with a line of utility knives. The knives' blades feature the latest innovation: bimetal construction....

Preventing pipes from freezing.(Homeowners Clinic)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... I have a crawlspace under my manufactured home. It's made out of a 4-ft.-high concrete-block wall. I recently replaced the plastic hot and cold-water lines under the house with l/2-in. copper lines, which are covered with insulation. I live in...

Keeping it together.(Toolbox)
January 1, 2005... We like C-clamps. You can say that when you work at POPULAR MECHANICS and no one will laugh. Stretta has developed an extendable C-clamp that consists of a lower jaw and a sliding upper arm. The models range from a petite 2-in. model that...

Hold the starch.(It Worked For Us)(when wood gets dented)
January 1, 2005... Working with wood is often a bumpy road, and mishaps are inevitable. One of the most frustrating things that can happen in the course of a project is when a tool is dropped on a piece of carefully prepared stock, leaving an unsightly dent....

Ventless heater.(Homeowners Clinic)
January 1, 2005... Is there a way to control the smell of the exhaust from ventless propane heaters? The heater's supplier doesn't seem to have an answer. A properly functioning ventless heater will produce a slight odor on firing up. However, once...

No entry.(Toolbox)(wall receptacles)
January 1, 2005... It's a fact that a wall receptacle is a mysteriously inviting thing to small children. That accounts for why 1300 children a year are injured from inserting objects into receptacles, according to the Consumer Products Safety Commission. To make...

Portable generator.(Homeowners Clinic)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... How practical would it be to use a 2000- to 3000-watt portable power generator to energize one or more individual house circuits during a power outage? For example, could I connect the power outlet of the generator to the electrical circuits...

Pipe dream.(On The Home Front)
January 1, 2005... Charles Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic in 1927, but that wasn't the big news that year. According to a careful study by the Copper Development Association (the copper industry's trade group), 1927 was also when copper tubing went into...

What the pros use.(On The Home Front)
January 1, 2005... Homeowners often consult neighbors and family when they embark on a building project and need to choose materials. They can find out what contractors use by dropping by an online forum hosted by the Journal Of Light Construction. Its Web site,...

Wash and fold.(On The Home Front)(Maytag's washers have become the focus of a class action lawsuit)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Maytag's front-loading Neptune washers have become the focus of a class action lawsuit. Maytag has responded that its appliances are not defective. A preliminary notice of settlement says that owners of those appliances manufactured prior to...

The goods: great products and promotional offers from PM advertisers.(Advertisement)
January 1, 2005... From Dickies; the leader in workwear, comes the Ultimate in Work Pants. Dickies "Ultimate Work Pant" comes with all of the features you would expect on a work pant. Made of our heavy weight 8 oz 65% polyester/35% cotton twill, with...

Aim your headlights: Saturday mechanic.(Saturday Mechanic)
January 1, 2005... Every oncoming vehicle is flashing headlights at you, and it's not to warn you about a speed trap ahead. Very obviously, the oncoming drivers think you have your high beams on, so you flash your high beams back to prove the lamps really are on...

Hindsight: my rearview mirror fell off the glass of my windscreen. It doesn't have a setscrew to tighten the baseplate into place. Instead, it looks like it has some sort of spring mechanism. I need to get the baseplate off so I can relue it to the glass.(Auto Clinic)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The use of a spring clip is a production shortcut--it allows the line worker to just clip the mirror on without using any tools. This means you and I do need a special tool, or at least some savvy. Illustrated is an example of a special...