Popular Mechanics articles from January 2006

Popular Mechanics archives from January 2006

Who you gonna call?(issue coverage)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
January 1, 2006... WOULD SHOOTING SOMEONE with ice bullets (which, the story goes, melt soon after dispatching the victim) really constitute the perfect crime? Does a sinking ship actually pull down swimming survivors behind it? Could you really blow yourself up...

Innovative thinking.(LETTER OF THE MONTH)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... As a bilateral below-the-knee amputee, the marvelous new computer-aided prosthetics featured in your "Breakthrough Awards 2005" article (Nov. 2005) are of particular interest to me. Advances in prosthetics are being made frequently these days....

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... It's been a long time since I was an English teacher, but I don't understand how you can give Sling Media a "breakthrough inventions of the year" award for its Slingbox. "Breakthrough" and "inventions" refer to the first of their kind....

The sky's the limit.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... I was very interested in your article about the new Light-Sport Aircraft ("Planes for the People," Nov. 2005). But as a flight instructor and pilot, I feel it would be irresponsible to certify a pilot in one week. There are too many variables...

News from the front.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... Thanks for your timely articles about the weaponry and technology being used by our soldiers. My son, Air Force Staff Sgt. Adam Dufford, has served in Oman, Afghanistan, and in the Iraq War, and he is getting ready for another deployment to...

Eagle-eyed readers.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... Many readers wrote us to say that the Chrysler we pictured Jay Leno driving ("Jay Leno's Garage," Nov. 2005) is actually an Imperial, not a 300. Sharp-eyed readers noted that the Boss Hoss's carburetor pictured in the same story is not a...

Arch support.(Wembley Stadium)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... The builders of London's new Wembley Stadium want to make sure everyone can see the game. So when the revolutionary venue reopens this May, it will have no support columns, which means unobstructed sightlines for all 90,000 seats. The key to...

Animal rubber.(resilin the rubber like protein)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Australian scientists have synthesized resilin, the rubber-like protein that allows some insects to float like a bumblebee and jump like a flea. Shown here as a pad on a flea's leg, the material has a resilience--or the ability to recover its...

Mystery moon.(Cassini probe observation of Hyperion)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... New images from NASA's Cassini probe of Hyperion, one of Saturn's moons, have revealed a spongy, crater-scarred surface filled with an unidentified "dark material." Scientists are stumped as to why the 165-mile-long object developed so...

Sliver screen.(Siemens displays)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Siemens has demonstrated a paper-thin black-and-white screen that can change text displays with the press of a button, powered by equally thin printable batteries. It's not exactly e-paper, but expect to see product packaging and pill...

Pasta's past.(noodles history)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... A 4000-year-old bowl of noodles found near China's Yellow River bolsters the claim that the Chinese were the first noodle-eaters. The noodles were sealed in an overturned bowl in a settlement that probably was destroyed by a massive flood.

Your cup runneth under.(pressure sensors and a radio transmitter innovations)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... German grad students have developed a beer mat with pressure sensors and a radio transmitter to alert bar staff when your glass is getting low. If that doesn't work, a gravity sensor can detect when the mat is being waved frantically in the...

Dino biplanes.(dinosaur fossil study report)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... One of the earliest flying dinosaurs used four wings in a biplane-like configuration, according to a new fossil analysis of Microraptor, a crow-size dinosaur that had flight feathers on its hands and feet. A computer simulation of Microraptor's...

Time machine.(hurricane prevention)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... THE HURRICANE SEASON of 1955 was brutal, much like the one that just ended. The Storms 50 years ago prompted PM to run a story titled "Why All These Hurricanes?" The article described the state of storm tracking (below) and ideas for hurricane...

NASA's little helper: astronauts heading to the moon and Mars will have a new kind of crew member: an autonomous robot with its own helmet and a mean kung fu grip.(TECH WATCH)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... In the more than three decades since boot prints last crisscrossed the lunar surface, only trusty--and expendable--robots have explored the solar system. Now, with a manned visit to the moon scheduled for 2018, NASA is testing the Robonaut, a...

How do they know ... that an illness is avian flu?(symptoms )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... THE SYMPTOMS OF highly pathogenic avian Influenza (HPAI) are familiar: cough, runny nose, sore throat and fever. So once a mucous sample tests positive for influenza antigens, lab workers can extract the virus genome and analyze Its structure...

View to a kill.(TECH WATCH)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Striker Helmet Visor Display Data and video projected onto a flip-down visor shifts as the pilot moves his head. Visual Acquisition The helmet lets pilots quickly designate and fire on targets at difficult angles, including...

Sound of silence: the Audio Spotlight system targets one listener at a time.(Holosonics to release home version of audio spotlight)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... THE PIE-IN-THE-SKY promise of directed sound, from military-issue sonic cannons to billboards that whisper to individual passersby, has finally come down to earth. The Audio Spotlight is a 1/2-in.-thin, disc-shaped speaker that uses ultrasound...

The 1906 San Francisco earthquake.(NUMBER THEORY)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... THE 1906 SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE, which killed 3400, registered 7.8 on the Richter scale. It created seismic waves nearly eight times larger than those of a 1989 Bay Area quake that registered 6.9, killing 63. But even that doesn't express the...

Citywide Wi-Fi: Philadelphia's Wi-Fi plans are making headlines, but dozens of other U.S. cities are also developing metro-scale wireless networks. Here's a sampling of what Wi-Fi has to offer.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... PRIVATE RESIDENTS Philadelphia, PA: The city's plan to get all of its residents online is targeting the least plugged in--the poor. The monthly subscriber fee for the proposed 135-squaremile network will be $20 per household, or $10 for...

Key grip.(LockJaw)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Sometimes, all it takes to make a great design even better is one little tweak. Locking pliers were patented in 1924, and the technology is as useful today as it was then--just twist a screw knob to adjust the jaw, then clamp down. But the new...

HoMedics QRM-400 ($150).(massage chair cushions)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Aren't those massage chairs at the mall relaxing? Until the $800 price tag gets you on your feet quick enough to slip a disc. The HoMedics QRM-400 ($150) is the reasonable alternative, a cushion that fits over a chair, with four rollers that...

Go anywhere, play anything.(Creative's Zen Vision portable media player)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... White Apple's video iPod was busy hogging the spotlight, Creative's Zen Vision ($400) portable media player slid in under everyone's radar. It records FM radio, plays 4.5 hours of video on a 3.7-in. screen, has 30GB of storage and reads compact...

The straw saver.(WD-40 Smart Straw)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... After beer, WD-40 is the most beloved liquid-in-a-can around the house. The only thing more frustrating than not having it handy is not having its little red straw. So when we saw the new, impossible-to-lose, dual-position WD-40 Smart Straw at...

Thumbthing new.(BlackBerry wireless internet access)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... You can see them tapping away in restaurants and movie theaters across the land: BlackBerry addicts. For better or worse, these connected folks can send and receive e-mail anywhere. With the new RIM BlackBerry 8700c ($300 after rebate), they...

Master of all media.(Media Center Personal Computer from Sony)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... It would be nice if we could put movies on our PCs like we do with our music, but movie studios make it hard to rip DVDs. Sony's VAIO XL1 Digital Living System ($2300) Is a Media Center PC that works with a 200-disc DVD changer to digitally...

Kasumi titanium knives ($84 to $150).(UP GRADE: Wish List)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Some people might call a titanium-coated kitchen knife overkill. Exactly. That coating makes Kasumi Titanium Knives ($84 to $150) lightweight and extremely durable, while a molybdenum vanadium steel edge stays sharp, even after heavy use. But...

Will it break?(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 1, 2006... With a class-action lawsuit over scratched screens now pending, we saw it as our civic duty to put the Apple iPod nano 2GB ($199) through our torture test. WE DROPPRED IT A trip 4 ft. straight down onto concrete caused a nick and a few...

Paintball, meet propane.(Tippmann CB Marker)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Even if you don't play paintball, there's something irresistible about the Tippmann CB Marker ($229], the first propane-powered paintball gun. It uses an internal-combustion process similar to that found in some nail guns. Fuel and air are...

Horse of a different color.(working platforms from homedepot)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Every work site needs a good, strong platform. Husky's X-WorkHorse ($35) weighs only 15 pounds, but can support up to 750 pounds. It has a lock-on platform with mounting holes for a miter saw. Plus, like an old-school sawhorse, two X-WorkHorses...

The Crock Pot BBQ Pit ($120).(crockpot.com electric roaster)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... For a good portion of the country, January is a sad time as barbecue gear is covered with snow. But what if you could bring that slow-roasted goodness indoors? The Crock . Pot BBO Pit ($120) is an electric roaster built to subject meat to hours...

Release your inner mogul.(moviesgame.com)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... As it turns out, what goes on behind the scenes in Hollywood Is far more interesting than reading Us Weekly would lead you to believe. The Movies ($50) computer game lets you create and guide your own studio--managing everything from film...

Cold feet.(army boots)
January 1, 2006... We tested three pairs of boots-all labeled as waterproof and rated to -40 F or -50 F-by sticking our feet in ice water for a full hour. After three testers and three days, here are the cold, wet facts. Ice: 14 lb. Depth: 6.5 in. ...

Go global, call local.(Voice over Internet Protocol phones)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... It may seem counterintuitive, but the next time you take a trip, you might want to bring your home phone with you and leave your cellphone behind. A new generation of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones can go cordless around your house...

Biggest extreme freebie ever!
January 1, 2006... What could it be? Find out what we're giving away--and how you can win it--in our February issue.

HDTV guidebook: the world of high-definition television is a confusing place to visit, but you'll definitely want to live there.(High definition television)
January 1, 2006... There is a magic time in the evolution of a consumer electronics product when it descends from the realm of fantasy into reality because of a new combination of price, availability and choice. For high-definition TV, that time is now. Great...

Darpa grand winner: Stanley, Stanford University's robot car.
January 1, 2006... Beer Bottle Pass is a 1.5-mile section of dirt road that snakes through the Lucy Gray Mountains of southwestern Nevada's Mojave high desert. On one side of the narrow track is a rock face; on the other, a 100-ft. drop-off. The pass demands...

'We don't have any engines': two joyriding pilots took a jet to its 41,000-ft. ceiling--and paid for the stunt with their lives. PM investigates the crash of Flight 3701.(what went wrong)
January 1, 2006... For three and a half minutes on the night of Oct. 14, 2004, Capt. Jesse Rhodes and First Officer Peter Cesarz were on top of the world. The two Pinnacle Airlines pilots had pushed their twin-engine, 50-seat regional jet to its maximum altitude...

Metal buildings from heritage building systems.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Heritage Building Systems, founded in 1979, manufactures standard and custom metal buildings for nearly any use including manufacturing, retail, recreational, shops, mini storage, RV and boat storage, churches and schools. Heritage product...

A new force to be reckoned with.(Kawasaki All terrain vehicles)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... The Brute Force[TM] 750 4x4i, the ultimate 4 x 4 all-terrain vehicle powered by Kawasaki's awe-inspiring V-twin engine, has returned for 2006. Simply put, the Brute Force 750 4x4i is the most powerful, high-performance model in its class,...

Experience tritium--self illuminating technology. Always on, always growing.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Experience always being able to read your watch in dim light or in total, darkness. From a dark airplane cabin at 33,000 ft to the ocean floor at -10ATM, you can depend on the unique military issue technology and precision quartz Swiss...

Surefire: smaller. Brighter. Better.(THE goods: Great products and promotional, offers from PM advertisers)
January 1, 2006... SureFire flashlights have been long-time favorites of the military and police. The E1L Outdoorsman LED flashlight puts out more light than a two D-cell flashlight, yet is a mere 4" long and weighs only 2.6 oz. A single lithium battery provides...

All the RAV: the new RAV4 is 14 in. longer than the old one, which means lots more space for people. And now there's an optional third-row seat.(NEW CARS: FAMILY SEDANS SUVS MOTORCYCLES SPORTS CARS)(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 1, 2006... If you want an SUV but don't want to go bankrupt feeding it, you'll think Toyota has the right idea with its completely new RAV4. With styling that mimics Toyota's larger SUVs, the RAV4 offers a choice of two engines: a standard 2.4-liter...

Ready to blast.(Dodge Nitro concept vehicle)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... We've seen a number of versions of the Dodge Nitro concept vehicle. Well, here's further evidence of the program's progress. The new model, due as either a 2007 or '08, slots beneath the Durango as Dodge's small SUV. This photo shows the new...

Wrangling with doors.(Spy REPORT)
January 1, 2006... Here is the 2007 Jeep Wrangler four-door as it was photographed during a road test near the Chrysler Group development center in the Detroit area. Jeep's trademark shapes--boxy body, high road clearance, upright windshield, jutting bumper--are...

Accent on thrift.(NEW CARS)(Hyundai Accent)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 1, 2006... While fiscal responsibility when shopping for a new car has never been frowned on, these days its the rage With the price of a gallon of go juice hovering around three bucks per, economy cars are mighty attractive to a lot of folks. So even...

Finding its niche.(Spy REPORT)
January 1, 2006... Audi showed the Nuvolari concept car at a number of international auto shows way back in 2003. Well, the various viewing publics responded so favorably to the car that its shape has been largely lifted to create the basis of the styling of the...

Using what it has.(Spy REPORT)
January 1, 2006... Ford owns Volvo. Ford also owns a controlling interest in Mazda. So what does one have to do with the other? A lot. Volvo needs a new small car. And Mazda excels in engineering small cars. Beginning to get the picture? The new Volvo C30 will be...

Rich man, poor man.(NEW CARS)
January 1, 2006... Run your fingers across the meaty fins of this Aston Martin's aluminum grille or the chunky knobs for the climate control system and you sense the craftsmanship behind the car. This is cool stuff that instantly says exclusivity and quality. But...

Degrees of separation.(NEW CARS)
January 1, 2006... It may not seem like much, but 4.4 degrees make for a huge improvement in the new VW Passat. The new, narrower V6 engine--with a 10.6-degree vee rather than 15 degrees as before--is now mounted transversely, unlike the engine in the previous...

The new look of Honda.(Spy REPORT)
January 1, 2006... Honda unveiled this Sports 4 concept at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show in October to show the styling direction of future Hondas. The large wheel flares and aggressive nose of this car show that Honda is ready to add some sport to its sedans. You...

Another hybrid.(Spy REPORT)
January 1, 2006... Subaru showed this stylish B5-TPH concept coupe at Tokyo. On the outside, the two-door hatchback hints at what the next-generation 2007 Impreza WRX will look like. This hybrid coupe packs a turbo-charged, Miller cycle, 2.0-liter flat...

Fine, finer, Fine-X.(Spy REPORT)
January 1, 2006... Of the many concept vehicles Toyota showed at Tokyo, the Fine-X was the most interesting. It uses the company's latest compact hybrid fuel cell system. The power is channeled to each wheel using electric in-wheel motors for four-wheel...

Bargain luxe.(NEW CARS)(Hyundai Azera)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 1, 2006... It wasn't long ago that using the words "luxury" and "Hyundai" in the same sentence might have gotten you locked in a padded cell while wearing a truly uncomfortable, rear-buckling jacket. Well, the times have certainly changed. The truth is...

Old zoom.(NEW CARS)(Ducati SportClassics)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 1, 2006... Sometimes we appreciate the virtues of an earlier era of motorcycles. Enter the Ducati SportClassics. We had a chance to ride them through the rolling countryside of Tuscany--where we were greeted by cheering townsfolk as we blasted through...

High-tech, low seat.(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 1, 2006... Riders of big V-twin cruisers don't demand high-tech machines. In fact, they prefer that old-school feel. It's what makes cruiser bikes so much fun in the first place. Well, Yamaha always seems to find ways of sneaking high-tech into its line...

For the record: just out for a drive--in a Porsche Carrera GT on the high banks of Talladega Superspeedway.(JAY LENO'S GARAGE)
January 1, 2006... I'm really an ordinary guy who gets to do extraordinary things--like get in somebody else's car and try to go 200 mph. You see, the Porsche people had been to my garage and I took them for a ride in my Stanley Steamer. The next thing you know,...

Rubbermaid[R] garage makeover winner!(sales promotions)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Colorado's Rubbermaid Makeover was a Mile High Above the Rest! With Rubbermaid's FastTrack Garage System, order was restored in a snap, making Garage 3 the undisputed champion of the Rubbermaid Garage Makeover. Three lucky winners were chosen...

Gorilla glue.(THE goods: Great products and promotional offers from PM advertisers)
January 1, 2006... Gorilla Glue is the Toughest Glue on Planet Earth, ideal for most household fixes and building projects. It is incredibly strong and 100% waterproof, ideal, for interior and exterior use. Try Gorilla Glue on hundreds of materials, thousands of...

Chapman / Leonard enterprises introduces lens light.(LED flashlight )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Lens Light is the world's first focusable, waterproof LED flashlight incorporating an innovative interchangeable Lens system. This flashlight works on two standard AAA batteries, weighs a mere 2.9 oz with an overall length of 6" yet possesses...

Henry repeating arms company.(THE goods: Great products and promotional offers from PM advertisers)
January 1, 2006... The Henry Repeating Arms Company is pleased to add two unique products to our lineup of finely crafted American made rifles: The Henry Big Boy .45 Colt "Cowboy Edition" and the .44 Magnum "Wildlife Edition." Each Genuine American walnut...

The train: welcome to tomorrow's computer-controlled, GPS-guided, ultra-energy-efficient transportation revolution ...(Cover Story)
January 1, 2006... IMAGINE A MACHINE OF THE FUTURE that moves goods by the ton--by tens of thousands of tons--along specialized transportation corridors. Guided by computers, tracked by GPS and driven by powerful new engines, this revolutionary, high-tech vehicle...

Salt flat dreams: during speed week, grass-roots racers hit Utah's Bonneville salt flats, where land speed records--and more than a few hearts--are made to be broken.
January 1, 2006... IT'S TIME. Gary Calvert, a 65-year-old member of the Muckleshoot tribe, lowers himself into the coffin-size cockpit of a 14-ft.-long cigar-shaped race car that he built back home in tiny Enumclaw, Wash. He scoots his legs forward until he's...

Sun city: when 18 teams of students built a solar neighborhood in the nation's capital, they created a showcase of the best new technology for conserving energy and harnessing the power of the sun.
January 1, 2006... YOU DON'T NEED TO BUILD a house from scratch to take advantage of smart new solar technology, but that's exactly what 18 college and university teams did for the Solar Decathlon, a competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy....

15 tech concepts you'll need to know in 2006: scientific and technological breakthroughs can take years to develop, but when they leave the lab and enter the world at large, word spreads quickly. Here's a look at the advances you'll be hearing about in the coming year.
January 1, 2006... auto Driver-Monitoring System Instead of just watching for hazards on the road, Toyota's latest precrash safety system is turning its attention to the most likely cause of an accident: you. This spring, Lexus models in Japan will be...

Don't try this at home: meet the MythBusters, master craftsmen and stars of a hit TV show who bend a few workshop rules in their quest to challenge conventional wisdom.(On MythBusters Discovery Channel show)(Television Program Review)
January 1, 2006... On MythBusters, our Discovery Channel show, we conduct scientific experiments to determine the truth of tall tales and urban legends. Here's one example: The story goes that an Air Force sergeant in Arizona attached a jet-assisted take off...

Smooth operator: PM tests power sanders.
January 1, 2006... There's only one reason to buy a power sander: It's a whole lot faster than doing the job by hand. How fast? We wondered, too. So we assembled the three basic types orbital, random-orbit and belt--for a race to the finish. Although sanders...

Arts & crafts dresser: building a classic example of early 20th century American craftsmanship.(HOME JOURNAL)
January 1, 2006... The Arts & Crafts movement in America is best known for the rectangular, somewhat understated style of furniture produced around the turn of the last century. These pieces were typically built of quartersawn white oak--a wood that displays a...

Help for sticky doors.
January 1, 2006... Q My bedroom door doesn't close properly. When I shut the door, it rubs on the upper part of the doorjamb, on the latch side. I don't want to go out and buy a hand plane to shave the edge of the door to make the repair. Is there another way to...

Snow-covered ridge vent.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Q Should I remove snow from the ridge vent on my house every time it snows? Recently, I noticed that when the ridge vent was covered in snow, there was frost in the attic on the underside of the roof. JON IVES Eau Claire, WI A If...

Skylight energy loss.(energy conservation techniques)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Q Our 10-year-old home has five curb-mounted skylights that were installed when the house was built. Would it improve the energy efficiency of each skylight if I covered its opening in the ceiling with a sheet of clear rigid plastic? LLOYD...

A few of our favorite new gadgets.(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2006... HOME HEARTBEST $150 Eaton's Home Heartbeat alerts you to a door or window that has been left open, a water leak, an appliance's power consumption or a furnace filter that needs changing. Its base station plugs into a phone line and power...

Make your mark.(marker product info)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... IT'S A WELL-KNOWN FACT in repair work that getting things back together can be tricky. That's especially the case when it comes to fixing an appliance because you've got lots of thermostats, switches, fuses, pumps, timers and controls to unplug...

A classic remodeling text.(Its Far Easier to Build a House Than To Remodel One; Renovation 3, 3 ed book from The Taunton Press)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... IT'S FAR EASIER to build a house than to remodel one. Renovation 3 (the 3rd edition) has earned its place on the shelf because it handles its difficult subject so well. It begins with how to inspect a house and identify the cause of problems...

Fixing energy leaks: even a well-insulated house may have plenty of costly energy leaks. Here are a few you should search out and seal.(THIS WEEKEND)
January 1, 2006... Attic Entries Many houses have a small, uninsulated plywood or drywall hatch in the ceiling of an upstairs closet. Often, that entry goes unused because a more convenient pull-down attic entry ladder has been installed. Peel back...

Bracket for a squeaking floor.(vinyl-covered kitchen floor maintenance)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Q I'm trying to stop a squeak in my vinyl-covered kitchen floor. The floor's framing is exposed in the basement under the kitchen, and I was wondering if there is a device that can tighten the subfloor against the joist from below. RONALD...

Dirty ducts need cleaning.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Q The supply vents for my forced-air furnace are covered in a dirty material that looks like soot. I have had the furnace checked and tuned up. That leaves the ducts as the source of the dirt. Can a homeowner clean ducts effectively or must the...

Dick Anderson: Everett, WA.(pump car )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... I built this pump car for my first grandson using plans from a 1946 issue of Popular Mechanics: What To Make. I know how hard little boys are on their toys, so I built it to last. I used mostly 3A-in. oak, metal bolts and rubber-covered metal...

Dry below deck.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC)(TimberTech DrySpace)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Q I'm trying to locate a water-channeling system that is installed underneath an outside deck so that the area below stays dry. Any information would be helpful. STEVE STARGARDT Torch Lake, MI A The product is called DrySpace and...

Dealing with dents.(SATURDAY MECHANIC)
January 1, 2006... DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY DIFFICULT It's a busy day at the home center, and you've managed to pick up that last bit of plumbing before the crowds close in. Then you see it. A baseball-size dent in the right-front fender. And it's no...

Going wobbly.(AUTO CLINIC)(tire repair)
January 1, 2006... Q I whacked a pothole last week. I hit it pretty hard, actually. And, well, okay--it wasn't a pothole. It was a curb that I ran into in the rain because I was going too fast. My bad. Right away, the steering wheel started to shimmy. I figured I...

Stuck on you.(AUTO CLINIC)(attaching rearview mirror )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Q I tried to reattach my rearview mirror to my windshield with a two-stage mounting adhesive for mirrors made by Permatex. Unfortunately, I glued the little tab onto the glass in exactly the right position, but upside down. I've tried a razor...

Open ... please.(AUTO CLINIC)(frozen car doors)
January 1, 2006... Q My '94 Buick Regal's front doors freeze shut several times each winter. Temperatures above 32 degrees or direct sun on them cures it, but I can never figure out where the problem spot is. The back doors work fine. My wife's '96 Regal--same...

Tire beautiful.(TOOLKIT)(Michelin tire cleaner)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... We wash our cars and within a few days the tire sidewalls are dull, and our expensive alloy wheels are covered in gray brake pad dust. Michelin is the first tire company to provide a wheel and tire cleaner, a tire shine product the company...