Popular Mechanics articles from July 2005

Popular Mechanics archives from July 2005

It's a car, it's a ...(EDITOR'S NOTES)(flying cars)(Editorial)
July 1, 2005... Blame it on PM. A few months ago, Monster Garage star Jesse James was on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, talking about his next big project. He mentioned that POPULAR MECHANICS once predicted that "by the year 2000 we'd all have flying cars."...

Exploring the future.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... I really enjoyed your "America 2025" article in the May issue. The computer generated graphics are, as always, top of the line. It's amazing to see such insight into the mind-boggling technology of the future. SCOTT PISARIK St. Louis,...

Leno's ride.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... I enjoyed reading the article about Jay Leno's Toronado ("Tire Tearing Terror," May 2005). My grandfather made a motorhome back in the early '70s using a Toronado for the front and an 18-ft. Bee-Line camper for the back. The result was a 27-ft....

Lawnmower safety.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... I always glean helpful information for home and garden from your magazine. After reading "Lawnmower Tuneup" (May 2005), I would suggest removing the spark plug wire before working under the mower's deck. This reduces the chances of the engine...

Weapon of choice.(LETTERS)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... Critics of the F/A-22 Raptor fighter consistently overlook why the U.S. Air Force needs this weapon ("After-burn," April 2005): The F/A-22 Raptor is necessary to maintain superiority over hostile foes. Emerging superpowers such as India and...

Heavy construction: it's amazing what you can do with hundreds of workers, big ideas and a gazillion tons of concrete.(TIME MACHINE)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... 63 Years Ago (MAY 1942) New Deal Darling Along with 96 other giant power projects, the Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River was being rushed to completion to supply electricity needed to churn out Flying Fortresses and fighter...

Periscope depth.(TECH WATCH)(USS HAWAII)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... USS HAWAII STATISTICS Powerplant: Pressurized-water nuclear reactor Length: 377 ft. Cost: $2.1 billion Speed: 25-plus knots Crew: 134 Potential payload: Tomahawk missiles. MK-48 Advanced Capability torpedoes, mobile...

Least lost cows.(TECH WATCH: This Month)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Bessie's got a brand-new tag. This month, the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency stops supporting the sale of bar-code cattle markers. Instead, Canadian ranchers will track their cattle from birth to burger with Radio Frequency ID (RFID) ear...

Squarest holiday.(TECH WATCH: This Month)(Embrace Your Geekness Day)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Tom and Ruth Roy, a Lebanon, Pa., couple who invent holidays the way 5-year-olds invent imaginary friends, have dubbed July 13 "Embrace Your Geekness Day." The 13th is also the birthday of Erno Rubik, inventor of the Rubik's Cube. (Coincidence?...

Easiest touch.(TECH WATCH: This Month)(automated banking machines )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... You may soon be able to access your bank account in the blink of an eye. New automated banking machines on sale this month in Japan from Oki Electric let customers withdraw cash using biometric markers like finger or palm veins and iris...

Most private island.(TECH WATCH: This Month)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Did the island of Atlantis ever exist? If so, where was it and when did it sink? From July 11 to 13, volcanologists, archeologists, geochemists, oceanographers, seismologists and other experts will gather on the Greek island of Milos (which...

Most fuel-efficient vehicle.(TECH WATCH: This Month)(car racing)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Who needs gasoline when you've got gravity and a 990-ft. downhill racing track? More than 500 kids ages 8 to 17 who have qualified in local competitions will answer that question July 30 when they converge in Akron. Ohio. for the 68th...

Back to the moon.(UPDATE)(Crew Exploration Vehicle)(spacecraft deign)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Last month PM showed a first look at Lockheed Martin's design for a space shuttle replacement, the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). Here's Northrop Grumman/Boeing's rendering of the proposed ship to take us from Earth's orbit back to the moon....

Closing the technology gap.(TECH WATCH)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The Massachusetts Institute of Technology wants to bring the PC to the Third World with laptops that can be mass-produced for $100 apiece. The PCs should be ready in two years, but won't be sold in the United States. Here's how MIT's machine...

Weight watchers.(weighing scales)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... A scale at the California Institute of Technology is sensitive enough to weigh single protein molecules by monitoring the vibrations of a silicon carbide wire. When as few as 30 xenon atoms are added to the wire, the vibration frequency...

Oh, you devil.(bite strength)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Australian scientists comparing the bite strength of different animals claimed the title for one of their own. Pound for pound, the Tasmanian devil proved to have the most ferocious bite on the planet. These marsupials, which grow to about 15...

Motor mouth.(robotics)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... It's not what he says, it's how he says it. The Waseda Talker No. 4 robot, named for the Japanese university where it was developed, speaks by mimicking the human vocal mechanism with robotic lungs, vocal cords, tongue, lips, teeth, nasal...

The paper watch.(TECH WATCH)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... JAPANESE TIMEPIECE giant Seiko has teamed with Cambridge, Mass., firm E Ink to introduce the world's first watch that uses electronic-paper technology. This superthin, ultralow-power watch will make its debut in Japan [why do they always get...

Take a message.(TECH WATCH)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... In a recent Australian speed test between a 93-year-old telegraph operator and a 13-year-old text-messaging girl the elderly guy with the world's oldest form of telecommunication was able to transmit a 21-word message 18 seconds faster.

Feel the love.(TECH WATCH)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Carnegie Mellon University's Project on People and Robots has been researching ways to use robotics to help the elderly--with some warm and fuzzy results. The Hug is an interactive pillow that uses sensors to pick up speech, squeezing and...

Blueteeth.(gum disease)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The bacteria that lurk in the darkest corners of your mouth realty don't like the spotlight. Researchers at Boston's Forsyth Institute showed that a few seconds of simple blue light will kill the bacteria that cause gum disease, while leaving...

Mussel-bound.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... When a mussel sticks itself to a rock, it stays stuck, even when it's pounded by ocean waves. Now scientists at Oregon State University are using a protein modeled on the mollusk's sticky substance to make a water-resistant wood adhesive. The...

Smart cart.(grocery cart computer system)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... In a move that will relieve stockboys everywhere of annoying questions, Stop & Shop supermarkets are rotting out the Shopping Buddy, a grocery cart computer from technology giant IBM and software company Cuesol. The device combines wireless...

Reinventing the Batmobile: transforming the sleek Bat-vehicles of yore into a sports tank.(TECH WATCH: Behind the Scenes)
July 1, 2005... Director Chris Nolan demanded a unique Batmobile for Barman Begins. "Something as low as a Lamborghini, as aggressive and armored as a Hummer," says production designer Nathan Crowley. And believable. "Chris said, 'Suppose Batman didn't build...

Smaller, smarter satellites spark debate: will new orbiters perform repairs, or start a space arms race?(TECH WATCH: The Final Frontier)
July 1, 2005... When a tiny satellite leapt into orbit on the morning of April 11, it signaled the start of a new generation of smarter, lighter, more self-sufficient satellites. Or did it become the latest bullet point in a Pentagon plan to develop a...

Happy camper.(UPGRADE)(T@B)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The quest to bring the comforts of the outdoors has spawned a wide variety of gargantuan RVs and trailers. But fuel doesn't grow on trees, and maneuvering through traffic and narrow roads is no picnic in a Winnebago the size of a Greyhound....

Can you hear me now?(UPGRADE: Wish List)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... We love a gadget with a sense of irony. Samsung's new p207 is the first cellphone that you talk to as well as talk through. Using VoiceMode speech-to-text voice messaging, the p207 lets you dictate your text messages, so that your fingers do...

Switch craft.(UPGRADE: Wish List)(watercraft)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... How do you like to ride? Some enjoy bouncing from wave to wave while standing tall, others like to sit, still others get on their knees and beg the sea for mercy. The 782cc Sea-Doo 3D personal watercraft accommodates all styles. It's the first...

Getting warmer.(UPGRADE: Wish List)(hot water tub)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Hose? Check. Spare 110-volt outlet? Check. Relaxing soak, coming right up. The 250-gal. Spa2Go is the first fully inflatable hot tub. To use it, plug it in, watch it inflate, fill it up and let the water heat (overnight). The Spa2Go holds four...

Cover-up artist.(UPGRADE: Wish List)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... When the family dog tries to claw his way through the bedroom door, it's time for a touchup. Those of us who think ahead keep cans of extra paint around for such occasions, and those of us who don't can only watch as our watts suffer death by...

Rough rider.(UPGRADE: Wish List)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Somewhere between a golf cart and an ATV lives the off-road utility vehicle. These tough customers pack trucklike features into a compact package. Kawasaki's Mule 3010 Trans 4x4 adds new versatility to the class with a fold-down rear passenger...

Three questions for James Dyson (maker of the Dyson Ball Vacuum).(UPGRADE: Wish List)(Brief Article)(Interview)
July 1, 2005... 1 Q: Tell us about your first invention. A: I designed a wheelbarrow with a ball for a wheel called the Ballbarrow. Unlike conventional wheelbarrows, it didn't sink in soft earth. 2 Q: Your new vacuum works by using an...

Dancing machine.(UPGRADE: Wish List)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The latest assault on the iPod comes from a company that knows its target well. Toshiba has long supplied hard drives for Apple's music players, and that makes Toshiba's Gigabeat (available in 10GB, 20GB, 40GB and 60GB) a natural contender. It...

Space age shower.(UPGRADE: Wish List)
July 1, 2005... With a range of vertical and horizontal motion inspired by the space-shuttle arm, the ThunderHead promises to deliver torrents of water from any angle you can think of. The 9-in.-dia. shower head is covered with 90 evenly spaced spray nipples...

Thrilla on the grilla: some swear by gas, others by charcoal. We tested both--flamo a flamo.(UPGRADE: Backyard Lab)
July 1, 2005... SPARKY VS SMOKY GAS Weber Genesis Gold B ($699) Propane grill with pushbutton ignition. Total cooking area: 611 sq. in. CHARCOAL Weber Performer ($349) Kettle grill with propane charcoal tighter (which, for purity's...

Class project: we locked a team of teenage geniuses in a room for 6 hours with RadioShack's Vex robotics kit. Here's what came out.(UPGRADE: Off the Shelf)(2Train Robotics)(South Bronx's Morris High School Campus)
July 1, 2005... This year, 2Train Robotics, a student team from the South Bronx's Morris High School Campus, snagged the top prize in the New York City regional FIRST Robotics Competition. The team's 130-pound machine, dubbed 2Spicy, took six weeks and $3500...

Lightweight laptop.(High-Tech Roadshow)
July 1, 2005... With its mini keyboard and 7-in. screen, the 2-pound Toshiba Libretto U100 looks as if it were left in the dryer too long. But it is a surprisingly capable laptop and multimedia machine with a 1.2-GHz processor, 60GB drive, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and...

Living with the m:robe.(High-Tech Roadshow)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... All-in-one devices are a standard of digital mythology: Everybody's heard of them, but you never actually see anybody using one. I had the chance when I tested the Olympus m:robe 500i, a 20GB machine with a 3.7-in. touchscreen display that is a...

Slim shooter.(High-Tech Roadshow)
July 1, 2005... Sony's 5.1-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-17 is a marvel of miniaturization that fits a 3x optical zoom lens into a camera that is just over 1/3 in. thick. Its 2.5-in. Clear Photo transmissive/reflective LCD screen is likewise impressive in...

Shrunken storage.(High-Tech Roadshow)
July 1, 2005... There's usually nothing glamorous about hard drives, but a 1OOGB drive that measures only 5.1 x 2.9 x 0.5 in. can make heads turn. That's 21 DVDs' worth of capacity in a drive that fits in a shirt pocket. It requires only a USB cable for both...

Baby boomers.(High-Tech Roadshow)
July 1, 2005... At some point in the past 20 years, the personal music player killed the once-mighty boombox, and portable tunes got a little less social in the process. But now a minispeaker trend is gathering steam. Our favorite palm-size set is Pacific...

Who's got game?(High-Tech Roadshow)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... 1 Nokia N-Gage QD $99 What is it: Cellphone/game system combo Coolest feature: Cellular Web surfing and Bluetooth wireless gaming Biggest flaw: Low-res screen is better for phoning than gaming Best game: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos...

Elegance for everyman: Subaru ratchets it up a notch in size and luxury with an all-new vehicle.(NEW CARS)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2005... SUBARU B9 TRIBECA PRICE RANGE: $31,320-$38,320 We showed you the Subaru B9 Tribeca when it was unveiled. Now, having spent the better part of a week driving Tribecas around the San Francisco Bay area, we can give you the inside skinny....

Korean bookends.(NEW CARS)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Everyone in business knows that if you're serious about wanting to create the really big buzz, you've got to go and play on the big stage. You've got to go to the Big Apple. So Hyundai waited until the recent New York International Automobile...

Subtly spiffier.(Spy REPORT: DETROIT)(product information)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... It's scary to mess with a successful formula. And Ford's Explorer is the best-selling SUV on the market, so changes to it are minimal In fact, this prototype of next year's model--seen cavalierly cruising a suburb outside Detroit--reveals few...

Picking up the hum.(Spy REPORT: DETROIT)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Hummer will offer a standard-size pickup box on a new model in the H2 line for 2008. As shown here, the vehicle will have a four-door cabin. but thanks to a wheelbase stretch of about 12 in., there will be room for a 6-ft. cargo box that...

Make my day.(NEW CARS)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Police across the country have been waiting for a competitor to Ford's Crown Victoria-based Police Interceptor. Now they have one: the Dodge Charger Police. The new rear-drive sedan in a special law-enforcement version comes with a choice of a...

Snake charmer.(NEW CARS)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Ford used the huge stage New York City and the celebrity of Carroll Shelby to reveal the 450-hp Mustang Cobra GT500, due as an '07. With its supercharged 5.4-liter V8, it should have been named the GT540. Regardless, details include a six-speed...

Civic responsibility.(Spy REPORT: ASIA)(Honda Motor Company Ltd. Civic Series)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Honda is getting ready to unleash the next Civic on a bustling market. Since the company plans to introduce a car smaller than the Civic in its lineup within two years, the coming Civic is larger than the current model in all dimensions. The...

Essence of musclecar.(Spy REPORT: ASIA)(Lexus IS V8 engine )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The Lexus IS was created to steal buyers from BMW's 3 Series. Since the next version of the hot-rodded BMW M3 is strongly rumored to have a V8 engine in it, it's no surprise that our spies spotted this V8-powered Lexus IS grinding down its...

Noblesse oblige.(NEW CARS)(Queen Elizabeth Range Rovers)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Queen Elizabeth probably doesn't go off-road very often. But when she and other British royals do, they do it in style. They drive Range Rovers. The 2006 editions of these SUVs get some critical refinements. Gone are the BMW-supplied engines...

Big hair in the breeze.(NEW CARS)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... You'd think a new 440-hp Cadillac that's supposed to go from 0 to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds would generate plenty of news on its own. The folks at Caddy obviously didn't. They felt better with Donald Trump present during the car's intro at...

Moving up and away.(Spy REPORT: ASIA)(luxurious minivans from Hyundai Corp.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Most of Hyundai's products are very similar to those sold by corporate cousin Kia, But as the two brands continue to strive for their individual identities, Hyundai's vehicles will grow more luxurious than Kia's sportier ones. Both companies...

Raising the standard.(Spy REPORT: EUROPE)(sedan launch with four valve per cyclinder engines)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Mercedes-Benz's flagship is the S-Class line. When a new sedan arrives for '06, it will be all new. Here, we see a prototype that's nearly production-ready undergoing last-minute fine-tuning not far from Detroit. From any angle, it's obvious...

X-tra machismo.(NEW CARS)(Nissan's Xterra Sport utility vehicles)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Believe it or not, some people do take their SUVs far from the tarmac. And Nissan's Xterra was designed for them. For '05, the company has redone its let's-get-dirty truck by making it bigger and more powerful than the original and basing it on...

Buckle up, Hollywood.(And Another Thing ...)(seatbelts usage to be encouraged by media)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Data from the federal government shows that more than 80 percent of us wear our seatbelts. That's good. But statistics also show that of the 30,000-plus people killed in auto accidents in 2004, 56 percent were not belted. That's bad. There are...

Final reckoning: unlike TV dramas, real forensic cases don't end in an hour.(SCIENCE)
July 1, 2005... Shortly before midnight on March 19, a heavyset 24-year-old man was standing outside a Mexican restaurant along West Arrow Highway in San Dimas, Calif., when a brawl broke out. No one is sure how the fight started in this small, affluent city...

Running in the black: a season at the top tier of NASCAR requires a lot of money--other people's money.(NASCAR: Motorsports)
July 1, 2005... Racing is a business. Yes, it's certainly a more exciting business to watch than most--you don't see accounting or wallpapering on TV every Sunday. But just like any other commercial endeavor, racing is about having a healthy bottom line. ...

Home delivery recall: there's more than one way to build customer loyalty. Here's to Ford's successful repair.(JAY LENO'S GARAGE)
July 1, 2005... Last December, a reporter from the Los Angeles Times called me about Ford's recall of GTs--including mine--because of a possible crack in a suspension A-arm. Then he asked, "Don't you feel like you bought a lemon?" I said, "No. If there is...

About that bike ... before you buy the bike of your dreams, ask yourself some important questions.(MOTORCYCLES: Six Questions to Ask)
July 1, 2005... Nobody really has to buy a motorcycle. But these days plenty of people want to. And you may be one of them. Before you plunk down your money, swing your leg over the seat and feel that warm breeze of freedom, you need to resolve several...

Where the rubber leaves the road: to cap off the hit show's third season, Monster Garage host Jesse James decided to build a flying car. Or at least look good trying. Jesse's not doing it to be able to sell flying cars to the public or even for the technical challenge--he just wants to prove he can.(Cover Story)
July 1, 2005... IT'S DAY FOUR of a five-day build, and the nine-man Monster Garage team has reached its first crisis. The project being tackled is ambitious even by the audacious standards of a show that has turned a Mustang into a 50-mph lawnmower, and a...

Surround sound showdown: getting 3D acoustics at home is a tough challenge. Can virtual systems keep up with multispeaker setups in a PM listening test?
July 1, 2005... High-def TVs with movie-screen proportions are giving home theater fans new incentives to plunge into the dizzying sonic experience that comes only from a surround-sound system. Purists say the best approach is to envelop yourself in a...

The Texas City oil refinery disaster: when fuel spewed from the stack of a Gulf Coast facility in March, it went looking for a spark. It found one.(what went wrong)
July 1, 2005... * LOCATION /// TEXAS CITY, TEXAS * EVENT /// OIL REFINERY EXPLOSION * DATE /// MARCH 23, 2005 For safety inspector Charles Ramirez, March 23 got off to a good start. His team of specialized contractors from Houston-based JE Merit...

The latest round in this classic battle: Mustang vs Corvette.
July 1, 2005... Some rivalries span generations: the Yankees and Red Sox, the Cowboys and Redskins and, in the automotive world, Ford and Chevrolet. The two most popular American brands have been battling each other since before the Hoover administration,...

Made for the shade: sunblock is not just for the beach--it's also essential for getting maximum summer use out of your backyard.
July 1, 2005... Outdoor living is all about relaxation--enjoying your yard and garden in comfortable and pleasant surroundings. To maximize the pleasure this summer, consider installing some temperature control at the usual hot spots--poolside, on the patio or...

Clean cut: we test 12 pruners, from back-pocket classics to powerful, highly engineered innovations.(HOME JOURNAL: Pruner Test)
July 1, 2005... Pruning is a gardener's version of tough love. The idea is to strengthen the plant by taking a seemingly severe measure--cutting off parts of it. But even the most ruthless trim job requires some finesse, along with the right tools, sharp...

It's in the water!! Any hospital can prove it!(Advertisement)
July 1, 2005... Listen to a toll free recording at 1-800-433-9553. Purifiers/distillers don't remove disease markers that are flushed into the ground water every time somebody flushes a toilet! That's why, under a microscope (dark field) disease markers...

Battling patio bulge.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC: Q&A)(how to repair the patio)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Q We have a patio covered with modular concrete pavers that are being pushed up by a river birch that we planted nearby. The birch is about 12 in, in diameter and is about 6 to 7 ft. from the patio. Can we remove the part of the root that's...

Flickering fluorescent bulbs.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC: Q&A)(electronic switches )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Q The spiral compact fluorescent bulbs in my shed flicker when I turn them off. The light switch is not a toggle type but is a pushbutton timer. Is the switch the problem? PAUL GOODE Via E-Mail A Modern electronic switches use...

Noisy plumbing.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC: Q&A)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Q I hear a bumping noise a few minutes after I finish taking a shower. It's not loud, but it is annoying. The noise happens only when the hot water is used. Is this a problem that I should fix or something not to worry about? JAMES...

5 new/old tools.(HOMEOWNERS JOURNAL: Homeowners Clinic)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The square, line, knife, ruler, screwdriver and saw are some of the oldest togs known. The line is so ancient you can find a biblical reference to it (King James Bible, Job 38:5). So tong as people use tools, designers will come up with new...

Drywall repair.(READER TIPS)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... There's nothing like drywall repair to get the creative juices flowing. We're still fielding letters about our article on the topic in February 2005 (page 85). Here are reader tips... and one from me. * Cut a square piece of drywall to...

Mind on the gutter.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC Q+A)(how to correct roof drainage)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Q We recently had a new roof put on our house. Now, every time it rains, water runs between the gutters and the house. We would like to correct the problem by installing gutter aprons, but lumberyards in our area don't seem to stock them. ...

Construction layout.(SERVICE TIP)
July 1, 2005... A typical guy's summer projects might range from laying out a patio to marking out a baseball diamond to installing a new fence, These jobs have one thing in common: the need for precise 90[degrees] angles. The best way to get those angles is...

Male enhancement products ... do they really work?(Ask The Expert)
July 1, 2005... SEX: How To Improve. Increase. ENJOY. Q: Dear Steffanie, For the past year, I've been having some confidence issues. It's really dragging me and my relationship with my wife down. I wanted to try some pills I heard about but I found...

Boring holes in rock.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC: Q+A)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Q I need to bore a number of 1 1/2-in.-dia. holes 1/2 in. deep in rock for some craftwork I have planned. Can you give me any leads on the tools I need and where to buy them? TIM WITTMAN Anacortes, WA A To drill into stone you...

Bracing a floor joist.(HOMEOWNERS CLINIC: Q+A)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Q We recently had our large bathroom remodeled into two smaller bathrooms. During construction, a new toilet was positioned above a floor joist, which had to be cut to allow the drain to run through. The contractor says the joist does not have...

The best little lighthouse in Texas.(READER PROJECT)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Working in construction, I get to build some great structures for other people. I decided to build this lighthouse/waterski shack as part of a project to improve my home. It reminds me of growing up in Michigan and boating on the Great Lakes....

Help with concrete floors.(BOOKSHELF)(Concrete Floors and Moisture)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... Concrete Floors and Moisture spans 153 pages, nine chapters and an appendix, giving the essentials of what concrete is, how it cures, and the wide variety of things that go wrong with concrete floors that were built improperly--some of them...

How green is your lawn? Natural lawn care used to be a novelty. Now, it includes effective techniques for any gardener's arsenal of tricks.(HOME JOURNAL: Natural Lawn Care)
July 1, 2005... Until about 10 years ago, natural lawn care meant applying smelly, home-brewed recipes that were developed by trial and error--one shovel of powdered cow manure with one scoop of bone meal, for example. In some respects the technology hadn't...

Fan clutch replacement.(SATURDAY MECHANIC)
July 1, 2005... You're crawling along in traffic and, despite the fact that your pickup bed is empty, the coolant temp is uncomfortably high. Then you realize that the air conditioner is blowing warm. You turn off the a/c and open the windows just as the...

Out, damned spot.(AUTO CLINIC: Q+A)
July 1, 2005... (Q) How do I remove the plastic advertising logo badge the dealer pasted on my vehicle without damaging the vehicle's finish? It's probably been on less than a year. JEFF SZYMANSKI Via E-Mail (A) The same problem arises with...

Long-term parking.(AUTO CLINIC: Q+A)(Olds Cutlass problems with parking)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... (Q) My 1995 Olds Cutlass has 37,000 miles. Problem is, I can't get it out of Park. It's loaded with everything including the theft deterrent and the Brake-Shift interlock system. I've done everything. I've depressed the brake pedal really hard,...

Raise the dead.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2005... The lightweight but powerful Schumacher E Charge booster battery will rescue a discharged car or boat battery in only 15 minutes, saving the need for a jump. It also can recharge your cellphone or run a small 12-volt appliance. After the car...