popular mechanics - august 2016

7/25/2019 Popular Mechanics - August 2016

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RYAN

LOCHTE


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2016 COORS BREWING COMPANY GOLDEN CO


5/112PopularMechanics_JULY/AUGUST

ON THE COVERS:Justin Gatlin photo-graphed for PopularMechanics by PeterBohler. Ryan Lochtephotographed for

Gregg Delman.

The Reader Pages

Calendar

Popular Mechanics Everywhere

HOW YOUR WORLD WORKS

Pancake printers and the future of

the kitchen

Where next-generation elevators go

for a test run Cocktails made with fire

The science behind your haircut

Things Come Apart:Sump pump Great Unknowns

KNOWHOW

A movie star teaches you how

to kiteboard

Tool Test:Hedge clippers andmultitools

How to take your TV shows with you,

by Baba Booey

Shop Notes

Getting Started In:Curing meat The saw that saved a readers life Ask Roy

DRIVING

The great tune-up showdown

Reviews: New rides from Toyota,

Chevrolet, and Nissan The Argo LX: a land vehicle that swims

How to take care of your tires

Buzz Bissingers motorcycle accident

My Ride: A Vanagon that wont quit

THE LIFE

The Hungry CyclistsA bike ride through Malibu with some

beer-loving restaurateurs

PROJECT

The FenceA simple cedar fence to divide thebusy world from the comfort of home

By Ryan DAgostino

POPULAR MECHANICS FOR KIDS

A cannon that launches ping pong

balls!

STUPID OR AMAZING?

Tablets

By Kevin Dupzyk

-

S T A R T R E K AT FIFTY

Since,Star Trek

hasshapedandreflected

humanity.Ontheoccasion

ofStar TrekBeyond,an

appreciationandalookat

thenewscreenswemight

bewatchingon.

Exclusivesketches

ofthenewestStar Trek

Beyondspacecraft.

PLUS THE G REATEST

AMERICAN

INVENTION

Confrontedbyunprece-

dentedtechnologicalchange

andthethreatofidea-

hackingpatenttrolls,the

U.S.PatentandTrademark

Officehasreformedthe

system.Butnowinnova-

torsarefacingoffagainstthe

veryinstitutionthatwas

createdtoprotectthem. Y S C O T T E D E N

GREAT AMERI CAN

FACTORY TOURS

Skipthelinesandthe

mediocreamusement-park

food.Thegreatestplaceto

takethekidsthissummer

isanAmericanfactory.

Seriously.

PLUS:THE GEAR THAT GOT THEM THERE

Every four years, the worlds top athletes compete for gold and glory. Just asimpressive? The gear and technology that have helped make every win possible.


6/1124

J U L Y / A U G U S T _POPULARM ECH AN I CS.COM

Th e Rea d er Pa g es

EditorinChiefRyan DAgostino DesignDirectorMichael Wilson ExecutiveEditorPeter Martin ManagingEditorHelene F. Rubinstein Deputy Managing EditorAimee E. Bartol Editorial: Articles EditorSean Manning SeniorEditors Roy Berendsohn, JacquelineDetwiler AutomotiveEditorEzra Dyer SeniorAssociateEditorMatt GouletAssociateEditorsKevin Dupzyk, Alexander George EditorialAssistantsCameron Johnson, Lara Sorokanich CopyChiefRobin Tribble CopyEditorMaude Campbell ResearchDirectorDavid Cohen ResearchEditorHenry Robertson Assistantto theEditorinChiefKatie Macdonald Art: ArtDirectorAlexis CookAssociateArtDirectorZachary Gilyard Photography: DirectorofPhotographyAllyson Torrisi AssistantPhotoEditorIda Garland Contributing Editors: Daniel Dubno, Wylie Dufresne, Kendall Hamilton, Francine Maroukian, Nick Wicks Moreau, David Owen, JoePappalardo, Richard Romanski, Joseph Truini Imaging: DigitalImagingSpecialistSteve Fusco PopularMechanics.com: SiteDirector

Jake Swearingen ExecutiveFeaturesEditorAndrew Moseman DIY EditorTimothy Dahl AssociateEditorEric Limer AssistantEditorJay Bennett Mobile Editions: MobileEditionsEditorTomLosinski Popular Mechanics Interactive:ProducerJeff Zinn Published by Hearst Communications, Inc. President& ChiefExecutiveOffi cerSteven R. Swartz ChairmanWilliam R. Hearst III ExecutiveViceChairmanFrank A. Bennack, Jr. Hearst Magazines Division: PresidentDavid CareyPresident,Marketing& PublishingDirectorMichael Clinton EditorialDirectorEllen LevinePublishingConsultantGilbert C. Maurer PublishingConsultantMark F. Miller

Publisher,ChiefRevenueOffi cerCameron Connors AdvertisingDirectorAdam C. Dub ExecutiveDirector,IntegratedMarketingJason Graham ExecutiveDirector,DigitalAdvertisingSalesDeirdre Daly-Markowski Advertising Sales Offices: NEW YORK: EastCoastAutomotiveDirectorCameron Albergo IntegratedAccountManagersSara Schiano, Loren Black EastCoastDigitalSalesManagersBrett Fickler, Mia S. Klein AssistantVincent Carbone LOS ANGELES: IntegratedCaliforniaSalesDirectorAnthony P. Imperato IntegrationAssociateMichelle Nelson AssistantMichael Okubo SAN FRANCISCO:Steve Thompson,William G. Smith,Mediacentric, Inc. CHICAGO: IntegratedMidwestDirectorKim Skipper IntegratedSalesManagerPaulFruin AssistantYvonne Villareal DETROIT: IntegratedSalesDirectorMark Fikany AssistantToniStarrs DALLAS: Patty RudolphPR 4.0Media Hearst Direct Media:SalesManagerBrad Gettelfinger AccountManagerJohn Stankewitz Marketing Solutions: AssociateMarketingDirectorAmanda Luginbill MarketingManagerMichael Coopersmith AssociateIntegratedMarketingManagerHollyMascaro IntegratedMarketingCoordinatorScott Topel DigitalMarketingDirectorKelley Gudahl GroupDigitalMarketingDirectorAnthony Fairall DigitalMarketingManagerAngelique TyreeCreative Solutions:ExecutiveCreativeDirector,GroupMarketingJana Nesbitt Gale ArtDirectorsElena Martora no, Michael B. Sarpy Administration: AdvertisingServicesDirectorRegina Wall AdvertisingServicesCoordinatorRebecca Taroon ExecutiveAssistanttothePublisherSara Blad Production: GroupProductionDirectorChuck Lodato Circulation: ConsumerMarketingDirectorWilliam Carter Hearst Mens Group: SeniorVicePresident&PublishingDirectorJack Essig AssociatePublisher&GroupMarketingDirectorJill Meenaghan GeneralManagerSamantha Irwin ExecutiveDirector,GroupStrategy&DevelopmentDawn Sheggeby

S IN C E

F O U N D L U M B E R A N D O L D P L A N S

M A K E A N E W T A B L E

REMEMBER: We give $ for reader projects that we publish, and $ for original reader tips that we run. You cansend both to [email protected].

Our November Project, A Table for Everyone,was a relatively easy endeavor, at least for

the average Popular Mechanics reader, including -year-old I T specialist Charlton Briers of

Pleasant Garden, North Carolina. A few years ago Briers and his wife bought her grandpar-

ents homestead, which included a home and three barns built entirely from lumber felled

on the property. Whi le explori ng the barns one day, Briers found some old rough-cut xs

and xs. H e knew exactly what to do with them. Using our plans as his guide, he got to work on

the table. H e stained the wood and filled the holes with clear lacquer, keeping the blemishes for a

worn-in aesthetic. The tabletop weighs about pounds and separates completely from the legs,

making it easier to movea feature that came in handy when Briers finally convinced his wife to

let him bring the table into the dining room.

PROJECT

OFTHEMONTH

Y OU K N OW W E

GA V E TH E PLIERS

FOUR STA RS RIGH T?

W e respect your editorial

position, but w e w ere

extrem ely disappointed that

you referred to our Ready-

M ax HubLight feature as a

gim m ick (Tool Test, M ay).W e have spent several m il-

lion dollars and m any years

developing the internationally

patented HubLight technol-

ogy and the one term w e

are m ost reactive to is gim -

m ick. O ur HubLight has a

,-hour high-intensity

LED, a m icroprocessor pro-

gram m ed to optim ize lum i-

nosity, and battery life

including an auto-o feature

to avoid inadvertent usage.

The housing is a high-intensity

polycarbonate m aterial thatis chem ical-, w ater-, and dust-

proof. Above all, our patent

protects the only way a light

can shine through the jaw s

and directly on the w ork

surface. I dont know how

you could describe this as

a gim m ick.

Jim Duffy, CEO

R eadyM ax,I nc.
mailto:[email protected]


7/112

*Its possible w hile taking Prilosec O TC. Use as directed for 14 days to treat frequent heartburn. M ay take 1-4 days for full effect.^AlphaIm pactRx ProVoiceTMSurvey, Jan 2005 - M ar 2015. ^Pharm acy Tim es Surveys, Acid Reducer/Heartburn Categories 2006 - 2015.

Procter Gam ble, Inc., 2016

PrilosecOTChasbeenthe1 Doctorrecommended,1 Gastroenterologistrecommended,and

1 Pharmacist recommendedfrequent heartburnmedicinefor10 straight years.

3(9 9@;/,

*( )3,.< @

(* ;


8/112

The Reader ages

6 JULY/ AUGUST _POPUL ARM ECH ANI CS.COM

[email protected]. Includeyourfullnameandaddress. Lettersmaybeeditedforlengthandclarity.

CUSTOMER SERVICE/SUBSCRIPTIONSonline:service.popularmechanics.com;email:[email protected];

mail: PopularMechanics,P.O. Box,Harlan,IA;subscribe: subscribe.popularmechanics.com.

LE T T E R S

T W E E T

OF THE MONTH

TINY HO USES,

HUG E AGREEM ENT

I agreewithyourarticleontinyhouses(Stupidor

Amazing?March).I thinktheyarestupidtoo.I am

originallyfrom MinnesotaandwhenI firstsawatiny

housemythoughtwas,N ice icehou se.I couldneverlive

inonethereisntenoughroom forthedog.Theyre

niceforaweekendinthewoods,butafifth-wheelor

tow-behindcampertrailerwouldmakemoresense

andischeaperallaround.

Jeremy Boltjes

C olorado S prin gs,C olorado

O UR LIST O F TO UG H G UY S: N O T LIM ITED TO

HU M AN S, NO T COM PREHENSIVE

Im prettydisappointedthataG.I .Joedollstorywas

includedinyourlistofToughGuys(May).Whynot

afiremanorWorldWarII vet?Oranemergency-room

doctorinChicago?A doll?Itsaninanimateobject.Its

nottough,itsdurable.

Richard Kelly

C hica go,I llin ois

Veteran TVactor StevenPasquales most recent role

was as Detective MarkFuhrmanonThe People v. O.J. Simpson:

American Crime Story.

AND NOW ,YOUR SUM M ERTIM E DIY

ADIRONDACK CHAIR INSPIRATIONFROM INSTAGRAM USER THEDUDELYABIDER

GLAD YOU GOTTHAT OFF YO UR

CH EST, STEVE.

Completely

obsessed with

PopularMechanics

and what our future

might look like.

There I said it.

Sweet relief.

@StevePasquale

W h a te v e r y o u r p ro je c t m a y

e ,Benjamin Moore has the

p a in t th a ts rig h t fo r y o u .

Regal

SelectREVIVEF o r p aint spe cially d esig ne d for

viny lsid ing in a variety o f co lo rs.

ARBORCOATF or a stain tha t pro tects you r

d eck a nd sid ing ag ainst the

ha rshe st co nd itio ns.

Aura

Grand EntranceF o r a lux uriou s finish o n yo ur

fron t d oo r an d trim .

2016 Benjamin Moore & Co. ARBORCOAT, Aura, Benjamin Moore,

rand Entrance, Paint like no other, REGAL, REVIVE, and the triangle

M symbol are registered trademarks of Benjamin Moore & Co.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


9/112

IF ITS COLOR

STANDS UP TO THE

TEST OF TIME

Aura

Exterior

Endures the elem ents

W ith a lifetim e w arranty

O nly at Benjam in M oore retailers


10/112

THREE W AY S TO SELLY OUR JUNK ONLINE

V arage Sale keepstransac-tionslocalbyplacingyouinalocation-basedsellercom-

munity.ItslikeCraigslist,butwithvolunteerstomonitorforspam andscams.SellSim p le isanall-in-oneappthatletsuserssellwithintheappbutalsoonsiteslikeeBay,Etsy,andAmazon.

Off erUp findsbuyersorsellersnearbyandprotectsyoubyincorporatingID scanningandlinkingFacebookaccounts.

S U N

8/14

THE MAN B EHINDTHE PARK S

Yellowstonemayhaveopenedin,butitwasntuntil

thattheNationalParkServicewasestablished.AnindustrialistmillionairenamedStephenMathermadeithispersonalmissiontogetparksregulatedbythefederalgovernment.HelaterbecametheNPSsfirstdirector.

Matherevenpurchasedlandhimselftodonatetonewparks.Today,aplaquecommemorateshim ineveryoneofAmericasnationalparks.

T H U

8/25

A G REATTHERMOMETER:Y OURHAND

Totellifyourgrillishotenoughtostartcooking,holdyourpalm fiveinchesoverthesurfaceforaslongasyoucanstandtheheat.Ifyouhavetomoveyourhandawayaftertwoseconds,

youhavehighheat.Fivesecondsismedium,andtensecondsislow(oryouhaveverytoughhands).

S A T

7/16

MONDAYSU ND AY TUE SDAY

Calendar How to getthe m ostoutofyour m onth.

8

JULY/AUGUST _POPULARMECHANICS .COM

FRIDAY

Celebrate Sylves-ter Stallones thbirthday by taking

the stairs.

In The VoyeursMotel,out today,

reporter GayTalese tells thestory of a manwho fashionedhis hotel to spy

on guests, in thecreepiest possible

DIY project.

Stream the newsupernatural

series StrangerThingson Netflix.

Sick of burgersyet? Try somegrill alterna-

tives: oysters,sandwiches,pizzas, and

just about any-thing that fits

on a skewer.

Forty years agotoday, the Viking

became the firstU.S. spacecraft to

land on Mars.In years, itll

be a holiday on thethen-colonized

planet.

The Septemberissue of PopularMechanics hits

newsstands.

Find peoplewhose patience

you haventexhausted talk-ing about StarTrek Beyondatthe Official StarTrek Convention

in Las Vegas.

Check out thePerseid meteor

shower in yourbackyard tonight.

Enjoy the greatAmerican tradition ofunloading your stuffwith a garage sale.

Its back-to-schooltime soon. Give

the kids somethinggood to say when

they're asked whatthey did this

summer by makingour ping-pong-ball launcher on

page .

Closingceremonies ofthe Summer

Olympics. Only days until the

Winter Games.

The National ParkService celebrates

its th year.Go outside.

IN NEX T MONTHS ISSUEO u r a n n u a l H o w to M a k e A n y th in g

Your favorite supervillains team up inSuicide Squad,out

this weekend.

J U L Y 1

Openingceremonies ofthe SummerOlympics in

Rio. Brush upon all the techand athletesinvolved on

page .


11/112


12/11210 JULY/AUGUST _P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S .C O M

E V E R Y W H E R EWhat Were Up To Beyond These Pages

POPULARMECHANICS.COM!

THE ARCHIVES!FACEBOOK!

Y ou m ayh aven oticed livevideostream spop pin gupam on gthephotosoffrien dsbabieson

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selectL iveS ubscribetotun ein .A preview ofw h atyoullsee:

ASK ROY, LIVE

You read the column (seepage ). Now you canwatch it in real time. Long-time senior home editor RoyBerendsohn hosts a weeklyQ&A session from the toolcloset at Popular Mechanicsheadquarters.

TESTS

Log on and watch as wetest the limits of plywood,hit things with a linemanshammer, and find out whatliquid moves best through aSuper Soaker. Things will bebroken.

FIELD TRIPS

Join Popular Mechanicseditors while were outon the job, flying drones,exploring car shows, orplaying around with a$, camera.

4 YEARS OFAMERICAN PRIDE

S in ceP op ularM ech an icsfou n din g

in thereh avebeen presi-

den tselected,fi vestatesadded tothe

U .S .,an dn ew am en dm en tstothe

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ican O lym pian sin thisissue,w e

scoured thearch ivesforsom eof

ou rm orepatrioticcovers:

EXCLUSIVE:HOW TO FIX FLYING

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Only the most voraciousreaders need apply.Alexander George

March 1988Sept ember 1983

June 1976Jul y 1972

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BONUS!

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13/112

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The Esquire Manhattanis made with superior Jeffersons bourbon and a combination

of the fi nest sweet and dr y vermouth and bitter s. Craftedwith the editors of Esquire and barrel-aged for 90 days,

the result is a damn good cocktail. Serve it up or on the

rocks. No labor or equipment needed.

AVAI LABLE AT FI NE LI QUOR STORES NATI ONWI DE

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15/112

M agn etic b urners?

S m ok eless grillin g?

T h e P a n c ak e B o t?

B Y W Y L I E D U F R E S N E

The Kitchen ofthe Future Is

Smart But Weird

COOK ING

C h ef an d m a d

scien tistW ylie

D ufresne helm ed

w d ~ a n d A ld e r in

N e w Y o r k C ity .

P H O T O G R A P H B Y A D A M H O F F

ecau seI m ach ef,

everysooften som eon e

ask sm eab ou tthe

futureoffoo d:W h at

in gred ien tsw illw eh avein our

pan tries?theyask .W h atw ill

ou rstovesan drefrigeratorsdo?

I don tkn ow thean sw erstothese

question s,soI usuallyh an dle

them likeapolitician :I ch an ge

thesubject.B utrecently,I took

fi veofsm ostfuturistic

kitch en toysforatestdrive,an dI

gotaglim pseofw herew eregoing

in theprocess.H eresw h atsn ex t.

P o p u la rM e ch a n ic s_ JULY/AUGUST 13

W EW ILLGRI

LLINSIDE

.

E very tim e Im ake a steak o r bu rger for

dinn er,Ihave to disable m y ap artm en t

sm o ke a larm .P h ilip sne w ind o o r grillis

de sign ed to save m e fro m this insan ity.

O n o utdo or grills,m ost ofthe sm oke

is cau sed b y fats d rip p in g o nto the

co als.O ils from fatty or he avily m ari-

nated m eats can flare and even cause

sm allfires,cha rring the fo o d .O n this

g rill,th e h ea t so urce is o n the sid e so

the o ilneve r hits it.T he m ach ine use s

a cleve r an gled refl ec to r system to

gu id e h eat tow ard the grate w hile leav-

ing the grease tray in the b otto m co o l.

T his reduces sm oke by p ercent and

virtua lly elim in ate s sp latte rin g .

Philips Sm oke-Less In frare d G rill( ;w illiam s-son om a.com )

V ERDICT:Thisgrillisam azing.B elievem e,Itriedtom akeitsm oke:Iputaskirtsteakthatw asdrippingw ithm arinad eonit.Asprom ised,theprocessw assm oke-free .T hem achinealsohasadialw iththreesim pleset-tings:off ,on,andw arm .Anygrilllover

canap preciatethat.


16/112

PolyScience/ B reville

Con trol Freak Tem pe rature-

Controlled Induction

Coo king System

(, ;w illiam s-son om a .com )

T his yea r is a b ig o n e for in d u c-

tio n b u rne rs,w hich a re fi na lly

m oving from com m ercialkitch-

ens into ho m es.T hese use a

m ag ne tic fi eld to create h eat in

a cast-iro n o r stee lpa n w itho u t

actually h eating a sto vetop .A nd

th is on e is m o re p rec ise than Ive

ever seen:T he po w er ranges

from to , w atts,and

you can dictate the tem pe rature

o f b o th the p o t an d the liq u id s

in sid e to w ithin a sin g le d e g ree .

If yo u ca n t im ag in e the p o ssi-

b ilitie s he re,co n sid e r the se :Yo u

can p oach a piece o f salm o n at

p recisely de gree s C elsius.

Yo u can h ard-bo ilegg s w itho ut

eve r ge tting a rub b ery w hite o r

a chalky yolk.Yo u can m ake curd

and caram els and can dies and no t

screw any o f it up .

V ERDICT: Its a b ig in ve stm e n t,

b u t if yo u re lo o kin g to b u y an

ind uction bu rne r,you w on t fi nd a

m o re versatile u n it.It also co m es

w ith a n ing en io usly d esign ed

m ou nt for a tem pe rature probe .I

w is h Ih a d te n o f th e m .T he p rotrusion s on

A ll-Clad s new dA rm or series pans

are created du ring

the bo nd ing p rocess

an d co n tain little air

bu bb les that ge t less

h o t th a n t h e m e ta l

a ro u n d t h e m .T h e

upshot:Food skates

arou nd o n top of the

b u m p s a n d r e le a s e s

m ore e asily.

Jacqueline etwiler

PancakeBot( ;bedbatha n dbeyond .com )

B ille d a s th e w o rld s first p an cak e p rinter, th e P an cak eB o t

is de sign ed to p rint any d esign yo u ca n im ag ine .O f allthe ga d -

ge ts I tested fo r th is article,n o n e ca m e clo se in term s of sh ee r

excitem en t an d an ticipa tio n .M y kid s plan ne d a w ho le slee p ove r

arou nd the p rom ise of D isney p rincess pan cakes.

W hile the ph ysicalsetup w as sim ple,the tech part w as no t

as user-frien dly:T he m achine do esnt com e p reload ed w ith

im age s,so yo u e ithe r ne ed to create yo ur ow n (a ted iou s pro-

cess in a draw ing program o n the w eb site),or con vert other

userscreation s into a G C od e form at that the m achine can

read .B y the tim e I realized I n ee de d an S D card to m ake allof

this happ en ,m y kids had given u p an d asked for F ren ch toa st.

V ERDICT: Ilove the id ea o f this m ach ine .T he w o rld is a b et-te r p la c e w h e n s o m e o n e p u t s th is m u c h h e a r t in to a p a n c a k e .

T h e re c ip e w a s g re a t,a n d th e p o u r m e c h a n is m w a s a m a z in g

to w atch.J us t be w are:Its stillin the ea rly a d o p ter stage .

STA INLESSSTE EL

ALUMIN UM

INDU CTIONSTE EL

14 JULY/AUGUST _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N IC S .C O M

Scoo p Frozen

Dessert Make r

( ; a m a z on .c om )

I u sed a C uisina rt

ice-cream m aker in m y

fi rst ch ef jo b years

ago and I ve bee n a

hu ge fan e ver since .

T he co m pan ys latest

version co m es w ith

tw o p ad d les:a classic

ice-cream pad dle and

a p ad d le w ith m u ltip le

b lad es that can turn

an y fru it in to a fro ze n

treat.I follow ed o ne

o f the recipe s it cam e

w ith an d transform ed

h alf a d o zen slice d

b an an as a n d a little

ho ne y into an exce l-

len t cream y d essert in

abou t m inutes.

V ERDICT: W o rth

e v e ry p e n n y .

Nom iku W i-Fi

Im m ersion Circulator

( ;a va ila ble for

preorder at n om iku .com )

If the fo lks at N o m iku

have their w ay,ho m e cooks

w illsoo n start m aking d in -ne r like m any ch efs do :in

sealed ba gs in a tem pe ra-

tu re -co n tro lled w ater b ath

(a techn iqu e kn ow n as sou s

vid e).A fte r yo u c lip the cir-

cu lator to the sid e o f a p o t

fi lled w ith w ater,yo u ca n

turn the kn ob as you w ou ld

a w atch b ezelto adjust the

tem perature,or you can

co ntro lit fro m a co o king

ap p ca lled T en de r (no t to

be con fused w ith T ind er),w h ich lets yo u e ith er in p u t

your ow n recipe o r cho ose

from crow dsourced ones.

V ERDICT: Its a so lid

ch o ice for a fi rst-tim e u ser.

T he recipe s Itried w ere

reliab le.H ow eve r,the ap p

d id n t alw ay s talk to the

circu lato r,an d Ico u ld n t

start and stop the m achine

fro m m y p h o n e . W h ile th is

isnt a hu ge issue ,rem o te

con trolis a m ajor p ur-p o rte d b e n e fi t o f th e W i-F i

con ne ction .

ICE CREAM OUT

ANDTHEPANS

WILLHAVEBUMPS

W EWILLC

OOK

UNDERW

ATER.

P H O T O G R A P H S B Y A D A M H O F F

PANCAK ES W ILL LOOK LIK E PEOPLE.

STOVESW

ONTBE.BEH

OT,BUT

PANSW

ILL


17/112


18/112

Soon theyll go sidew aysand slantw ays and longw ays.B Y M A T T H E W H U T S O N

T h e S ta te o f

th e E leva to r

BU ILD IN G S

In Decem ber,KONE opened a -story

tower in Kunshan,China,containinga

skydeck and elevator shafts,butno

offi ces,apartm ents,or retail space.The

tower,one ofeightfacilitiesthe com -

panyoperatesaround the world,hasa different

purpose than m ostbuildings:It and itsfully

custom izable elevators existssolelytotestthe

coolestnew liftingtechnologieson earth.

One ofthe conceptsbeingtested in the Kun-

shan tower isUltraRope,a ribbon ofcarbon

fiber em bedded in epoxyand coated with high-

friction polyurethane thatcould enable archi-

tectstodesign skyscrapersthatare taller than

ever.Traditional steel-roped elevatorsare lim -

ited to heightsofabout, feet,requiring

passengersin super-tall buildingsto change

shaftshalfwayup.Lim itingfactorsinclude not

justthe weightofthe ropesbutalso building

sway:Beyond a certain height,wind can cause

skyscrapersand ropestom ove atthe sam e fre-

quency,sm ackingthe ropesagainstthe shaft

walls.ButUltraRope islighter and lesssensitive

tobuildingswaythan steel ropes.A few buildings

have installed UltraRope elevatorsalready,and

in Jeddah Tower in SaudiArabia will use it

tohoistthe worldstallestelevator,at, feet,

and alsothe worldsfastestdouble-decker eleva-

tor (one car stacked atop another).

Super-lightcarbon fiber isonlythe begin-

ning.Itsan old dream in the elevator business

to getrid ofropes,saysM arkusJetter,head

ofproductdevelopm entfor system sand com -

ponentsatKONE com petitor ThyssenK rupp.

ThyssenK rupp hasrecentlydeveloped a sys-

tem called M ULTIthatpushescarsalongtracks

usingelectrom agnets.One benefitofM ULTIis

thatseveral carscan m ove independentlyin a

single shaft.Theycan m ove horizontallyaswell

asverticallysothata herd ofelevatorscould feasiblycir-

Jettersteam had toovercom e several hurdlesbefore

com plete installation ofa full-scale M ULTIsystem in

itsbrand-new -foottesttower (the worldstallest),in

Rottweil,Germ any.

Designingelevator shaftsm aynotsound asglam or-

ousasdesigningskyscrapers,butfuturisticbuildings

shaped like tripodsand flowersrequire both artsin equal

m easure.W hen an architecthasa vision,our job isto

supportit,saysSanteriSuoranta,KONEshead oftech-

nologyfor m ajor projects.Thisistrue even ifthatvision

com esstraightoutofCharlieand theChocolateFactory.

IL L US T R A TIO N B Y S P O O K Y P O O K A16 J U L Y / A U G U S T _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N IC S .C O M

IN AN O DD ho useap pe aredinUrbana,Illinois.T hew allsw ereinch esthick .Itw aspiecedtog eth erw iththeprecisionoffi nefurn iture .Anditincludedadevicejustforexchan gingairw iththeoutdo ors,calledaHeatRecoveryV entilato r(HRV ).

T hehousebelong ed toK atrinK lin-genberg,thearch itectw ho,in,cofound ed PassiveHouseInstituteUS

(PHIUS),w hichce rtifiesdom icilesaspassivehouses,oneofthe m ostrigor-ousan dincreasinglypopulargreen buildingstan dard sintheco untry.Abo utpe rcentofanaverage

ho m esen ergybu dgetinvo lvesspaceheating,co oling,andairco nditioning.Passivehousescancu tthisbytopercentjustbytightlysealingthebuildingenvelope,usinginsulationw ithhighR-values,an delim inating

therm albridges structuralpiece slikew indow sthatallow heattransfereveninan othe rw isew ell-insulatedhouse.HRVsallow thebuildingtobreathew hilestillke epingtheheatin.Asign alPHIUSprojectisa -un it

buildinginQ ueens,New York,beingbuiltataco stlessthan percenthigh erthanthedeve lopersnonpas-siveprojects.Itopensin.

Kevin Dupzyk

Exchan gers(top)rotatedrivean dguidingeq uipm en tsoelevatorscanm ake -deg reeturns.UltraRope (ab ove)resistsbuildingsw ay.

Triple-pane w indow s

D ou ble-thickw alls

HeatRecoveryV en tilator

Con tinu ou slyinsulated foun-dationsystem s

LEED FO R SHUT-INS


19/112

Im agine turning on the sho w er and g etting hot w ater alm ost im m ed iately.If yo u

had the sm art recirculation technolog y o f a Rinnai Tankless W ater Heater,you

w ould nt have to im agine.Youd have the integ rated solution fo r a steady stream

of d aily b enefi ts,includ ing :

A faster,end less sup p ly o f hot w ater that lets you do m o re,w ait less and live b etter

Less w ater and m oney d ow n the d rain to cut w asted natural resources and

utility costs

Ultra-effi cient p erfo rm ance fo r m onthly energy saving s in a sp ace-saving d esig n

The w ait is over The tim e is now Experience

the breakthrough in tankless water heating

recirculation that puts faster hot w ater a turn

of the knob aw ay O nlyfrom R innai.

To learnm o reab o utRinnaisinnovativelineup o fhig h-efficiencyw aterheaters,visitusatrinnai.us/tankless

Enjoy A Faster,End lessSupp ly OfHotW ater

W ith RinnaisTanklessW aterHeating Techno lo g y.


20/112

SPIRITS

F ire Y o u C a n D rin kVictor Albisu, chefand owner ofthe Washington, D.C.,

steakhouse Del Campo, adds fire

and smoke to everything.Even his negronis.B Y F R A N C I N E M A R O U K I A N

1 8 JULY/AUGUST _ P O P U L A RM E C H A N I C S . C O M

W Y YOU CAN

TASTE SMOKE

A lthoughitlookslike thesm okefl oatsou toftheglass,so m eele-m en tsareleftbeh ind.

A co ldglassco n-de nsesw aterfrom theatm osp he reveryquickly.Sow hen aco ldglassco versabu rningm ou nd ofcan ela,thesm okecom esincontactw ithcond ensed m oistureonthesidesoftheglass.T hew ater-solublem oleculesinthesm oke prettym uch everything exceptthetaran dcarbonpa rticles dis-so lveinthatm oisture,im partingthe irsm ellan dtastetotheeven-tualco ck tail.T hefilm ofw ateronthesurfaceofan icecu besim ilarlyattractsandbo nd stothesm oke.

F

orVictorAlbisu,fire

isntsim plya m eans

ofcooking. Itsa fla-

vor. Mygrandfather

taughtm etocook over

glowingem bersin pitsw edugin

thebackyard,theCuban-Peruvian

chefsays. And tothisday,nothing

feelsfinished unlessI sm ellsm oke

ortastefire.

AthisWashington,D.C.,steak-

house,DelCam po,Albisuusesflam e

to producem eatofstriking con-

trast silkyrareatthebone,charred

crispyon theedges. Hisapproach

extendstootherfoodstoo. Hisveg-

etablesaregrilled on onlyoneside,

usingresidualheatto renderthe

othersidewarm lytender,and giv-

ingm ultipletastesand texturesto

thesam ebiteoffood. Hism ethod

takesadvantageofcaram elization,

ortheoxidation and browningof

thenaturalsugarsfound on thesur-

faceofvegetables. You catch the

heatbetween m edium and high,

layyourvegetablesdown,and then

leavethem alone,hesays. I dont

m esswith them untiltheyreach m y

levelofchar. Form e,thatsonestep

beyond caram elization,orwhatI

callburnt.Burned getsthrown in

thegarbage.

And then therearethedrinks.

DelCam poscocktailm enu isa

directextension ofthekitchen

philosophy:Crystallized gingeris

torched and dropped intoafluteof

cham pagne;lim esarecaram elized

into som ething likehard candy;

and even them intsyrup used in

them ojitoisburnt. In som ecock-

tails,sm okeisdirectlyinfused into

theliquid. Which can bejustasfun

towatch asitistodrink.

T H E D E L C A M P O S M O K E D N E G R O N I

M ix ou ncespisco, ou nce

A perol, ou ncesw eet verm outh,

dash Peychaudsbitte rs,and

dash A ngosturabitte rs.C hill.

O n a cedargrilling plank

(abo ut $ at anykitchen sto re),

crum ble canela(M exican cinnam on

quills)in a sm alltepee-shape d pile.

H old a propanetorch ($ atany hardw arestore)about

inches abo vethe cane la,

burning it in acircular m ot ion.

Im m ediatelyafter rem oving

the to rch,inverta cold rock s

glass o ver thecanela.Le tthe glass fi llw ith sm oke.

A fter se conds,tu rn the glass right-side up,add a -inch

ice cu be ,and pou rin the prem ixed

cocktail.G arnishw ith a piece o f

orange pee l.

HOW TO

IMPROV E ANYDRINK W ITH FIRE


21/112

P R O M O T I O N


22/112

G ROOMING

H air A rch itectu reH aircuts require en gin eerin g.W h o k n ew ? B Y D I D I G L U C K

Therearestillplaces

in thiscountry

w hereitspossible

togetagreath air-

cu tfor,but

m oststylistsch argedoublethat,

an dsom eeven getin tothehun -

dred sofdollars.G uysw hobalk

atspen din gacarpaym en ton a

h aircu toften assum ethisisa

rack et,butthereisrealscien ce

beh in dagreath aircu t.A solid

barberch oosesastyleforyou

based on you rheadshap e,then

adap tsthecu ttosp ecifi callyfi t

yourskull.

I fyou useanum berguard

on clippers,yourecu ttin gevery

h airtothesam elen gth,says

S h irleyH agel,aN ew Y orkC ity

stylistw hocu tstheh airofN ew

Y orkR an gerC h risK reider.

B utn ob odysheadisperfectly

sm ooth.W h atm ak esagood

h aircutiscuttin galltheh airdif-

feren tlytom akeitlooklikeits

allthesam elen gth.

A goodbarberorstylistw ill

w orkin n arrow section san dfol-

low thecon tourofyourhead

from basetocrow n ,liftin gthe

h airw ithacom bw h ilesnippin g

thestran dsthatpop through

theteeth .C uttin gw ithscissors

letsm e,rath erthan theguardon

theclippers,con trolhow close

I gettothehead,saysK ristan

S erafi n o,w hoscuth airforR yan

R eynoldsan dM atthew M cC o-

h ave,say,afl atsp ot,yourstylist

can ch eatan dleavealittlem ore

len gthtofi lloutthesh ape.

T hereareotherh acks:leav-

in gcow lick slon gerthan the

restofyourh airsotheyliefl at;

thinn in gou ttheh airaroun d

patch esofgray,becau segray

h airten dstoap pearshorter;

an deven blen din gtheareas

aroun dbaldspotssothatthe

con trastbetw een them isalittle

lessn oticeab le.T heperson cu t-

tin gyourh airn eedstocon sider

geom etry,gravity,color,an dtex-

turew hen creatin gsom eth in g

thatalsolooksgood.I tsarch i-

tecture,m ad eou tofsom ethin g

yourbodygrew .W h ich ison ly

grossifyouthin kaboutit.

.Hairstylistscallthem shears. .Theycosthundredsto thousands ofdollars,and com e in a vari-etyoflengths,handle styles,coatings,and edges. .A single pairofshearscan lastforastylistsentire career. .There are professionalshearsharpenersw ho sharpen,tighten,and polish themeveryfew m onths..Shearsare sharp enough to cutw ettoiletpaper,w hich isalotlike w ethair.

HOW T O

FIX Y OUR ...

L u m py H ea d

Thisreallycomesintoplaywithacrew cut.Your

barbershouldleaveyourhairalittlelongeroverany

potholes, buttoolongandthespotcanlookdarkerthantherestof

yourhair.Havehimlightlythinoutthe

patchtoblendthecoloraswell

asthelength.

Goabitshorteronthesidesthanon

topevenifyourejustgoingtoslickitback.Thiswill

createtheillusion

ofalongerface.

Thebanker(asquarecut)canbeflattering, but

makesureyougetaseamlessfadefrom thelonger

toptotheshortersides.Ifthelineis

harsh, youcouldenduplookinglike

SpongeBob.

Verylongbangs.

T R I A N G U L A R

2 0 JULY/AUGUST _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S .C O M ILLUST RATION BY LOUISE POMER OY


23/112


24/112

FloorLiner

Cargo/Trunk LinerAll-W eather Floor Mat

P ro vid e s ab so lu te in te rio r p ro te c tio n

La ser m ea sured to p erfec tly fi t you r veh icle

H as c ha nn els to ca rry flu id s an d d eb ris to a

lo w e r re se rvo ir

M aterial p ro vid es so ft to u ch to p ,rig id co re

stren g th a n d b o tto m su rfa ce fric tio n

C o m p lete trun k an d ca rg o a rea p ro tec tio n

D ig ita lly d e sig n e d fo r e a c h a p p lic a tio n

R em ains fl exib le u nd er tem p erature e xtrem es

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A c u ra A u d i B M W B u ic k C a d illa c C h e v ro le t C h ry s le r D o d g e F e rra ri F o rd G M C H o n d a H u m m e r H y u n d a i In fi n itiIs u zu J e e p K ia L a n d R o v e r L e x u s L in c o ln M a s e ra ti M a z d a M e rc e d e s -B e n z M e rc u ry M in i M its u b is h i N is s a n

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25/112

Truck Bed

Ridged Bed Liner

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26/112

D I S AS S E M B L Y R E P O R T

SUMP PUMP

NOTES:

D r.

thispum pinapond,eventually,thatpondw illbegone.

TIME TO

DISASSEMB LE:

31MIN UTES,

17SECO NDSPRODUCED: ZHEJIANG, CHI NA

MODEL:XYL EM GOULDS GSP0311

24 J U L Y / A U G U S T _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N IC S .C O M

T H IN G S C O M E A P A R T A P H O T O G R A P H B Y TO DD M CLELLAN

THE FLOAT

W hen it rains heavily, a hom es drainage

system directs water into the sum p. The cast-

iron body of the pum p keeps internal com po-

nents dry and gives it enough heft to ensure

that neither water flow nor pum p vibration

will m ove it. If the pum p m oves, it could re-

strict the range of m otion of thefloat().

That would be a problem , because the floats

m ovem ents turn the pum p on and off, using

the sam e process that signals when a toilets

tank is full: The float is a plastic capsule of

cellular foam that rises with the water level,

lifting thesw itch lever().The switch lever

feeds into them ech an icalsw itch h ou sin g

().W hen the rod reaches a factory-set level,

it triggers the switch that turns on the m otor.

THE MOTOR

Them otor()is a typical -hp AC m otor. It

draws power through afullyjack etedpow er

ca ble()routed through aru bberglan d()

that keeps water out of them otordo m e().

Two perfectly flatsilicon ca rbidefaces()

form another seal between the dom e and the

im peller cavity. These rotate against each

other without letting water in, allowing the

m otor to turn thepum pshaft( ),and the

pum p shaft to turn theim p eller(),while

the m otor stays dry.

The dom e is filled nearly to the brim with

fluid ounces ofm in era loil() som e

room is left for therm al expansion which

helps cool and lubricate the bands of the

m otor. (A rem ovable rubber plug allows oil to

be drained during m aintenance.) Any water

in the sum p also perform s a useful cooling

function, but with the im peller turning, the

water level can drop quickly.

THE IMPELLER

The im peller spins in theb ase()of the

pum p, which has a slotted design to screen

out debris larger than inch in diam eter,

the m axim um size solid the pum p is capable

of m oving. The im peller im parts rotational

m otion to the water in the sum p, direct-

ing it into thevo lute().The volute funnels

water to the outtake port, which connects to

a -inch outflow pipe that directs water up,

out of the basem ent and, one hopes, far away.

K evinD upzyk

1

Measurethediam eterofyoursum p:Ifthediam eterisinches,eachone-inchriseinw aterw illequalaboutonegallon.Ifitsinch es,eachinchisab outtw ogallons.D ur-

ingahe avyrain,m easureho w m uchthew aterrisesinonem inute.Usethistocalcu latehow m anygallonsperm inu teyoune ed topum p.

2

Figu reouthow faryourpum phastom ovew ater,w hichiscalledtotaldynam ichead.Startw iththestatichead ,theverticaldistan cethew aterw illtravel.Thenaddthefriction

head thelen gthofpipethew aterw illtraverse ,ad justedtoaccountforfittingsan dfriction.(Theap propriatead justm en tscan befoun donline .)

3

Checkthepu m pspe rform ance cu rve,w hichw illbeprovidedbythem anufacturer.T hecurvesho w sho w m anygallon spe rm inuteitcanpum pforagiven

am ountoftotaldyn am ichea d.Ifyo urpair-ing ofm easurem en tsfallsbelow thecurve,yo uresafe.

CHOOSING A PUMPIf your pump isnt capable of moving water out of your house faster than rain brings it in

youre up a creek. Heres how to make sure your pump is adequate.


27/112 P o p ula rMe c h a n ic s _ J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 5

21

8

3

4

9

13

7

5

6

12

10

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28/112

Do you have unusualquestions about how things w orkand w hy stuff happ ens? This is the p lace to ask them .Dont be afraid.Nobody w illlaugh at you here.Em ailgreatunknow ns@ popularm echanics.com .Q uestionsw illbe selected based on quality or at our w him .

W h a t ca u se s th a t

n e w -c a r s m e ll?

Is it b a d fo r y o u ?

YO U D O N TW A N Ttoknow .Seri-

ously.Justenjoyyourbran d-new car

asyourevelinthesw eet,sw eetsm ell

ofcon spicuouscon sum ption .D efinitelydont

thinkab outthefactthatyoureinhalinga

potpourriofperhapsdiff erentchem i-

cals,includingform aldehyde,benzene,an d

variousothervolatileorgan iccom pounds

(VOCs).Thatw ouldjustspoilthem ood .

Thearom asthatm akeupyournew cars

bouquetaretheproductoftheoff-gassing

oftheplastics,adhesives,an dothercom po-

nentsthatm akeuptheinterior dashboard,

upholstery,richCorinthian leather,etc.Off -

gassingoccursbecausem anychem icalsthat

areaddedtopolym erstoim partspecificqual-

ities(like,say,flexibility)donotbondtothe

othercom poundsan darethereforereleased

overtim einaprocesssim ilartoevaporation.

Theresnodefinitiveresearchestablishing

therisk,ifany,posedbynew -carsm ell,though

certainoftheindividualcom pon entsare

know ncarcinogens.Thequestionisw hether

driverssufferharm fullevelsofexposure

anditsahardquestion toansw er,especially

asm ostofusencounterthesam echem ical

vaporselsew here.On eofthethingsw ere

concernedaboutisthatsom eoftheim portant

chem icalsyoureexposedtoinacar,youre

alsoexposedtoathom ean dinotherenviron-

m ents,saysJeff G earhart,researchdirector

attheEcologyCenterinAnnArbor,Michigan.

Som eoftheseexposuresm aybecum ulative.

Com m on sensew ouldsuggestthatyoukeep yournew ride(orfresh lypaintedan d

carpetedhom e,forthatm atter)w ellventi-

lated,especiallyon hotdays,asoff -gassing

increasesw ithtem perature.G earhartnotes

thatusingtheexternalair-circulation feature

onyourcarsclim ate-controlsystem canlow er

theconcentrationofairbornechem icalsbyas

m uchaspercent.Likem ostintoxicants,

new -carsm ellisbestcon sum edinm odera-

tion .Pleaseenjoyrespon sibly.

W h ic h d o g b re e d s

co u ld k illa co yo te?

T heexpertsw illpoint

braw n yhun tin gan d

guard-dogbreeds,afew

ofw hichw ellgettoinam om en t,butthere

arealternatives.Itseem stousthataChihua-

hua,perhaps,oradachshund,slatheredina

nicechim ichurrisauceordippedinsausage

gravyandreleasedinthegeneralvicinityof

thetargetedcoyotem igh tposeaverygrave

chokinghazard.

Ifyourepicturingafang-gn ashing,throat-

rippingthrow -dow n,how ever,youm ayw ant

toim portaforeignm ercen arytoopenacan

ofcan inew hoop-ass.V ariousbreed sfrom

Europ ehavelon gbeenusedtoprotectlive-

stockfrom thelikesofw olvesandbearsan d

arecertainlycapableofdispatchingam angy

olcoyote.JulieYoung,oftheNationalW ildlife

ResearchCen terinLogan,Utah,em phasizes

thatsuchdogsareintendedtokeeppredators

atbay,notnecessarilykillthem (thoughthat

doeshappen).Shem entionstheK angal,from Turkey,theK arakach an ,aBulgarian breed,

andtheTransm ontanom astiff,nativetoPor-

tugal,asthreenotablybigbow sersthatcan

takecareofbusiness.Otherbreedsthatcom e

T hen again,youm igh tbebestoffw ith

alw aysthetrustyroadrunner meep meep!

W h ic h U .S . a re n a h a s

the b est aco u stics fo r

ro c k s h o w s?

T hisisanen tirelysub-

an sw erisan yaren ain

In truth,non eofthetypicalm ultipurpose

arenassharedbycircuses,hockeyteam s,

m onster-truckshow s,andbasketballsquads

isidealfrom an acousticstandpoint.They

tendtobeboom y,reflectiveenviron m ents

w ithcave-likearch itecturean dexpan ses

ofhardsurfaceareathatcanturneven the

m ostdelicatestrainsofdeathm etaltoaural

m ush.Though som em orem odernarenas

an devensom eoldstan dbys havem ade

significantstridesbyallow ingforthetem -

poraryinstallation ofabsorptivem aterials

suchascurtains,thesoundqualityyouexpe-

rience(ordont)atanygivenconcertislargely

afunctionoftheskillofabandssoundcrew

alon gw iththesophistication oftheequip-

m entitem ploys.

Speakerplacem ent,forinstance,isespe-

ciallycriticalan dm aybedeterm inedw ith

prediction software,w hichan alyzesdata

gatheredw ithlaserstodictatetheideal

setup.Abigpieceofm odernsound-system

strategyiscontrolofthesoundintovery,

veryhigh lydirection albeam s,saysB ob

McCarthy,directorofsystem optim ization

forMeyerSound,am akerofcon certsound

gear.B elieveitornot,inanarenaitcanbe

agam eofordegrees thatshow precise

thesesystem sare.Con certgoersthem selves

alsohelp peoplereflectlesssoundthan do

em ptyseats sopackedhousesgen erally

soundbetterthan sparselyattendedshow s.

Andtheyrecertainlym orefun .

26 J U L Y / A U G U S T _POPULAR MECHANIC S.COM ILLUS TR ATIO N S Y GREG CHRISTM AN
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


29/112

* Class is Full-Size Pickups under 8,500 lbs.GVW R based on Ford segm entation.W hen properly equipped with available3.5LEcoBoost V6,4x2.**Class is Full-Size Pickups under 8,500 lbs.GVW R based on Ford segm entation.W hen properlyequipped with available 5.0LV8,4x2.EPA-estim ated rating of19 city/26 hwy/22 com bined m pg,available 2.7LEcoBoostV6,4x2.Actualm ileage willvary.Class is Full-Size Pickups under 8,500 lbs.GVW Rbased on Ford segm entation.

Governm ent5-Star Safety Ratings are partofthe NationalHighway Traffic Safety Adm inistrations New Car Assessm ent

Program atwww.safercar.gov. Try to avoid water higher than the bottom ofthe hubs and proceed slowly.Refer to your owners m anualfor detailed

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T H E A D V A N TA G E S O F A LU M IN U M A R E H U G E

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30/112


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H E D G E C L I P P E R S | S T R E A M I N G T V | C U R E D M E A T

P H O T O G R A P H B Y Q U IN C Y D E IN Popu l a rMechan i c s _ J U L Y / A U G U S T 3 1

H ow to

K iteboard

W ith you r ho st,

M a ik a M o n r o e ,

star o f

Independence Day:

Resurgence.

The prem ise is pretty sim ple: Attach yourself to an enorm ous kite strap your feet to a board and

let the w ind do the rest. The execution thoughthats w here it gets a bit tricky. W ith

enough practice and plenty of w aterproof sunscreen you can synthesize three extrem e w ater

sportssurfing w akeboarding and w indsurfing into your new favorite sum m er hobby.

B Y C A M E R O N J O H N S O N


32/112ILLUSTRATIONS BY CLINT FORD

T H E W IN D W IN D O W

IM A G IN E T H E R E IS a half-dom e directly dow nw ind in front of and above yo u.Thelocation of your kite in this dom e d ictates how strongly youllbe pulled along by thew ind .Straight up above you and out to your sides is the neutralzone,w here your kitew illstay aloft but not pullyou.Directly out in front of you is the p ow er zo ne,w here your

kite w illpullthe hardest.In betw een the tw o is the aptly nam ed interm ed iate zone,w here you w illbe pulled hard,but no t too hard.

Maika Monroe is a kiteboarder and actress.The kiteboarding cam e first.She started at ,w hen herfather,also a kiteb oarder,gave in to years of begging and agreed to teach her.Four years later,sheturned pro.She m oved to the Dom inican Republic to focus on training and soon becam e one of thetop Am erican fem ale kiteb oarders.B ut after send ing out audition tapes,Monroe had to cut short hercareer as a pro athlete w hen she w as cast in s AtA nyPrice,w ith Dennis Q uaid and Z ac Efron .That led to a role in the critically acclaim ed horro r fl ick,ItFollow s,and this sum m er the -year-oldCalifornia native costars w ith Liam Hem sw orth and Jeff G oldb lum in IndependenceD ay:Resurgence

(out June ),the alien apocalypse follow -up to s alien apocalypse o riginal.

3 2 J U L Y / A U G U S T P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S .C O M

F IR S T , G E T A N instructor.You cant teachyourself to kiteboard w ithout also taking a tripto the ER.First up is a trainer kite,a sm allerkite used o nly on the beach,to get a feelforho w youllbe pulled in the harness.Fromthere,full-size kites range in size from five to square m eters.The size you need is deter-m ined by your w eight,the w ind speed (thefaster the w ind ,the sm aller the kite) and yourexperience,so expect to start w ith som ethingright in the m iddle.Every kite has inflatablesupport beam s that help the kite spread tocatch w ind and also keep it (and you) frombeing pulled under w hen it hits the w ater.

In term s of staying attached to the kite,there are tw o types of harnesses:A seat har-ness is m ore like a clim bing harness,securingyour leg s and w aist.Most pros (and Maika),

how ever,op t for a w aist harness,w hichincreases m obility for tricks and tw ists.Youllbe fine w ith either.From there you use thebar to controlspeed and the b oard to changedirection.And dont forget your life vest.

C O N T R O L

A OUT OUR EXPERT

IF Y O U F E E L like youre going too fast and need to slow do w n,pushthe bar up and aw ay from you.The kite w illrise straight up out of thepow er zone and into the neutralzone w here it w ont pick up as m uchw ind.This is know n as depow ering.W hen youre ready,pullthe b arback tow ard you.

IF Y O U S T A R T to lose controland feellike youre in danger,har-

nesses have a quick release called a chicken loop located right infront of you betw een the harness and the b ar.Pullthe tab on therelease to disengage the lines,and the kite w illfallharm lessly intothe w ater.

T H E B A S IC S

B O A R D

H A R N E S S

K IT E


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34/112

Fisk arsH S5 51

OV ERALLLENGTH: in.CUT T INGED G E:in.W EIG HT:. lbLIKES:Fiskars use gears to increasemechanical advantage. You can feel the dif-ference when you sink into a thick branch.D ISLIK ES:Theres no branch notch, sothicker limbs took a lot of sawing. Moredisappointing, the first pair we testedsomehow turned the steel edge of theblade, keeping the two blades from fullyclosing. Fiskars quickly replaced thefaulty trimmers, and the new pair had noproblems.

$ 4 2

G ilm ou r938

OV ERALLLENG TH: in.CUT T INGED G E: in.W EIG HT:.lbLIK ES:The rubber-coated aluminum han-dles have a comfortable oval cross section,and the arch of the handle makes it easierto come in over branches without snag-ging your hands. We also appreciated therubber bumpers just below the blades toreduce closing impact, and the small notchin the right blade, which was very helpful onthicker branches.D ISLIK ES:The hanging hole in the right bladeisnt big enough to actually be useful.

$ 25

Co ron aH S42 4 4

OV ERALLLENG TH: in.CUT T INGED G E: in.W EIG HT:.lbLIK ES:Special gel grips made a huge dif-ference on our hands, especially after minutes of cutting. But even better isthe shock guard, which allows the bladesto extend slightly past overlapping whenclosed. It feels like youre squeezing amarshmallow. The top blades serratedcutting edge and one-inch branch notchmade these our go-to shears on the tough-est branches.D ISLIKES:None.

$ 4 1

Putting hedges in your yardinvolves two promises: Yourhedges promise to do what youneedblock your view of thestreet or your neighbors view ofyour living roomand you prom-ise to keep your hedges neat andtrim and looking good. We testedthree of the best new trimmerson square feet of dormantyet entirely out-of-control rose ofSharon bushes (and one poodle,

but only pretend). Most wereto inch thick, with a few asthick as an inch across.

H ed ge

T rim m ers

PHOTOGR APHS BY JAMES WOR RELL34 JULY/AUGUST P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S .C O M


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36/112

Multito o lsB e c a u s e a to o lb o x w o u ld b e u n c o m fo rta b le in y o u r p o c k e t.

B

A

C

G er b er M ulti-Plier 6 0 0

FOLDED SIZE: by in.TOOLS: LIKES:D esign ed fo r th e ind ustrialu ser,this k n ifeless to o lis e q u ip p e d

w ith a rep lac e ab le ca rbid e -grit jig -

saw b lad e tha t allo w s it to fu n ctio n

as a m inihacksaw .T riangle-shaped

carbid e w ire cu tters at th e b ase o f

the p lier jaw s can b e rep o sitio n ed

three tim es to exp o se fresh cu tting

ed ge s as the y d ull.DISLIKES:So m e o f the screw driverb lad es a re d iffi cu lt to fo ld o u t.

$83

Leath erm an Sign al

FOLDED SIZE: b y in .TOOLS: LIKES:Im pe ccab le ind ustrialde signand w orkm ansh ip.A llblad es and tools

fo ld o u t w ith a crisp sn ap th at co n -

trib utes as m uch to the plea sure of

o w ne rship as to the to o ls safety an d

u tility.B o n u s po ints fo r th e d iam o nd -

grit fi le yo u c an use to sharpe n the

serrate d kn ife b lad e,an d th e ferro ce r-

iu m -ro d sp arker su rface ,in ca se yo u re

ou t of m atche s and w ant to ligh t a fi re.

DISLIKES:N o n e.

$100

SOG Pow erPlay

FOLDED SIZE: b y in .TOOLS: LIKES:A loto ftoo lfor the m oney.T heon ly C hinese-m ade o ption w e tested ,

the S O G displays go od fi tand fin ish

and a po w erful,gea red plier head .A

m ag ne tic seat grip s any of the to o ls

screw d river b its.K nife -ce n tric use rs

w illapp reciate the tw o d iff eren tb lad es,

straigh ta nd serrated .

DISLIKES:A llof the to o ls and b lad eslo ck sec u rely,b u t th e b u tto n latch tha t

un lo cks them p o kes d irec tly into yo ur

palm .It can b e un com fortab le to h old.

$64

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TOOL T STT H E P R O V I N G G R O U N D F O R E V E R Y T H I N G Y O U N E E D

3 6 JULY/AUGUST _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N IC S .C O M


37/112

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38/112

TECHNOLOG Y

Recently, a few designers and product heads from places like Apple, M icro-

soft, and Nest created Eero, a router system that uses m ultiple units to

repeat your W i-Fi signal up stairs and around w alls like a satellite relay. At $ for a three-pack, theyre expensive.

You could buy two $ routers to produce a sim ilar effect, but you w ould need to actively drop the w eaker network

and rejoin the stronger one every tim e you w alk your iPad between room s. Eero routers, besides being pretty enough

to alm ost blend in w ith a countertop, autom atically connect you to the strongest signal. W e had two of them running

in less than a m inute, with im m ediate results: An aging iM ac in a brick-walled hom e offi ce loaded web pages like it w as

on a K m odem . W ith the Eeros, the iM ac got a strong enough signal to play Hulu clips instantly. Even better, theiPad got the sam e benefit without adjusting the connection, or drilling holes for m ore cables. A lexanderG eorge

G ary D ellA bate has b ee n the

execu tive p rodu cer of The

How ard Stern Show s in c e .H e

c a n b e h e a r d o n S ir iu s X M .

PHOTO GRAPH BY SPENCER HEYFRON38 JULY/AUGUST _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S . C O M

Iju st started u sin g

th e s e B o w e rs &

W ilkins P w ireless

B luetooth head -

p h o n e s ($ ).

T h ey re rea lly h igh

en d,w ith de tailed

s o u n d a n d s tro n g

b a s s .E v e n th o u g h

they re no t no ise-

ca n ce ling ,Im

crazy abou t them .

Ialw ays g et an aisle

seat on p lane s,

w h ic h m e a n s th a t

w h e n e ve r so m e o n e

in m y ro w h a s toget up,Iunp lug the

cord,gather every-

thing ,pu t the tray

table u p,the n step

aside to let the m

o u t.N o w w h e n

s o m e o n e h a s to

get u p,Ipick e very-

thing up and ke ep

t h e h e a d p h o n e s

on .AllIhave to do

is stan d .

H E A D P H O N E S

Years ago, when you flew

you had to watch whatever

crappy movie the plane was

showing. Now we just bring our enter-

tainment with us. Look around, and

everybody is power-watching a showor movie on a tablet or laptop.

Problem is, most video services

are streaming only, which is an issue

for anyone who travels. We think that

Wi-Fi is going be everywhere soon, but

its not. Trains, planes, hotels, and cars

HOW TO FIX YOUR HOME WI-FI

watchPeaky Blinderson Netflix, he

bought episodes off iTunes. Why did

he buy what he was already paying for?

I cant stream Netflix on a plane, he

said. Its ridiculous that you have to pay

dont have Wi-Fi.

me to look at Amazons content in a way

that I never did before. One day a week

I take the train to work, so I started

watching The Man in the High Cas-

tle,one of Amazons series. Im only on

my fourth episode, I watch it here andthere, but it lives on my iPad, always

ready. Now we just need Netflix and

Hulu to follow Amazons lead.

I also rely on DVDs, especially for

work, where I get screeners of new mov-

ies or shows. Yes, DVDs. I have a library

of stuff Ive ripped, as in I converted

the video from the disc to a digital

file. Theres a million ways to do it, butHandBrake is the most reliable soft-

ware Ive found for every video format.

I put those movies onto an external

hard drive, then sync that drive to my

iTunes library. It sounds completely

outdated, but its the only way to always

have what I want to watch. If Im going

to L.A., I sit down the night before I fly,

connect my iPad mini, and plan mynext days entertainment.

TV On the GoWith so many streaming options,you can watch anything

anytime. But not anyplace.B Y G A R Y D E L L A B A T E

say they have Wi-Fi, and tablets and

phones have data, but I dont trust any

of it. Even when the Wi-Fi works, air-

lines make it clear: You can email, but

forget about trying to stream movies,

even if you pay extra for the faster con-nection. What B.S.

Until streaming is fully integrated

and strong Wi-Fi is everywhere, if I

want to be sure I can watch something,

I download. A friend brought this up

the other day. Even though he could


39/112

Vision, VisionPlus, CrystalVision ultra and X-tremeVision

up grad e he ad lights

P h ilip s u p grad e h e ad ligh ts sho w yo u

w hats ahe ad so o ne r. M o re tim e to

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40/112

SH OP NO TESE A S Y W A Y S T O D O H A R D T H I N G S

40 JULY/AUGUST _ P O P U L A R M E C H A N I C S . C O M ILLUSTRATIONS BY KAGAN M CLEOD

Use a Winter Sled inPeak Summer

A PLASTIC SLED is great fun for the kids for three months of the year,

and dead weight in the garage for the rest of it. Unless youre reader

Dean Toth of Brookfield, Wisconsin, who suggests a sled as a handy

tool for moving yard debris or heavy equipment even without snow

on the ground. A sled will slide easily over grass, sand, or gravel, and

the plastic is highly durable. In fact, his favorite use is for a standard

summer choregetting camping gear from the car to the campsite.

BELTHANGSBARBECUEGEAR

FROM

TH E

ARCHIV

ES

!

M ousetr ap K eepsGloves H andy

Nail a spare, triggered wooden

mousetrap to a stud in the garage,

and youve got a perfect place to storework glovesthe spring-loaded ham-

mer holds them in place.

A Knot toKnow: The

Midshipmans

HitchW h e n y o u re o u t c a m p -

ing this sum m er,you

m a y n e e d to g u y y o u r

tent or hang a b ear bag.

Yo ullnee d a sturdy k no t

to fi x the rop e to a stake

or rock ,one that can

b e ea sily tigh tene d an d

w on t slip .Th at kind o f

kn ot is a h itch .Sco uts

le arn the tau t-lin e h itch .

T he m idshipm ans hitch

is a variatio n w ith su p e -

rio r slip resistan ce .

I fy ou ve gota tree n ext to th e pa tio (or stu rdy balu sters on

yo u r deck ra ilin g),w rap a n old belta rou n d it,as tigh tly

a s possible (tigh ter th a n yo ud p refer on yo u r ow n tru n k).

P ut S -h ooks over the top ofthe belt.N ow you can h an g a

ba rbecue b ru sh,ton gs,or even a skilletfor ea sy a ccess.

R emove a Str ipped Scr ewW ith a Power Dr i l l

If you strip a screw when its already

partway out of the surface, clamp onto

it with the chuck of a power drill and

slowly back it out. Set the speed low and

the torque high to prevent slippage.

Use a C-Clamp as aH ammer H olster

If youre hammering from a ladder,

fix a C-clamp on a vertical member

and you can use it to hang the hammer.

Fr aying Cor ds

Phone chargers and headphones are

notorious for fraying near the ends,

which are constantly wrapped up and

yanked around. Protect them with

the spring from a spent retractable

pen. After removing it from the pen,

slightly stretch out the tightly coiledends of the spring. Then wind it onto

the cable, taking care not to puncture

the cable (or your finger).

S TE P W ra p th e e n d o f t h e ro p e

arou nd the loa d line ag ain,

pu lling throug h the loo p

and then tow ard the load .

S TE P To tigh ten a gu y (or han g

a b ear ba g h igh er),use

on e ha nd to p ullthe loa d

en d to ge t slack an d the

oth er to slide the k no t

up or dow n the rope.It

m oves easily bu t unde r

a lo ad w illn o t slip .

S TE P W ra p th e fre e e n d o f t h e

rop e arou nd the loa d line

on e last tim e,this tim e

o utsid e the lo o p .P ulltigh t.

S TE P P ullthe rop e aroun d the

ancho r,then w rap the

free en d aroun d the line

that go es to the loa d

(tent or be ar bag ),

creating a loo p.

S TE P T igh ten the tw o co ils

you ve created aroun d

the lo ad line .

READER

TIP


41/112

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Stained and sealed bourbonbarrel staves catch your bottle caps

before they can hit the ground!

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43/112

Getting

StartedIn...

T h e m ost cou n terin tu itive w ay of prepa rin g m eat can also b e th e m ost deliciou s.

B Y K E V IN D U P Z Y K A N D C A M E R O N J O H N S O N

C U R I N G M E A T

Curing your ow n meat involves sea-

soning, table salt, curing salt, and

a w hole lot ofpatience.The time

betw een buying a cut ofmeat from

the butcher to actually serving it at

the table can be months.O r even

years.Thats w hen the meat breaks

dow n, unlocking flavor you could

never cook into it.Ifyoure concerned

about the w isdom ofholding on to a

slab ofpork for tw o months b efore

eating it, thats good.You should be.

But science w ill keep you safe.The

salt and cure mix draw moisture out

ofthe meat, and w ithout moisture,

bacteria and pathogens cannot ger-

minate, and the meat doesnt spoil.

You just have to do it right.

W ith thanksto EliasCastro of

Olym pia Provisionsin Portland,

Oregon,and Justin Severino of

Cure and M orcilla in Pittsburgh.

P o p u l ar M e c h an ic s _ JULY/AUGUST 4 5


44/112

S A U S A G E

P R IC K E R

Use these sharp

tinesto puncture

anyairbubblesyou

see in yourlinks.

Nitrite (NO )drawsthe w ater

out ofm eat,preventing bacteria

such asClostridium botulinum

(which causesbotulism)and

otherpathogensfrom ger-

m inating.InstaCure No. isam ixture ofsalt and sodium

nitrite (NaNO )and should be

used forshort-duration cures

that sit foracouple ofdaysto a

couple ofw eeks,like capicolaor

m ortadella.Afterthat the nitrite

becom esinert,and the curing

processhalts.Forlonger-curing

m eatssuch aschorizo orpro-

sciutto,InstaCure No. adds

sodium nitrate (NaNO ).After

the initialnitrite stopsworking,

the nitrate m olecules(NO )give

up oxygen atom sand turn into

additionalnitrite to finish the job.

Ifyou have a

recipe,it w illtell

you w hat cut of

m eat to use.M ost

ofthe tim e that

cut w illbe pork

shoulder,also

called porkbutt or

Boston butt.Rela-

tivelyinexpensive

and w ith around

a percent fat

com position,pork

butt isperfect

forsausage.For

m eatsthat require

adifferent propor-

tion offat,you can

also buyaleanercut and aseparate

slab offatback,

then grind them

together.

C A S IN G S

Sectionsofthe

innerlining ofani-

m alintestineshold

sausagestogether.

(Syntheticoptions

are m ore durable,

but theyhave a

substantialeffect

on taste.Skip

them .)Pickbased

on the size ofyour

finalproduct.

The standard is

-to -m m

hog casings.Youll

also find -to

-m m sheep cas-

ings,and -to

-m m cow cas-ings,which tend

to be too big

and com plicated

forbeginners.

C U R IN G S A L T

A m ixture oftable

salt and sodium

nitrite.It adds

flavorand colorand

preventsm eat

from going bad.

There are tw o

options:Insta

Cure No. or

InstaCure No..

(See below.)

G R IN D E R

Anym eat thats

going to becom e

sausage hasto be

ground before itll

go in casing.For

m ost hobbyists,

ahand-cranked

grinderw illwork

just fine.The LEM

ProductsNo.

clam psto your

counterand costs

under$.Orif

you alreadyhave

astand m ixeryou

can buyagrinder

attachm ent for

even less.

S A U S A G E

S T U F F E R

A large container

w ith aplunger

operated byhand

crank.Turn

the crank

to extrude the

m eat into the cas-

ing.Som e grinders

com e w ith a

sausage-stuffi ng

attachm ent,

but astand-alone

stufferw illbe

m ore effi cient and

hygienic.

IN STA CURE

M ake Som eSausage

Beforeyoucureanything,youshouldlearntomakesausage.Itsdeliciousand

doesntinvolveanywaiting.Plus,many

ofthebestcuredmeats,suchaskielbasa

andsalami,startoffassausages.

.Cut m eat and fat

into inch chunks

and feed into the

grinder with a hand-

ful of crushed ice.

Add the spice m ix

from your recipe

and m ix thoroughly.

Youre ready to stuff.

.Rinse the brine

off the casings and

soak them in w arm

w ater for at least

an hour. W et the

table and the horn

of the stuff er to

deter tearing.

.Tie off the casing

and thread it onto

the horn until only a

few inches are free.

If there are air pock-ets lightly prick the

tube w ith your sau-

sage pricker.

.Put your m ixture

in the stuffers

hopper. W ork the

hopper with one

hand w hile using

the other to con-

trol the rate at

w hich m eat fills the

casing.

.W hen all your

m eat is packed

cut and tie off the

casing.

.One hands length

from the end pinch

and tw ist a few

tim es to form a link.

Repeat twisting in

the opposite direc-

tion. Continue untilthe entire sausage is

in links.

HOWITWORKS

D on t freeze

naturalcas-

in gs it ruins

the ir in tegrity.K ee p

them in their brine ,or,

if yo uve rinse d so m e

an d then realized yo u

do nt need them all,

cover the m in salt and

refrige rate in a se aled

con taine r,w he re they

w illlas t fo r a fullye a r.

TIP!

46J U L Y / A U G U S T _ POPULARMECHANICS.COM

Gett in g Sta r t ed In CU R IN G M E A T

ILLUSTR ATIO NS BY STEVE SAN FO RD


45/112

The easiest ofthe curing

methods, smoking can be

done on a standard kettle

grill.Heres how :

Presoak your choice of

w ood chips in w ater for

an hour.

Set charcoal on one side

ofthe grill.W hen the

flame has burned off,

add the w ood chips.

Put the meat on the side

opposite the coals, close

the lid, and open the vents

above the meat side of

the grill.

Smoke the meat to an

internal temperature of

degrees, then put

it in an oven set to

degrees, slowly bringing

the internal tempera-ture ofthe meat to

degrees.

This recipe, from theOlympiaProvisions

cookbook, gives you the option ofcooking

the meat like bacon after curing or, ifyou

have a drybox, letting it dry, slicing it thin,

and reallyimpressing your friends.

SA TY

Always kee p raw meatbelow degrees F ahren-heit unless youre about tocook it or start fermenting.

Put all equipment(grinder blades , cuttingboa rd, bow l, etc .) in thefreezer half an hour before

you st art. When grinding,process a small amount ofmeat at a time, and grindinto a bowl nestled in alarger bowl filled with ice.

Sterilize your worksta-tion, equipment, hands,and anything else that maycome in contact with meat.

Use the right amountof cure mixtable salt andcuring salt. The amountis based on a percentageof the weight of the meat

you re us ing. Stea med sausage (e.g.,bratwurst): . pe rcenttable salt, no curing sa lt

Cooked meat that is con-

sume d cold (e.g ., ham): .percent table salt, . per-cent curing s altDry cured meat :.to percent table salt(depending on size), .percent curing saltSalami:. percent tablesalt, . perce nt curing salt

During the first stage,keep your meat refriger-ated at to degrees.

L O W R IS K H IG H R IS K

Smoking Fermenting

Tangy sausages like

salami are made by adding

acid-producing bacteria

(available at meat hobbyist

sites such as butcher-

packer.com).The meat

ferments in a climate-

controlled chamber like

that dry box you just built ,

but set to degrees and

a humidity level of per-

cent.Youll need M icroFine

pH paper (also available

at butcher-packer.com)to

periodically test the pH of

the meat and determine if

enough lactic acid is pres-

ent to make it safe.

Dry boxes provide a

temperature- and humid-

ity-controlled environment

for your meat.You can buy

one for around $,, or

you make your own out

ofan empty refrigerator,

an automatic thermo-

stat, a fan, a humidifier,

and a dehumidifier.The

dry box keeps the meat at

degrees and percent

humidity.Your recipe w ill

tell you how long to dry the

meat, but as a general rule,

meat is ready to eat w hen

it w eighs less than halfof

its initial raw w eight.

If you see un w anted m old o n you r salam i,w ipe it

aw ay w ith vine ga r.Its high acid ity w illlow er the

p H leve l,killing the m o ld a nd p reven ting its spread .

V ine ga r is also a g reat naturalw ay to kee p yo ur dry bo x sani-

tized d uring the cu ring p rocess.W ipe d ow n the w alls of you r

dry bo x w ith a vineg ar-soaked cloth tw ice pe r w eek .

TIP!

Without proper sanitization, preparation, and storage, illnesses like

botulism can flourish at which point the number ofpeople interested in try-

ing your home-cured salami will drasticallydiminish. A fewtips:

Te chn iqu es requ iring m ore tim e an d p recision to get righ t are riskier to g et w rong .

Fresh sausage Dry curing

D R Y IN G F E R M E N T IN GS M O K IN G

ING REDIENTS

1 tbsp crushedblackpepper1 tsp crushedjuniperberries tsp freshlygratednutmeg

2 tsp choppedgarlic2 bayleaves5 sprigsthyme3 tbsp fineseasalt1tbsp brownsugar1 tsp InstaCureNo.24 l b porkbelly,skin-on

STEPS

Combinespices,salt,sugar,and InstaCureNo.2.Sprinkleagener-ouscoatingofthismixonthebottomofanairtightcontainer.Laythe porkbellyontop,thencoverwiththerestofthemix.Sealthecon-tainerandrefrigerateforoneweek.

Takethecontaineroutofthefridge,flipovertheporkbelly,thenresealandrefrigerateforanadditionalweek.

Openthecontainer,removethe meat,andswisharoundtheliquids andsalt.Putthemeatbackin,theneverythinggoesinthefridge,un-covered,forfourmoredays.

Youredoneifyouwanttobe.Youcancookitnow:Rinsethemeatoff,sliceitthin,andfryitup.Perfectasapizzatopping.Or continuetostep5.

Thoroughlyrinsethepancetta,then hangitinadryboxfor35days.Thensliceitupandserve.

T he Starter R ecip e

F L A T P A N C E T T A

C u reth eM ea tWhether its sausage or a slab ofpork belly, there are three common methods ofcuring

meat:drying, fermenting, and smoking.

P o pu l ar M e c ha ni c s _ J U L Y / A U G U S T 47


46/112

Catastrophe

IL L U S T R A T IO N B Y R Y A N IN Z A N A4 8 JULY/AUGUST _P O P U L A R M E C H A N IC S. C O M

The Day

M y SawSaved M e

through the first small branch

and then the others, one after

another, as the cab filled with the

bitter yet pleasant smell ofcut wet

hardwood. When Igot to the four-

inch-diameter branch that bent

over the cab, it twisted and jammed

the sawas Icut. M yarm was so tired

it felt like it was going to fall off. Just

then myfriend Kellycame running

up. Iunjammed the saw by tak-

ing the weight off the branch that

had bound around it. Kelly made

what progress she could, then Itook

another turn. Reaching out ofthe

cab to sawat odd angles reallywears

out your muscles, but fortunatelyIhave con-

struction tendons. They kick in when the

muscles go, kind oflike a backup system.

After a few rounds, the branch finally fell

free, and there was just enough room to open

the door and climb out.

The rain had let up, and myfriends gath-

ered around the truck to help cut away the

limb. The entire top ofthe tree had blown

off. The ladder took most ofthe impact, likely

saving my life by preventing the tree from

coming through the windshield. There were

dents on the roof, the hood, and the top ofthe

door, and even marks on the fender ,

ofdamage in all but the truck was drivable,

and Iwas alive.

Subm itted by reader Tom irnbaum

Have a tool story of your ow n?

Share it with us at

editor@popularm echanics.com .

W h atM ak es

th eS ta n ley SharpTooth

th eE sse n tia l

Few er teeth

per inch m eans

few er strokes

Cuts in both

directions

reducing

fatigue

Com posite-

coated to lim it

friction

One Friday, after a pleasant work-

week doing remodeli ng and

repairs at a boatyard, Idrove

mytruck, a Nissan Fron-

tier King Cab, to meet up with

friends, light a bonfire, have a few beers,

and make plans for the weekend. We were

standing around the fire talking when the

skybegan to blacken quickly. The temper-

ature dropped or degrees within a few

minutes, and thunder rolled in the distance.

Next thing we knew, the storm was on top

ofus, and we ran toward our vehicles. The

wind was raging and three-quarter-inch hail

began to fall, so Ijumped in mytruck, which

was semi-protected by trees on both sides.

One ofthose trees was a big cottonwood

feet high. From inside the ca

popular mechanics - august 2016

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