THE WISDOM of POPULAR MECHANICS

Some of the magazine’s best advice, completely out of context.

> THE SUNROOF is nonsense. (February 2017)

> STEP ONE: Scratch head. (November 1997)

> AMONG THE HUNDREDS of nail types available at any hardware store, only one size and shape is the best to use for a particular job. Other nails may do the job, but the right one will do it better. (June 1968)

> ASSORTED RUBBER BANDS can be cut from worn-out rubber gloves. (March 1952)

> THE DIAMOND WAS once such a dull little pebble you wouldn’t even stoop to pick it up. (February 1950)

> FOR THE LAST TIME, there is no spinning in foosball. (February 2015)

> YOU THINK YOU’RE SAFE in sleep, you think you’re beyond fear, but the reeling mind is most vulnerable a few hours after midnight. (September 2015)

> IN THE MATTER of staining, all other furnishings in the room should be considered. (July 1911)

> TO MAKE REMOVING concrete forms easier, use double-head duplex nails. (May 1997)

> ONE WAY TO HONE your instrument flying skills is to go out and practise in an airplane. But this takes time and fuel, and incurs a certain risk. (May 1980)

> IN PAINTING, it is best to remove all the hinges. (March 1941)

> DON’T THROW AWAY your old garden hose when you get a new one; you can make a yard sprinkler out of it. (June 1946)

> IN THIS DAY and age of specialised power equipment, it’s refreshing to know that a humanpowered tool like the bench plane is still indispensable. (October 1984)

> KNOWING WHAT YOUR CUE BALL will do after it makes contact with an object ball helps you avoid scratching (also, cursing and throwing things). If you strike firmly in the centre of the cue ball, it will slide along the felt rather than roll. When a sliding cue ball makes contact with an object ball, the two will always separate at an angle of 90 degrees. (February 2015)

> THERE IS PROBABLY nothing that appeals to the average boy quite so much as a gun. (June 1923)

> A SMALL NUMBER OF TOOLS for space walks are like those special tools annoyingly called for in car manuals – designed from scratch for a single purpose. (February 1986)

> MAYBE we’re overdoing things a bit in this modern generation. (April 1960)

> WHEN YOU HAVE the opportunity to witness modern American craftsmen plying their intricate trades, you gain a new appreciation for that portion of the human soul that cries out for excellence. Look at a craftsman as he labours over his wood, metal, glass, or other material and, at first glance, your attention will be drawn to the hands. But you have to look deeper. The work of the hands is merely the outward manifestation. True craftsmanship is a journey of the spirit. (May 1989)

> YOU’D BE SURPRISED how many people don’t bother to lock their cars. (December 1964)

> DON’T TRUST traffic lights totally. (August 1975)

> IF YOU WORK in wood, there’s a good chance that most everything you’ll ever build will be based on a 90-degree angle. (May 1999)

> A TRUSTED NEIGHBOUR is invaluable. (September 1971)

> PUT A MEDIUM-SIZE MAN in the saddle of a midget-size motorcycle, and you have the ingredients of a whale of a time. (January 1965)

> WHEN NAILING TOGETHER two pieces of wood of different thicknesses, the general rule is to select a nail long enough that two-thirds of its length will be in the larger piece. (April 1960)

> THERE ARE TWO VITAL FACTS necessary to know to obtain a bargain on a used car: when the car was built and how far it has been driven. (September 1926)

> BATHROOM REMODELS DEMAND the skills of all the major crafts. (May 1999)

> ONE SURE WAY to keep the peace in a bedroom shared by two active boys is to split the room in two. (September 1977)

> CREAM CHEESE usually contains one or more of a trio of ingredients – xanthan gum, guar gum, and locust bean gum – that help thicken and stabilise it. Works wonders on eggs. (September 2014)

> CITY LIGHTS ARE a thrilling spectacle from the air. (June 1939)

> TAKING CARE of the shining exterior won’t do much to extend the car’s life if you ignore the greasy side. Most corrosion begins somewhere on the underside and works its way through to the top. (October 1984)

> TIME IS merciless. (August 1995)

> IF YOUR TOILET won’t shut off, try jiggling the handle. It might work. (December 2005)