Roy’s First Story

PM’S longest-tenured editor (29 years!) earned his first byline writing about an early instance of comp computer-aided DIY, a fitting start to a career that’s seen nearly every tool of the trade enhanced b by silicon and software.

POPULAR MECHANICS: YOU’D BEEN AT THE MAGAZINE A FEW YEARS BEFORE THIS STORY RAN. WHAT TOOK SO

LONG? ROY BERENDSOHN: Popular Mechanics followed the apprenticeship model, not unfamiliar to me from my time as an apprentice cabinetmaker. It was a given when you were hired that you had a lot to learn mechanically and journalistically. PM: PLANNING A PROJECT WITH A COMPUTER SEEMS PRETTY ADVANCED FOR 1989. WAS THIS A BIG STEP FORWARD?

RB: Yes, it was quite advanced then and continues to be. On the other hand, having a neatly drawn plan to present to the building department has always been important. That was true before the computerised Design Center, and is still true now. PM: HOW HAVE THINGS PROGRESSED IN THE PAST 30 YEARS?

RB: Having a kiosk in every store became a bit outmoded when the Internet came around. There are free plans on the web you can print and submit, along with cut sheets of hardware and materials. Decks.com, for example, has existing plans and design software to help you create from scratch. And there are sites for other types of projects, too. PM: SO, DOES THE STORY HOLD UP? RB: I think so. The notion that we’d have more ways to explore project designs before cutting any lumber was on target. Plus the tone is polite and informed. Treating the reader politely never goes out of style.