Popular Mechanics 2009-07

P M F E A T U R E S /// J U L Y 2 0 0 9
VOLUME 186 NO. 7
60
e world has
challenges; we
have solutions. 72
Presenting the PM Brick by Brick
aion plan, from It was ju your average
real-world fusion renovation proje: Use
to better airplanes the late green tech and
to trac-buing 3D laser imaging to trans-
cars. form a crumbling 19th-
BY ERIK SOFGE century rehouse into
a hyperenergy-ecient
single-family homeall
the while preserving the
Geologist Peter landmarked exterior.
Kelemen holds a Piece of cake.
chunk of peridotite,
BY LISA PALMER
a rock that could
hold the key to car-
bon sequestration. 76
Welcome
to the Food Chain
As once-threatened animal
populations rebound and
people move into former
wildlands, predators are
showing up precisely
where they don't belong:
in backyards. And the
wildlife isnt as afraid of us
as we might think.
BY ERIN MCCARTHY
82
Supercarrier
Forget pen-and-ink draw-
ings and wooden models
building the Navys r
new class of aircra
carrier in 40 years calls for
virtual-reality computer
programs that transform
54,000 tons of eel
into a massive
ICONS BY DOGO (COVER)
blue-water warship.
BY NOAH SHACHTMAN
O N T H E C O V E R Blended-wing aircra being developed for the military could give rise to planes
like this commercial airliner, sharply reducing fuel consumption and noise. Rendered by Jeremy Cook.
PHOTOGRAPH BY MIKE MCGREGOR POPUL ARMECHANICS.COM | J U LY 2 0 0 9 3

PM DEPARTMENTS
NEW TOOLS
28 CARS
40 HOME
HOW-TO qMM!
112
89
23
qq q

qq q
15 How to Land on Mars 25 Bed Maker 35 Prime Mover 89 Tax Credits for
To make a so touchdown, e Husqvarna TB 1000 e 2010 VW GTI delivers the DIYer Energy-efciency
NASAs new heavyweight Battery Cultivator runs high-oane fun at a upgrades mean homeowners
rover needs the large smoother than gas-powered reasonable price; r look at pay less for utilities and get a
break from the IRS.
space parachute ever sewn. tillerswithout the nay the Tesla Model S, due in
Plus: Robots help decode fumes. Plus: What you need 2011; te driving the Ford 92 Down With Flooring
animal behavior; a to maer wakeboarding; Muang Shelby GT500. Engineered planks, nailless
new helicopter-based Leathermans new precisely Plus: Highlights from the systems, new nishesthe
latest R&D.
minesweeping syem. machined two-trick tool. New York auto show.
96 Homeowners Clinic
Are rain-barrel watering
systems cost-effective? Plus:
Know your paint and putty
knives.
q
101 Saturday
Mechanic How to gure
out why your fan motor
diedand how to replace it.
104 Car Clinic
Opening a stuck hood;
diagnosing a gas pedal's
shakes. Plus: Debunking the
synthetic oil myth.
PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN HUBA/ART AND COMMERCE (WAKEBOARDING)

30
q
q 108 Backyard Digital

Playground How to make
your patio, deck or lawn a
high-tech hotspot.
46 Jay Leno's Garage
To re-create obsolete parts for the classic cars in his colleion, Jay Leno uses a ate-of-the-art 112 Digital Clinic
scanner and 3D printer that can perfely duplicate any piece of hardware for any car. How to watch any DVD in 3D.
Plus: Decoding .docx
50 Collision Course Word documentswithout
Spacefaring nations are cluttering low Earth orbit with so much junk it may turn into a no-y zone. spending cash.
Glenn Harlan Reynolds, a space-law expert, has a few mode proposals for cleaning up the mess.
56 Volcano Watchers
Every day 25,000 people y over one of the mo aive volcanic regions on Earth. PM visits the q!q
scientis at the Alaska Volcano Observatory who keep planes out of potentially fatal ash plumes.
HOW TO RE ACH US 6
LE T TERS 8
THIS IS M Y JOB 120
LISTED ON THE COVER: 76 Wild Animal Attacks > 32 Win is Harley >
60 25 Bold Ideas > 62 Smarter Jets > 89 Home-Improvement Tax Break
4 J U LY 2 0 0 9 | POPUL ARMECHANICS.COM
James B. Meigs EDITORIAL
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Your ory on 50 tools was a
beaut. Ill bet that Im only one
of hundreds of readers who
wrote to say there was one
thing missingdu tape, the
mo indispensable tool of all.
D O N A L D PA C K B R YA N
PITTSBURGH, PA
Mission Accomplished
Logan Wards e Mission,
about inventor and Amazonian
missionary Steve Saint and his
ying dune buggy, was one of
the be articles I have read in
your magazine over many
years. Whats not to like about
an airplane that doesnt need a
pilot or a runway? (I want one
PM LETTERS
myself for commuting.) Yes, it
was popular and mechanical,
but the ory was enriched by
Bigger Toolbox? you live. I also think that a the details of Saints family and
I S S U E
Your ory 50 Tools We Cant good set of form-tting his personal hiory.
Live Without highlighted a
great seleion of tools. Im
EpW mechanics gloves is a mu in
any toolbox.
MARK PICHA J
BURBANK, CA
only missing the ohmmeter STE VEN MENZIK
Readers
(I wouldnt know what to do responded to our
IOWA PARK, TX I was pleased that your article
with it). But I would have liked li of 50 tools on Steve Saint and his
a few more. e handsaws every man needs I nd myself in slight disagree- invention included his family
and a missionarys
could have been replaced with ying vehicle. ment with a few of your hiory, which showed the
the more accurate Japanese mu-have tools. Do you desire of missionaries to help
pull or cabinet saws. Mo seriously consider WD-40 and tribes in the Amazon. It really
importantly, you omitted the a du mask tools? ey are added background on Steves
remodelers be friendthe supplies, in line with shop intere, commitment and
reciprocating saw. It is perhaps towels and Lava soap. If I were motivation to create his ying
the mo versatile tool I own, seleing ju 50, I would have vehicle. I hope to see a
except for a pencil. Oh, yes included some C-clamps, a wire followup article describing how
you forgot the pencil, too. brush, propane torch and ax. the canopy is ored when
J I M S TA C E Y Great article otherwise, thanks. driving in the jungle.
FAYETTEVILLE, NC TONY JUSTIN TIM CALEY
LEES SUMMIT, MO WEYMOUTH, MA
I very much enjoyed your tools
article but believe that some of
PHOTOGRAPH BY JEFF WESTBROOK/STUDIO D
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AUTOMOTIVE SCIENCE
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SUPER
HOME COOLING 101 SUMMER MYTHS

Air conditioners are Will turning on the
one of the bigge heat really cool down
energyand money an engine? Does the
drains in the home. summer require thicker
e PM editors have oil? What kind of
all the tips you coolant? Mike Allen
No purchase necessary to enter need to ay cool, debunks summer auto
or win. The Super 8 Destination
Super Sweepstakes. Sponsored by without cranking up myths and gives tips
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NEWS + TRENDS + BREAKTHROUGHS
Parachute
Diameter:
52 feet
e parachute is
designed to sur-
vive deployment
in the Martian
atmosphere at
Mach 2.2, where
it will generate
65,000 pounds
of drag.
A nylon and
polyeer compo-
sition keeps the
6
parachutes total
weight down to
How to ju 120 pounds.
Land on When the NASA Mars Science Laboratory rover lands on Mars in
Mars 2012, it will face a unique obacle: With an Earth weight of nearly a
ton (compared to about 400 pounds for previous Mars rovers) and a Mars
weight of about 750 pounds, it is too massive for any exiing space para-
chute. So to cushion its fall through the thin Martian atmosphere (which is
less than 1 percent as dense as Earths), NASA engineers had to come up with
something really big. e new parachute opens to a diameter of 52 feet,
T O S U R V I V E ITS FA LL, making it twice the size of any parachute ever own beyond Earth.
T H E MA S S IV E N EW MA R S
R O V E R WILL D E PE N D ON
To te the parachute, which was built by Pioneer Aerospace, NASA brought
T H E LA R GES T S PA C E it into the worlds large wind tunnel, located at NASA Ames Research Center
P AR A C HU TE E V E R BU I LT. in Moett Field, Calif. e parachute passed ight-qualication teing in April,
BY MORGAN LORD and is now ready for the rovers 2011 launch date.
POPUL ARMECHANICS.COM | J U LY 2 0 0 9 15
New ere have been many attempts at producing a ying car over the
yearsmaybe too many. None has found its way onto consumer
Flying driveways. But a vehicle billed as the worlds r praical ying
car had its Kitty Hawk moment on March 5, when it successfully
Carat maintained ight for 37 seconds. e two-seat Transition, classed
Dealers by the FAA as a Light Sport Aircra, is a proof-of-concept built by
Terrafugia, an MIT spino. Using ordinary unleaded gasoline, it can
T E C H W A T C H
Soon? y at 115 mph with a range of 460 miles, morph into a road-safe
car in less than 30 seconds, pull 30 mpg on the highway and t into
an ordinary garage. e company is taking deposits and plans to
deliver vehicles in 2011 for about $200,000.
Wings fold up for driving
Rise of the Robot Scientis SPACE

+ Could robots soon make scientis RADIATION
NEWSBRIEFS obsolete? Two groups of researchers + Aer two years
Reports From the Edge of Science of data analysis, a
Compiled by Alex Hutchinson have announced advances in the que to
team of inter-
create a computer capable of developing national research-
experiments, teing hypotheses and ers has discovered
learning from the results. Researchers at the cause of a
VIRUS-BUILT Aberywyth University and the myerious source
BATTERIES of space radiation
University of Cambridge in the U.K. have
+ In 2006, MIT built a robot biologi that can design and called the far
researchers made infrared back-
rides toward condu experiments to identify genes ground. e
completing a involved in yea metabolism. Meanwhile, radiation, which
virus-built lithium- researchers at Cornell University have was discovered a
ion battery. Now, created a machine able to deduce natural decade ago by
the scientis have laws by observing physical syems. NASAs COBE
solved a missing mission, comes
piece of the puzzle from a group of
by engineering a galaxies located
virus that can BRIDGE 7 billion to 10
create cathodes by MONITORING billion light years
sheathing itself in Battery-Powered Sub + At the end of away. As hot new
iron phosphate + An unmanned autonomous submarine 2008, more than ars are formed in
before attaching to one out of every these galaxies, light
carbon nanotubes.
successfully mapped out 300 miles of four bridges in the from them is
e new battery is seaoor underneath the thick ice of United States was absorbed by nearby
currently in the Antaricas Pine Island Glacier. e subs classied as either du, which heats
prototype age; creative source of power: 5000 o-the- ruurally data about up and re-emits the
the process could shelf D batteries. e Autosub, which decient or vibrations and infrared signal
yield cheaper was built at Britains National Oceanogra- obsolete by the deformations aronomers had
batteries that are Department of aeing a been puzzling over.
less toxic to phy Centre, is equipped with multibeam Transportation. To ruure. e
produce than sonar that allows it to create detailed help x this, sensors gather data
todays lithium- maps while navigating between jagged ice researchers at by liening for
ion cells. above and an unmapped seaoor below. Floridas University echoes from cracks,
of Miami are and by measuring
teing wireless alkaline levels to
sensors that monitor corrosion.
transmit real-time Sensor power will
be harveed from
O N T H E W E B > Follow breaking science and wind and ruural
technology news daily at popularmechanics.com. vibrations.

Spaces Final
Frontier?
Where does the Earths
T E C H W A T C H
atmosphere end and space

begin? at depends whom
you ask. Various denitions
have fought it out. In 1961, Alan
Shepard reached an altitude
of 116 miles to become the
r American in space;
SpaceShipOne nabbed the

Ansari X Prize in 2004 aer
hitting 62 miles. But scientis at
Canadas University of Calgary
say new technology has allowed
them to pinpoint the border: It
lies 73 miles above the Earths
surface. ats where relatively
gentle atmospheric winds begin
to give way to spaces maelrom-
like particle ows, which can
exceed 600 mph. e data comes
from the Supra-ermal Ion
Imager, which was sent into
space in 2007. SETH PORGES
e new border:
Below this boundary,
charged-particle
winds are pulled by
Earths atmosphere, is Is Your Head on Science
David Knudsen, a F R O M E Y E I M P L A N T S T O S T E M - C E L L D E N TA L W O R K , S C I E N C E I S P A V I N G
physici at the T H E W A Y F O R N E X T - G E N M E D I C A L P R O C E D U R E S . BY AMBER ANGELLE
University of Calgary,
says. But beyond it, Whether the goal is sharper hearing or sharper looks,
the winds go faer
and are driven by researchers continue their eorts to improve the features
forces from space. nature gave us. ese head-centered therapies employ
73
MILES
everything from em cells to tiny eleronics in their pursuit
of aehetic advantage. ey could lead to wide-ranging
medical advancesor ju more lucre for cosmetic surgeons.
62
MILES
I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y B R A D L E Y R . H U G H E S ( S P A C E ) ; D O G O ( H E A D )
Next-Gen Hair Color-Changing Invisible Natural Tooth
1 2 3 4
Transplant Eye Implant Hearing Aid Filling
50 + Scientis at + Color-changing + Mo hearing aids + Researchers at
MILES
Atlanta-based contas have been are bulky and Tus University are
e line used by the Aderans Research around for years, unsightly. California- working on a way
Fdration Aronau- Initute are but they are easy to based InSound to use em cells to
tique Internationale, researching a way spot. NewColorlris Medical has repair tooth decay.
which sets interna- to create a nearly lenses, developed created perhaps How it works:
tional space andards inexhauible supply by Panama-based the mo discreet Tooth-growing cells
and records. of hair plugs. KMD, are surgically hearing aid yet. are seeded into
Inead of merely implanted on the iris e Lyric res deep polymer scaolds.
Altitude at which transplanting hair (the procedure takes in the ear canal, e scaolds are
NASA recognizes cells from a 15 minutes), with a out of sight, and then implanted into
aviators as aronauts. patients tissue, donutlike hole for out of the way of the jaw, where they
researchers extra the pupil to peep wind. A wireless regenerate tooth
the cells and grow through. e result: keychain remote enamel, dentin
Mount Evere, 5.5 miles high them in a lab, a permanent, more controls volume, and pulp. e
multiplying them natural-looking pair and the device can operation has been
about a hundredfold of baby blues. be le in the ear for successfully teed
before injeing Availability: up to four months in pigs and rats.
them into the scalp. In Panama and at a time. Availability:
Availability: Switzerland now. Availability: Could be available
Projeed within FDA trials will Available since for humans within
ve years. begin soon. January 2009. seven years.
q
Duncan Jones
THE DIRECTOR OF SCI-FI THRILLER MOON
TA L K S T O P M A B O U T W H AT I T S L I K E
A N S W E R I N G T O N A S A . BY ERIN MCCARTHY
Sam Rockwell as a solitary

lunar miner in Moon.
If you met yourself in person, would you like you? Its a queion
direor Duncan Jones asked when conceptualizing Moon, out
June 12. e lmwhich follows a solitary lunar miner named Sam
(Sam Rockwell)is a throwback to sci- classics such as Blade Runner,
where the central coni involves queions of identity and the moral
compromises caused by advancing technology.
Q Sam Rockwells charaer manages a moon base where helium-3 is

mined for use in fusion reaors on Earth. Harrison H. Schmitt, the
only geologi to go to the moon, wrote a ory about the same thing
for PMs Oober 2004 issue, but where did you get the idea?
A I didnt know PM had done an article on that. I had read Robert Zubrins
book Entering Space: Creating a Spacefaring Civilization, about how
we could nancially juify colonizing the solar syem. ere was a
chapter on colonizing the moon and using helium-3 for fusion power.
Q You recently did a screening of Moon for NASA employees. What
was the reception like?
A It was fantaic. [PM editorial advisory board member and former
aronaut] Tom Jones said that one of the things I got right was the
PHOTOGRAPH BY GETTY IMAGES (DUNCAN JONES)
mundaneness of working in that environment. You do a lot of really bor-

ing u again and again.
Q Why did you choose to put the base on the dark side of the moon
when theres more helium-3 on the near side?
A at came up at NASA. My reason is that when you art harveing
helium-3, youre scooping up the r few inches of lunar regolith and
bringing it into the harveing machine, cooking it to release the gas,
and then kicking the debris out the back. Because its going through
the cooking process, there will be chemical changes. ats going to
ae, possibly, the reeivity of whats kicked outliterally changing
the reeivity of the moon. Whats that going to do to wildlife or
things back on Earth? Do you want to take [that] risk on the near side?
Microphone
e Origin of
Robot Species
SCIENTISTS DISGUISE ROBOTS IN
C R E AT U R E C L O T H I N G T O G E T
T E C H W A T C H
AN INTERACTIVE VIEW OF ANIMAL

BEHAVIORAND ROMANCE.
BY ERIN MCCARTHY
Mating on the breeding ground

begins at dawn, so University of
CaliforniaDavis assiant professor
Gail Patricelli has to have her female
sage-grouse robot out of the concealing Video
Camera
blind and ready to be wooed by suitors
before the sun is up. Scientis like
Wheels and
Patricelli are using animal doppelgn- Tracks
gers to decode creature behavior and
communication based on how real Other Automated-Animal Research
beas respond to a robots manner-
isms. Patricelli, who is udying sexual + BEES In the early 1990s, Axel Michelson at the University of
seleion, outtted her bird bot with a Southern Denmark built a robotic honeybee to te the
hypothesis that real bees communicate direions to owers
video camera and microphone to using a dance. He was able to conrm the idea, despite using a
capture males auditory and visual cues. robot that didnt look like a beeit was larger and had one wing.
I can use the robot to mimic a e experiment took place within the darkened environment of a
particular female signal or behavior and hive, so the oddball appearance didnt alienate other bees.
then see whether males that are more + SQUIRRELS Sarah Partan, an assiant professor at Hampshire
responsive are also more successful in College, built a robotic Eaern gray squirrel that uses visual and
courtship, Patricelli says. Sure, the audio signals to better underand communication between real
robot has wheels inead of legs, but squirrels. At UC Davis, graduate udent Aaron Rundus used a
robotic California ground squirrel to udy a tail-agging display
that doesnt bother the malesthey that squirrels use to intimidate rattle and gopher snakes.
routinely mate with cow pies.
+ LIZARDS Indiana University professor Emlia Martins is using a
robot to udy how lizards rea to displays of courtship and
aggression. Both in the lab and in the wild, real lizards responded
to the faux lizards push-up displays and head bobs.
When disaer then uploaded to a know the

A New rikes, every computer program ruure, says
Way to minute matters. called Rubble- Robin Murphy, a
Map And the time spent Viewer that professor of
Disaers surveying the transforms them computer science
scene is time that into a three- and engineering at
cant be spent dimensional map Texas A&M. is
I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y B R A D L E Y R . H U G H E S
saving survivors. of the site. (e will give ruural

Researchers program is based engineers more
at Texas A&M on Microsos accurate informa-
University and Photosynth tion to speed up
Del University of soware, which extraion.
Technology in the won a 2008 PM RubbleViewers
Netherlands have Breakthrough creators hope to
e
RubbleViewer collaborated on a Award.) get the soware to
soware com- way to speed up is could speed r responders by
bines photo- the process. Small up rescues. It can Augu, when
graphs of
a disaer site robots take photos take 10 hours to hurricane season
into a navigable of the disaer site. extra somebody normally hits
3D map.
e photos are because you dont its peak. S.P.
Low-tech underwater mines are easy to place undeteed, but are
Marine powerful enough to damage modern warships. To clear these hazards,
Minesweepers Northrop Grumman is developing a helicopter-based technology, called the
Rapid Airborne Mine Clearance Syem (RAMICS). It locates mines with laser
CANNONS CAPABLE OF FIRING
U N D E R W AT E R M A Y B E T H E scanners and deroys them with supercavitating cannon rounds that can cut
NAVYS BEST TOOL FOR through water (which is about a thousand times as dense as air), thanks to a
T E C H W A T C H
C L E A R I N G U N D E R W AT E R M I N E S .
carefully designed blunt tip. e tip creates a shock wave that vaporizes the
BY DAVID HAMBLING
water ahead of the projeile, says Bob Klein, vice president of maritime and
taical syems for Northrop Grumman. e round eeively travels inside a
dry tube of vapor slightly wider than itself, and can detonate mines at depths
greater than 40 feet. e next age in the program is to mount the gun and
sensor on an MH-60 helicopter for ight teing. Development should be
complete in 2013, with the syem entering service in 2015.
Projeile
A blunt nose
creates a shock
wave that vaporizes
Gun the drag-inducing
e RAMICS water around the
gun is 11 feet projeile.
long and res
200 shots per
minute.
Blunt Nose
Dry Vapor Tube
Submerged
I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y B R A D L E Y R . H U G H E S ( P R O J E C T I L E )
Other Water
Weapons Anti-Mine Darts Firearms Sewer Ries
e Navys In the 60s, the To prote the

Countermine Soviet military network of
Syem is a introduced the sewers under
2000-pound guided SPP-1 underwater the Kremlin,
Laser
bomb that releases piol, which specially trained
A helicopter-
mounted laser more than 4000 allowed combat Russian combat
scans the depths darts to clear mines divers to re divers are
for mines from beaches and blunt-nosed armed with an
and targets surf. Each dart has ammunition underwater
the gun. a supercavitating eeive out to assault rie,
nose that allows it 56 feet at shallow the APS.
to punch through depth. e NATO
more than 10 feet equivalent is the
of water. e Heckler & Koch
syem should be HK P11.
elded by 2016.
I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y W E S L E Y A L L S B R O O K POPUL ARMECHANICS.COM | J U LY 2 0 0 9 23
GEAR + TOOLS + TOYS
Bed
Maker
Gas-powered tillers arent the dirtie tool in the
shedtheir four-roke engines are cleaner than the
two-rokes used in leaf blowers, ring trimmers
and chain sawsbut they ill spew fumes. Not the
cordless Husqvarna TB 1000 Battery Cultivator
($900). Its nearly silent, runs smoother than a gas
tiller and can operate for 45 minutes on a charge.
And while its not quite as powerful as its gas-
powered cousins, its 9-inch tines can be adjued up
to 18.5 inches wide, allowing it to turn more than
enough dirt for a typical homeowners ower bed or
vegetable patch. SETH PORGES
e 36-volt battery pro- Six 9-inch-diameter

vides up to 1000 watts of tines can be spread up
output for up to 45 minutes. to 18.5 inches wide.
PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL COGLIANTRY POPUL ARMECHANICS.COM | J U LY 2 0 0 9 25

ere are iPhone apps for ju about everything.
So its not surprising that the Apple App Store
has a whole crop of programs aimed at simulat- Light
U P G R A D E
ing household tools, many of which make use of

the iPhones built-in accelerometer. We took a Bright
look at three programs that are meant to replace For amateur photogra-
Nq
measuring and leveling tools, and gave them to phers, a snap-on hot-
q shoe ash is one of the
PMs senior home editor, Roy Berendsohn, to quicke ways to give
te. Can an all-in-one tech produ replace (some piures a pro-like polish.
of ) your carpentry toolbox? SETH PORGES But decent ashes tend
P M
to be bulky and can co

almo as much as an
entry-level SLR camera.
e Canon Speedlite
270EX ($160) pos-
sesses the key features
the promise roys take bottom line that charaerize the
zNkLqRNks
be ashesincluding
Carpenters use Because the iPhone Praically the ability to swivel to
ring-suspended has no inherent ability useless. Even if let shooters bounce light
plumb bobs to make to nd plumb, it mu you can o walls and ceilings,
sure their conruc- be calibrated on a calibrate the and a quick 3.9-second
tions are vertically known plumb surface. phone, it cant recycling timein a
true. is app uses the But youd need to be suspended surprisingly compa
iPhones accelerome- measure whether its from a ring, body. And it cos about
teras the phone plumb r, and if you preventing it half as much as compa-
tilts, an animated bob have those tools, why from hanging
swings, revealing how would you use this? from a ceiling.
rable ashes.
N!q far o plumb you are. Roy says.
q
qq
]>Z`WW^
You may have seen a Real levels have at e level is fun

virtual spirit level in edges, so they can to show o at
one of the iPhones and on their own. parties, and
ads. is version e iPhones edges better than
comes from real-life are rounded, forcing nothing in a
toolmaker Stanley. you to keep a conant pinch. But dont
(Much like the plumb hold on the phone. Id try to build a
bob, it mu be much rather use a real house with it.
calibrated on a surface level that uses gravity
known to be level.) as a calibration tool,
!qq Roy says.
qq
] j??^
is caliper app Caliper jaws grip an e program is

measures the length objes edges, passable as a
of real-world objes. providing precise and-in for a
You use your nger to measurements. e small ruler, but
drag the virtual jaws iPhone app makes you dont use it for
to the edges of the eyeball it. A caliper is DIY projes, or
obje you want to a precision inru- anything that
measure, then read ment, so what good is requires exa
the digital display. it if it isnt precise? measurements.
Roy says.
q
]>`WW^
Freeyle Rap
Ju pliers and a knife. Not
even a little screwdriver, no
bottle opener, nothing. But
do you need all that junk?
U P G R A D E
e 4.5-ounce Leatherman
Freeyle CX ($60) does ju two
things, and it does them well. e
knife ays open with no wiggly
slop. e pliers are so precisely
machined that, when shut, the
needle-nose tips look like a single
piece of eel. And the lack of
frills makes for one tiny toolwe
P M
slipped it into a pocket one day

and honely forgot it was there.
e eel corners could wear a
hole in jeans, but maybe that
explains the overlooked third
funion: the belt clip.
zNkLqRNks
knife
pliers
Power Vacuum
e tighter the bond between a
vacuums head and the oor, the
ronger its suion. Mo vacuums
create this seal with sheer (and
oen cumbersome) weight, which Curvy Clipboard
increases the pressure again the Clipboards are a work-site aple.
oor. e Dyson DC28 Animal Unfortunately, their raight bottoms
Vacuum ($600) uses a pion- are better suited for reing on a
driven pneumatic seal to force the
head again the ground without
desk than again your omach.
adding unnecessary pounds. And
e Oxo Good Grips Clipboard ($8)
yes, this thing can suck. Its features a belly-friendly concave base
shockingly powerful pull was that wraps around your midseion,
enough to nearly drag our teers making it comfortable for hours of
o their feet. While the price tag is gut-eadied writing. And the nonslip
eep, were denitely hoping this covering keeps papers from slipping.
feature works its way down into
cheaper vacuums before long.
q
qq
the
Skilled wakeboarders skate across the skills
waters surface at 25 mph before ying
as high as 8 feet in the air. But the
intensity of wakeboarding masks the
M
U P G R A D E

fa that its aually pretty easy to learn.
By the end of the r day youll be able
to hit the wake and get some air, no
problem, 16-year veteran wakeboarder
Zane Schwenk says. Here are the skills
and gear you need to get arted. BY MARK ANDERS
1. Start in the water, oating on

your back with the board
P M
perpendicular to the rope. Your

arms should be around your
bent knees, with both hands
gripping the handle (like a
baseball catchers squat). Keep
your eyes focused on the boat.
zNkLqRNks
2. As the boat begins to pull, let

your hips slide to your ankles
and your che to your knees.
Dont muscle itthe boat will
pull you up. Slowly rise with
The trick is called a roast your back raight, move the
beefits a midair, between-the- handle in front of your lead hip
legs grab of the back of the board. and let the board turn until its in
Practice, and maybe one day ... line with the towrope.
3. While riding, keep your knees

bent slightly with your che up
and hold the handle in front of
your leading hip. Let the boat
do all the work, Schwenk says.
q
qqq
Now for the fun part: getting air. 1. As you begin to cut toward 2. Raise your front foot up
Amateur jumpers should the wake, x your gaze on an slightly so you dont bury the
shorten the rope to around obje across it. Gradually nose of the board when it
55 or 60 feet. e shorter your increase the speed and angle of lands. As you y, keep your
rope, the narrower the wake, so your cut as you approach the che up and bend your knees
you can jump it a lot easier, wake, and extend your knees to turn them into impa-
Watson says. fully as you hit the top. absorbing shocks.
q
qq

q

q]q
]q

^q
q the 2
gear
1
4
P H O T O G R A P H S B Y J O H N H U B A ( W A K E B O A R D E R ) ; K A R L J U E N G E L / S T U D I O D ( P R O D U C T S ) ; I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y G A B R I E L S I LV E I R A
1. To swipe back and forth

across the wake, turn your 3
shoulders and hips so they are
more open to the boat. Look
where you want to go and
move the handle slightly to the
5
inside of your forward-facing
hip, while transferring your
weight to your heels.
6
is set has a hinge EVA foam grip

syem that ips negates the need
down for easy for gloves.
entry. And while
1. Helmet mo boots and 6. Boat
2. As you cross the wake, keep Pro-Tec bindings t a range MaerCra X-1
your knees bent. Dont eer Two Face ($70) of sizes, its be to ($53,390)
with the rope, says Shawn choose one that
Watson, two-time national Mo riders ill closely matches While you can ride
wakeboarding champion. Keep eschew helmets, your reet-shoe behind ju about
the rope at your hip and your but they can be size. Lots of anything that can
arms raight. Its more of a lifesavers. Make injuries come from pull you at 25 mph,
lower-body movement. sure it ts snug so loose heels, the be wake-
it doesnt catch the Schwenk says. boarding boats
water and bucket have inboard
when you fall, 4. Board motors (their
Schwenk says. Liquid Force Trip wakes are cleaner
($260) and crisper than an
2. Personal outboard motors
Flotation Device Beginners should relatively frothy
CWB Essential Ve look for a board output, which can
($80) with gently rounded easily catch board
rails and medium- tips), a tow tower
e be wake- size nsit will be for added upward
boarding ves are easy to handle, yet li, balla tanks to
neoprene with the rider wont add weight for a
3. To cut back in the other segmented foam outgrow it aer a larger wake, and
direion, slowly press your toes for exibility, little praice. cruise control to
down and push your knees Watson says. Ves keep wakeboarders
forward toward the water. Turn retch out in the 5. Rope at a eady speed.
your shoulders and hips in the water, so look for and Handle MaerCras X-1
direion you want to cut. a snug t. Straight Line Benny features a 310-hp
G Rope ($130), (upgradable to
3. Boots and Straight Line Benny 350) 5.7-liter
Binding G Pro Handle ($80) engine, is built
CWB Torq ($245) around the worlds
Nonretch be-selling
e mo important urethane-coated wakeboard hull,
faor in a binding is ropes like this are and is known for
how easy it is to slip the gold andard, producing thick,
your foot in and out. and the handles well-dened wakes.
sN\
Dry-Land Practice: Before hitting the lake, sit on the ground in the catcher position with your feet shoulder-width apart,
knees together and arms straight, holding the handle. Have a friend be the boat and slowly pull the rope until you stand up.
U P G R A D E
P M
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Few motorsports are as denitively American as at-track racing. And the

Harley-Davidson XR-750 dominated the sport. is year, Harley launches
an homage to that legendary machine: the $10,799 XR1200. e XR1200
Win is injes some mojo into the Sporter line with a more powerful engine and
an aggressive suspension. For the traditional, air-cooled, pushrod 1200-cc
Harley- V-twin, Harley bumped the compression ratio to 10:1 and added perfor-
mance cams and eleronic fuel injeion. Its comfortable, easy to ride and
Davidson exudes the kind of charaer that could only come from Harley-Davidson.
e r batch of 750 bikes is available in Harleys classic orange-and-black
XR1200 livery. Were so smitten by this bike, we asked Harley if they could give one
away to a lucky PM reader. You can win one and receive Harley-Davidson
Riders Edge training (where available) too. To enter and to read all the
conte rules go to popularmechanics.com/harleysweeps. BEN STEWART
Random Draw Sweepakes: No purchase necessary to enter or win. Harley XR1200 Giveaway. Sponsored by Hear Communications, Inc.
Beginning June 2, 2009, at 12:01 am (ET), through July 13, 2009, at 11:59 pm (ET), go to www.popularmechanics.com/harleysweeps
and complete and submit the entry form pursuant to the online inruions. Odds of winning will depend upon the total number of eligible
entries received. Mu be a legal resident of the 50 United States, the Diri of Columbia or Canada who has reached the age of majority
in his or her ate or province of residence at time of entry. Void in Puerto Rico, the province of Quebec and where prohibited by law.
Sweepakes subje to complete ocial rules, available at www.popularmechanics.com/harleysweeps.
S P O R T C O M PAC T + M OTO RC YC L E
+ SUPERCAR + CONVERTIBLE
2010 VW GTI
Base Price
(Est): $25,000
pm
test
driven
++
Prime
Mover
e GTIs primary objeive is simpledeliver a high-oane hoot at a
reasonable price. And the new GTI hits that mark easily. e car feels familiar
from behind the wheel, since it shares much with its immediate forebear. e
smooth, elaic power delivery of the 207-hp turbocharged Four is a treat, as
is the profound surge of acceleration that greets a deep dig at the throttle.
But the GTI now combines that friskiness with unexpeed poise, bridging
the gap between aordable fun and sophiicated motoring. As a nod to
GTI tradition, the grille incorporates a red ripe and the cloth seats are
hiper plaid. e GTIs enviable combination of sportiness, solidity and
economy (an eimated 32 mpg) should dispel any notion that GTIs are
merely rude performance hatchbacks. BARRY WINFIELD
INSIDE: Triumph Bonneville SE Lamborghini LP 560-4 Spyder

Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Audi S5 Cabriolet
+
PM TEST
DRIVEN
+
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N E W C A R S
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2 009 Triumph Bonneville SE 2 0 0 9 Lamborghini LP 560-4 Spyder
Old-School Dream Weaver

Triumphs retro Bonneville has How does Lamborghini improve the e fabric-roofed
successfully captured the look and already erce LP 560-4? Ditch the Gallardo receives
chassis reinforce-
avor of one of the worlds mo iconic roof. e 552-hp Spyder commands a ments including
motorcycles. e new $8399 SE model aggering $224,700 price tag. And front and rear
gains fuel injeion, alloy wheels, a thats not counting the $10,000 rewall beams and
lower seat and dual megaphone-yle eGear transmission, or goodies like beefed-up rocker
panelsall designed
exhausju like the sporty ruxton. the $26,000 matte paint. Yikes. So to improve iness.
e 865-cc motor creates a broad, at our drive on Tenerifethe large of It takes four hydrau-
plateau of torque, so downshis are the Canary Islandswas like Lambor- lic motors and 20
seldom needed for passing maneuvers. ghini fantasy camp. Driving from sea seconds for the rear
bonnet to li and
A good rider on a Bonneville SE will level to the top of the Pico de Teide the canvas roof to
surprise a few sportbikes in the right volcano, the highe point in Spain, we fold ush beneath
circumances. But this Bonnies real encountered plenty of hairpin turns to the artfully scooped
forte is the easygoing Sunday cruise. challenge the Spyders chassis. Once and vented decklid.
e big twin generates 51 lb- of the front tires bite and the suspension
torque, so its smooth and relaxed at settles, grip from all four is extreme.
moderate engine speeds, with ju And that sonorous exhau note spills
enough of a mechanical pulse coming onto the landscape, making any public
through to provide the right ambience. road sound like Le Mans. e ow of
BARRY WINFIELD combued exhau gases produces
an aural mashup thats ju as
intoxicating as the engines incredible
thru. BASEM WASEF
Snake Charmed +
e new Camaro is the darling of the muscle car set. But can the Muang Shelby PM TEST
DRIVEN
GT500 bury it in a cloud of tire smoke? We brought our VBOX te gear to Inneon +
Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., to nd out. Before we hit the track, we had a chance to
drive the GT500 on the nearby mountain roads where this Muang simply shone.
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eres a certainty to the cars handling that was missing before. It cuts into corners
qq
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N E W C A R S
condently and crisply, yet it has more of the visceral thrill we want in a pony car.
e supercharger is quieter now, so the burbly exhau is more audible. e
eering is quick and light. Back at the track, a i head wind gued raight down
the dragrip, so our acceleration times are not perfe indicators of what the
GT500 can do. Still, it was quick, trouncing the quarter-mile in 12.63 seconds. e
Camaro SS we teed in Detroit ran a 13.0at. So in a drag race between the two,
the specs the much more expensive Shelby wins. LARRY WEBSTER
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p 540 hp/510 lb-
p 5.4-liter V8, 6M
q] p^ p Independent rut/
p solid axle, coil springs e Shelby has
q]`^ p 107.1 the worlds mo

q]`^ p 188.2 perfe shier
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q]`^ p 73.9 a white cue ball

q p 3.55:1 that ts perfely
q] p8q`^ p 14.0 disc/11.8 disc
q] p^ p P255/40ZR19 in your hand
p P285/35ZR19 to access the
q]^ p six-speed.
Mtq p 2.07
Moq p 4.55
MZq p 9.93
FMnq p 2.84
ZpFM p 12.63@113.25 mph

q] ^ p
tM p 28.51
oM p 114.42
q]
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qp
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! p 14

! p 22
2 010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
+
PM TEST
DRIVEN
+
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N E W C A R S
1 2
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7
2 0 1 1 Tesla Model S
Fully Charged
Its not hard to nd the drawbacks of
Teslas eleric Roader. ough the
sports car is quick, its two-seat
conguration and $109,000 price tag
help keep it out of mo garages. But
Tesla CEO Elon Musk wants the
2 0 1 0 Audi S5 Cabriolet
Model S to change that. By late 2011,
Tesla plans to oer an eleric sedan
Pole Position that seats seven and hits 60 mph in
Fiy degrees and raining isnt exaly Check the option under 6 seconds. e andard
Cabriolet weather, but were in box for Audis 42-kilowatt-hour battery pack is said
Drive Sele, and
Monaco, so the top mu go down youll be able
to contain roughly 8000 lithium-ion
we wont let a little rain douse our to vary eer- cellsthe Roader uses 6831. On a
plans to play junior-league race driver. ing and throttle per cell basis, the batteries are
Besides, the S5 pipes warm air around response, as well eimated to produce a 20 percent
as shock iness,
your neck to keep things toay. Its transmission shi
volumetric improvement in eciency
easy to fall for the torquey, super- points and even over the Roader. Batteries will be
charged V6, particularly when its the tenacity of the available in 160-mile, 230-mile or
paired to the seven-speed dual-clutch aforementioned 300-mile ranges, with the sedans
sport dierential
transmission. As we bomb toward the with the push of a
$57,400 price tag based on the
Grand Hotel hairpin, four quick toggles button. e Quat- entry-level 160-mile-range setup.
of the le paddle produce downshis tro all-wheel-drive ats not an inexpensive automobile.
and fuel our inner Schumacher. You syem now has a But the gure does dip to $49,900
40:60 torque dis-
can feel the sport dierential squelch- tribution, to help
aer the maximum $7500 federal tax
ing undereer as you unwind the mimic rear-drive. credit for eleric vehicles kicks in.
wheel for the raight. eres a Tesla seems to have weathered some
race-car-like pop between each serious technical challenges that
ultraquick upshi, further solidifying plagued its Roader, and the Model S
our F1 fantasies. JAMES TATE appears promising. But, looking ahead,
a ramp-up of EVs and plug-in hybrids
from the major automakers could
challenge Teslas turf. BASEM WASEF
N E W C A R S
1
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e uncertainty of Detroits future meant there was a diin

lack of glitz at the 2009 New York International Auto Show in
April. Produ reveals were less splashy, and executives spoke
about new cars in measured tones. In fa, ju three weeks 2
later, GM announced it would close the Pontiac brand. But even
in these tough times, there were ill exciting vehicles.
Here are six of the mo signicant. BEN STEWART
3. 2010 Subaru 5. Scion iQ

Produion
Outback Concept
e Outback was a e iQ is
1. 2011 Jeep crossover pioneer technically a
3
Grand Cherokee when it arrived in concept. But
e new Grand 1996. is all-new expe to see this
Cherokee is based version is tiny Scion, based
on the Mercedes- considerably larger on the Europe- and
Benz ML four-wheel and roomier than Japan-only Toyota
independent the current model. iQ, in ores
chassis. A new When it goes on soonminus the
Quadra-Li air sale this summer, it 18-inch wheels
suspension varies will only be and radically ared
ground clearance available with a bodywork. Is 4
from 8.1 inches to 2.5-liter 170-hp at America ready for
11.1 inches. A new Four or a 3.6-liter a 55-mpg
280-hp 3.6-liter V6 256-hp opposed microcar?
delivers 11 percent six-cylinderand, Perhaps.
better fuel sadly, no turbo-
economy, while charged Four. 6. Hyundai Nuvis
the 360-hp Hemi Concept
V8 returns as the e Hyundai Nuvis
Concepts
top engine. was one of only a 5
handful of
2. 2010 GMC 4. Acura ZDX far-reaching
Terrain Prototype concepts at the
e Terrain is GMCs Acuras ZDX, due showand the
version of the Chevy this fall, walks the only hybrid.
Equinox crossover. line between car Hyundai will begin
A 182-hp 2.4-liter and SUV even more oering hybrids
four-cylinder with closely than either with the upcoming
dire fuel injeion its RDX or MDX 2011 Sonata. is
will deliver 21 mpg crossovers. Acura sleek concept
city and 30 mpg on says this is a shows that the 6
the highway. A four-door sport automaker is
more powerful coupe. But thanks considering the
264-hp 3.0-liter V6 to the hatchback, it syem for
is also available. funions like a crossovers too.
wagon too, oering
more cargo
exibility.
P A R T S F A B R I C A T I O N
RAPID PROTOTYPING
> B Y J AY L E N O
> P H OTO G R A P H S B Y J O H N L A M M
J AYS S C AN N E R AN D
3D P RI N T E R AL L OW
H I M T O RE - C RE AT E
O
ne of the hardships of owning an old car is OB S OL E T E P ART S .
rebuilding rare parts when there are simply no
replacements available. My 1907 White
Steamer has a feedwater heater, a part that Inside the printer, the print head
bolts onto the cylinders. Its made of alumi- goes back and forth, back and forth,
num, and over the 100-plus years its been in putting on layer after layer of plastic
use, the metal has become so porous you can to form a 3D part. If there are any
see steam and oil seeping through. I thought irregularities in the originals, you
we could just weld it up. But its badly impreg- can remove them using software.
nated with oil and cant be repaired. If we tried, Once the model is finished, any
the metal would just come apart. excess support material between
So, rather than have a machinist try to copy moving parts is dissolved in a water-
the heater and then build it, we decided to rede- based solution. Complexity doesnt
sign the original using our NextEngine 3D scan- matter, but the size of the object
ner and Dimension 3D printer. These incredible does determine the length of the
devices allow you to make the form you need to process. Making a little part might
create almost any part. The scanner can measure about 50,000 points per sec- take 5 hours. The Whites feedwater
ond at a density of 160,000 dots per inch (dpi) to create a
highly detailed digital model. The 3D printer makes an
exact copy of a part in plastic, which we then send out to
create a mold. Some machines can even make a replace-
ment part in cobalt-chrome with the direct laser sintering
process. Just feed a plastic wirefor a steel part you use
metal wireinto the appropriate laser cutter.
Its an amazing way

to fabricate parts. e
3D scanner next to Jay
creates a digital model
of this anged nut from
Jays EcoJet supercar.
A 3D printer (above)
uses the data to build a
plaic replica.
e nut takes 20 min-

utes to scan and reverse
model and 3 hours to
print in plaic.
JAY LENOS GARAGE///
P A R T S FA B R I C AT I O N
heater required 33 hours.

Any antique car part can be repro-
duced with these machinespieces
of trim, elaborately etched and even
scrolled door handles. If you have
an original, you can copy it. Or you
can design a replacement on the
computer, and the 3D printer makes
it for you.
People say, Why not just give the
part to your machinist to make?
Well, if the machinist makes it
wrong, you still have to pay for
it. The scanner allows you to make YOU CAN TAKE AN ACTUAL CRESCENT WRENCH,
an exact copy in plastic, t it and see FOR EXAMPLE, SCAN IT, THEN PRESS A BUTTON,
that its correct. Even when you COPY IT, AND MAKE A NEW WRENCH.
take plans to a machinist, it can be
tricky. Say the part must be 3 mm cate the whole tool. the left side of your car, copy it, use
thick here and 5 mm there. You get They stand in front of the the computer to reverse it, and put
it back and then, Oh no, it doesnt machine and watch a wrench being that new part on the other side.
t; its too thick, or Its too thin. made, and they still dont believe it. Its an amazingly versatile tech-
My setup lets you create the perfect Its like The Jetsons. George Jetson nology. My EcoJet supercar needed
part. And you could press the button would say, I want a steak dinner. air-conditioning ducts. We used
again and againand keep making Hed press a button and the meal plastic parts we designed, right out
the parttwice the size, half-size, would come out of the machine, of the 3D copier. We didnt have to
whatever you need. If you have a part with the roasted potatoes and every- make these scoops out of alumi-
thats worn away, or has lost a big thing, all on one plate. We may not numplastic is what they use in a
chunk of metal, you can ll in that have the instant steak dinner yet real car. And the nished ones look
missing link on the computer. Then but my NextEngine system is like like factory production pieces.
you make the part in plastic and the car-guy equivalent. When I was in high school, a
have a machinist make a copy based If you had a one-off Ferrari friends father bought the new
on that example. Or you can do engine, you could scan each part Pulsar LED watch. He paid $2200
what we doinput that program and then re-create the entire motor. for it. It had a red face; you pressed
into a Fadal CNC machine; it reads Right now, were scanning a a button, it lit up and gave you the
the dimensions and replicates an Duesenberg body. Its a classic time. The next year I bought a simi-
exact metal copy. example of high tech melding with lar watch from Texas Instruments
Some guys are so used to work- old tech. There are cars sitting in for $19.99. I went over and showed
ing in the traditional ways. Theyre garages around the country, and it to my friends dad, and he was
old-school. So theyve never seen they havent moved in years for lack sooo angry.
this new technology in usein fact, of some unobtainable part. Now The NextEngine scanner costs
theyre not even aware it exists. they can hit the road once more, $2995. The Dimension uPrint Per-
When you work on old cars, you thanks to this technology. sonal 3D printer is now under
tend to work with old machinery My 1907 White engine would $15,000. Thats not cheap. But this
like lathes, milling machines or never have run again because its technology used to cost 10 times
English wheels. When someone slide valve (or D-valve) was shot. We that amount. And I think the price
tells you that you can take a crescent built that part, and now the car is will come down even more.
wrench, for example, scan it, then back on the street. These machines are not suited
press a button, copy it, and make a Lets say you have an older Cadil- for mass production, but they work
new wrench, these guys say, Well, lac or a Packard, and you cant get well for rapid prototyping. Just as
thats not possible. You cant make one of those beautifully ornate door eBay has made many swap meets go
the little wheel that moves the claw handles. You could go to the big away, this machine could eliminate
in and out. Youd have to make it in swap meet in Hershey, Pa., every day the need to go to eBay for parts.
two sections. for the rest of your life and never Think about it: What old part do you
But theyre wrong. You can dupli- nd it. Or you could take the one on want to make? FC
T H I N K I N G A H E A D
COLLISION COURSE
> B Y G L E N N H A R L A N R E Y N O L D S
> I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y J O H N H E N D R I X
hours. The junk was in the
orbital path of the Hubble
Space Telescope and just
250 miles higher than the
orbit of the International
Space Station.
It was the rst time two
satellites were known to
have collided, which is
remarkable considering
there are about 3000 of
them circling the Earth.
And orbiting with the sats
are an estimated 16,000
other man-made objects,
mostly junk. Depending
on the height of orbit
the higher the debris, the
longer it takes to decay
fragments may linger in
space for centuries.
If enough debris accu-
mulates, we risk setting
off a chain reaction called
the Kessler syndrome, in
which satellite fragments
WE NEED A FEW RULES damage other satellites,
OF THE ROAD BEFORE producing more debris
DEAD SATS AND ORBITING and so on, until low Earth
JUNK TURN SPACE INTO orbit (LEO) is so cluttered
A NO-FLY ZONE.
C
that satellite use and
space travel become
impossible. With LEO get-
lose calls in orbit happen all the time ting messier by the day, the February
scientists estimate that launch vehicles and oth- collision raises a thorny legal ques-
er objects come within striking distance of one tion: Who is responsible for dam-
other over 1000 times a day. So when tracking ages caused by collisions in space?
reports on Feb. 10, 2009, predicted that Iridium Contrary to widespread opinion,
33, a 12-foot-long, 1200-pound communications outer space is not a lawless region.
satellite, and a 1-ton Russian military sat, In fact, its governed by international
Kosmos 2251, would pass within less than half a lawand, in the case of U.S. space-
mile of each other, no one was alarmed. It wasnt craft, or the U.S. parts of the Interna-
the closest call predicted for that day, or even the tional Space Station, by American
closest pass for any of the 66 Iridium satellites law. Damage to and by spacecraft is
that coming week. But at the time of the pre- covered by the 1972 Convention on
dicted approach, Iridium 33 fell silent. International Liability for Damage
The two satellites had collided 500 miles Caused by Space Objects. Under that
above Siberia at 26,000 mph, generating a debris treaty, liability for damage caused to
cloud that spread around the Earth in just a few people or property on the ground
collision debris, has led many to traveling at tremendous velocities
T H I N K I N G A H E A D / / / argue that we need similar tracking can wreck a spacecraft, but its impos-
S P A C E - J U N K L A W
capability for the civilian sector. The sible to rendezvous with a paint speck
cheap way to do this is to make some or a lug nut. Some have proposed
is absolutemeaning that the of the military data public; the incinerating debris with lasers, or
country that launched the spacecraft expensive way would be to build a capturing it with big blobs of orbiting
is liable for damages even if there separate civilian system. aerogel. But these and other solu-
was no negligence. The same is true Planners in the U.S. and other tions are expensive and may produce
if a space object strikes an aircraft. If militaries have good reason to want more debris from collisions.
you operate a spacecraft, you must to keep adversaries guessing about Complicating an already com-
realize it can do damage wherever it their surveillance capabilities. But plex situation is the fact that debris
crashes. Expecting people on the they also have good reason not to fragments are often from unidenti-
ground to be on guard against crash- want to see space lled with debris able sources, and who should be
ing satellites is asking a bit much. that is as deadly to their own satel- responsible for getting rid of the
When it comes to sats in space, lites as it is to civilian craft. The mess is a gray area. Some scholars,
however, things arent so straight- European Space Agency is working including me, have proposed that
forward. When one spacecraft col- on a plan to track 1000 satellites in countries be taxed for debris clean-
lides with another, theres only lia- order to prevent collisions, and all up based on the amount of material
bility if the spacecraft operator is
negligent. But what constitutes neg-
ligence in this context is not clear. IF ENOUGH DEBRIS ACCUMULATES, WE RISK SETTING
Operating a spacecraft in a way that OFF A CHAIN REACTIONTHE KESSLER SYNDROME
poses a foreseeable risk to others THAT WOULD MAKE SPACE TRAVEL IMPOSSIBLE.
probably qualies, but in this case
the Russian satellite was described left in orbit, but such proposals
as defunct, meaning that it had remain purely academic.
either broken down or run out of Unfortunately, current space law
maneuvering fuel. There are many doesnt allow for the best possible
such satellites in orbit, and although space-junk solution: salvage. Under
good practice calls for their opera- the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, nations
tors to either deorbit them or boost retain jurisdiction and control over
them into harmless parking orbits, their spacecraft even when they are
this is not always possible. There are inoperableso a salvage company
no standards in place that require wouldnt be able to take title or claim
space operators to ensure that satel- an award for recovering a defunct
lites dont remain in high-traffic craft, as is done on Earth. A space
orbits at the end of their lives, so it salvage law might even help com-
would be hard to argue that failure mercial space efforts by providing yet
to do so constitutes negligence. A paint chip gouged a crater 0.02 inches another moneymaking option; gov-
deep in the Challengers windshield.
One way to prevent space colli- Engineers have replaced shuttle windows ernments, or insurance companies,
sions is better trafc control. Right aer almo every ight since 1981. could pay private operators a bounty
now, satellite operators dont have for eliminating space junk. Though
precise orbital parameters for satel- space lawyers have been arguing for
lites that might pose a risk of colli- years that the proliferation of space
sion. Only a few countrieschiey junk makes some sort of salvage law
the United States, and to some nations that send craft to space necessary, and despite the obvious
degree Russia and China, as well as should ensure that initial orbits are commercial benets, there has been
Europehave access to precise carefully chosen with an eye toward little progress.
tracking data, and that information reduced risk of collision. Whats clear is that space is get-
is kept secret lest it reveal details But even if these good practices ting crowded, and the problem
about the sophisticated instrumen- dont come to pass, theres another urgently needs attention from all
tation used to gather it. Military way to deal with space junk: Clean it spacefaring nations, lest we nd our-
planners have long talked about the up. Specialized spacecraft are selves earthbound under a shroud of
need for space situational aware- designed to rendezvous with intact, orbiting trash. FC
ness, and the military tracks satel- nonoperational satellites and take
lites for its own purposes, but the them back to Earth or place them in Glenn Harlan Reynolds, a PM contrib-
increasingly crowded nature of near- safer orbits. Cleaning up fragments uting editor, teaches space law at the
Earth orbits, plus the threat posed by is much harder. Even small debris University of Tennessee.
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E A R T H S C I E N C E
A L A S K A
Redoubt
2009
Auguine
2005 Anchorage
Fourpeaked
2006
BERING SEA
Veniaminof
2008
Pavlof
Shishaldin 2007
GULF OF
1999
ALASKA
Okmok
Cleveland 2008
Kasatochi Korovin 2009
2008 2006
Ring of Fire
e Alaska Volcano
Observatory moni-
tors 160 volcanoes
that lie beneath
one of the worlds
busie air trac
corridors (seleed
ight paths shown
above). e 10 vol-
canoes above la
erupted within the
V O L C A N O WAT C H E R S decade, during the
years indicated.
> B Y D O U G L A S F O X
> I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y 6 4 C O L O R S
old volcanologist at the Alaska Vol-
EA C H Y EA R , 7 3, 000 FL I G H T S cano Observatory (AVO) in Fairbanks,
PA SS A BO V E ON E OF T H E the rumblings were sufcient cause
M O ST V IO L E N T VOL C AN I C
W
for alarm. Though Kasatochi sits 1100
A R C S O N E ART H . miles out on the Aleutian arc, far from
major cities, it lurks below one of the
hen seismographs on Great Sitkin busiest air trafc corridors on Earth.
Island, in the Aleutian Island chain On Aug. 7, as Dehn and his col-
between Alaska and Russia, detected leagues crowded into the AVO opera-
slight tremors in August 2008, tions room to discuss the tremors
Kasatochithe small, tranquil vol- some argued they were indicative of
cano sitting 26 miles awayseemed normal tectonic grinding, not of vol-
an unlikely source. After all, it wasnt canic activityany deliberation sud-
a troublemaker; in fact, some scien- denly became moot. An image from
tists believed it was extinct. Its cra- the Geostationary Operational Envi-
ter, cupping a peaceful lake, hadnt ronmental Satellites (GOES) ashed
erupted in more than a century. onto one of the rooms dozen com-
But for Jonathan Dehn, a 47-year- puter monitors. The satellite showed
Anchorage the worlds fth-busiest
E A R T H S C I E N C E / / / air-cargo hub. But few people ying
V O L C A N O M O N I T O R I N G
from Asia to North America realize
their trip takes them over one of the
a blip of white over Kasatochi most violent volcanic arcs on Earth.
distinct from the gray storm clouds Subduction of the Aleutian plate
blanketing the Aleutiansindicating forces more than 20 million tons of
that the volcano had just vomited mil- rock under the island chain daily,
lions of cubic feet of ash. Hurricane- fueling an arc of 160 volcanoes that
force convective currents were lifting stretches from Alaska, across the
the ash at 1 to 2 miles per minute, Aleutians, to the Kamchatka Penin-
45,000 feet into the sky. sula of Russia. As the rock melts into
Another monitor showed as many viscous, silica-rich magma, it traps
as a dozen planes headed toward the thousands of tons of water. When the
area; some were due to arrive within magma reaches the surface, the water
minutes. If they encountered the becomes steam and bursts like bub-
plume, it could mean disaster: The bles from a soda can, making the vol-
ne-grained pumice in volcanic ash canoes especially explosive.
can stall a jet engine within 60 sec- Twenty-ve thousand people and
onds. Planes dont carry instruments a billion dollars of cargo y over these
that can detect ash, and by the time a volcanoes every single day, Dehn
pilot spots an ash cloud, its too says. Its been described as a shoot-
latejets travel 9 miles per minute. ing gallery. AVOs mission is to moni-
Staff at AVO ofces in Fairbanks
and Anchorage rushed calls to the
Federal Aviation Administration, the
Alaska Division of Homeland Secu-
rity and Emergency Management
and a dozen other agencies. Alerts
reached pilots within minutes,
enabling them to change course.
Scientists tracked Kasatochis
plumea mixture of ash and 1.5
million tons of sulfur dioxide gas
via satellite over several days. It
drifted toward Juneau, Alaska, where
airlines cancelled more than 40
ights. Farther west, a 737 carrying
passengers over Canada lost cabin tor volcanic activity, track ash clouds After the plane dropped 13,000
pressure twice after ying through and give ample warning to air trafc. feet, Visscher managed to restart two
dilute ash. The jet stream stretched The need for such vigilance became engines, then the other two. She and
the volcanic cloud into a shadow that clear after what could have been one her crew ew the crippled craft over
curved across North America. Pilots of the worst air disasters in history. the peaks of the Alaska mountain
as far east as Chicago adjusted their When Redoubt Volcano erupted range to Anchorage, squinting to see
routes to avoid it. The cloud con- on Dec. 15, 1989, KLM Flight 867 was through windows blasted by micro-
tained sulfuric acid aerosols capable en route to Anchorage from Amster- scopic pumice.
of etching plane windows, corroding dam with 245 people on board. As The KLM incident was not the rst
paint and nauseating passengers. the 747 descended through a cloud, close callor the last. There have
AVOs system worked well. But for nearly 200 miles from the eruption, been more than 100 encounters of
Dehn, it was a reminder of the need sulfur and smoke stung the pilots aircraft with ash clouds since the
to watch volcanoesevery volcano nostrils. Then all four engines failed. early 1970s, says Marianne Guffanti,
at all times. Kasatochi was a sur- The turbines had ingested abrasive a volcanologist at the U.S. Geological
prise, he says. We were very lucky. ashtiny shards of volcanic glass Survey in Reston, Va. The rst known
melted in the engines and resolidi- incident involved a civilian C-130 that
International flights crossing the ed into lumps, choking the air sup- temporarily lost power to two of four
ocean into Anchorage airspace have ply. We have ameout, all engines, engines when Mount St. Helens
swelled by 83 percent since 1990, to co-pilot Imme Visscher barked into erupted in 1980. At least eight planes
73,000 flights per yearmaking the radio. We are in a fall! have experienced similar mechanical
Gathering Data volcano seismologist at AVO in Fair-
AVO eld tech banks, placed four VHF radio-wave
Max Kaufman
inalls GPS at sensors across the Cook Inlet from
Dumbbell Hills to Redoubt, 50 miles away. Heavy light-
monitor ground
deformation
ning occurs inside eruptive plumes,
caused by plate generated by static electricity as ash
teonics and particles collide inside the cloud. The
volcanic aivity.
sensors measure the radio waves pro-
Jonathan Dehn duced by each strike.
in AVOs control Redoubt erupted on March 22,
room.
coughing ash 60,000 feet into the air.
Scientis use McNutts instruments detected the
sensors to mea-
sure lightning in
eruption nearly instantlypicking up
Redoubts eruptive lightning that began as soon as ash
plume; the volcano started spewing from the crater.
was ill aive at
press time. Nanosecond triangulation of the
radio bursts pinpointed lightning
bolts to an accuracy of 164 feet, allow-
ing McNutt to track the cloud for an
hour as it drifted north.
By measuring how bolts move
through the plume, McNutt can
determine how much ash comes
outinformation thats crucial to
forecasting how quickly ash will set-
tle and dilute as it drifts. A network
of sensors like the one tested on
Redoubt could alert AVO to erup-
tions at remote volcanoes, providing
problems since, including two com- Advanced Very High Resolution Radi- a backup to satellites. Because they
mercial aircraft over the Philippines ometer, an imager that can detect dont have to be as close to the source
in 1991 and a research jet over Papua infrared thermal anomalies as a as seismometers, two dozen light-
New Guinea in 2006. But the KLM volcanos belly swells with 1500 F ning sensors could monitor the
incident highlighted just how dra- magma. The ozone-monitoring Aura entire Aleutian chain.
matic and close to home the threat satellite can track clouds of sulfur Meanwhile, a team that includes
could be. Prior to that event, AVO dioxide burped out by volcanoes. And Fred Prata, a senior scientist at the
then only a year oldused its budget satellites like GOES and POES, or Norwegian Institute for Air Research,
to place a few monitoring instru- Polar Operational Environmental Sat- in Kjeller, Norway, has built a proto-
ments near Cook Inlet; when the ellites, can spot new ash clouds. type detector that distinguishes ash
Observatory got full funding in the But relying on satellites involves from water clouds based on infrared
mid-90s, scientists decided to fully an element of Russian roulette. absorbance. Pratas goal is to layer
instrument Redoubt rst. Satellite passes over any given area that information onto weather dis-
may occur up to 5 hours apartlong plays in the cockpit; ash clouds would
Of the 160 volcanoes the Alaska enough for a crowded 747 to fly be red and other clouds, blue. The
Volcano Observatory monitors, 60 directly into a new ash plume. Clouds detector could be effective 62 miles
have the potential to erupt at any can obstruct satellites views; some ahead at cruising altitudes.
timeand only 30 of those volcanoes Aleutian volcanoes are under cover None of these technologies is fool-
have seismic networks. Seismo- 300 days a year. You may not see an proof. And though the stimulus plan
graphs can pick up tremors signaling area for many days in a row, says just increased AVO funding, Dehn
a potential eruption days in advance, Gary Hufford, a remote-sensing spe- says they dont plan to spend the
allowing scientists to watch the cialist at the National Weather Service money instrumenting every volcano.
volcanoes closely and alert nearby in Anchorage. All of a sudden it Instead, they hope to upgrade exist-
pilots within 5 minutes of the actual opens up and you see hotspots. ing seismographs to broadband capa-
eruptionthe FAAs ofcial goal. When Redoubt, 103 miles south- bility, which will help scientists get
To monitor the other volcanoes, west of Anchorage, rumbled back to information more quicklyand will
AVO relies on satellite observation. life in early 2009, researchers seized minimize the chance that an ash
National Oceanic and Atmospheric the opportunity to experiment with plume escapes detection and brings
Administration satellites carry the new technologies. Steve McNutt, a down an aircraft. FC
THE WORLD FACES TOUGH CHALLENGESAND PM IS ON THE JOB. TO
FIND SOLUTIONS TO EVERYTHING FROM DROUGHT TO TRAFFIC
SNARLS, WE CALLED SOME OF AMERICAS SMARTEST ENGINEERS AND
SCIENTISTS FOR A MIX OF QUICK FIXES AND LONG-TERM PROPOSALS.
(AND, YES, ROBOTS WERE DISCUSSED.) HERES THE PM ACTION PLAN.
BY ERIK SOFGE PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMIE CHUNG
,& J U LY 2 0 0 9 | POPUL ARMECHANICS.COM

TURN TRASH INTO POWER
u The Green Energy Machine, or GEM,
is an unlikely alt-fuel hero. Yet the
dumpster-size cargo container jutting
from a building in Waltham, Mass., can
heat and power 200,000 square feet of
space on a daily diet of 3 tons of
garbage. The $850,000 system, which
incorporates a Rube Goldberglike
array of devices, can pay for itself in
three years, according to Michael
Cushman, vice president of IST Energy,
which makes GEMs. It can save some
540 tons of greenhouse gas emissions
annually andunlike much alt-energy
techits ready now. We welcome revo-
lutionary technology, but this is an
evolutionary solution with substantial
potential for high impact, Cushman
says. We dont need a 10-year-off
solution, we need a today solution.
B U I L D S TA R T S T O P I N T O
E V E RY V E H I C L E
u By 2012, manufacturing giant Bosch
estimates, half the new vehicles in
Europe will be able to shut down their
engines whenever they begin to idle.
Hybrids already work this way. Bosch
says its own system, Smart Starter, can
boost a conventional cars city-driving
fuel economy by 8 percent. Carmakers
wont say how much such technology
will raise prices, but the bump should
be a fraction of the premium that hybrid
systems demand. The technology isnt
scheduled for introduction in the
United States. It should be.
CONJURE FUEL FROM CO2

u Nanotube arrays can increase the
surface area of a catalyst, and thus are
one of the many next big things in
PORTRAITS BY
MIKE McGREGOR
HAND-BLOWN GLASS
BY ERIC MEEK
energy research, especially for batteries.
But Craig Grimes, an electrical engineer at Use NASA
Penn State, has another use for them. In Tech to J^[ijehoe\m_d][Z^kcWd_]^jX[]_dim_jêkjW
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combination with sunlight, his nanotube
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FIX CRUMBLING PIPES WITH

SINUOUS ROBOTS
u Oil companies employ drones called
pigs to crawl through pipelines, spotting
corrosion. Fancier pipe bots are in
development, destined for heroic feats
such as shimmying through shattered
plumbing to nd earthquake survivors. But
the most useful job for such robots could
be patrolling thousands of miles of leaking
municipal water lines. One design group
took the inspiration for its bloblike robot
from amoebas, but most of the new bots
resemble snakes. A Canadian robot called
Regina Pipe Crawler (RPC) is nearing
commercialization. Controlled remotely,
RPC can inspect a bending 6-inch-
diameter pipe while the water is owing at
full strength. With enough pipe bots on the
job, engineers could stop wasteful leaks
and prevent catastrophic failures.
DRIVE ON A HIGH LEVEL

u Road congestion gets worse every year,
E N V I R O N M E N T I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y D O G O
yet thousands of miles of highwaythe
medians, to be precisego unused. principle might work even
According to bridge engineer Linda Figg, a CALL IN THE Cloak Buildings better to shield buildings
gap just 6 feet across can support an STAR TREK From Earthquakes from earthquake damage.
Like so many of the best The structures would
elevated roadway three lanes wide. Figgs WRITERS things in life, the incorporate metamateri-
Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway inspiration for cloaking als patterned with tiny
added three reversible lanes to a 15-mile technology comes from circles whose size is
the Klingons, who used proportional to the
stretch of median between Brandon, Fla.,
it on their starships. wavelength of seismic
and downtown Tampa, cutting travel time Researchers have had disturbances. The waves
from 45 minutes to as little as 20. Such some success cloaking would travel along the
bridges can also carry light railFiggs an object by redirecting material, missing the
light around it to render structure. REAL-WORLD
AirTrain JFK project carries travelers above
it invisible. But the POTENTIAL: The theory
New York Citys Van Wyck Expressway to
Kennedy Airport. The projects require little
new grading and no seizures of property.
Look at data networks, the way theyve
been optimized, Figg says. They have
higher speeds, theyre more efcient, but
were using the same networks. This is the
samewere optimizing our corridors by
building at multiple levels.
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ahead. And engineers who would agree to be creation of quantum Nicolelis, co-director of Nicolelis plans to
would then need to obliterated and then computers, which Duke Universitys introduce a brain-
devise ways to build reconstituted by a guy could perform many Center for Neuroengi- controlled, full-body
the technology into named Scotty, trusting simultaneous neering, has shown exoskeleton to restore
new buildings. that no atom or eyeball operations, crunching that monkeys can mobility to severely
(Retrofits would likely was out of place? But data exponentially make robots walk disabled patients.
remain impossible.) scientists at the faster than todays simply by thinking. Potential applications
University of Maryland systems. REAL-WORLD Next, he is focusing on are wide-ranging
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Super Computers swapping the rudimentary level, the touch and vision would being performed by
Star Trekstyle quantum states of two technology works now, be nice, but Nicolelis a specialist from
teleporters will never, atoms positioned a but practical (let alone hopes that human across the country.
world-changing) brains eventually can Theres an issue with
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EMBRACE MEDICINES culture of living cells
suspended in gel. For
target area with a
protein, then tracing
some cyberpunk novel,
but its real engineer-
MACHINE AGE homogeneous organs, the wound with a ing being developed
he can skip the printer, carbon-dioxide laser. with funding from
squirting biogel right According to Katzir, DARPA, the Pentagons
into an injection mold. the procedure reduces research wing. DBAC
And since the cells surgical scars, healing will locate severed
originate with the time and the chance of arteries deep below
patient, organ infection. PROGNOSIS: the skin, then use
rejection is not an Katzir is preparing to ultrasonic waves to
issue. PROGNOSIS: use laser-bonding on cauterize the rupture
Injection-Mold Human trials are years hernia patients, and without affecting
Custom Organs away, but rats can he hopes that the surrounding tissues.
Medical researchers schedule back surgery technology will soon PROGNOSIS: DBAC's
are already growing right nowBonassars be applied in eye and imaging step relies on
human tissues, and team has already cosmetic surgery. His proven technology, but
even organs, in the lab. replaced spinal discs lab is also developing the coagulation
Then theres Lawrence in rodents. equipment that uses a function would require
Bonassar. The smaller, diode extensive testing.
assistant professor of Replace Suture lasersimilar to the DARPA hopes to unveil
biomedical engineer- Kits With Lasers ones in DVD players. a prototype DBAC,
ing at Cornell Lasers could replace He envisions a designed as a cuff that
University is producing old-fashioned needles flashlight-size system can fit over an injured
custom body parts and thread for for emergency rooms limb, by 2011.
using Fab@Home, a suturing wounds and and ambulances.
3D lithography surgical incisions. A
platform developed at method devised by Stop Blood Loss
Cornell. (Its inventors Abraham Katzir, head With Ultrasound
won a 2007 Popular of Applied Medical The Deep Bleeder
Mechanics Break- Physics at Israels Tel Acoustic Coagulation
through Award.) Aviv University, (DBAC) program may
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prototype power plants. Next year, the array l[dj[ZWmWo
of 192 lasers that form the heart of the
National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Califor-
nias Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory will begin ring at a tiny
hydrogen target, testing a magnet-free
fusion scheme. NIF director Ed Moses
hopes that within a few years, the machine <h[i^"
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consumes. If this works, over the next ifWY[ _dZeehW_h
couple of decades we can change the
geopolitical story, he says.
TEST ANTI-ASTEROID TECH

u This past March, a 154-foot-wide
asteroid came within 48,800 miles of Earth,
just twice the altitude of some satellites. It
was big enough to destroy a city. No one
saw it coming. Not that it would have
helped: Theres no procedure in place for
deecting space rocks, just a list of
concepts. But two astronautsRusty
Schweickart, chairman of the Association
of Space ExplorersNear Earth Object IF PM RAN
THE WORLD
Committee, and Thomas D. Jones, a PM
contributing editorhave a plan. (1) Build
more asteroid-hunting telescopes. Projects Ekji_Z[e\êki[
that need more funding include a Cana-

dian space-based telescope and a series of
ground-based systems in Hawaii. (2) Assign
asteroid-deection authority to an
international committee. With no one in
I L LU S T R AT I O N BY N AT H A N FA R I S S
,. J U LY 2 0 0 9 | POPUL ARMECHANICS.COM
VOLUNTEER: THE
WORLD NEEDS YOUR
HANDS-ON SKILLS
or less, as often as or
Coach Newbie as rarely as youre
Car Shoppers available.
Ways to Work, a
national group that Repair Family
helps low-income Breakdowns
people solve Volunteer
commuting mechanics and
problems, is looking contractors in
for mechanics, savvy Tacoma, Wash., have
car buyersanyone been lending a hand
who can tell a to families who cant
dirt-cheap bargain afford home and/or experience. Time to dunk a basketball. several other FIRST @kWd8[bb_WhZ
from a ticking time car repairs, through commitment: Up to a About 1700 teams competitions, ad[[b_d]"Wd
bomb of a lemon. [d]_d[[hm_j^
a nonprot group full day per project. compete each year in including the FIRST
j^[D[mOeha
Volunteers tag along called Need-A-Break the FIRST Robotics Lego League. SKILL 9_joJhWdi_j
with low-income driv- Services. There are Mentor Teen Competition, the SET: Mechanical and/ 7kjêh_jo"
ers as they shop for similar, equally Roboticists robot league he or programming lebkdj[[hiWi
an inexpensive ride worthwhile groups Inventor Dean founded. Matches abilities help, as does Wc[djehm_j^
for traveling to and located throughout Kamen looks are full-contact, a knack for cheering. j^[HeXeZe]i"
from their jobs. SKILL the United States. forward to the day metal-on-metal Time commitment: W(#o[Wh#ebZ
SET: General car heXej_Yij[Wc
SKILL SET: when engineering sporting events. The Potentially big.
\hecBed]
knowledge (the more Professional chops impart as high school teams Imagine coaching a ?ibWdZ9_jo
the better). Time construction or much high school need mentors, as high school varsity >_]ÎYêeb$
commitment: An hour mechanical cachet as the ability do participants in sports team. ?d(&&/"j^[
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charge, individual nations might launch DEPLOY TINY ROBO-DOCS dWbi$
Pyrrhic schemes: In the past, there was a u Smart pills designed to carry minia- 8[bb_WhZi
WZl_Y[0Meha
Russian proposal to have a 50-megaton ture cameras or doses of medicine have je][j^[hWi
nuclear missile in the silo, ready to launch been kicking around laboratories for years. Wj[Wc
WdZa[[f_j
at any asteroid that shows up, Jones says. Now researchers are homing in on a i_cfb[$
Bad ideait could create a lethal storm of Lilliputian robot doctor that could do it all,
fragments. (3) Run a rehearsal mission. combining diagnostic imaging with
One plan is to park an unmanned space- targeted drug delivery, while precisely
craft alongside the offending asteroid, navigating a patients digestive track. A
while kinetic impactorsguided missiles model from Pittsburghs Carnegie Mellon
minus the warheadsslam into it. The rst University anchors itself within the body
craft helps the impactors target the object using adhesives, while another device
and acts as a gravity tractor, using its mass (invented in Germany) is guided by magnets
to nudge the rock off course. If something outside the body. When such bots hit
really huge heads our way, we could always clinics, they should make biopsies easier,
resort to that 50-megaton nuke tactic and colonoscopies mercifully obsolete.
with luck the bomb would ignite gases in
the asteroid that would spew outwards and N E T W O R K C A R S W I R E L E S S LY
nudge the rock from its apocalyptic path. u Cars are becoming chatterboxes. They
intone directions, pause music to
SWAP OUT MPG FUEL announce incoming calls, and soon will
R AT I N G S F O R G / 1 0 0 M start reading e-mails aloud. But now GM,
uQuick, which is better: Replacing an Volkswagen and other automakers want
18 mpg car with a 28 mpg ride, or going cars to talk quietly among themselves.
from 34 mpg to 50 mpg? Researchers say Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications
that drivers nd it easier to get the right systems will enable cars to trade news of IF PM RAN
THE WORLD
answer when efciency is expressed as hazards such as black ice or a truck broken
gallons per 100 miles (g/100m). Eighteen down on a blind curve. The information
mpg versus 28 mpg becomes 5.5 g/100m will be projected for drivers onto the
versus 3.6 g/100m, for a savings of 2 gallons windshield or shown on a dashboard
every 100 miles. Going from 34 mpg to display. V2V could also help steer drivers
50 mpg is the same as switching from 2.9 clear of trafc snarls. Tests have been run
g/100m to 2 g/100monly half as big a gain. in California and Germany; the next step is
Such ratings already are common in Europe. to agree on an industry-wide protocol.
PHOTOGRAPH BY BEN BAKER
-& J U LY 2 0 0 9 | POPUL ARMECHANICS.COM

BRICK
BY
BRICK
OBSESSIVE HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND

RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS BRING A
CLASSIC RHODE ISLAND FIREHOUSE FROM THE
19TH CENTURY STRAIGHT INTO THE 21ST.
BY LISA PALMER
Not your typical teardown. To reconru this landmarked

building, the homeowner used 3D laser imaging that measures, to
within 2 millimeters, where the original bricks should be placed.
72 J U LY 2 0 0 9 | POPULARMECHANICS.COM
THE ONLY THING KEEPING THE BRICKS IN PLACE WAS they lived in a lighthouse in Tiverton, R.I. So when the re-
gravity, David Hacin says. Hacin, the architect in charge of house appeared on the market in 2006, they could immediately
preserving the historic Newport, R.I., firehouse, shared his picture themselves living thereonly buying a historic land-
observation with homeowner Clint Clemens shortly after mark involved more work than they realized. Its like signing
removing the structures roof. Clemens peered inside the up for the military, Clemens says. Youre in it for four years.
1-foot-thick outer wall to see for himself: The interior mortar, Known locally as Redwood Hose 8, the rehouse had last
which had been made from local beach sand when the build- seen active duty in 1912. And although it was now a crumbling
ing was constructed in 1887, had turned to a ne dust. ruin, it sat smack in the middle of Historic Hill, Newports
Clemens and his wife have a history of living in unique National Historic Landmark District, so simply demolishing it
homes. Their rst was an 800-square-foot converted chicken was not an option. Clemens, a commercial photographer and
coop on the former farm of John Quincy Adams. More recently, owner of a 3D imaging company, decided to preserve the build-
ing with the tools he knew best. Using a Faro 880 laser attached
to a tripod, Clemens red off 30 million measurements along
three sides of the home. This enabled him to create a 3D image
of the two-story structure accurate to 2 millimetersand to
rebuild it with the same precision.
Contractors dismantled Hose 8 brick by brick, lowering the
PHOTOGRAPHS BY CLINT CLEMENS
masonry to the ground one bucket at a time, until nothing was the oors and to a forced-hot-air system. Flip a switch, and
left but the buildings foundation. Each brick was painstakingly 45 minutes later (as Clemens times it) the system pumps cool
cleaned, tested for strength and storeduntil, as Hacin put it, air into the home. Though the $32,000 geothermal system is
the time came to put Humpty Dumpty together again. considerably more expensive than traditional HVAC, a 30 per-
Clemens was determined to reduce his new homes carbon- cent tax credit this year will offset the costs. Clemens estimates
dioxide emissions to near zero. So to control the buildings cli- the system will pay for itself in six years and last more than 30.
mate, he chose to install a geothermal system that would take A solar thermal array that sits discreetly on the roof supplies
advantage of the natural temperature gradient deep under- all of the homes hot water; extra solar heat is redirected into
ground. That proved a challenge as well. First, a 55-foot-long radiant-heat ooring in the basement. An exterior propane
truck had to be maneuvered up a one-way urban street. Then, tank supplies fuel for the kitchen stove, and Clemens pur-
for three long days, metal rammed earth, until the drill nally chases wind-generated power to supply all of the electricity.
bored into a geothermal aquifer 850 feet below the surface. Most of the wood in the home has been certied by the For-
Relief from the noise came in the form of a geyser, shooting est Stewardship Council, while other materials were repur-
200 feet in the air at 150 gallons per minute. posed from the original buildingincluding many of the
The open-loop geothermal system supplies radiant heat to bricks, the roof capstones and a few of the windows. The brick
Deconruing the rehouse one brick at a time was a te of both

1 2 patience and physics. Workers took measures to abilize jois (below)
while removing individual bricks from the buildings exterior. Windows
Aer Clint Clemens that couldnt be salvaged were reproduced with exa details, down to
bought a 119-year- the weighted sash and antique glass. is is a hioric ruure, a work
old rehouse in of art, Clemens says. We are simply ewards of the building, caring
Newport, R.I., to for it like you would a ne painting. More than a century of deterioration
renovate for his forced Clemens to work his way back to a blank canvas.
home, he learned
that the crumbling
3
mortar meant the
entire ruure
was unsound.
Demolishing the e sorted and
hioric building acked bricks
wasnt an option, (below) are only
so Clemens, vice a fraion of the
president of the 3D 28,000 total bricks
imaging company that workers
Models From Mars, salvaged for the
applied a high-tech reconruion.
solution to the e original walls
century-old con- were four layers
ruion problem. thick, as opposed
He measured the to one layer for the
precise dimensions rebuild, so the tear-
of the original ruc- down produced
ture with a Faro thousands more
880 laserthen bricks than needed.
used the resulting Neighbors carted
3D image (below) to o extras to be
convince the towns reused for patios
rmly preservation- and walkways.
minded hioric
commission that
the rehouse
could be totally
dismantled and
rebuilt to the same
specications.
4
e original mortar
and foundation
(above) contained
local beach sand
seashells and all.
Siered jois
again the walls
shored up unable
footings.
exterior is now a veneer covering a wooden structurenot four house is so quiet, Clemens says, its like you have a pillow over
layers thick, as in the previous construction. your ears. The home has been engineered as a box, so the inte-
In order to preserve the buildings outward appearance, rior walls can be recongured based on the changing needs of
contractors poured a 19-inch-wide concrete trench inside the the owners over time. Currently, the French doors of the top-
original eldstone foundation. Then, they installed a 1-inch- oor master bedroom open to a deck that overlooks the steeple
thick steel plate that caps both structures. While Hose 8 of the neighboring Channing Memorial Church, built in 1880.
appears to sit atop its eldstone roots, thats an illusion. The Clerestory windows, located high on the south wall of the
steel plate acts as a cantilever, so the buildings weight actually rst and second oors, allow daylight to lter through the inte-
rests on the new concrete base. Stabilization rods extend from rior, reducing the need for electric lighting. Natural light from
the roof to the foundation, ensuring that the house meets a copper-trimmed skylight oods the upper levels.
earthquake codes. It is also rated to withstand winds up to 200 It was supposed to be a straightforward renovation, but
miles per hour. The homes upgrades, Hacin says, would have turning a former rehouse into a single-family home became a
been impossible in renovating the existing building. lesson in fortitude instead. Two and a half years later, Hose 8 is
Inside, insulation packed into the walls increases efciency a cutting-edge green buildingand, thanks to Clemenss 3D
while also mufing sound. With no hum from a furnace, the vision, looks exactly like it did more than 100 years ago. FC
5 6
Contraors Cellulose insulation made from recycled
poured a new newspaper lls the 12-inch-thick wood-
concrete founda- framed walls (above). Hose 8s exterior
tion ju inside the brickwork (below) looks like it did before the
original one, and epic proje began. With the reoration, the
capped both with building may la another 120 years.
the eel plate
being ick-welded
below. e eel
and concrete form
an exceptionally
urdy founda-
tioncritical
support for so,
century-old brick.
Below-ground
updates also
include a geother-
mal syem and
earthquake-resis-
tant rods.
H O M E S E C U R I T Y
THE GOOD NEWS: ONCE-ENDANGERED

PREDATORS ARE MAKING A COMEBACK.
THE BAD NEWS: THEIR FAVORITE
HABITAT MIGHT BE YOUR BACKYARD.
? J M7 I J > ; F ; H < ; 9 J ; D : ? D = J E 7 F ; H < ; 9 J 7 < J ; H D E E D $ = 7 H O

Mann and his girlfriend Helen were watching the sun go down after a satisfying
day clearing brush in the backyard of Manns home in Sutter Creek, Calif. A pile of
branches and twigs was burning merrily, throwing shadows into the growing dark-
ness as the couples three dogsa 50-pound Shar-Pei named Tigger and a pair of
Rottweiler mixes, Takota and Tenayaplayed at their feet.
Manns home is the kind of place nature lovers dream of. The house is set back
from the road on a densely wooded, 10-acre parcel bordered by government land
and private property; wild turkeys and deerup to a dozen at a timewander
through daily. Beyond the backyard lawn, 80 feet from the house, ponderosa and
oak grow thickly on the steep slopes of a hill.
That February night, Helen heard crackling and snapping of underbrush and
saw something large moving along the edge of the trees. When Tigger went to
investigate, with Takota close behind, Mann didnt stop them, even though he
8O;H?DC997HJ>O
F > E J E = H 7 F > 8 O I ? C ; D @ E > 7 D
knew mountain lions roamed the area. One had destroy mission continued virtually unabated until the rise
peered through his neighbors window, scaring of the environmental movement in the 1960s and 70s, when
the woman inside, and another neighbor had the national attitude began to evolve. People came to believe
recently seen a big male lion in Manns driveway. that what was left of wilderness and its inhabitants should
The lions come in pretty far, Mann says. Com- be preserved for future generations.
mon sense would have said, dont let the dogs go. This ideology has clearly worked: Since the passage of the
But Ive been living up here for eight years, and its Endangered Species Act of 1973, 14 species of animals that
rare that they attack dogs. were on the brink of extinction have recovered. Alligators were
Suddenly, the couple heard Tigger screaming removed from the list in 1987; gray wolves in 2009. The grizzly
for her life, Mann says. When he ran down to the bear, conned mostly to Yellowstone National Park in the
edge of the woods, he could only see shadows and lower 48 states, was delisted in 2007. As for once heavily
fleeting movement in the thick underbrush. hunted mountain lions, some 50,000 of the big cats now
PHOTOGRAPH BY SCOTT THRELKELD / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Whatever was attacking the Shar-Pei growled at inhabit North America, with populations in the United States
him. Takota rushed in, and then it was overthe as far east as North Dakota. Experts predict that lions eventu-
animal released Tigger and took off. We think ally will reinhabit the Adirondacks in New York, the Maine
Takota scared it, Mann says. It all happened in woods and the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.
about 10 seconds. Few people anticipated that rebounding populations
Tiggers injuries were serious. The skin over her would create a new problem: an increase in animal attacks as
head had been split open to the bone, her left eye predators returned to former ranges now occupied by
almost torn out. Deep claw marks ran down her humans. In August 2002, a black bear killed a 5-month-old
back. Mann held the wounds closed as he and girl in the Catskills, a hundred miles northwest of New York
Helen rushed Tigger to the vet, who conrmed that City; the baby had been sleeping in a carriage on the porch. In
the injuries had been caused by a mountain lion. January 2004, a mountain lion killed a male bicyclist in Whit-
Tigger survived, but since the incident Mann ing Ranch Wilderness Park in Orange County, Calif., then
has kept the dogs out of the woods. Im still here attacked a 31-year-old woman a few hours later. Other bicy-
and the lion is still here, he says. My neighbors clists managed to save the victim, but not before she sus-
said it was up at their property two nights ago. To tained serious injuries. In October 2007, an alligator snatched
attack a dog near a house when two adults are out and killed an 83-year-old woman outside her daughters home
in the yard with a re goingthats when you have in Savannah, Ga. The next day, her body was found in a pond,
to start worrying. There are lots of kids just a cou- hands and a foot missing. And, in May 2008, a coyote bit a
ple of blocks from here. 2-year-old girl playing in a
Chino Hills, Calif., park and
M>;D ;KHEF;7DI I;JJB;: the New World, attempted to drag her off.
they dealt with predators by show- Though the trend is wor-
ing them the business end of a risome, the absolute num-
Ocials in Slidell, La.,
capture an alligator that
gun. Wherever pioneers settled, ber of attacks remains
bit o an 11-year-old populations of large predators small. Fatal black bear
boys arm as he swam in mountain lions, bears, wolves, attacks on humans have
a local pond. e gator
had lived there for years alligatorsplummeted or disap- doubled since the late
without incident. peared entirely. That search-and- 1970s, increasing from one ; I 9 7 F ;
to just two incidents per J > ;
year. (About six people are 8;7IJ
injured each year.) Between
1890 and 2008, there were
110 mountain lion attacks Animal attacks
are rare, but
in North America; half of they do happen.
the 20 fatalities resulting Heres how to
from these attacks occurred handle an
in the past two decades. encounter with
Despite an alligator popula- big predators
tion too large to count, the and survivein
U.S. had just 391 attacks the backcountry
and 18 fatalities between or the backyard.
1948 and 2005. Coyotes
have caused only one known
fatality in the U.S.
Still, the relationship
between animals and
humans is proving to be more complex than simply kill em all Carolina down through Florida and west to Louisi-
or love em alleven though some of the old, romantic ideas ana and Texas. There, people have moved into the
about living at one with nature linger. If you ask people why wetlands where alligators live, and theyve created
they moved where they did, you discover that they moved to be ponds and canals within subdivisions that alliga-
immersed in nature and wildlife, says Marc Bekoff, professor tors consider appealing habitats.
emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University In July 2008, 11-year-old Devin Funck and two
of ColoradoBoulder. The fastest way to decrease the experi- friends escaped the stiing Louisiana heat by tak-
ence is to start killing the animals. ing a dip in Crystal Lake, a ooded former gravel
Whether homeowners welcome large animals into their pit in a subdivision near Slidell. Funck was play-
neighborhoods or see them as life-threatening intruders, ing in the shallows when an alligator grabbed his
most people recognize that weve entered a new era: Preda- arm, dragged him to deeper water and pulled him
tors and humans today often share the same terrain, and under. After a struggle, Funck poked the gator in
their daily routines intersect in ways that challenge conven- the eye and pulled free, but his left arm was gone,
tional ideas about man and nature. torn off at the shoulder. Friends ran for help, and
within an hour emergency responders were rush-
J > ; 9 7 H ; < K B BO C 7 D ?9 K H ; : lawns of suburban and ing the boy to hospital.
exurban developments may look domesticated, but they often According to local news reports, area residents
occupy what were recently wildlands. These transitional zones knew the gator lived in the popular swimming
between habitats, known as ecotones, are expanding at an hole; in fact, they had even given the 10-foot
unprecedented rateproviding more opportunities for 8-inch, 500-pound reptile a nameBig Joe. It took
humanpredator interaction. Urban land area in the U.S. has nearly 3 hours for hunters to nd and kill Big Joe
quadrupled from 15 million acres in 1945 to 60 million in and cut Funcks bluish but intact arm from its
2002; rural residential land has increased by an average of 1.2 stomach. Doctors were unable to reattach the
million acres per year since 1980. limb, however, and Devin now wears a prosthesis.
But the spread of human populations doesnt necessarily Experts can offer no explanation as to why the
come at the expense of predators. The semiwild environ- gator, which had patrolled Crystal Lake for years
ments desired by humans are often equally attractive to apex without incident, attacked Funck. And neither
animals, and in many regions, human and predator popu- can residents: Two boys who often swam in the
lations are growing hand-in-hand. Nowhere is this more evi- lake said that the alligators there usually swim
dent than in Americas gator belt, which extends from North away when approached. The set of circumstances
that takes a humanalligator interaction to the
next step, to an attackwe dont know what that
trigger is, says University of Florida professor
and gator expert Frank Mazzotti.
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other more frequently, creatures can lose their
sense of fear. Its called habituationa process by
which an animal, after a period of exposure to a
stimulus, stops responding. Through experience, University of Northern Arizona professor Paul Beier scoffs
animals learn that people or developments are not at the idea of species-wide mountain lion habituationas
threats, so their natural fear decreases, says Tania well as the notion that people are now lion prey. Its just not
Lewis, a U.S. Geological Survey biologist at Glacier true, he says. If people were on the menu, wed have an
Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska. attack every day. Though habituation can occur in individ-
When animals are no longer afraid of humans, ual animals, The idea that its happening broadly as a phe-
they no longer try to avoid themand the results nomenon is not consistent with the number of attacks we
can be deadly. In January 1991, 18-year-old Scott see, which is still less than one fatality a year. Every mountain
Lancaster was killedand partially eatenby a lion has had an opportunity to kill a human, so 99.9 percent
mountain lion as he jogged a quarter-mile from his of mountain lions dont bother to chomp us.
Idaho Springs, Colo., high school. This case and Beier, who keeps records of mountain lion attacks and
other humanlion interactions in and around has tagged and tracked 32 lions, says all predators experi-
Boulder, Colo., were the basis of the book The Beast ment with different types of prey. They have prey that they
in the Garden, in which author David Baron argues specialize in eating, but occasionally theyll eat something
that mountain lions have become habituated. As elsethats how they learn, he says. If you think about it,
wildlife invades suburbs, Baron wrote, and as thats necessary for animals to evolve. Maybe theyre trying
suburbs invade wildlife habitat, we are changing something new thats about the size of a deer but has two
animal behavior in unexpected and sometimes legs. But, by and large, they dont.
troubling ways. Rarely has the behavioral shift been Even if humans dont turn into prey for all predators, the
so well documented, as in the case of Boulders USGSs Lewiswhose husband was Scott Lancasters class-
lions. The lions, he argues, werent afraid of peo- matebelieves habituation does happen, and not just for
ple; in fact, the cats had changed their diets to mountain lions, but for bears, coyotes, alligators and most
include pets and sometimes peopleand were other animals that regularly come into contact with humans.
teaching their offspring to do the same. Wildlife will habituate, she says. We have an effect on
each otherwhenever people and animals encounter each
other, animals learn from that, and that helps shape their
behavior the next time they have an encounter.
M > ; D I K C C ; H HEB B I 7 HEK D :" our backyards turn

into a smorgasbord for wildlife. Uncleaned grills, bird feed-
ers, dog food left on the porch and garbage stuffed into unse-
cured bins can lure creatures to our doorsteps. And once an
animal has an easily obtained meal, it keeps coming back.
The process through which animals learn that people are a
source of high-quality calories is called food conditioning.
Sometimes wild animals get accustomed to a certain source
of food, and they forgo other sources, Bekoff says. Why hunt
for a rabbit when you can get a freebie handout at Joes?
This was just the kind of situation Denise Haldeman
walked right into in May 2008. She went outside after dark to
take down the bird feeders in the backyard of her Barbours,
Pa., home. Her dog, Panda, tore into the darkness, but Hal- dragged the toddler through the In 2008, Anne Hjelle
deman thought the 12-year-old Lab mix was chasing another street; she later died of a broken returned to the trail
where she was attacked
dog that sometimes ran loose in the neighborhood. neck and blood loss. Bekoff, who by a mountain lion
Then she saw the black bear. It was standing on its hind worked the case, says the neigh- four years before. e
122-pound cougar bit
legs, just a few feet away, clicking its teeth. As Haldeman bors had been feeding the coyote, Hjelle 40 times; 200
turned to ee, the bear struck her from behind, knocking her perhaps in hopes that regular itches and six surgeries
facedown on the patio. The bear was standing on me, biting meals would prevent the wild ani- were required to repair
the damage to her face.
my head, Haldeman later told reporters. mal from attacking pets. Wolves,
The bear left without attacking her further. Haldeman raccoons and even alligators can
T
was treated for wounds on her head, face, arms and legs. also become food-conditioned.
Panda was not so lucky; the dog, which had also encountered
the bear, died from its injuries. Authorities later determined > K C 7 D ? J O ? I D J B ? A ; BO to stop expanding
that Haldeman had unwittingly come between a sow and her into wildlife habitat. Though the risk of a fatal
cubs; 10 days later the bears, which had previously been seen animal attackor any animal attackis less
around the neighborhood, were trapped in Haldemans yard than the chance of getting struck by lightning
and relocated about 150 miles away. (1 in 400,000), every time we step in the water in
Black bears, usually considered far more docile than griz- Florida, or jog alone in mountain lion territory,
zlies, will typically ee when confronted by a human, says we are at risk. So how can we successfully live in
Stephen Herrero, author of Bear Attacks: Their Causes and this deceptively tame-looking new wilderness?
Avoidance. He has been studying bear attacks for 42 years. Most biologists argue that the simplest solu-
Food-conditioned black bears can become aggressivea tioneradicating predatorswould be counter-
learned behavior from the wild, where they must defend productive. If you kill animals, other animals
their food from other bears. come in, Bekoff says, pointing out that wolves
Most attacks are defensivewhen people are in a bears once kept coyote populations in check, and with-
space, it feels uncomfortable and may attack the perceived out that natural predator, coyote populations have
threat. But some attacks are predatory. Theres the odd exploded. Besides, Bekoff says, people are against
black bearand this is where the fatalities come fromthat the wanton killing of these animals.
just decides, Well, Ive been eating deer all my life, I think Ill The key, then, might be to adapt ourselves.
try out that two-legged thing, Herrero says. That pattern of We live with wildlife, and when we choose to
behavior is very recognizable. The bear walks around, sizes build our house in the middle of the forest, weve
things up, and when it decides to go for it, it goes for it. But now put our house in their backyard, says
most predatory attacks take place in the wilderness. Herrero Charles Schwartz, a research wildlife biologist at
says that backyard predatory behavior is peculiar, and biolo- Montana State University. Predators once roamed
gists havent yet gured out why its happening. the land unchallenged, yet if were smartgiving
Though bears are the poster children for food condition- animals the respect they deserve and reconsider-
ing, they are by no means the only susceptible animals. Coy- ing how we dispose of garbage, what foliage we
otes that have become problems have been fed, Bekoff says. plantwe can live together.
Its hard to think of any exceptions. In August 1981, a 3-year- Theyre wild animals, and theyre predators,
old girl from Glendale, Calif., was waiting in the driveway for Mazzotti says. Treating them with that small
her father to nd his car keys when a coyote grabbed her by amount of respect and intelligence is the best
the throat. Before the father could chase the animal away, it thing we can do to live with them. FC
POPULARMECHANICS.COM | J U LY 2 0 0 9 81
Supercarrier
TO DESIGN THE NAVYS NEW
FORD-CLASS AIRCRAFT CARRIER,
ARCHITECTS RELY ON VIRTUAL
REALITY TO SHAPE 54,000 TONS OF
STEEL INTO THE WORLDS MOST
POWERFUL WARSHIP.
By Noah Shachtman
Photographs by Grant Delin
The first pieces of the U.S. Navys newest class of

aircraft carriermeant to be the cornerstone of American
military sea power over the next hundred yearslie in the
open air of a shipyard in Virginia. A misting rain is falling on
the jumbled eld of steel bulkheads, stacks of pipe and 200-
ton sections of hull. Its as if some gargantuan child broke
apart his model ship and scattered the pieces on the ground.
But Northrop Grummans staff at the Newport News ship-
yard know where every part is locatedand the exact order
in which each piece must be connected. Building an aircraft
carrier is like putting together a 3D jigsaw puzzle, for years
on end. Engineers have been designing some of the pieces
since 2000; the job wont be nished until 2015.
And on a complex project of this scale, there is little mar-
gin to correct design mistakes. If not found and xed, one
small aw can have ramications that cost tens of millions of
Ship archites
in Virginia ep
into virtual-reality
blueprints to perfe
the design of the
U.S. Navys r
new carrier class in
40 years. Working
in 3D reduces errors
and oversights on a
$14 billion proje.
dollars, months of hot-metal work or even the life of a sailor ship without wearing helmets or boots. All they have to do is
not yet born. These ships are like entire planned cities, says slip on chunky black glasses, stare at a screen and step inside
Eric Wertheim, editor of The Naval Institute Guide to Combat the ships CAD plan.
Fleets of the World. Its like building Disney World. Sam Vreeland, the Fords jowly, red-cheeked construction
For more than six decades, aircraft carriers have been director, hands me a pair of the bulky glasses. Were in a
involved in virtually every major American military engage- black-walled room inside a nondescript building at the ship-
ment, from World War II to the current conicts in Iraq and yard. On an 8-foot-tall screen in the center of the room, engi-
Afghanistan. But Americas carrier fleet is getting old. neers from around the country meetwithout leaving their
Designs for todays Nimitz-class ships began in 1964, and ofcesto perfect blueprints in virtual-reality simulators. In
although upgraded, the carriers steam-powered catapults front of me is a virtual 3D model of every element of the
and cramped quarters belong to another era. So, for the rst ships jet-fuel room, from pumps and pipes to shims and
time in two generations, the Navy is commissioning a new studs securing bulkheads. In the lower decks, engineers have
carrier, named after President Ford, who served with distinc- assigned a part number and a supplier to every one of these
tion on the carrier Monterey during World War II. Following digital pieces. We got this technology because we can walk
custom, each subsequent ship constructed to these specs anybody through, including the Navy, Vreeland says. They
will be named after him: the Ford class of carriers. can see it more clearly than with a mockup.
Penn State University research associate Vaughn Whisker
Building a supercarrier is a uniquely American enter- appears on the screen to my left. Or at least his unshaven,
prise. There are 21 aircraft carriers in service around the black-clad avatar does. It waves from University Park, Pa., 400
globe; 11 belong to the United States. A few other nations miles northwest, where Whisker is stomping around a
Britain, Spain and Indiahave plans to build aircraft carri- 10-foot-square room lined with virtual-reality screens. In the
ers. But no one else makes them this large or with such digital fuel room, the avatar reaches up for a pipe to make
advanced capabilities. No one else is about to try. sure its in the right place. Then he moves behind a pump to
The last time American engineers designed a carrier from ensure that maintenance workers will be able to t behind it.
scratch, in the 1960s, they drew the ship in ink and built full- With another mouse click, any designer with access to the
scale wooden models to prove their designs. Then, the CAD le can see the room from the point of view of future
construction-yard workers had to gure out how to put the crewmen, ensuring that pipes and open hatches dont
ship together. Things work a little differently in 2009. Now, impede lines of sight to gauges or alarms, or the hand signals
engineers and foremen can wander around a mockup of the of shipmates at their stations. We always had to nd the
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engineering balance, says Lin Yank Rutherford, a former Eventually, this pixelated world meets the real one.
rear admiral and the shipyards director of platform integra- Vreeland and I walk into the fabrication plant to see the raw
tion. But in the past there was some subjective thinking. metal, brought in by the trainload, formed into parts of the
I reach out with pixelated hands, grab the pump and toss hull. Its a cavernous, clanging, hissing 34,600-square-foot
it across the room. Then I spin the lighting xtures around shop with dross, sparks and metal scraps all around. Every-
and tilt the oor. If the Northrop designers wanted to incor- one calls out, Hey, Sam-may! as we walk by; Vreeland, a Vir-
porate my horseplay, they would dump the data into the CAD ginia native, has been at the yard since 1972, working his way
system and ship it 2.5 miles to the fabrication plant at the up from apprentice on Los Angelesclass subs to become the
other end of the shipyard, where metal is shaped to the exact Fords head of construction in 2000.
specications called for by the digital blueprint. One worker, dressed in plaid, looks into a computer
Engineers are using other sophisticated software to synch screen that displays data from a CAD file. The software
the ships design with its future operation. On the flight guides a cutting machines jet of plasma gas over a long, low
deck, for example, shipbuilders test the way aircraft are tub. The water below gurgles and ashes purple before drain-
brought to the deck and readied for launch. The Ford is uti- ing to reveal a steel plate. Theres a big, beveled oval cut in
lizing a new, NASCAR-like pitstop approach. On Nimitz-class the center and lots of smaller holes for pipes and wiring. Its
carriers, airplanes are dragged all over the ight deck for fuel the virtual carrier, starting to come to life.
refills, weapon reloads and maintenance checks. On the We exit the plant and step into a company van. Vreeland
Ford, workers will handle all those jobs in a single spot. The drives along the waterfront, zipping over worn rails and past
Navy hopes these measures will increase sorties from the low-slung brick buildings and corrugated factories. On the
ship by 25 percentup to 270 per day. ground are two 200-ton pieces of the hull, curved on one side,
Everything on the Ford is subject to simulation testing, at and toothy on the other. Put them together, and they
from the views of the ight deck from the bridge to damage become a superlifta piece of the carrier that is ready to be
control in the engine rooms. According to manager of engi- fit into the puzzle. The shipyard needs to assemble 162
neering David Rockey, there are even messing models. superlifts to create the hull.
Thats where we see how long it takes crew members to get a And just about the only machine on the planet than can
hot lunch and come back [to their stations], Rockey says. handle these massive parts is the powder-blue, 23-story
Its like SimCity for carriers. But this game has a serious gantry crane under which were driving. Riding on rails eight
purpose: Before we cut steel and pay the bill, we want to see football elds long, the rectangular crane uses three hooks,
what were going to get for our efforts. each capable of lifting more than 300 tons, to pick up ship
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tor generates three refueling aircra motor generates a arboard; smaller than mechanical hydraulic pitop model: Eleva-
times the power of with program- 3-second 150 mega- islands on current car- ram syem with tors li weapons
those on current car- mable consoles; an watt pulse, which riers to increase ight- energy-absorbing and ghter jets to
riers, with fewer crew improved ltration drives a movable deck space; houses water turbines that the deck at the same
needed for mainte- syem keeps shuttle that propels new dual-band radar. work with manned location to speed
nance and operation. impurities out of planes from the deck. cra and tail hook prep time for aircra
jet fuel. equipped UAVs. launch.
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THREATS DEFENSE
:[Yeo0 e r ep in killing a carrier is to confuse the ;#(9>Wma[o[0To defeat decoys, carrier-launched
escorts that prote it. e cheape way to do thisdecoys. surveillance airplanes with high-power radar can conrm the
Covert teams in shing trawlers, for example, can drop buoys presence of approaching enemy ships and aircra. As they
that are programmed to emit delayed radio signals to gather fresh data from the air, Hawkeyes also dire
misdire a carrier groups defensive ships and aircra. warplanes and surface ships.
7dj_hWZWh:hed[0Unmanned aircra can blind a carriers 7hb[_]^8kha[:[ijheo[h0Engineers are upgrading

escort ships. e Harpy, a drone that Israel sold to China in deroyer sensors to spot multiple threats, including small
2004, circles an area, seeking radar signatures, which it then ones like drones. A phased-array radar, which can track 100
targets with a kamikaze attack. Without radar, escorts cant targets at once, operates in the S-Band frequency range,
nd and shoot down antiship missiles. allowing optimal performance in any weather conditions. e
objeive: Find and deroy drones before they can rike.
:_[i[bIkXcWh_d[0ese quiet, lethal menaces can I>#,&I[W^Wma0Helicopters deploy sensors called

evade deteion, especially in shallow water, and re Sizzler sonobuoys to dete acouic, sonar, thermal or magnetic
missiles (a NATO designation) that skim the waves at signatures of submerged submarines. Inead of dipping
supersonic speeds. Iran operates Russian-made diesel subs; a sonobuoy into the water, expendable modern versions
Pakian has purchased French-made Scorpions. China is the are dropped from helicopters like the Seahawk. Remotely
bigge enthusia: It built 14 diesel subs in 2006 alone. operated boats are also used to drag arrays in search
of enemy subs.
Ik#)&<bWda[h0Russian-made airplanes have long been <#)+9B_]^jd_d]??0When it comes to defending the

designed to attack carrier groups. e Su-30 can re barrages airspace around a carrier, the F-35C is expeed to carry
of missiles to overwhelm an aircra carriers defenses. In the load for the Navy. e ealth airplane is made to kill
2011 the Russians plan to export an upgraded version called foes before being seen. However, it is not an agile, cannon-
the Super Flanker. equipped dogghter like the F-18A Super Hornet, which
it will replace in 2015.
7dj_i^_f8Wbb_ij_YC_ii_b[0By 2015 Chinese 7[]_i9hk_i[h0Ship-based balliic-missile defenses have

medium-range ASBMs may target carriers. Over-the-horizon come a long way. Some Ticonderoga-class Aegis cruisers
radar could identify ships by bouncing signals o the carry SM-2s that can shoot down inbound warheads in the
ionosphere or by propagating signals over the ocean surface. nal ages of ight. New SM-3s engage targets even
Dong Feng 21 missiles are designed to use onboard radar to earlierin their midcourse age.
nd carriers and close in at a high Mach speed.
I L LU S T R AT I O N BY A X E L P FA E N D E R
parts. But even that 900-ton capacitythe largest in the reactor. All that steam means gangs of sailors to operate
Western Hemispherewasnt big enough for the Ford. So valves, read gauges and x machines when they invariably
Northrop upgraded the cranes maximum haul to 1050 tons. wear down or spring a leak. On the Ford, many of those sys-
The shipyard is obsessed with the timelines of any big- tems will be electric.
dollar project, and the Ford is easily the biggest. The rst The most novel use of electricity occurs on the ight deck.
Ford-class carrier will cost $14 billion, including $5 billion Steam-powered catapults currently do not provide heavier
for research and development; Navy ofcials say the price aircraft with enough acceleration to take off, so the carrier
will drop to around $6 billion per ship with subsequent cranks up the knots to increase wind speed over the deck. On
builds. Delaysand so far the Ford program has suffered Ford-class vessels, four linear motors will create magnetic
two years worth of themcan mean losing skilled workers waves that propel the catapult, with each jet getting a cus-
and support from Congress or the Pentagon. As the largest tomized shove into the sky. Planes will land as they do now,
items in the Pentagons shipbuilding budget, new carriers by hooking onto arresting cables, but the system that slows
are tempting targets for cutbacks. Some defense analysts are their speed will be electromechanical rather than just
already wondering why the U.S. needs a 100,000-ton monster hydraulic. These novel designs come with risks. According to
carrier when our most prominent current enemies are ter- the Government Accountability Ofce, developing the launch
systems generator has led to a 15-month delay.
The Navy hopes these developmental risks
will be rewarded with long-term savings, espe-
cially from the decrease in manpower. On old
carriers, it takes gangs of men to move food,
laundry, spare parts and ordnance. On the Ford,
forklifts, not sailors, will haul supplies. Pro-
gram managers say the Ford will require 700
fewer people than a current carrier, saving as
much as $5 billion over the life of the ship.
Protecting those sailors is another concern:
The Navy has gone to great lengths to ensure
its carriers can take a hit. For 25 days in 2005,
engineers with Naval Sea Systems Command
conducted classified explosions on the USS
America, a Kitty Hawkclass carrier that served
in Vietnam and the Persian Gulf. The ship even-
tually ooded and sank in the largest damage-
control experiment ever conducted. The Navy
says results of that test have been incorporated
into the design of the Ford.
Using a 23-ory gantry crane, the large in the Weern
Hemisphere, workers maneuver a ruural unit into place. Later this year the megacrane will lower
the rst superlift piece into the dry dock where
rorists, small guerrilla bands and pirates in skiffs. the Ford will be assembled. Navy brass, politicians and com-
Another controversy surrounding the Ford program is pany ofcials will gather around the massive section of the
whether this is the right time for a new design. Do we know hull and make speeches; bands will play martial songs. Then
enough about future threats? Wertheim asks. By 2060, are more curved side shells will be outtted with pipes, lights
we even going to have manned fighters? Were really at a and as many xtures as possible before being lowered into
crossroads. Although Wertheim thinks the new carrier pro- the dry dock. One superlift at a time, the USS Ford will slowly
gram could have waited 10 years to get a better idea of the take on the aspect of a ship. When the carriers structure is
future needs of the ship, he notes that the construction is pro- complete from hull to island, the dry dock will be ooded
gressing well. So far, so good, he says. But on these huge with water from the James River. Tugs will tow the massive,
programs, its inevitable that they have hang-ups. When that empty vessel to another part of the shipyard for years of wir-
happens, you cant see it as a failure for the whole program. ing and systems integration, freeing up the dock for the con-
struction of the next Ford-class vessel. The process will con-
When the Ford is completed, it wont look much tinue until 2058 or until funding ends.
different from carriers built for the Cold War. However, Every day between now and then, at 12:30 pm, a shrill
there will be striking changes inside. The Ford is the rst to whistle at the shipyard will blow twice. Workers across New-
greatly reduce aircraft carriers reliance on steam. Nearly port Newssome wearing coveralls and hard hats, others in
everything done on the Nimitz classheating cabins, drying virtual-reality goggles and slacksknow it means their lunch
laundry, propelling the ship, making potable water, launch- break is over. They will head back to their respective corners
ing jetsis done with steam power generated by a nuclear of the shipyard and get back to work. FC
TRELLIS REHAB + FLAKY LATEX
+ RAINWATER HARVEST
Save money
with a tax credit
for a new roof.
Ju make sure
the shingle yle
qualies before
ring o that
r nail.
0-$/ )4 9/523%,&
Tax Credits
for the DIYer
THE GOV ER N M EN T J U ST
SWEETENED TH E D EA L F O R
HOMEOWNER S H O PIN G TO
CASH I N O N EF F IC IEN C Y -
BOOSTI NG U PGR A D ES.
HERES HOW TO SA V E.
BY ADAM HADHAZY
Fed up by her too-hot or too-cold tax season. A provision in Februarys credits are the primary reason I went
home in upate New York, Maggie American Recovery and Reinvest- ahead with the proje, Maurer says.
Maurer insulated her attic and ment Act of 2009 allows home- Tax credits reduce the total
replaced a creaky furnace this Febru- owners like Maurer to claim tax amount taxpayers owe the govern-
ary. Right away, her utility bill dropped credits for 30 percent of the materi- menttheyre more valuable than
by nearly a third. But Maurer is look- als cost, up to $1500, of energy- tax deduions, which only oset tax-
ing pa the monthly savings to the efficient upgrades like windows, able income. Small projects are
moment shell really rike it big: next doors, roofs and insulation. ese tax capped at $1500, but there is no cap
PHOTOGRAPH BY SCOT T JONES POPUL ARMECHANICS.COM | J U LY 2 0 0 9 89

P M D I Y H O M E ///
qMM!
TAX CREDITS
on big jobs such as geothermal heat

pumps, solar panels and wind syems.
Inallation cos for these uncapped
projes count toward the credit until
2016. e uncapped credits can wipe
out an entire tax burden, but Uncle
Sam wont cut a check for the excess. q
qq
For changes in ate and local tax cred- Upgrade and Save
its, homeowners can check the Data-
base of State Incentives for Renew-
ables & Eciency (dsireusa.org).
TAX CREDIT UP TO $1500 30 percent of cost through 2010
Contraors hope the credits will
spur homeowner investment. The
Window, >>> Mu have a U-faor and solar-heat-gain coecient (SHGC)
credits have denitely given us a little door of .30 or less, which is a more ringent requirement than
bump in geothermal projects, says replacement for some Energy Starcertied produs. (U-faor and
Troy Howard of Central Valley Mechan- SHGC express heat ow through an obje, hence its
insulating value.) See garagewownow.com for more
ical in Utah. Intere in solar and wind information on which garage doors qualify for credit.
has picked up.
For some homeowners who Roong >>> All Energy Star metal and asphalt roofs qualify. Download
replacement Find A Produ from Energy Stars Roof Produs page
already had energy-eciency projes for more information. Synthetic roofs are not covered.
in mind, the tax credits have helped
push them over the hump, says Inalling >>> Mu la ve years or have a two-year warranty. Insulated
Michael Rogers, senior vice president insulation siding and cladding dont count, and its not yet certain
whether vapor retarders do. Loose ll, batts and blankets,
of market development with Green- and rigid board all qualify. It remains unclear whether spray
Homes America, which upgraded Mau- foam and air sealing are covered, according to the EPA.
rers house. But its not like weve had
Heating and >>> Not all Energy Star produs will qualify for the tax credit.
people banging down our door because cooling syems See the Consortium for Energy Eciency produ direory
of the federal tax credits, Rogers adds. for qualied types of central a/c and air-source heat
Although the program oers a lot, pumps. Consult the Gas Appliance Manufauring
Association for natural-gas- and oil-using heating produs.
taking advantage of it can be tricky.
Check pelletheat.org for information on biomass oves.
For example, not all Energy Starcerti-
ed doors and windows qualify for the Water heater >>> Some Energy Starqualied gas orage and gas-
programs ri andards. Categories replacement condensing water heaters will not be eligible for the tax
credit. See Residential Water Heaters Key Produ
such as solar- and wind-power sys- Criteria under Energy Stars Produs tab.
tems did not initially li specic mod-
els of qualifying produs; manufaur-
ers of biomass stoves were still TAX CREDIT $1500 + 30 percent of cost and installation through 2016
waiting, as of April, for criteria to
determine which oves qualify. Other Geothermal >>> All Energy Star geothermal heat pumps, which use about
improvements, like energy-efficient heat pump 30 percent less energy than andard pumps, qualify.
garage-door openers or metering Solar water >>> All Energy Star solar water heaters qualify for the tax
devices to control power consump- heater credit, but its unclear whether using them for radiant oor
tion, are not included. heating is allowed. No dice for swimming pools or hot
tubsthe water mu be used in the dwelling.
I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y G A B R I E L S I LV E I R A
Homeowners could make a mis-

take planning multiple projesin the Solar/ >>> No federal reriions on qualifying produs available.
capped category, each homeowner photovoltaic Conta the Solar Energy Induries Association for further
panels information. (seia.org)
has only $1500 to claim for all work
combined. Improvements must be Small wind- >>> No federal reriions on qualifying produs available.
placed in service during the tax year. energy syems Conta the American Wind Energy Association for further
Homeowners should keep the Manu- information. (awea.org)
faurers Certication Statement say- General queions can be answered on Energy Stars Federal Tax Credits for Energy Eciency Web
ing the item qualies for the tax credit. page: energyar.gov/index.cfm?c=produs.pr_tax_credits.
at will make life easier during the
next DIY proje: ling tax returns. FC
How Your House Works
Down With Flooring

M O D E R N F L O O R I N G C O N TA I N S M O R E T H A N M E E T S T H E S H O E . H E R E S A
L O O K AT H O W S C I E N C E I S C H A N G I N G T H E W A Y W E W A L K T H E P L A N K S .
Hammering down a traditional hardwood oor feels a lot like bludgeon-

ing a jigsaw puzzle: Spread out the pieces, slip in the short planks and
agger the edges. Slide over the crescent-shaped nail gun, wedge one
planks tongue into the next ones groove, then bang! Whack the gun with
a rubber mallet to re o a nail, putting the next piece in its place.
But today homeowners rarely know the or-like brutality of the
ooring nailer. ey dont have tonew engineered oating syems snap
together tool-free, held down by a perfe t within the rooms walls. e
simpler inallation belies increased complexity in the materials beneath
the oors surface. Ecient new syems, such as vapor barriers to
reduce moiure inltration and plumbing for cozy radiant heating, inall
more easily under engineered planks. And, yet, despite the technical
advances, many homeowners ill prefer the durability and warmth of
woodnot to mention the thrill of inallation.

q
by HARRY SAWYERS photograph by SCOTT JONES
Traditional wood
e be value for
e Bones of a Floor
THE OBJECTIVES OF WOOD-FLOOR R&D HAVE
the money over
the long term:
-inch planks can
N E V E R W A V E R E D : S TA Y F L AT A N D D O N T S C R AT C H . be sanded and
ADVANCES IN FLOORING TECHNOLOGY HAVE renished half a
F I N A L LY L E V E L E D T H E F I E L D . H E R E S A L O O K AT dozen times,
P A S T A N D P R E S E N T. compared to three
or fewer for
engineered and
zero for laminate.
Moiure can
cause problems.
Laminate
A laminate boards
solid, high-density
FINISH berboard core
res beneath a
HARDWOOD WEAR LAYER skin printed with
woodgrain or
another pattern.
LAMINATE
Some laminates
S T U D I O C ATA S T R O P H I C F X ; I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y G A B R I E L S I LV E I R A ( F L O O R I N G I N S E T S ) ; P H O T O G R A P H S B Y J E F F W E S T B R O O K / S T U D I O D ( F L O O R I N G )
PRINTED GRAPHIC resi kitchen
ains and trac
HDF CORE PLYWOOD BODY better than
engineered and
wood oors. For
high durability,
look for an
abrasion class
15-POUND BUILDERS PAPER (AC) rating of 3.
Engineered
-INCH PLYWOOD (SUBFLOOR)
Built with a
q!qqq
plywood core and

a hardwood wear
2 x 10 or 2 x 12 JOIST layer, engineered
oors vary in
thickness from
38 to inch. Fatter
oors la
longepros can
remove a layer as
thin as a business
card when
EXCEPTIONAL FLOORING renishing, but the
Special circumances require adjuments below the nished ne engineered
oor. Heres how inallers handle unusual situations. oors have no
more than a 3- to
5-mm wear layer.
Sleeper Recyclyed Foil-Faced Subfloor Concrete Foam Look for a ve- to
Strips Rubber Mat Insulation Slab Padding
seven-ply body and
a long warranty.
Suboor
Jois, covered by
-inch plywood,
ideally run
perpendicular to
ooring. When
they are parallel,
Acoustic Wool Radiant Vapor pros double the
Insulation Tubing Barrier plywood and add
blocking every
24 inches.
SOUND PROOFING RADIANT HEAT CONCRETE
Mass-loaded vinyl barriers Pros mount radiant tubing Inalling nail-down ooring
were once the be way to below the suboor using on a slab requires sleeper
mue noise, but now builders heat-transfer plates or rips to give the nails
use recycled rubber mats to brackets, or simply by apling material to bite. Its labor-
reduce sound transmission it up from below. PEX tubing intensive, so oating oors
and resi impa. Wood is andard, but newer EPDM are more common than
ooring and canned xtures rubber hoses such as Onyxs hardwood. Nail-free oaters
overhead transmit noise are more conduive and wont damage the vapor
readily. A oating cork oor or durable. Engineered or barriers that defend again
carpet has a better chance of oating oors expand and below-grade moiure
achieving the sound of silence. contra less than solid wood. inltration.
I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y G O R D O N C H A P M A N
Floating Click-Together >> vs. << Nail-Down Tongue-and-Groove
Pros: No nail guns needed. Easy to inall on concrete Pros: Staggered plank lengths save inallation
slabs. Conceals slightly uneven suboors. Wont timepros lay out entire rooms by tting short
punure vapor barriers. Swells like cardboard pieces into small spaces, minimizing cuts. Planks
when wet, then reverts to original shape. So are available unnishedbe for ongoing
underfoot. Prenished and ready for useconve- conruion in a gut renovation, because the nish
nient when redoing a single room (but ongoing can be applied once the work is complete.
conruion can damage the new oors nish). Repeated renishing oers a longer life span.
Cons: Tricky to lay out. Uniform pieces dont make Cons: Moiure changes can cause permanent cupping.
random patterns. Inallation requires repeated Over concrete slabs, oors need a labor-intensive
cuts to t around a rooms perimeter. sleeper syem.
Douglas Fir
660

Floor EVEN IF YOU NEVER INSTALL A
Southern
Finishes NEW FLOOR, AT SOME POINT Yellow Pine
YOULL PROBABLY REFINISH AN 870
OLD ONE. HERES HOW TO KNOW
Janka
WHAT OOZE TO USE. Black Walnut Hardness
1010 Scale

So
Prenished Manufaurers add aluminum oxide Northern
Hardwood hardeners to polyurethane resins to Red Oak Teers t a
rengthen prenished ooring to levels 1290 eel ball into a
unattainable outside a faory. Available
vise and
in both engineered and solid yles. Not White Ash measure the
all are equal; warranty lengths truly 1320 pressure needed

ree quality. Be for DIY inallations. to sink half its
White Oak diameter into a
1360
Oil-Based Causes fumes, but its the ronge wooden plank.
Polyurethane nish pros can apply on-site. Glossy at number, in
Santos
coats make a hard shell but scratch more Mahogany psi, is where the
easily than matte nishes. Two layers of 2200 species falls on
high-gloss and a third of satin keep the
the Janka scale.
proteion but tone down the top layer. Brazilian Red oak, at
Cherry
2350 1290, is an
Water-Based Marketed as an alternative to noxious,
indury
Polyurethane volatile organic compounds, water-based
andard.
nishes have proven less durable than
their oil-based brethren. Some inallers Harder, dense
expe three to nine years from this exotics are
nish. (Oil-based nishes la six to 12.) coly to cut
and ship;
Tung Oil Tung oil does not form a lm over a soer woods
oors surface (lm-forming poly nishes show dings
seal wood shut). Applying oil to conceal if anyone
scratches is required maintenance, but omps around
regular touchups mean theres never a in ilettos.
need to sand and renish the whole oor. Hard
qMM!
by Roy Berendsohn
Harveing
Rainwater
Aer the water short-
Q ages we had last
summer, were wondering
about installing a rain barrel.
ey seem like a great idea,
but do they really pay?
A Using rain barrels is an old con-

cept that has come around
again, and with good reason. Water
that washes off your roof does noth-
ing but over-water lawn areas near the
downspouts, or burden a houses
foundation drain system. It also con-
tributes to runoff that carries pollut-
ants into waterways. Why not capture
it instead, and put it to work watering
vegetables or owers?
But does it pay? Yes, in terms of
environmental stewardship. No, on
purely economic grounds. Unless you
get a free or low-co recycled food
barrel and t it with inexpensive plumb-
ing parts, a pair of commercial rain
barrels, diverters and perhaps even a
pump will co $300 to $700, depend-
ing on the model you choose. ey will
return somewhere from $3 to about
$12 a year in water-co savings, or
maybe a few dollars in elericity sav-
ings if you pump water from a well.
ese produs make more sense
in terms of water conserva-
e simple water-harveing tion and reducing polluted
syem is no more than a
single barrel equipped with a runo. Say you have 1900
valve for a garden hose. square feet of roof surface,
not an unusual roof size.
That surface will shed somewhere
between 12,000 and 24,000 gallons
a year, depending on how much pre-
cipitation your area receives (a large
part of the continental U.S. receives
up to 40 inches of precipitation yearly;
arid regions may receive less than half
96 J U LY 2 0 0 9 | POPUL ARMECHANICS.COM PHOTOGRAPH BY DAN CHAVKIN

that). To put that in perspective, a Wyoming have regions that restrict barrel is full. Otherwise the water
typical 25-foot, round, aboveground the praice or require you to le a per- backs up the downspout to the gutter
swimming pool is lled to the rim of mit and prove that youre putting the and overows. Also, if the barrel is ele-
its 52-inch depth with about 15,000 captured water to benecial use. On vated to provide gravity ow, it mu
gallons. Not all of that water falls the other hand, some states and be securely faened so that it cannot
when you need it, but if a quarter of it municipalities encourage the praice tip over and hurt a child. The more
does, thats ill enough to satisfy a by subsidizing rain barrels or providing thought you give to the systems
large part of your irrigation needs. guidance through websites. design before you begin, the better it
Before inalling any syem, check For people who dont want to rig up will work.
with your local building department their own syem, new rain-harveing
about what is permitted where you products are attractive and well- Mouse House
live. Many ates have laws that gov- thought-out (for example, skars.com). Our 10-year-old brick ranch house
ern rainwater harvesting, even on a Its not the old, half-rotted eel barrel has mice. I found a gap under the
small-scale, individual level. Alaska, Ari- filled to overflowing and swarming fascia where they were coming in,
zona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Mon- with mosquito larvae. Any system and I sealed that. I also cut back tree
tana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and should divert the rainwater once the limbs that might have allowed them
to climb in. I want to nd and seal
other entries. Any suggeions?
Im no pe-control contraor, but Ive
seen mice squeeze through incredibly
small openings, and Ive seen their
droppings around a variety of impossi-
bly small entries: the perimeter gap
around dryer vents, the exterior vent
for central vacuum syems, the open-
qq!q ing between a garage door weather-
rip and the doorjamb, and through
Painters Knives foundation vents. One of the be ways
to check for mouse entry points is to
turn on all interior house lights at night,
including those in the attic and crawl-
space. Then, with all windows and
doors shut, walk the perimeter of the
house. Where light peeks out, mice
can sneak in.
Old-Trellis Rehab
CHISEL-EDGE FLEXIBLE PAINTERS DISPOSABLE We had a ne old trellis on the side of
PUTTY KNIFE 4-INCH KNIFE TOOL KNIFE
our house that rotted apart, caved in
q
and damaged the climbing rose on it.
Scraping loose Spreading drywall Cleaning excess Touching up
paint, lifting compound, paint off rollers, putty or drywall e eel nails driven into our houses
small pieces of patching cracks, scraping paint compound on brickwork were moly rued away
wallpaper, light scraping. and raking failed painted surfaces as well. Where do we art this
removing caulk out of siding without leaving
crumbling and trim or weeds scuff marks.
repair? Should we call a mason?
window putty, from sidewalk Fir, prune away any damage to the
decal removal. control joints. rose. When youre finished, there
shouldnt be any ragged stumps or
Tool has a thick Blade is A jack-of-all- Blade is made twied canes. Next, salvage what you
( 5/64-inch) 1/32 -inch-thick trades tool with a from flexible can of the old trellis, not for use, but to
high-carbon high-carbon steel. 5/64 -inch-thick poly styrene. help you design its replacement, which
steel blade with Better models are blade. Some Bending it after
an edge ground more abuse- models have a putty or filler has should be built out of cypress, cedar
to a chisel- tolerant; they are metal cap on the dried is often or pressure-treated lumber cut into
shaped bevel. constructed so end of the handle enough to crack slats on a table saw. Faen all parts,
that the blade for bumping in off and remove
using hot-dipped galvanized nails or
tang runs the loose drywall hardened goo,
length of nails. prolonging the ainless-eel nails and screws.
the handle. tools use. You mentioned that the original
hydetools.com nails driven into the mortar (or the
brick) had rued through. ats bad.
P M D I Y H O M E /// H O M E O W N E R S C L I N I C Q + A eliminated the need to pump sludge
qMM!
and scum from the tank. ere are ill
people who fervently believe in the
chicken hypothesis, swearing that
Get up on a ladder and inspe those mer the Nailin through the lattice. e they havent had to pump their tank in
spots. Rusting steel expands with head on the Nailin body holds the lat- years, if ever. Really, all that these
enough force to crack bricks and mor- tice rmly in place as the eel nail people are doing is contributing to
tar, and this will need to be repaired. expands the body, rmly wedging the groundwater pollution by sending
Unless the damage to the brick and lattice to the masonry. ere are dif- bacteria- laden filth out of an over-
mortar looks severe, you probably ferent types of this fas tener. Make burdened tank into the systems
wont need a mason. Pull out any sure to use the one with the mush- leaching eld (the buried pipes that
remaining ruy nail ubs. room head and a ainless-eel nail. receive the outow from the septic
Now the challenge is to attach the e carbon-eel nail version will ru. tank). Im thankful that intere in the
trellis so that corrosion wont damage technique seems to be dying o.
the wall. To faen the new trellis, use Septic Seminar So to answer your question, the
stainless-steel Tapcon masonry How oen do we need to pump our average syem should be inspeed
screws or Zamac Nailin fasteners, septic tank? Weve had advice that yearly and pumped every three to ve
also known informally as mortar ranges from one year to ve. years. But to get more specic, youll
plugs. e latter is a two-part faener Im ju glad you didnt ask me the need the advice of a septic tank pump-
consisting of a nail and a body of dead chicken queion. It goes like ing company (and mo are hone, in
Zamac alloya corrosion-resistant this: If I regularly toss a whole dead my experience). You can tell whether
metal formed from zinc, aluminum, chicken into my septic tank, will that any service provider is truworthy by
magnesium and copper. To inall this reduce or even eliminate the need subjecting his advice to common
fastener, use a hammer drill and a to pump the tank? We used to be sense. In this case, the specic pump-
masonry bit or the new Bosch multi- asked that queion quite frequently. ing interval would obviously depend
purpose bit, and bore through the lat- The thinking was that the bacterial on how big the tank is and how many
tice into the bricks or mortar behind aivity created by the chicken car- people live in the house. And while
it. You blow the hole clean, then ham- cass was so great that it reduced or youre searching, drop by the website
of the National Environmen-
tal Services Center, operated
by We Virginia University.
It has a wealth of informa-
tion on maintaining residen-
tial septic systems, dead
chickens excluded.
Icemaker Iced
I had to shut water o at
the kitchen sink for a
couple of days while I went
about some plumbing and
remodeling. Aer reor-
ing water, I nd that the
refrigerators icemaker
isnt working, but water is
getting through the
icemakers inlet valve.
I suspect that loosened
sediment from the plumb-
ing work has clogged the
icemaker, so I ran this idea
pa Chris Hall, a former
appliance technician and
now president of repairclinic
.com, an appliance parts
provider. He had an even
simpler diagnosis: My
guess is that the ll tube at
the top of the refrigerator is frozen contributor and elerician in Rockford, discharges into the attic, and the
solid, Hall says. aw the tube with Ill. Sometimes a light bulb fails in resulting humidity can be enough to
a hair dryer. supernova fashion, ashing a big arc, li paint in rooms below. If the bath-
Hall recommends that aer thaw- Lego says. I suspect that the fila- room is unvented, then the vapor pres-
ing the tube, check whether the ice- ments failure permits a boatload of sure can be great enough to li paint
makers water-inlet valve is uck open, current to ow through the arc plasma. o adjacent walls.
allowing a small drip to continually feed is surge of current exceeds the cir- If moiure vapor isnt the culprit,
the icemaker. If you find dripping, it cuit breakers rating, causing it to trip. scrape the aking paint o. en thor-
indicates that sediment may be pre- Its a plausible, physics-based theory. oughly wash the surface with a rong
venting the valve from closing, and this solution of TSP (trisodium phosphate)
could cause the problem. If so, replace Flaking Latex and hot water. Next, lightly sand the
the valve. It cant be repaired. We painted some rooms recently surface with a drywall sanding pole
with latex paint and are disappointed and a drywall sanding screen, or use a
Bulb Knocks Out Circuit to nd that some of the new paint hand-sanding block and 220-grit paper.
When a light bulb burned out in a is aking o the walls and ceiling. oroughly rinse the surface and wipe
bedroom ceiling xture it knocked Please help. it clean. To check your work, press your
out the circuit breaker that serves To bond properly, latex paint requires a palm again the surface. Prime the
that room. We changed the bulb and clean, slightly rough surface. Im willing aeed areas and repaint. FC
switched the circuit breaker back to bet that the problem areas are in
on, and everything seems ne. Its a the kitchen and bathroom, because
relatively new home. Should we call those walls oen have a lm of du, GOT A HOME-MAINTENANCE OR
REPAIR PROBLEM? Ask Roy about it.
an elerician? grease or mildew. Also, there could Send your questions to pmhomeclinic@
You probably dont have to call an elec- be a moiure source thats contribut- hearst.com or to Homeowners Clinic,
trician unless you see repeated circuit ing to the problem. Assuming that Popular Mechanics, 300 W. 57th St.,
breaker tripping. Having seen the there arent ains on a ceiling, which New York, NY 10019-5899. While we
cannot answer questions individually,
same thing happen, Ive wondered would indicate a leak through a roof or problems of general interest will be
why, so I checked with Bill Lego, a PM skylight, sometimes a bathroom fan discussed in the column.
HOOD LATCHES + ABS SCAN
TOOL + OIL LEAKS
S AT U R D AY M E C H A N I C
DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY /// q
Replacing Fan Motors

BRUSH -TY PE 1 2 -V O LT FA N M O TO R S L I VE I N A H OS T I L E E N VI RON M E N T.
W H EN TH EY FA IL , IT S U SU A L LY N OT A H U G E TAS K T O RE P L AC E T H E M . B Y M I K E A L L E N
qMM!
We picked up this
aermarket fan motor at an
auto-parts ore for $50.
Its hot. Really hot. A wave of A brief moment of warm air from
shimmering, sauna-hot air hits your those vents turns the sweat beading
face and takes your breath away as on your forehead into crunchy little
you open the door and settle into the salt tattoos. Within seconds, the air
car. Too bad there wasnt a tree any- begins to cool o, and so do you. Not
where near this eamy, black asphalt a moment too soon.
parking lot. Who would think a cars But before you clear the parking
interior could get this hot? spot, before the air inside the car even
You immediately thumb the a/c approaches acceptable tempera-
controls and wait patiently for relief. turestheres a funny smell. Its
PHOTOGRAPHS BY DENNIS KLEIMAN POPUL ARMECHANICS.COM | J U LY 2 0 0 9 101

P M D I Y A U T O /// B L O W E R M O T O R S Finding the Problem
qMM!
1 If both hot and
ground wires are
ill attached to
sweet and acrid. e smell builds for a the motors frame,
minute or two and then the fan slows back-probe the hot
and the cool breeze dwindles. eres wire to the motor
armature with the
a brief sizzle from under the dash, fol- key on and the fan-
lowed by an even more acrid smell. speed switch set
Whats going on? Paradise by the to high. You should
see full battery
dashboard vents is over. Your fan voltage.
motor has died.
2 Standing on your
head with your face
What Went Wrong? in the footwell isnt
Okay, not every fan motor dies in much fun, but youll
need to remove the
such a speacular blaze of glory. e motors attach-
lives of these devices are unpredi- ment hardware.
able. Sometimes the motors ju keep 1
3 We managed to
zipping along and lose steam sneak this dead
graduallyuntil they just dont turn motor out of the
plenum without
anymore. Or the fan may croak on the removing half the
spot without warning. ats usually dashboard. Unfor-
an indication of seized bearings. ese tunately, theyre
not all this easy.
motors generally dont use ball or nee- Some fan motors
dle bearings, they ju glide on a simple are removed from
bushing of oil-impregnated bronze. inside the engine
compartment,
Dirt and corrosion can create so much which, counter-
friction inside that theyll gradually intuitively, isnt
necessarily easier.
grind to a halt. So, our r ep is to
nd out what, exaly, went wrong.
Start by checking the fuse. e con- 2 3
dition of the fuse really wont tell you
what the problem isbut ay tuned.
If its blown, dont replace it now, the errant toe of a boot or a suicidal set to high. We replaced the resior
because theres a good chance the Barbie doll lurking on the oor. block before doing any further diagno-
new one may blow immediately too. Check the schematica few vehi- sis. ese resiors generate a lot of
Next ep? Find the fan underneath cles switch from the ground side of the heat, so theyre typically mounted
the dashboard and spin it manually. fan motor, not the high side. If so, there inside the plenum, right in the path of
is process might involve temporarily should be 12 volts to the motor full- airflow from the fan. Guess what?
removing a du if you have a cabin air time, regardless of the switch position, When the fan is compromised, the
lter. If the fan spins readily, the prob- and youll need to check voltage on the resior overheats. Consequently, its
lem is usually electrical. If it feels ground side. If you have no juice to the not uncommon to see fried resiors
icky, or has rough spots as you turn motor, its time to nd out why. accompanying fried blower motors.
it, ju go out and buy a new one right e resior is usually inexpensive ($10
now. Its done. Fusable Link to $15) and easy to swap out. If the fan
Fuse okay? Fan spins smoothly? Sometimes the problem is not the motor on my car was dead, Id proba-
Get out the meter, or at lea a te motor itself. Its the resior. A fan con- bly go ahead and change the resior
light. Its time to chase voltages. antly turning full-chat is noisy, and while I had my head under the dash.
unnecessary a lot of the time. So mo With the switch on a lower setting
Basics Fir fan blower switches use a voltage- and the motor disconneed, youll ill
Twi the ignition key to accessory dropping resistor assembly to slow see a full 12 volts of syem voltage at
(ACC) mode and turn the fan switch to down that motor to a quieter speed. even the lowe setting. e voltage
high. Back-probe the hot line into the When this resior dies, the fan will no wont drop down to a lower level until
fan, and you should see 12 volts in the longer work at certain speeds. The the fan motor arts to draw current.
syem. While youre poking around, resior was blown on our te car Our spent motor was completely
be sure both the hot and ground wires we knew that for certain because the open electrically, and wouldnt load
are ill attached. Its not impossible voltage was only meterable at the down the circuit at all, even aer we
for these wires to be knocked loose by motors hot terminal with the switch replaced the resior. If your motor has

4 e new motor
had to be snaked
up into place pa
some serious 6
roadblocks in the
footwell and under
4
the dash. Patience.
Be sure not to dam-
age the plaic fan.
Some replacement
motors dont come
with fansyoull
need to recycle
your old fan-blade
assembly.
5 Good luck getting a surprisingly small amount of money,

a wrench on all the
faeners without mo motors can be rebuilt. is proce-
adding an extra joint dure starts with disassembly and
in your wri.
inspeion of all the windings for inter-
6 Note this nal shorts, opens or shorts to ground. If
deceased fans the windings look or te bad, they can
shorted copper
windings, blackened be rewound with fresh, varnished cop-
insulation and per wire. e shop will also true up the
worn-out brushes
and commutator.
commutator on a lathe and undercut
R.I.P. A dedicated the copper contas. Following that, itll
motor shop could clean up and lube or replace the bush-
probably resuscitate
it if it were rare and ings, replace the brushes (which are
unobtainable. 5 usually a andard size) and button the
whole thing up. Not every motor is
rebuildable, but in desperate times Ive
bad bushings and still turns, albeit number printed on it. Go gure. If you pried open some crimped-shut motors
slowly, it probably draws enough have a very old or odd car, you may that werent designed to be repaired.
current to cook itself from the extra have less luck nding a source. A deal-
drag. This extra current, you would ership should be able to get anything A Breath of Fresh Air
think, would blow the fuse too. Unfor- for most late-model cars; expect to Okay, youve sourced a new, used
tunately, there is oen enough head- pay through the nose. If you have an or rebuilt fan motor. If its not a new
room in a fuses rating to let the motor older vehicle, you may need to look to one, Id recommend a te run on your
melt before the fuse pops, if it blows at the reoration market. My r source workbench before going through the
all. If your fan motor is killing fuses, is usually J.C. Whitney (jcwhitney.com), trouble of inalling it. You can either
uprating the fuse to a higher amperage or the back pages of Hemmings Motor run jumpers from the car battery or
is not, I repeat, not, an acceptable solu- News (hemmings.com). Last resort: just use a battery charger or other
tion. eres the chance of damaging junkyard parts. 12-volt source. Youll need 10 amps or
not only the motor and resior with If you mu use an older, boneyard so to run the motor at full speed. When
the excess current, but also the wiring fan, clean and lubricate the bearings. the jumpers make the conneion, the
in the harness and the blower-speed e bearing on the fan end of the arma- fan will spin merrily. And since every
switch itself. Youve been warned. ture is accessible: Spin the armature aion has an equal and opposite reac-
shaft and hose it down with brake tion, the motor housing will spin coun-
Parts Chasing cleaner. Follow up with oila few drops ter to the fans rotation. Dont let it
We ordered a replacement blower of LPS 3 (my personal favorite) or even spin right off the counter onto the
from a website, and of course the motor oil. e other end of the arma- oor. Dont ask me how I know this.
wrong part showed up. Big surprise, ture is usually inaccessible. You can try Inallation is the reverse of removal.
eh? So we ordered another one, from to disassemble the motor, but Ive used Reinall any cooling dus, and keep
a dierent vendor. Big surprise, Part II: this trick successfully: Drill a 116-inch the wiring harness away from the fan
It was the wrong motor, yet again. hole in the stamped-steel end cap. blades. If your old motor came with any
That precipitated a trip to the local Put grease on the drill bit to catch any sound insulation, replace that too.
auto-parts ore. And as weve come shavings. Inje a sparing amount of Dont use du tape to hold the insula-
to expe, the counterman was able to LPS 3 or oil into the hole. en clean tion back onthe extreme underdash
crack the code for our particular vehi- up the area with brake cleaner and seal temperatures will dry it out within
cle and come up with the right part the hole with silicone gasket sealer. months. If you mu, glue the insulation
overnight. Said part was inside an Cant nd even an old motor? Take the back with RTV (room-temperature-
identical box, with an identical part fried one to an eleric motor shop. For vulcanizing) silicone gasket sealer. FC

qMM!
Open-and-
Shut Case
I cant open my cars hood unless
by Mike Allen Q oneI pull on the release while some-
else ddles with the hood.
Its not only
embarrassing
nding strangers
to help me check
my oil ...
... but Im afraid

the cable will
eventually break.
How can
I x it?
Hood latches
typically die by
ages, as dirt and
ru clog the mecha-
nism. ey usually
A respond to cleaning
and lubrication.
My trick to opening a stuck hood? Pull the hydrocarbon cleaner from splash- Get Saturday Mechanic Jr. to work
on the hood-release handle with your ing back into your peepers (dont ask). the hood-release handle while you
right hand while standing outside the Keep a shop towel handy to catch the watch the latch from underhood. If it
open car door and slapping the hood, drips and overspray. When the drop- seems like its not moving the pawl in
hard, with an open-palmed left hand. lets begin to run clear, wait a few min- the latch far enough to completely dis-
Oh, yeah, it stings, but at least the utes for the cleaner to soak in, and do engage, adju the cable. Dont choke
hood pops open. it all again. Now is the time to check up on the cable so far that the latch
PHOTOGRAPH BY DENNIS KLEIMAN
Youre right; eventually, the cable that the mechanism isnt binding runs out of travel before the handle
will stretch or break, and youll just because its out of alignment. Were does. If you have your helper hold the
have to sell the car. Of course, I je. you in a fender-bender last spring? handle all the way open and clamp the
Aually, this is a common complaint, at accident could have misaligned cable down, youll be ne. If you make
and its almost always caused by a your hood. e latch assembly is prob- it too tight, youll break the cable (dont
dirty, under-lubricated or ruy hood- ably bolted to the radiator core sup- ask, Part II). Now, douse the latch
latch mechanism. Start by opening the port, and might even be adjustable. mechanism with some aerosol grease.
hoodsomehow. Now use an aerosol Dont, I repeat, do not, adju the latch Dont use silicone or penetrating oil,
can of carb cleaner to clean the mech- assembly unless you have good reason but motorcycle or bicycle chain lube is
anism. Wear eye proteion to keep to believe its been diurbed. ne. You should use a lubricant that
104 J U LY 2 0 0 9 | POPUL ARMECHANICS.COM I L LU S T R AT I O N S BY L E D P E N C I L S

leaves a lm of grease behind. If you
think you need to lubricate the handle
under the dash, use silicone spray to
q!qq
keep grease o both the carpet and
your hands. Dont use silicone under- ABS-Enabled Scan Tool
hood. Its ju too thin to ay put out
in the weather, and potentially could
contaminate the oxygen sensor.
Underhood Turbulence
My wife has a 1990 Lincoln Town
Car, which she loves. Recently weve
noticed an engine vibration you can
feel in the gas pedal. Yet it goes away
when were parked. Is this an engine
problem or a transmission problem?
Probably neither. If youre feeling the
shake through the accelerator pedal Scan tools have become
and not through the eering wheel or almo generic. Simple
the cars body, then Id hazard a guess code readers co around
$50, and more capable
that a motor mount is broken or loose. scan tools run $200 and
is will allow the engine to shi under up. Unfortunately, many of
acceleration. When the engines torque these devices wont
is ju right, the mount lis away from interface with the ABS
syems on mo cars.
the frame. Feather the throttle ju a Until now, youve had to
bit, and the engines weight holds the visit a dealer with the
mount down. But too much throttle appropriate faory ABS
scan tool for diagnosis
and the motor mount will top out, and or even to perform a
things are free to shake. e shaking is proper brake bleeding.
then transmitted to your right foot Enter the $460 Innova
3160, which is ABS-
through the accelerator cable. Time to capable on many 1996-to-
replace that broken mount. current domeic vehicles.
innova.com
Shiless
I have a tough transmission queion
for you. My 93 Muang GT some-
times wont go into gear. If Im sitting plate. When you ep on the clutch matter what I triedchoking,
at a trac light in neutral with the pedal, that rotating mass doesnt op no-throttle, quarter-throttle or
clutch pedal released, then push the spinning inantly. It takes a second or full-throttle. e battery had enough
clutch in to put it in gear, the shier three to slow down. e 1-2 dog ring juice to turn it over, but there was no
wont go into that gear (or any gear) in the transmission wont mesh with spark (sometimes ju a ppf, ppf,
until I wait to the count of three. At the r-gear engagement ring until ppf sound). A Kawasaki mechanic
that point, it will go in and out its nearly opped. e synchronizers told me another spark plug should
easilyuntil I let the clutch out with use friion to slow down (or speed up work. He said, If it gets ooded, that
the transmission in neutral again. e when downshiing) all the whirly bits will ruin the spark plug. It takes a new
clutch cable is adjued correly, and to allow gear changes. at resiance one to allow the engine to turn over.
I have no problems shiing once the you feel in the shier is the synchro- Ju cleaning the old spark plug wont
car is moving. I cant gure this one nizer matching speeds. When that do it. How can ooding an engine
out, and Im a professional mechanic synchro arts to wear out, youll get permanently ruin a spark plug?
(albeit for Benz, so we only see a crunching noise. When the choke is on, especially when
maybe a dozen manual trans cars in a Be praice is to always depress air temps are low, the fuel going into
career). Its really umped me and the clutch a few seconds before trying the cylinder tends to remain liquid
my co-workers; any ideas? to shi into r gear. is will let the rather than evaporating, wetting the
Sounds perfectly normal to me. parts slow down on their own. plugs insulator with fuel. Only fuel
Youve got a clutch disc, input sha thats evaporated and mixed with
and the front half of the transmission Dead Mule intake air will burn. Aer the engine
spinning along merrily at idle speed, I have a 2006 Kawasaki Mule 610. starts and warms up, the fuel gets
driven by the ywheel and pressure is winter it ju wouldnt artno atomized much more completelyno

P M D I Y A U T O /// C A R C L I N I C Q + A an inch to the ground elerode and
qMM!
lighting the charge that comes in on
the next intake stroke. Continued
cranking and partial combuion ju
problem. But until then, all that liquid including the plug, with a sloppy lm of makes it worse.
fuel just soaks everything. The little gasoline and carbon and moiure A fresh plug fixes that. As far as
combuion that aually happens is which is conduive enough to let the your mechanics assertion that the
incomplete and will plate the entire spark trickle down the side of the insu- plug will never work again, hes par-
inside of the combustion chamber, lator inead of jumping the 0.028 of tially right. e oxides and carbon cant
really be removed, unless
you use a spark plug clean-
ing tool. I have one. And Ive
have had it for 35 years. Its
just a small sandblaster
(although I fill mine with
glass beads) that scrubs
away all the goop. Problem
is, it also rounds off the
edges of the positive and
ground electrodes, and
those work be when the
edges are sharp, not round-
ed. The electrons in the
spark like to jump o pointy
things, not rounded ones.
When plugs had eel elec-
trodes, I used a le to dress
the electrodes and then
gapped them back to the
corre gap. Modern plugs
moly use precious-metal
elerodes that dont take
kindly to that. I havent
gapped a plug in a new car
for years.
Ive had engines in
motorcycles and cars and
power equipment that
would consistently take
two sets of plugs to get
started on cold days. Id
pop in a fresh set to light
the fires, warm up the
engine, and then put the
originals back for the re
of the day. Of course, I had
less money and more time
back then. Ignition syems
are a lot better than they
used to be, but sometimes
not good enough.
Synthetic
Leakage?
I heard from several not
too reliable sources that
once you use synthetic oil
in your crankcase, you
should never change back
to regular motor oil. I have
diculty believing that,
but would appreciate your
response.
A generation ago, when
synthetics r hit the mar-
ket, there were a lot of com-
plaints about leaky engines.
In spite of claims to the
contrary by the purveyors
of these new, premium oils,
they didnt have the same
seal-swell charaeriics as
mineral oils. Mineral oils
generally have an additive
package that makes rubber
and cork seals swell up
slightly, promoting a tight,
oil-free engine. When you
switched to synthetics, the
seals would shrink, ever so
slightly, and oil would weep.
Exacerbating this condition,
the synthetics were gener-
ally much thinner in viscos-
ity, and would nd smaller
gaps to percolate through.
e result? Speckles on the
driveway. Other brands of
mineral oil had less seal-
swell. ese engines didnt
leak when filled with syn-
theticbut the seals and
gaskets compressed and
wore out in their swollen
ate. Change back to low-
swell oil; the seal contras
to its former, less turgid
ate, and out it gushes.
Fortunately, the petro-
leum industry seems to
have a better handle on
that today. Dont worry.
Change back and forth as
you deem necessary. FC
GOT A CAR PROBLEM?

Ask Mike about it.
Send your questions to
pmautoclinic@hearst.com
or to Car Clinic, Popular
Mechanics, 300 W. 57th
St., New York, NY 10019-
5899. While we cannot
answer questions
individually, problems of
general interest will be
discussed in the column.
Backyard
Digital
3D HOME THEATER + READING
.DOCX FILES + iMAC MONITORS Playground
FROM FL OAT I N G M P 3S T O
L I FE - S I Z E W ii, B RI N G I N G
YOU R E L E C T RON I C S OU T D OORS
OP E N S U P A W ORL D OF N E W
P OS S I B I L I T I E S .
BY GLENN DERENE
Ah, summertime. The weather is

warm, the grass green. Its time to turn
o the surround sound, put down the
video-game controller and head out-
side, right? Well, lets hold on ju a
second. Im a big fan of fresh air, but
mu we leave all our music, movies
and video games inside? I say, abso-
lutely not! e back lawn is as condu-
cive to high-tech fun as the living room.
PATIO DJ
SoundCa
Transmitter Jukebox: Songs play
from an indoor PC, hooked
to SoundCas Universal
AudioCa Transmitter.
Computer Sound Syem: e music is
wirelessly reamed to an Out-
Ca Jr. omnidireional speaker.
Wi-Fi Router Remote Control: Apples Remote
iPhone app browses and plays
music on any computer in
the house using a
Wi-Fi link.
Sound is wirelessly
transmitted up to 350 feet
Links iPod to up to
10 oating speakers
iPhone OutCa Jr. Aqua Sounders Uniden WXI2077

Speaker iPod Dock Waterproof Phone
I L LU S T R AT I O N BY J ACO P O R OS AT I
Patio DJ seems like a complex and probably them show up in iTunes. e AirPort
Consider that quintessential warm- unnecessary exercise. As it turns out, Expresss audio output is unpowered,
weather hearth, the barbecue. What there are several ways to bypass the AV however, so the speakers you hook up
better way to complement the sounds receiver and throw music direly from should have internal ampliers. (Mo
of chatting friends and sizzling burgers PC to patio, and theres one simple way computer speakers qualify.)
than with a playli of hot tunes? to control it all. Any AirPort Express setup will need
Traditionally, outdoor sound sys- An easy, and relatively cheap, way to be temporary, however, since the
tems have fallen into two categories: to stream music outside is to use device is by no means weatherproof.
Fir is the boombox. Nowadays, many Apples AirPort Express. This small, (For that matter, neither are mo com-
of these portable ereos have inte- $100 device plugs into any wall socket, puter speakers.) Some wireless
grated iPod docks, making them easy taps into a Wi-Fi network and has a speakers, however, are specifically
to use, but none could qualify as a seri- 3.5-mm audio minijack that can output designed to withand the elements.
ous sound system. A second, more either an analog or digital optical sig- Acoustic Research has a variety of
labor-intensive path is to permanently nal. When you use Apples AirPort Util- speakers that can run on a handful
wire weatherproof speakers (see All- ity soware, your computer sets up of AA batteries and link via radio fre-
Weather Wiring, next page). AirPort Express units on your network, quency to an analog input up to 150
But in the age of wireless network- and then any speakers attached to to 200 feet away, depending on the
ing and PC-based music files, wiring model. But by far the mo impressive
outdoor speakers to a receiver that isnt outdoor sound syem Ive tried is the
necessarily anywhere near your PC OutCast omnidirectional wireless
speaker from SoundCa. e battery-
powered $700 OutCa has a built-in
LIFE-SIZE WII 100-watt amp and produces serious
Game syem: e
Nintendo Wiis jump-up-and-
down games are well-suited for
outdoor play. Projeor: An
all-in-one digital projeor, such as
the Epson MovieMate 55, will have
built-in speakers, making setup easier.
Screen: Any white tarp will do. To
make the aion life-size, pull your
projeor back 10 to 15 feet and 11 feet
oset it to get it out of the way.
Infrared bar: To avoid
tripping hazards, use a
wireless IR bar.
6 feet
10 to
15 feet
Grace Audio
Aqua Sounders
Floating Speaker
POOL TOOLS
Audio: Grace Audio
Aqua Sounders syem
wirelessly links an iPod to
up to 10 oating speakers.
Phone: Unidens WXI2077
cordless phone is designed
to withand a dunk under
Nintendo Epson MovieMate Wii IR Sensor Bar
3 feet of water for up
Wii Projeor
to 30 minutes.

P M D I Y T E C H ///
qMM!
BACKYARD GADGETS
q!q conduit, then joining

bass with an 8-inch woofer (its smaller, wires with dire-burial
cheaper sibling, the $500 OutCa Jr., All-Weather Wiring wire conneors. (Wires
has a 60-watt amp). Inead of Wi-Fi, and accessories are
the OutCa uses a spread-sperum available through online
proprietary 2.4-GHz wireless connec- Despite all the retailers such as
tion to either a $100 iPod dock or a newfangled wireless outdoorspeakerdepot
speakers on the .com and ticcorp.com.)
$100 Universal AudioCa Transmitter,
market, the majority of Patio speakers are
which attaches to a computer by tap- outdoor speakers get more likely to be
ping into Windows or Mac OSs built- their signal and power conneed via exposed
in USB speaker interface. the old-fashioned terminals. To prevent
To control it all, try Apples free waythrough speaker a separate amplier water from getting into
Remote appa program so cool it wire. Weather- is needed. exposed speaker wire,
resiant patio and To get your audio it helps to dab a bit of
single-handedly juies the purchase
garden speakers are signal from the inside silicone around the
of the iPod Touch or iPhone that it runs available from many to the outside, you conneion to seal it.
on. Remote uses the Wi-Fi antenna in major manufaurers, either need to tuck Remember to
either device to tap into the iTunes including Bose (the your wires under a position the speakers in
libraries on any computer hooked up to Free Space 51 is closed window or drill a your yard with the
your network. Used with a wireless piured above), Polk hole in your house. If same care you would
speaker setup, Remote allows you to Audio and JBL. If you you do the latter, make take when positioning
are powering only two sure you seal it them in your living
browse all the music on your computer outdoor speakers and appropriately with room. Leave enough
and DJ your tunes from your handheld have available speaker silicone on the outside. in-between space for
device without ever going inside. outputs, you can hook Use outdoor-rated proper ereo
them up direly to speaker wire for all separation, and face
Pool Tools your home theater exterior speaker wiring. speakers inwards
Okay, weatherproof speakers will with- receiver. Otherwise, For garden speakers toward your desired
with long cable runs, sweet spot. G.D.
and rain, but what about a dunk in
consider burying PVC
the pool? Call them novelties if you like,
but there are wireless speakers
designed to oat on the surface of the
water. The Aqua Sounders system, Life-Size Wii to trees or use spring clamps to attach
from Grace Audio, will transmit audio e same home theater projeor that your tarp to a fence. Keep in mind that
from a base ation to up to 10 battery- can turn a living room into an at-home the Wii needs an infrared-light-sensor
powered speakers. e sound quality cineplex can also turn your backyard bar placed at the bottom or top of the
from these audio balls is barely accept- into a drive-in. And bringing movie time screen to work properly, and the wire
able (underwater, you can hardly hear outdoors is made simple with all-in-one for the Wiis IR bar is 11 feet long,
them), plus they are conspicuously projeors such as the Epson Movie- which can reri the placement of the
solid enough to provide a conk on the Mate series and the Optoma DV11. Wii and, consequently, the projeor. In
noggin to anyone unwise enough to ese projeors have built-in DVD play- my experience, you want to get your
cannonball into them. Nevertheless, ers and speakers, so the only connec- projeor back a good 10 to 15 feet to
there is something uniquely appealing tion needed to set up an inant lawn ensure a large enough image. ats
about the pool-party atmosphere these theater is an elerical extension cord. doable with the exiing wire, but you
things inantly create. If you like your outdoor video enter- can avoid a lot of potential trips and
Far more functional is Unidens tainment a bit more aive, any projec- tangles with a wireless IR bar acces-
totally waterproof WXI2077 Series tor with composite video and RCA sory from Nyko ($20). Also, youll want
cordless phone. In the days of data- audio inputs can easily be hooked up to offset the projector to get it out
optimized cellular smartphones, ordi- to the Nintendo Wii gaming syem, of your way and avoid playing again
nary cordless handsets may seem throwing human-size characters on your shadow. Most projectors have
pass, but ju try doing laps with a any available projection surface. For dials that allow you to corre the key-
BlackBerry clipped to your swimsuit. the andard-def Wii, no fancy screens one ee you get when projeing
e WXI2077 oats, so you dont even are necessaryan ordinary white tarp from an angle. Once youre all set up,
have to get out of the pool to answer will do. To ensure a 6-foot-tall image, you and your friends can swing your
it, plus it uses the relatively uncon- youll want a tarp measuring at lea Wiimotes to your hearts content while
geed 1.9-GHz bandwidth, so it wont 11 x 6 feet (for a 16:9 aspe ratio) or racking up rikes in your virtual open-
interfere with Wi-Fi networks. 8 x 6 feet (for 4:3 aspe). Tie the ends air bowling alley. FC

qMM!
How It Works:
3D Shutter Glasses
A 3D-enabled TV
switches between
two dierent images
120 times per
second. To deliver the
by Seth Porges images to separate
eyes, the lenses black
out 60 times per
second at alternating
intervalsso fa,
yo dont notice.
you
3D, and a decent number

of plasmas can as well. If
youve purchased an
3D-Enabled HDTV in the past few
TV
years, theres a fair chance
it can play 3D. (Check the
back for an output labeled
3D Emitter 3D sync.)
If your TV is 3D-ready,
youll also need a PC and
the Samsung SSG1000
3D conversion kit, which
retails for $130. The kit
comes with all the neces-
3D Shutter
sary hardware for the con-
Glasses version, including a pair of
3D glasses, as well as a
Personal computer program called
Computer
TriDef Media Player that
can transform your video
les and DVDs into 3D as
they play. Since the mov-
Bringing 3D Home ies will be playing from
your computer, youll need
I love the new digital 3D movies that are coming
Q to theaters. Is there any way I can watch my old
two-dimensional DVDs in 3D?
to output your PCs video
to your TV using an HDMI
cord. If your PC doesnt
A
Yes, you can. In fact, its surpris-
ingly easy to play any old 2D DVD
in 3D on your home TV. And while it
have an HDMI output, you can use its
DVI jack and a DVI-to-HDMI adapter.
The 3D effect works by showing
wont be a Monsters vs. Alienslevel your eyes the same image from
experience, its a good-enough holdover slightly dierent angles, creating the
until the studios get around to releas- illusion of depth perception. In thea-
ing home-3D versions of their growing ters, this is done with plaic polarized
catalogue of digital 3D movies. glasses that, when paired with 3D pro-
First step: Find out if your TV is jectors and specially filtered movie
3D-capable. Now, before you tune screens, cause a dierent piure to
outOh great, I have to buy an expen- pass into each eye. Since your home
sive new TVa surprising number of TV doesnt have these special lenses
sets have this feature, though manu- and lters, the home 3D kit requires a
faurers rarely market it. In fa, every bit more technical trickery to pull o
new DLP rear-projeion TV can play the illusion. It uses what are called
112 J U LY 2 0 0 9 | POPUL ARMECHANICS.COM I L LU S T R AT I O N BY G A B RI E L S I LV E I R A

shutter glasses. A 3D-enabled TV PC program is able to replicate on the Microso Oce Compatibility Pack.
refreshes its image 120 times per sec- y. At lea not yet. For Mac users, theres a similar down-
ond, but these battery-powered glass- load called Open XML Converter.
es eeively split the image between Whats Up, .doc? Of course, many corporate IT
your eyes by blacking out each lens 60 I frequently get sent Microso Word departments limit employees ability
times per second. A 3D emitter (which les in the .docx format. But these to download and install new files
comes with the kit) tunes this icker- wont open in my older version of on their computers. If you have this
ing, ensuring that the lenses are open Microso Word. Is there any way of problemor if you ju want to open a
at alternating times so each eye opening them without buying a new le in a pinchhead to a Web-based
receives different images from the copy of Word? le conversion site. ese sites take
screen. And it happens so fa that Yes. But r, a little background on the uploaded .docx files and e-mail you
you cant tell its going on. problem. ose old .doc Word les that back a .doc version. My favorite is
As for the TriDef 3D conversion youre used to have been around for zamzar.com. Its quick and easy, and it
soware, I noticed that the program years, and are used by ju about every- allows you to switch among ju about
seems to produce much of its 3D body. Theres something wonderful every le format.
ee by pushing the bottom of the about this ubiquityif you send a
screen into the foreground and pro- .doc file to someone, you are pretty Screen Saving
gressively sloping the upper part of much guaranteed he will be able to My iMac has a built-in monitor. Is
the image into the background. e read it. But the format is also very old there a way of using this as a second
basic assumption is that whatever is its basic ruure has remained moly screen for another computer?
on the bottom of the screen is in unchanged for the pa two decades. When it comes to screen space, you
front, says Douglas Hunter, vice presi- Beginning with Oce 2007, Micro- can never go overboard. Large monitor
dent of licensing for Dynamic Digital soft unveiled a new and multiscreen set-
Depth, the company that makes the file format, called 7qs?4Ls?jU ups make it easy to
TriDef soware. But thats ju one of Open XML. This for- multitask, and have
about 15 dierent things the soware mat uses the .docx white space been shown by a
does in deciding the depth values for extension, and is the In the days of analog number of udies to
each obje. Its also looking at things default le format in TV, broadcaers were boo produivity. Its
given buers of extra
such as color, contra, motion and Office 2007. These bandwidth in between a shame, then, that
obje ruure. .docx files have sev- channels. But this extra Apple doesnt build
So whats the ina-3D experience eral advantages over space is unnecessary in video input jacks into
the digital age, so the
like? Its denitely more of a fun toy the old .doc les. ey its iMacsthese all-
FCC recently ruled that
than an enjoyable way to watch take up far less disc anybody can broadca in-one computers
movies. I demoed the program on space (Microsoft on this white space have a built-in moni-
about a dozen te subjes. For the claims the savings provided they prove it tor, and itd be nice to
wont interfere with
r few minutes, my subjes radiated range from 25 to 50 licensed broadcas.
be able to use it with
wonderlike they were watching a percent), offer more is could open up a other systems. This
moving piure or talkie for the r security against new era of open would be particularly
time. Freaks and Geeks in 3D! My DVD viruses, and are less wireless andards. useful for laptop users
of old Residents music videos in 3D! prone to being cor- looking for a way to
(Amazing! Wow! How the heck is rupted. (In .doc les, if expand screen space
this happening?) But the initial excite- an embedded image is corrupted, the when they arent on the road.
ment soon subsided, and my guinea whole le is usually ruined. Not so with But even without an input jack,
pigs inevitably asked me to turn the .docx les.) you can ill put an iMac to work as
3D o. (Can we ju watch the movie However, the .docx rollout was met an external monitor for another com-
normally now?) Fact is, the experi- by a backlash. The problem: Unless puter. Youll need a program called
ence is cool, and initially impressive, they are updated, older versions of ScreenRecycler, which employs what
but it ju isnt enjoyable for very long. Word are unable to read the new is called the VNC, or Virtual Network
The main problem: A lack of .docx les. In fa, ju about every- Computing, protocol. VNC is usually
subtlety. e be digital 3D movies body I know who uses Office 2007 used as a way to allow one computer
make deliberate use of the third chooses to save documents as .doc to remotely access and control
dimension, either by throwing u at les, despite the .docx formats tech- another, but ScreenRecycler uses it to
the audiences face or by immersing nological superiority. turn the second computer into an
the audience in the environment. e But there are ways around this adjun monitor. Note, though, that
inant 2D-to-3D soware doesnt do problem. If you have an older version while the second screen can come
that. It ju pops things into the fore- of Word, you can ill open .docx les from any type of computer (even a
ground. Producing decent 3D footage just go to Microsofts Web site and laptop), the computer youre working
is an art, and its not one that a simple download a free update called the on has to be a Mac. FC

For advertising rates call Angela Hronopoulos (212) 649-2930, fax: (646) 280-2930, or Tim Fountain (212) 649-2929, fax: (646) 280-2929.
Fabiano Farm
Bruce Gilden/Magnum
Do you see a BALLFIELD?

THEN YOU SEE THE POWER OF COMMUNITY COALITIONS.
They help community groups organize resources and
fight to keep kids away from drugs. Contact a community
coalition and find out what your group can do.
www.helpyourcommunity.org
or 1-877-KIDS-313
YOU GET MORE WHEN YOU GET TOGETHER
Office of National Drug Control Policy

THIS
IS
MY
JOB
WILDFIRE
PARAMEDIC
1 > MICHAEL KALE CASEY

> LOCATION: PUEBLO, COLO.
> AGE: 37
> YEARS ON JOB: 4
1. Helmet Casey wears

2
this heat-resiant thermo-
plaic helmet for impa and
penetration resiance.
He outts the helmet with
a headlamp, which has both
LED and halogen lights.
2. Chest Harness with

Radio and GPS Casey lives
in this harness, because it
3 holds his mo vital tool, the
radio. When a helicopter is
needed to evacuate a patient,
Casey radios GPS coordi-
nates of a landing zone to the
command center.
4 3. Pulaski Ax In order to
be an EMT-paramedic, Casey
mu also be trained to ght
res. He uses this ax to chop
and dig re lines in rocky,
brush-lled ground.
5 4. Fireproof Clothing Fire-
ghters routinely walk through
1-foot ames; abrasion-
resiant Nomex fabric, made
by DuPont, wont melt or sup-
port combuion in the air.
5. Sked is polyethylene

plaic rescue syem has a
lightweight backboard and
retcher, used for high-angle
rescues in the mountains. It
rolls into a tubular pack.
6 6. First-Aid Kit Caseys kit

holds an ambulance-worth of
gear, including a ethoscope,
rescue drugs, a 15-cubic-foot
oxygen tankand intuba-
tion equipment that hes
e 2008 wildre season was a busy time for EMT-paramedic never had to use. I hope
I never have a patient so
Michael Casey, who battled ames for weeks on end while caring badly injured that he needs an
for the wounded along the spine of Californias eep, rugged backcountry. Casey will work advanced airway, he says.
anywhere, but drought, dry fuel and rong winds make business especially brisk from the
ates northern Klamath Range to the southern Sierras. e reghters who helicopter
into big res suer dehydration, burns, breathing problems and occasionally massive
injuries when aming Douglas rs and other behemoths crash down. In a day you may
treat 20 folks or 200, he says. Youve got to love serving people. SARAH SHATZ
120 J U LY 2 0 0 9 | POPUL ARMECHANICS.COM P H O T O G R A P H B Y S A R A H S H AT Z

3500,%-%.44/
O U R FAVO R I T E T I P S
insidePegboard Fortied Lawns Invigorated

Sagging Shelves Straightened Studs Found
Paint Made Permanent
ip for
AUTO
tips
tip no.
q!q

In outdoor painting, 80 percent
of the work is preparation. Fir,
wash the surface to remove dirt
and kill mildew. Scrape loose
paint and feather-sand rough tips
edges. Finally, brush and rinse
away sanding du. Repair
damage. Now youre ready.

Begin with a coat of primer. Spot-prime bare patches,

but prime the entire surface if its weather-beaten or
needs a lot of scraping. Next, apply the topcoat to the
siding. Cut in along the trim using a trim brushswitch
to a roller for large, at areas. Apply two topcoats.
Finish the job with gloss or semigloss enamel applied
to the trim. Again, apply two coats.
P H O T O G R A P H B Y C H R I S E C K E R T / S T U D I O D ; I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y B R A D L E Y R . H U G H E S ; C O V E R P H O T O G R A P H B Y Z A C H D E S A R T
Build Right
to Make
It La
1 2 3 4
Use vertical-grain Shape wood so it Use corrosion- Pretreat wood to

boards (look for sheds moiure. resiant nails and increase moiure-
raight lines, On porch balus- screws such as hot- resiance.
not ovals, on trades, cut a peak dipped galvanized Apply a clear,
`
the wide face). into the baluers or ainless-eel. paint-compatible,

ese expand and bottom rail, Otherwise, ru will water-repellent
contra less than and notch each blier and break preservative
at-sawn wood. spindle to t it. through the paint. before priming.
q!q

tips
tip no.
qq
qq

3 WAYS
TO HOLD
No. 2 Pencil Carpenters Marking Knife SMALL PARTS
Marks ne lines Pencil Cuts a very ne
on sowood and Marks reasonably line into lumber 1. BRANDISH A
light-colored dry conruion for furniture TELESCOPING
hardwood for lumber. Its conruion. But: MAGNETIC WAND
building furniture, rugged. But: Even Since the line is TO RETRIEVE
cutting trim. But: when sharp, wont cut, it cant be PARTS AND
Tip breaks fre- mark ne lines for erasedthe SWEEP UP METAL
quently on rough, precise cuts. marks got to be SHAVINGS.
heavy-duty jobs. right the r 2. KEEP A
time. BUTTON MAGNET
IN YOUR POCKET
TO HOLD
SCREWS, NUTS
AND BOLTS
tip no. TOGETHER. (IT
WILL ALSO KEEP
THEM FROM
ROLLING AWAY IF
DROPPED.)
3. USE A MAGNET
DISH TO HOLD

HARDWARE,
ESPECIALLY ON
APPLIANCE JOBS.
IT CLINGS TO
HORIZONTAL OR
VERTICAL
SURFACES, AND
THE SMALL
Snapped-O CHARGE IT LENDS
`
Hacksaw Blade SCREWS WILL

Scores a ragged HELP THEM STICK
PHOTOGRAPHS BY J MUCKLE/STUDIO D
line into TO A SCREW-

concrete, DRIVER TIP.
asphalt, rued
metal. But: e Indelible Carbide-Tip Awl
junkyard dog of Sharpie Scriber Scribes so
marking tools, Marks any Makes a very ne metals (low-
its not particu- smooth, light- line on tile and carbon eel,
larly precise. colored material metal (aluminum, copper, brass,
(lumber, glass, copper, brass, aluminum). It can
PVC, vinyl, high-carbon eel, be sharpened.
aluminum, brass, ca iron). But: But: Cant readily
copper or eel). Tip cannot be scribe hard,
But: So tip is sharpened high-carbon eel
easily damaged. once dull. and tile.
tip no. q!q

tips
qq Remodeling e circular saw is the backbone

q q
will go more of every remodeling
modeling jjob. Heres a

smoothly if you shopping guide.
follow these 1. Saws come in le-blade
rules. versions (shown) and the more
1. Check to see typical right-blade versions. A leyy
if you need a gives you a better view of the cut
building permit line; the tradeo is that it usually
for subantial puts the weight of the motor on
jobs, you do. the scrap piece when youre
2. When sawing, cutting lumber.
planing or 2. Get several blades. A 40-tooth
sanding, keep blade is be for general use.
the mess outside, Also buy plywood-cutting blades
whenever and, if youre working with recycled
possible. lumber, blades rated for cutting
3. Identify the nails. Other specialized
location of pipes blades can wait.
and wires in walls
before you bang
open any holes.
`
PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS ECKERT/STUDIO D
tip no.
WHEN LATCHED INTERIOR DOORS RATTLE, ITS USUALLY

BECAUSE OF A POOR FIT BETWEEN THE LOCKSET, STRIKE PLATE
AND DOORSTOP MOLDING. SILENCE THE NOISE BY BENDING
qq OUT THE STRIKE PLATES TAB, WHICH RESTS AGAINST THE
LATCH WHEN ITS CLOSED. EITHER PRY OUT THE TAB IN THE
DOORJAMB USING A SCREWDRIVER, OR UNSCREW THE STRIKE
PLATE, BEND THE TAB WITH PLIERS AND REINSTALL THE PLATE.
q!q

tips
make
ke
e
your
own!
CORDLESS
DRILL
RECYCLED
tip no.
PLASTIC
JUG
q
1/4-INCH
STEEL ROD qq

P H O T O G R A P H S B Y J M U C K L E / S T U D I O D ( S A LT S P R E A D E R ) , G E T T Y I M A G E S ( T O I L E T )
NUT AND
WASHER
To ease de-icing chores, cut out the
side of an old jug to create a supersize
salt shaker. Make an impeller sha by
cutting ns into a plaic spray-paint-
SPRAY-
PAINT-
CAN CAP
can cap; bolt the impeller to a eel
sha; slip the sha through the bottle
neck and chuck it into the drill. Wear
eye proteion, pull the trigger and let
WASHER
AND NUT the salt y.
`
tip no.
A toilet with a weak ush is a nuisance and a
water waer. Fir, li the tank lid and check that
the water meets the tank ll line. Next, te-ush the
M xture. e handle, its chain and the apper should
q
be adjued so that one downward ip of the handle
lis the apper briskly. e apper should ay
suspended long enough for water to ll the bowl. If
not, adju the appers chain accordingly.
q!q
tip no.
Make the mo of pegboard.
1. When mounting it to drywall, use 1 x 2 ock or rips of 34-inch plywood.
e space behind the board will leave room to hang hooks and hardware.

q 2. Diribute the load. Heavier objes need more subantial hanging hardware.
tips Large hammers, pry bars, shovels and rakes are be mounted through the
pegboard to the wall framing or the wooden furring rips behind the board.
3. Attach magnetic bars to hold small tools and frequently used metal parts.
tip no.
In our humble opinion, pegboard
is the best thing to happen
to the American shop since
120-volt power. Okay, maybe
compressed air is better than
pegboard, but its a tough call.
Dont put up with loose hooks
and junky hangers. Make your
own hardware and fasten it with
hey sheet-metal screws.
q
q

`
PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS ECKERT/STUDIO D
Hammers Drivers Gripping and

Asymmetrical heads make Tools with a sha and a Cutting Tools
hammers, hatchets and pry handle, like screwdrivers Pliers and diagonal
bars hard to hang evenly. e and nut drivers, can hang cutters can raddle or slide
solution is to bend aluminum with the handle up or behind a mount shaped
at ock to make your own down. Make the hanging from small-diameter bar
hanging hardware. Attach the hardware from eel or ock. Bend the ends into
brackets with hexhead aluminum tubing, or hooks, then shape the
sheet-metal screws. L-shaped angle ock. body into a rack.
tip no.
q!q

q

q
tips
need Every bookcase has a shelf sagging beneath too many books. An overload looks
a bad and can lead to a literary avalanche. Support it with a vertical divider cut
li? from -inch plywood, tall enough to prop up the shelf to its original, level height.
Conceal the exposed plywood edge with veneer edge banding (or, if youre feeling
cray, a tailored book jacket). To support the upper shelves and prevent further
sagging, the lowe divider mu re on the bottom of the bookcase.
`
PHOTOGRAPH BY DAN SAELINGER

q!q

tip no.
tips

TO PAIR UP DATA CABLE AND ELECTRICAL LINE VOLTAGES, USE A BOX LIKE THE
ONE SHOWN HERE, WHICH IS UL-RATED FOR THIS SPECIFIC PURPOSE. THE BOX tip no.
MUST HAVE A DIVIDER TO SEPARATE THE LOW-VOLTAGE AND LINE-VOLTAGE SIDES.
COBBLE TOGETHER A STANDARD ELECTRICAL BOX AND OTHER EQUIPMENT AND
YOULL CREATE AN ELECTRICAL CODE VIOLATION.

Use the butt end

tip no. of a brick trowel
to gently bump a
brick into place.
Its not unusual to
place a brick in its
mortar bed and
ZWF
nd that you cant
q q
shove it com-

pletely into
PM advises reusing position, which
inner tubes from old should be about
116 to 18 inch set
tires as padding on
sawhorses to prevent back from the
`
damage to delicate masons line, and

woodwork. level across its
width and length.
UY:?jVq#VGR?7q If youre an
Today, those inner amateur
bricklayer, youll
PHOTOGRAPH BY YOKO INOUE
tubes arent quite

as ubiquitous. nd that brick
Instead, wrap trowels with a
sawbucks in bumper on the
carpet scraps or end of the handle
old cardboard to are particularly
protect workpieces useful. It may
from scratches. take a lot of
bumping to
nudge bricks into
position.
q!q

tips
Its a lawn, not a putting green.

To avoid cropping grass too short,
tip no.
ressing the plants unnecessarily,

set your mower to the highe or
second-highe setting.
Healthy soil, healthy grass.

Cool-weather grass is hardy u.
It grows well in soil with a pH
`
anywhere between 6 and 7. Aerate

q soil annually and avoid compaion

q by foot trac or machinery.
WANT A THICK, GREEN LAWN?
HERES THE RIGHT WAY TO GET IT.
A LAWN NEEDS ABOUT 1 INCH OF WATER A little dead grass is normal.
A WEEK. USE MORE ONLY IF THE But when that layer builds above a
PHOTOGRAPH BY LEVI BROWN
WEATHER IS VERY HOT OR WINDY. half-inch, its thatch. Remove it

IF THE LAWN GETS A LITTLE BROWN AND with a power rake.
BRITTLE IN THE SUMMER, RELAXITS
GONE DORMANT. IF ITS HEALTHY, ITLL Dark green is good.
BOUNCE BACK. It shows that the lawn is healthy,
SWEEP UP FERTILIZER THAT SPILLS ON watered and fertilized with
DRIVEWAYS AND WALKS TO KEEP IT adequate nitrogen and trace
FROM WASHING INTO WATERWAYS. amounts of iron.
q!q

tips

`
When we wrote about nding uds 50 years ago, we

called the process dowsingand it really was nearly as
hard as looking for underground water with a fork-shaped
ick. Whether you used magnets, drove nails above the
baseboard or simply tapped and liened, looking for
tip no. uds was a time-consuming job.
UY:?jVq#VGR?7 Stud nders today are a bit

more sophisticatedsome will even detect an
electrical line and determine whether its live.
ZWo But the methods PM published in 1960 still
qq workand you never need fresh batteries.
q
tip no. Paint parts
before q!q
assemblyless
work, smooth
coats.
!M

tips
DONT POINT
AND SHOOT
WHEN SPRAYING
PAINT.
SWEEP THE CAN
HORIZONTALLY
AND VERTICALLY
OVER THE
OBJECT.
POSITION
DIFFICULT-TO-
PAINT PARTS
ON A BLOCK;
SPRAY A COAT,
THEN TURN THE
BLOCK WITHOUT
TOUCHING
THE PART.
`
PHOTOGRAPH BY ANJA HITZENBERGER
Washer/Dryer
tip no.
q!q

Plywood
!
Faen a sheet of 34-inch plywood to the oor below your washer and dryer.
tips Modern washing machines spinning at high rpm can vibrate badly. e lumber
iens the oor, dampens vibrations and mues the machines noise.
You want to drill a 1-inch hole

through a piece of lumber,
and you dont want to blow
out the opposite side when
the spade bit comes through.
Clamp a piece of scrap
wood to the lumber so that
the bit will exit the scrap.
Bore as you normally would.
If the bit tears anything as it
exits, itll tear the scrap, not
the lumber, which will remain
priine. When you get a
tip no.
moment, le-sharpen the

cutting spurs and lip of dull
spade bits to reduce their
tendency to tear the rim of
the exit hole.
q
q

`
P H O T O G R A P H B Y F I L I P K W I AT K O W S K I
q!q

tip no.
tips

ZWoo
qq
!
To hang a light
piure without UY:?jVq#VGR?7q
damage to brick, Today, masonry
wedge a wood screws anchor in
block between brick. But a wedge is
bricks in the less obtrusive, and
mortar line. works if youre short
Drive a nail into a hammer drill.
the block, mount
the frame, and
keep a dear
friend close to
the hearth.
1 2 3
tip no.
`
1. Bag It. 2. Spin It. 3. Slide It.

Suspend a Areas under To camouage
I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y I C O N W E R K
drawring bag cabinet corners recyclable

from a coat hook are oen under- orage within
qq Dont let old to ore cans. used. Get a kitchen cabinets,
!
q magazines Inall hooks on corner recycling inall a wae
! pile up until a backboard or center, which and recycling
recycling day. mount them works like a container
Organize with to wall uds. carousel and pullout. Double
smart orage. Toss dirty bags sorts out items up the contain-
into the laundry. by type. ers for large-
volume orage.
3500,%-%.44/
O U R FAVO R I T E T I P S
inside Dashboard Lights Demystied Chattering Wipers Corrected

Gas-Saving Gadgets Debunked Rearview Mirrors Realigned
Hazy Headlamps Cleared
ip for
HOME
tips
q!q

tips
tip no.
!qq

TIRED OF REACHING FOR THE DOOR HANDLE

AND JUMPING LIKE YOUVE BEEN TASED, BRO?
A HEALTHY SPRAY OF FABRIC SOFTENER OR
A RUBDOWN WITH A DRYER SHEET WILL
KILL THE STATIC PRODUCED BY YOUR
CLOTHES RUBBING ACROSS THE CAR SEATS.
PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMES WESTMAN; COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY BRENT HUMPHREYS
`
tip no.
q!q

People oen dont adju their rearview mirrors correly. e interior
mirror should be set to see raight back along the road, as mo people
"
have them. But many drivers set the mirrors mounted on the doors to
duplicate this view. e proper use of these mirrors is to let you visualize
tips the blind spots anking your car, not to be able to see raight back.
HERES HOW TO PROPERLY ADJUST THE MIRRORS: Adju the drivers
seat to the corre position. Lean your head and torso over to the le until
your head contas the window glass. I know, that seems too far. But tru
me. Now, adju the le-side mirror outward until you can barely see your
own fender in it. Next, lean over to the right a similar diance, and adju
the right-side mirror so you can, again, ju see your own rear fender. Sit up
raight. Your mirrors are now set to allow you to see cars in your blind spot.
You wont need to swivel your neck around to be aware of other vehicles
hiding while they drive 60 mph right beside you. e interior mirror will ill
let you see the trac direly behind.
WRONG RIGHT
I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y G O L D E N S E C T I O N G R A P H I C S
`
tip no.
Interior dashboard lights are necessary to let you see the speedometer and
other inruments. But dont leave the brightness of the panel lights up so
high that it aes your ability to see outside the car. It isnt so critical in
town, but out in the boondocks, its dark outside, baby. Try this: While

q driving along a really dark retch of road, turn the panel lights completely
o for a couple of miles, to allow your eyes to adju. Slowly inch them
back up until you can read the speedo. at will be the perfe level. And
make sure your nav syem is on the nighttime setting, while youre at it.
q!q

tips
tip no.
!Mq

A lot of mission-critical automotive faeners use cotter pins to

prevent inadvertent, spontaneous disassembly, which can be
inconvenient, if not outright dangerous. ose cheapo cotter pins are
supposed to be replaced every time theyre used. Sure. But
sometimes, you ju have to get home from an o-roading excursion,
or maybe the hardware ore is closed by the time you get to nal
assembly at 3 am before the big race. A safety pin will serve
temporarily. And it will look so dorky youll be shamed into replacing
it with the proper cotter pin as soon as you can.
tip no.

Avoid common errors when changing

brake and taillight bulbs. One
frequent miake is to replace an 1157
bulb (two laments) with a similar
single-lament 1156. Note that the
retaining pins are located in dierent
parts of the bulb. Dont try to force the
wrong bulb into place.
`
PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHAD HUNT
C H E C K P I N PLA C EME N T
tip no.
q!q

tips
ZWF

q

e more things change, the more they ay

the same. If you drive a dually pickup or a box van
with dual rear wheels, eventually youll wedge an
egg-size rock between the sidewalls. Talk about
an out-of-balance shimmy when you hit the
freeway! Lasso that one with a piece of rope
wrapped around the spring perch or bumper.
Once you wrap up the rock, idle slowly along for a
few feet until its dragged out. And dont and in
the line of re in case it slingshots. It helps to let
some air out of the tires while trying this.
BEFORE
AFTER
`
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAMES WESTMAN
tip no.
Polycarbonate headlamp lenses are prone to hazing up, and the discoloration
and milkiness can cause a huge reduion in nighttime visibility. Head down
to the auto-parts ore or auto department at your local mass merchandiser

q and pick up a headlight-polishing kit. Weve tried some from Turtle Wax,
Loite and others; it only takes a half-hour or so to use one. Mask o the lens
with tape to prote the paint and trim. en use the sandpaper in the kit, in
successively ner grades, to sand o the damaged layer of plaic. Follow up
with polishing compound on a rag, and the lens will look like new. Be sure to
coat the fresh surface with wax to prote it from the elements.
q!q

tips
Liing cars
doesnt have to
tip no. be dangerous.
`
Fir, block the

wheels. e
q preferred place to li is from the
jack points shown in the owners
manual. If you need to li from
somewhere else, use a suspension
PHOTOGRAPH BY CHAD HUNT
pickup point, the bottom of a ball

joint, a transmission or dierential
case or a crossmember. Bad places
to li from: radiators, oil pans,
sheet-metal oors and spare-tire
wells. Be sure the jacks wheels can
roll easily as you li or the car will
slide o the jack pad as it arcs up.
q!q

tips
tip no.
q

We always advocate using a socket or are-nut wrench on brake ttings.

But sometimes you nd one moleed by someone who doesnt read PM.
Its already round, so who cares if you use Vise-Grips? To keep from
crushing the bleeder or tting, insert a drill bit exaly the size of the hole
into the center. Itll shore up the thin metal and let you use plenty of torque.
tip no.

DONT GUESS
WHY YOUR
CHECK ENGINE
LIGHT IS ON. YOU
CAN PICK UP A
SIMPLE CODE
READER FOR
AROUND $50.
CHEAPER YET,
MOST MASS-
PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHAD HUNT (TOP), JAMES WESTMAN (BOTTOM)

MARKET AUTO-
PARTS STORES
HAVE A GENUINE
SCAN TOOL YOU
CAN BORROW
FOR AN HOUR OR
TWO FOR FREE.
`
AND YOULL
ALREADY BE AT
THE PARTS
STORE WHEN
YOU FIGURE OUT
WHATS WRONG!
q!q

tips
tip no.

ZWtE

q


`
eres one born every minute. You can, however, buy

Even back when gasoline was inruments that will help you
10 cents a gallon, motoris hone your driving skills for
were ready to spend money to better economy. ere are
reduce their fuel bills. In low-rolling-resiance tires
decades of teing, weve never coming on the market that
found a gasoline-saving device deliver better mileage without
that magically improved a cars reducing grip. Fuel-injeion-
ability to squeeze more miles cleaner additives can some-
out of a gallon of petroleum. times reore the original
Any that claims to improve the mileage and power to an
combuion inside your engine engine whose performance
and make dramatically large has dropped o. But anything
reduions in your fuel con- that sounds too good to be
sumption probably cant. true probably is.
tip no.
q!q Everybody knows how to jumpart a car, right?
Doing it wrong can potentially fry sensitive eleron-
ics. Shut o the donor car, hook em upmake the
la conneion to the dead cars engine block, not the
qq battery poand let the two batteries commune for
q q a minute. Start the donor car engine and let it idle
tips q for 5 minutes. en art the dead car.

A better way is to use a battery charger to
recharge the dead battery at a normal rate.
`
tip no.
A TRULY DEAD BATTERY WILL HAVE A VERY HIGH INTERNAL RESISTANCE. IF YOU
JUMPSTART THE CAR, IT SHOULD RUNBUT THE BATTERY WONT TAKE MUCH
CHARGE, LEAVING YOU STRANDED WHEN YOU TRY TO START THE CAR AGAIN.
IT MAY TAKE AS LONG AS 24 HOURS WITH A BATTERY CHARGER TO PUT ENOUGH
hq CHARGE INTO A DEAD BATTERY TO LOWER THE INTERNAL RESISTANCE ADEQUATELY
C TO ACCEPT ANY CHARGING CURRENT. SO PATIENCE IS IN ORDER. ON THE OTHER
HAND, A BATTERY THATS BEEN SO PROFOUNDLY DRAINED IS DAMAGED AND WILL
NEVER HAVE THE SAME STORAGE ABILITY IT ONCE DID.
q!q

tip no.
tips

qq Adding an auxiliary circuit to new cars is tougher these days,
q C because fuse boxes oen dont have any extra positions for
new wires. And splicing is so ... not cool. Its also unreliable if
not done properly. is fuse adapter (jcwhitney.com) lets
you add a fused circuit without overloading anything. Ju
pull a fuse out and put it into the bottom fuse holder on the
adapter. e top fuse controls your new circuit.
`
PHOTOGRAPH BY CHAD HUNT
You can add a

circuit thats hot
full-time or one
that is switched
on and o
with a key.
q!q

M

tips
Chattering wipers
can make you
dread rainy days.
Check the wiper
blade to make
sure its
perpendicular to
tip no.
the window glass
at the center of
its arc. Use a pair
of wrenches to
carefully twi the
arm so the blade
has the same
angle to the glass
as it sweeps in
either direion.
Ju dont scratch
the glass!
WRONG
RIGHT
`
PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHAD HUNT

Popular Mechanics 2009-07

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