24 March 2019 _ PopularMechanics.com
We gave it then, and we’d still follow it now. Some of our all-time best tips.
April 2016
April is a prime
mower-shopping
month, thanks to
discounts and deals
offered by retailers.January 1955
Clamping a difficult
shape, like loose
chair legs, is easier
using a twisted cord.
Poke a scrap block
through the cord
and twist to apply
pressure. Also called
a Spanish windlass
or a cord clamp.September 2000
The sound of your
toilet flushing itself is
caused by a deterio-
rated flapper valve
that allows water
to escape from the
toilet tank. Once
enough water drains,
the fixture’s fill
mechanism opens
and admits water,
sounding like it’s been
flushed. The fix is to
replace the flapper.May 1979 When a washing machine agitator begins to turn slowly,
the culprit may be hardened mineral buildup and detergent
residue. Free up the stuck agitator with a couple of taps from a
hammer, remove it, then scrub clean the agitator drive block.
April 1923
Use the tip of pliers to ream the
rough end of a pipe or a tube. Insert
a screwdriver through the pliers
handle for increased torque.June 2002
Frame the roof trusses for a shed after the floor
is framed and sheathed but before putting up the
walls. The flat surface provides a flat work area
that speeds accurate layout and construction of
the trusses.
October 1967
A framing square clamped to a sheet of plywood
makes an excellent small drafting table. Slide plastic
drafting triangles along the square’s two edges to
make neat, perpendicular lines.September 1944
To keep chicks in
his brooder-house
from being injured
under the edge of
the door when it was
opened, one poultry-
man tacked a folded
piece of burlap to
the bottom edge of
the door and filled it
with straw to provide
a cushion. When the
door is opened, the
cushion brushes the
chicks harmlessly out
of the way.November 1935
Improvise a thumb-
screw by soldering
(brazing or welding)
a washer into the
screw’s slot.April 1976
If you lean too hard
on a push broom and
break the handle,
don’t panic. Coat
the broken ends
with glue, insert in
a ¾-inch conduit
coupling, and tighten
the screws. It’ll be as
good as new.
December 2003
To avoid getting a
router bit stuck in
a router, don’t over-
tighten the collet nut
and keep a small air
space between the end
of the router bit and
the motor spindle.August 2012
Camaro and Mustang
aftermarket parts
are so plentiful, you
can almost build the
car from scratch.