Indispensable Around the Homestead

Shassik mini-tractor: Sverbl DIY build

We continue the story of the machines and mechanisms built by V. A. SVERBL — an amateur designer from the village of Zelenchukskaya in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic. In the publications “Walk-behind tractor — nothing superfluous”, “A reliable helper for the walk-behind tractor” and “A compact car with the character of an all-terrain vehicle” (“Modelist-Konstruktor” Nos. Read more…

Snowped — A Wintertime Fun Ride

DIY snowped: design, skis and riding tips

In clouds of snow dust, unusual machines rush down from a high mountain — they look like bicycles, only with skis instead of wheels. On the riders’ feet are slalom boots and skis as well — short ones, with rigid bindings. The outfit is a dense leather jacket, stretch pants, a hard protective helmet, thick Read more…

Seated Pull-Up Bar

Universal home exercise bar instead of a gym

Two or three intense strength exercises can be more effective than prolonged unloaded gymnastics. A horizontal bar or parallel bars are good for this — equipment clearly not intended for an apartment. However, they can be successfully replaced by a simple device proposed by the Hungarian magazine “Ezermester”. It takes up little space, is versatile, Read more…

Bearings for a Bicycle Generator

Bicycle dynamo upgrade: ball bearings instead of bushings

Some models of the bicycle electric generator, better known as a “dynamo,” have serious design flaws. For example, the plain bearings in which the rotor shaft rotates need periodic lubrication. And their design is inconvenient to disassemble. Once the lubricant is depleted, increased friction appears, along with wear of the bearing bushings and of the Read more…

KRAB: A Demountable Yacht

Crab foldable boat: DIY build and assembly

The proposed design is a five-section three-seat boat with a carrying capacity of 320 kg. On tourist trips, once hauled ashore, it turns into a fairly spacious “tent,” especially if a piece of polyethylene film is thrown over the top. The boat is so simple that even a person unfamiliar with boatbuilding and having only Read more…

All-Season 4×4 All-Terrain Vehicle

Antokhov ATV on ultra-low-pressure tires 4x4

When designing this all-terrain vehicle, amateur designer L. Antokhov from the town of Kirishi in the Ryazan Region aimed to create an all-season, reliable and highly traversable machine with small dimensions and mass, fitted with a closed cabin for three people — a driver and two passengers. The result of the work was an ATV Read more…

Water and a Pump in Bitterly Cold Weather

Automatic drain valve for Malysh pump in winter

Submersible vibration electric pumps “Malysh” and “Rucheek” are a common choice for autonomous water-supply systems of small households, including farms. They are compact, convenient to operate, and reasonably priced. But there is a problem: such pumps cannot cope with subzero temperatures. When the pump is switched off in winter, water is trapped in the supply Read more…

Monoski Sled

DIY single-runner sleds: drawings and assembly

that we invite you to build are quite safe and stable, despite having a single runner. The basis of the design is a spruce or pine board measuring 40X300X650 mm. It is even better to take several boards 30—35 mm thick, joint them to each other and glue them together, applying plywood cheeks (4—6 mm Read more…

Pickles Get ‘Eternal’ Lids

Eternal lids: machines and key for home canning

Thrifty householders have always had a tradition of putting up various pickles and jams for the winter, and today it is especially relevant: food prices rise, while purchasing power lags behind. At the same time the country is experiencing a dacha boom, and plots are filled with plantings, greenhouses, fruit trees, and berry bushes. The Read more…