Car lift in the garage

DIY ceiling garage hoist crane: boom, winch, trolley

When I bought a used passenger car and started repairing it, my first helper in the garage became… a hoist I built under the ceiling. Without it I would hardly have managed, for example, such a difficult operation to do alone as replacing the engine. Figure 1 shows the hoist placement in the garage — Read more…

We reinvented the bicycle!

Velokult-2025: custom bikes, e-mopeds, wooden racer builds

In April, the individual transport exhibition “Velokult-2025” took place. The most exotic exhibits greeted visitors on the open area at the pavilion entrance. They were demonstrated by enthusiasts from the “Velotsirk” group. Dozens of specimens—and not a single one like another! Moreover, anyone could take a ride on each of them, which delighted visitors. Some Read more…

Gym in your bedroom

Sports wall-bed: compact home gym that saves space

“Hypodynamia, old age, and shortness of breath…” — so goes a well-known song. Indeed, in our age of widespread mechanization and computerization, the question of maintaining an active lifestyle is very acute. The way out is physical culture and sports. That is why mini sports complexes and home exercise corners are becoming familiar in our Read more…

Mast without secrets

Sailboat mast: choice, design, and mainsail attachment guide

The mast is the foundation of the rig of any sailing tourist or sports craft, its most important unit. Its design and position determine sail area, configuration and aerodynamics, the ability to adjust sail thrust, and the design of the centerboard and the “ship” as a whole. When building a small sailboat, you have to Read more…

“Shmel” glider-gyroplane

Shmel micro autogyro: Vzlet OKB upgrades and flight tests

When designing and building the “Shmel,” the creative team “Vzlet” took as a basis the micro autogyro designed by V. Barkovsky, V. Vinitsky, and Yu. Rysyuk, described in detail in “M-K” (see: 1969, No. 6; 1970, Nos. 3 and 10; and 1971, No. 6). This very well-made machine, the first in our country of its Read more…

Jon boat–style

DIY duralumin fishing boat for quiet lakes

I decided to make this boat specifically for fishing in quiet lake backwaters — small and maneuverable. And, of course, lightweight, so I could handle it alone. The right material was already available: for several years, under the garage roof, there had been a large duralumin sheet 2700x1800x2 mm stored there, and cutting it into Read more…

Ships of the “Dark Ages”

Phoenician Shipbuilding: Ram Line Ships

The 12th–9th centuries BC are referred to by historians as the “dark ages”. During this period, the tribes living on the northern and eastern coasts of the Mediterranean Sea, meeting face to face, sparked numerous clashes between peoples. Some states dissolved into the mass of others; in free lands, new colonies arose. Art and knowledge Read more…

Perpetual wind fan

Wind-powered fan for outhouse and cellar without electricity

Many rural outbuildings need ventilation. Without it, houses and sheds become damp, cellars and basements get wet, and using an outdoor privy without a fan is, to put it mildly, uncomfortable. Of course, fitting a toilet or cellar with an electric supply or exhaust fan is not difficult, but many dacha buildings are far from Read more…

Swings — land… and water

Tire swings: frame diagram and water-barrel attraction

In any courtyard you can see flower beds and playground elements made from old tires. On river cruise ships and at docks they are used as fenders. But that is far from all the uses for automotive “footwear” that has served its time. Take swings, for example… If you replace the traditional seat board with Read more…