Tasty, fragrant apples and pears. And they are not lacking in vitamins. But keeping these fruits until the next harvest is a problem — and sometimes a serious one. Drying, pickling and jam-making, and other methods of preserving come to the rescue. Moreover, according to gourmets, the value of products prepared for storage increases noticeably Read more…
Vessels of this class can be found in all major ports of virtually every country in the world. These are rescue craft built to assist those in distress, fight fires, patch hull damage, pump water out of flooded compartments, refloat grounded ships, and tow them. They differ in displacement, speed, and technical capabilities. A large Read more…
1980. An unassuming little car, the Fiat Panda, takes to the roads of Europe. At the time, no one could have guessed that it would become a bestseller, remain in production until 2003, and that its successors would still be rolling off the assembly line today. The car appeared at a difficult time. Because of Read more…
This very “flyable” radio-controlled powered hang-glider model was designed specifically for beginners: it is not difficult to build, and it is practically impossible to wreck on landing. A wide variety of materials can be used to make the model — from balsa to basswood (linden). For the formers, even ordinary packaging foam will do, for Read more…
Isn’t it a striking contrast: while the fields of collective and state farms are cultivated today by powerful “Kirovets” tractors, the household plots of rural workers are still plowed the old way — in the best case with a horse-drawn plow, and in the worst simply dug up with a shovel. This work is unproductive, Read more…
Potatoes are often called the second bread, emphasizing the extraordinary importance of this crop. Yet in terms of labor intensity, especially on individual plots, it is far from last on the list. All the more so if all the work is done here the old-fashioned way, without any means of mechanization. A device I designed Read more…
On small cabin boats and yachts, every square decimeter of space counts. Finding a dedicated place for a galley is a problem. So to cook meals you have to moor to shore each time, and the crew has to settle right on the grass and ants. On top of that, you have to carry dishes Read more…
I rode the Kharkiv Bicycle Factory’s “Tourist” bicycle for 30 years. It was, perhaps, one of the best Soviet bicycles — not only for active recreation (which it was actually designed for), but also for everyday trips. Now it hangs on the shed wall as a retro exhibit. Instead, I bought a new, modern two-wheel Read more…
Undoubtedly, a home sports complex is necessary for any family, especially a young one. But what if you live in a small one-room apartment or, like my family, in a dormitory room? Under such conditions, when you cannot even install a basic pull-up bar in a doorway, talking about a full gym is simply unrealistic. Read more…
When making furniture at home, the main problem always arises for the amateur craftsman: how to join the individual parts, what fastening to choose so that it is simple but reliable. Everything is used: from simple nails and screws to mortise-and-tenon and complex glued joints, bolt fastenings, metal parts, and shaped profiles — depending on Read more…
