Useful Things for a Sailboat

Sailboat fittings: rigging, cleats, and blocks

You have built a sailing craft — a yacht, dinghy, catamaran, or simply fitted a kayak with a sail. There is no doubt that the main attention was given to making the hull, mast, and sails. The small, at first glance inconspicuous fittings of a sailboat are remembered at best after construction is finished, or Read more…

Work Desk… on a Stepladder

DIY metal shelf for a stepladder at home

Is it necessary to prove that working on a stepladder becomes much more convenient if the necessary tools are always at hand? For example, on a shelf fitted onto the upper bow of the stepladder. Its design is simple: only six parts, not counting washers and rivets — a tray, two clamps, two hooks, and Read more…

Entryway: Simple and Beautiful

DIY hallway furniture suite for a small entryway

Not every home has an entryway that can accommodate the hallway wardrobe units sold in stores: as a rule, they are designed for a spacious hallway. At the same time, even in a small corridor you can rationally organize a corner with a mirror and hangers, similar to the homemade furniture set for a small Read more…

Cockroaches — With Electricity

DIY electroshock cockroach trap with Latour circuit

Cockroaches: people have tried everything to get rid of these black and reddish-brown sneak insects, but… Exterminating such hardy pests is still a problem. Especially for residents of densely occupied apartment blocks, dormitories, and rundown Khrushchev-era buildings. Among quite promising ways to fight cockroaches, in my view, are even the simplest electroshock devices. I, for Read more…

Folding Cart

Folding trolley for inflatable boat: DIY plans and welding

I needed such a complex trolley to carry an inflatable boat. The one sold in stores takes up quite a lot of space, and keeping it in a rubber boat is not very convenient: the wheels stick out, as do the cargo platform and its stop. On my trolley everything folds, which made it quite Read more…

Inuit Ulu Knife

Eskimo ulu knife: DIY from a saw blade

While making Eskimo anti-sun glasses (see “M-K” No. 4-2025), I delved into studying the culture and traditions of Arctic peoples. Nomadic conditions and the harsh climate left their mark on every area of their life and activity. Nothing superfluous — only what is needed! Dwellings, clothing, tools, and household items are all very functional and Read more…

Portable and Demountable

DIY collapsible summer cottage bed

With the approach of the summer-cottage season, this bed in disassembled form can be taken to your country plot even by suburban train or local bus: its parts are easy to dismantle and reassemble. The bed consists of a headboard and a footboard, two side rails, two support panels that serve as legs, and two Read more…

Stocking up on water

Underground concrete reservoir for garden watering

Any garden or household plot, as a rule, yields a return and delights its owner when there is a sufficient amount of… water. If there is a natural source nearby or a central water supply, the irrigation problem becomes simpler, but in most cases one cannot even rely on a source. In a hot summer, Read more…