Sometimes a load lifted by a crane beam or winch (when replacing an engine in a car, for example) needs to be lowered slightly to the side from the suspension point. In this case, an auxiliary balance beam made from a suitable pipe or T-beam may come in handy. An eyelet for the crane hook Read more…
Paraphrasing a well-known saying, I will say that in our family, the husband proposes, but the wife disposes. For example, my beloved wife wanted to organize a recreation area on the plot where she could sunbathe and lounge with a book. And butterflies must flutter around! Who would bring this fantasy to life? It became Read more…
Throughout most of the Cold War, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) and the Socialist Republic of Romania (SRR) were the most “rebellious children” in the family of socialist countries. Yugoslavia, under the leadership of Marshal Tito, not only did not join the Eastern Bloc but was one of the key countries of the Read more…
I had long been planning to build a single-seat racing car, similar to those that race in Formula. But… I got an old “Oka”. Although it was still running, its body was completely rotten: grass was growing from all the cracks! Restoring the vehicle made no sense. Well… so instead of a road-racing sports car, Read more…
After the end of World War I, Czechoslovakia found itself in a unique situation. It inherited a powerful industry from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, including automotive, comparable to Germany and France. However, the volume of the domestic market of the new state was small, and to survive, automakers had to focus on exports. In the early Read more…
Externally, this padlock is no different from thousands of its counterparts guarding storerooms and dachas, sheds and utility rooms, shops and warehouses. Except for one stunning detail: it opens… with a screwdriver. Can one trust such an unserious device that even a mischievous boy could unlock? “You can,” asserts its creator, engineer I. Yankin. “Opening Read more…
While browsing ads on an online “flea market”, I came across wheels from a children’s quad bike. They also came with hubs and steering knuckles. The price was very attractive, and I bought them with a “long-term plan”. They gathered dust in the garage for a couple of years until I decided to build a Read more…
An unusual tree grafting technology was proposed by I.V. Michurin, and in N. Verzilin’s book “Journeys with Houseplants” this original method of obtaining a cutting from a living branch directly on the tree is described. He “surrounded” the branch with a vessel of water — and roots appeared on old branches of pears and apple Read more…
Regular readers of “M-K” are already familiar with Mikhail Landyshev’s original DIY creations. The creative process so captivates Mikhail that, having designed one piece of equipment, he almost immediately proceeds to make a second one. This was the case with tarabaikas and electric bicycles (see “M-K” No. 7-2019 and No. 4-2024). This time, three machines Read more…
When talking about the amateur constructor E. Kulikov, it should be noted that all the units and mechanisms he has made are designed to ease the labor and daily life of rural residents. Let us touch upon one of the problems annually solved by village residents, and by those who live in most Russian settlements Read more…
