The first power saws were powered by steam — the same stuff that makes your teapot whistle. These saws significantly increased productivity, enabling large-scale lumber processing to meet the rising demand for timber during industrial expansion. Steam technology...
Creating a concrete porch, patio, or walkway sounds like a job for a seasoned pro or accomplished DIYer. But you don’t have to be an expert to get good results. Just as your favorite marinara sauce follows a tried and true recipe, there’s a formula for...
The ancient Egyptians drilled deep holes into limestone and granite, leaving Egyptologists to puzzle over how they did it. Today, drilling is more common and less mysterious. Every DIYer has a drill — or several — in the garage and a complement of specialized drill...
The Bertha Tunnel Boring Machine dug the SR 99 tunnel in Seattle and measured a massive 57.5 feet in diameter and 326 feet long. Its custom cutter head cost over $80 million. Though less impressive, the drill bits we’ll discuss in this blog do essentially the...
50,000 years ago, prehistoric humans gathered around fires to keep themselves warm, ward off predatory animals, and cook their food. Fast-forward to today. Little has changed, except the animal predators are gone from urban landscapes. People still gather around...
In 2018, US landfills received 12.2 million tons of wood, accounting for 8.3% of all municipal solid waste that year. That’s a lot of trash but shows improvement over previous numbers. More eco-conscious DIYers are finding creative ways to recycle and reuse old...
