How to Make Anything: 30 Things You Should Know How to Do

Aug 11, 2014
Popular Mechanics

[A lot of these are relationally oriented/involved . . . so I'm putting it here]

"A rallying cry: we live in an age of resurgent self-reliance. So consider this a call to action: Whether it's a lamp or limoncello, we hope a project here will inspire the urgent desire to build something."
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www.popularmechanics.com...
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2. How to Make an Exit
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There is no need to say goodbye at a party. Just go. When you're between conversations or your drink is empty, wander over to the door. Pretend to be checking your phone as you approach the exit. The next day send the host a note letting him know what a great time you had. That's it.
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5. How to Make a Lamp
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8. How to Make a Robot With a Kid
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12. How to Make a Great First Impression
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14. How to Make The World a Safer Place
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15. How to Make a Dinner Reservation [effectively, the last minute, in a crowded situation--if workable--without being a jerk]
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16. How to Make a Chest of Drawers
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I might quibble with a number of his items.

However, some of them are great, fantastic, even.

And, I think it's an important sort of list to consider.

I think some of his mechanical things are very creative, functional and maybe even brilliant.

If you have any examples from your own creativity--I'm sure a lot of us would be very interested.

I dont drink, so many of those on his list wont apply to me, does that mean i can never be a man who knows how to make anything?

You are right though, some of those are incredibly important for surviving modern life and cutting out some of the more expensive things one buys instead of building.

One STUNNINGLY obvious thing that struck me as missing from that list is: Knowing how to make a lego box set and how to make othr things with it that arnt on the instructions!! I cant imagine how different my life in IT and DIY would be different had i not learned some fundamental basics of thinking in 3d and mechanical objects had i never had lego (and lego technic) in my life.

A reasonable list but far from fully comprehensive

a reply to: Biigs

I THOROUGHLY agree wholesale with all your points.

And the Lego thing is an excellent point.

Do you have any other items/ideas that you think he could have better included?

I think some gardening points would have been important. Also, some travel and home maintenance etc. beyond what he listed. I liked the lamp thing--and the chest of drawers.

Perhaps some car things would have been good--though so much requires a certified mechanic with a computer interface these days. LOL.

And I'd like to have seen more fun things than the robot with a kid project.

a reply to: BO XIAN

I think you got some good points there, car/motor knowledge is fairly crucial and yes while some things about motors is now done with the aid of or only adjustable with a compueter interface - some car knowledge can save you from dialing AA/tripple A and saving some cash on a call out charge. Specificity changing a tire, making sure certain cables are fitted correctly, changing light bulbs, knowing what happens if you fill up with the wrong fuel, knowing how to syphon gas/fuel etc.

General cooking tips would have been better than focusing on fired chicken, in its place - what can be eaten raw with low chance of catching somthing/ingesting somthing bad. Things like "chicken is done when juices run clear and the meat is white, if you hit a pink spot regardless of the juices its better to be 100% safe and avoid it - one example.

Theres also nothing about kids. I knew nothing about kids till my thirties. I avoided kids because i have none of my own and dont know how they think, learn or have fun. Its only now with my sisters son (my nephew) that ive gottern a crash course and now i no longer feel like i have to avoid friends with kids for fear of doing the wrong thing, like accidentally encouraging bad or problematic behaviour etc. So i think that should have been in the list some how.

Another big one i thought was odd is knowing how to find, make and purify water sources. What water is safe and what you can do about dirty water to make it safe, also some REALLY simple stuff like, dont drink sea water, sure its salty but if your REALLY thirsty its okay in small doses? - no it isnt, the salt will dry you out more in a matter of hours not even days.

Yet another big one: fire. How to make it, how to control it and how to use it!!!! I shouldnt even need to go into details about this big topic. Yes it [the 30 things guide] touches on how to make a fire, but not why!!!!

Wow they are really pouring out of me now ha!

a reply to: Biigs

GREAT additions! THANKS THANKS

Feel free to add more!

Just remember . . . about all millions of kids know how to do now is play XBox and text on their smart phones. It's incredible how functionally 'lobotomized' millions of individuals are in our era.

originally posted by: BO XIAN
a reply to: Biigs

GREAT additions! THANKS THANKS

Feel free to add more!

Just remember . . . about all millions of kids know how to do now is play XBox and text on their smart phones. It's incredible how functionally 'lobotomized' millions of individuals are in our era.

Okay one more biigy that struck me as missing is how to use a knife (and axes) and how to keep them clean and sharp.

I owe many of these things to my grandfather, a welsh forestry worker. He taught me all kinds of things in his cottage in the deep vallys of wales that i would never had have got to know in my rural life in the towns and citys where i grew up.

The end of the civilized, domestic life doesnt scare me, i learned how to live off the land - okay im no Bear Grills, but i have the basics to make a go of it if forced to.

I'll leave it there for now, let some other wise members chip in

Good thread.

a reply to: Biigs

INDEED. I think those are priceless skills and knowledge, too.

e.g. trapping small game.

Finding North in a forest.

etc.

How to make vodka from potatoes

Put the potatoes in to kettle and cover them with water, bring to boil. Cook until the first ones break down -this should take about 1hr. In meanwhile hydrate the yeast and mix 1kg malt and 2litre of water (if you use homemade malt, don't dry them -it weakens the mysterious "amylathic power"). 3.

homedistiller.org...

I hope I can keep adding on

a reply to: Refresh

I'm sure some will appreciate your input more than I.

I worked in alcoholism treatment for a year . . . I have a pretty fierce stance on it.

Though I do drink about a half a glass of low alcohol wine about 3-4 times a year. LOL.