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Why did they have to go with that technique? It doesn't make sense to me. With modern tools, digging a deeper hole isn't the hard part.

Modern like 3 point subsoiler Admittedly to run much cable, you'd have to modify it slightly and find a way to unroll it. Oh you have to add a tractor. I have a 1961 ford 641 tractor. That one will go around a foot deep, and if your just in dirt, it will do it pretty easy.

Admittedly they might have to use something slightly more complex, but, well 2" is a joke.

You sure can take back welds! ;)

I'd use one of these plus a few solar panels.

Why do I have that feeling that you'd be one of those people who lament endlessly that government didn't tell them that a tornado was coming their way and they didn't get their house prepared...

There are many ways to get weather notices. A NOAA radio is a great way. http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/co...

You can get the info direct from them using either an app or a radio like this one: http://www.northerntool.com/sh...

This is a superior method to telephones, which in emergencies are often not accessible. Smartphones are cool and all, but I wouldn't trust my life to one.

http://www.northerntool.com/sh...

The slide hammer is but one part of the tool, which is universal. If you go to the tool store and ask for a slide hammer, you get this, which is not a dent puller. A dent puller is this. Both of those contain slide hammers, but if you used the first item, I would imagine it would be easier to beat the column to death with the bare hammer as the screw-like attachment you need for the lock cylinder is in the other box. None of those slide hammer attachments would work.

If you don't mind spending thousands of dollars on a generator that can keep up with the car's power drain

I did the figuring quite a while ago, but you only need about a 15 kW generator assuming you're going to plug in at night.

Target range: 720 miles (60 mph average speed over 12 hours)
Model S range: 265 (85 kWh battery)
Necessary extension: 455
Mileage: 38 kWh/100 mi
Generation capability: 173 kwh/12 hours = 14.4 kwh, or a 15 kW generator. You can buy them for around $3k.

Add a couple thousand for putting it into a trailer form with extra storage, larger gas tank, and such and you're looking at around $5-6k for a generator trailer.

What tech do auto makers use for the proximity detectors in car bumpers?

Ultrasonics. Just like the old Polaroid Camera auto-focus.

http://www.northerntool.com/sh...

windmills

Plus windmills drive the molemen away.

So anyone that's anti-windmill is obviously in thrall to the molemen.

howabout one meellion B. T. U.s ?!

Lots of "extra hands" ("third hand"), clamps /stands that can be moved quickly and easily but stay in place when needed to hold things when Bob is not handy to hold something for you.

http://www.aconcordcarpenter.com/2010/09/rockwell-jaw-stand.html

http://api.ning.com/files/1wnjqZCMOaHxwJZE9-s1LAFawfD8ybVeqLYkbodmkHZhZSh4zC3KY3Ky6t-jKsdnamxXlVhnU215Wp9wBsY2lMGJ6*vhM9FU/14Solderingsetup.jpg?width=721

http://reviews.northerntool.com/0394/253800/free-shipping-rockwell-jawhorse-work-station-model-rk9000-reviews/reviews.htm

Wind is free but wind turbines cost money.
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200334247_200334247
In this case 9500 for 3 KW.
But that 3 KW is in a 24 MPH wind. How often does the wind blow that fast?
Your average nuclear power plant produces 2200 megawatts.
So in theory using these off the shelf wind turbines it would take $6,966,666,666 to replace one nuclear power plant.
Yes $7 billion dollars. Oh and if you only get half the rated power because the wind doesn't blow then the cost is almost 14 billion dollars.
And that doesn't include the cost of the towers, ,construction, running power lines or the land required.
Of course power plants use bigger turbines but they are also custom made so the price for watt may not be much better. In this case I just found a well known off the shelf wind turbine and scaled.
Then add in the requirement for a back up power system to make up for when the wind isn't blowing!
Oh and wind turbines are big moving machines. They wear out and must be replaced over time or at least fixed.
So as you can see wind power is far from free.
It sounds like hokey if you are dealing with it at the fourth grade level. Once you get past that level you will see that it is not cheap or easy.
Hey if a power company could get cheaper power and sell it at the same price as gas or coal produced power don't you think they would?
More profit and more good PR for being green.
It would be a no brainier.
As I said this utility has spent A LOT of money on wind and solar and are now facing the fact that they will probably have to eat a lot of it.
They have every reason to want wind to competitive with GAS since all they really care about is selling power for a profit.

You could probably make batches of bio-diesel and buy a diesel generator.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200337757_200337757?cm_ven=Aggregates&cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=Generators%2C%20Portable%20Generators&cm_ite=168100&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=168100

Rated at 5000 watts ~~ 50amp peak, that should run your house.

The question is if the $1~$2 biodiesel running a generator is cheaper than buying electricity. Remember, also, you can feed back into the grid and reduce your electric bill.

If you have a diesel car, that works too.

I already do it. Something as simple as a hose reel. I have been through a lot of Chinese made ones from Home Depot. The last one had a water powered hose winder which didn't work well, reduced the water pressure, leaked like a sieve, and broke the first year. It cost about $100. For the same price, I ordered an American made one from Nothern Tool. Mine was made in Lincoln, Nebraska. I couldn't believe what a difference the quality made in a hose reel. Brass bushings and couplings, ball bearing reel. I once filled a 2000 gallon pool without a single drip. I even backed into it with a car and bent one of the axles. A little straighting with a hammer and it was as good as new.

I try to buy American every time I can and am almost always rewarded for it. My truck is a Chevy, almost trouble free for 8 years now. All of my outdoor equipment is American made (Echo, John Deere, Ariens).

Whether or they know it or not, Fisher Price, Mattel, Walmart, and China have borked themselves good this time around. My kids already know "toys made in china" == "lead paint, anti-freeze toothpaste, cheap, dangerous, etc". So when they grow up and have kids themselves, they will go to the store to buy something and see "Made in China", and its game over.

Currently, wind power is considerably cheaper by the watt. The price point for alternative energy for me is about $1/watt. Wind is close to that, while solar is considerably more expensive.

I guess this makes sense, since Solar panels require a complex manufacturing process, while a wind turbine is essentially just a fan connected to a motor, and can easily be made at home. In fact, I am in the process of doing this using plans from Make magazine.

Currently, wind power is considerably cheaper by the watt. The price point for alternative energy for me is about $1/watt. Wind is close to that, while solar is considerably more expensive.

I guess this makes sense, since Solar panels require a complex manufacturing process, while a wind turbine is essentially just a fan connected to a motor, and can easily be made at home. In fact, I am in the process of doing this using plans from Make magazine.

THIS is a blender.

Considering they charge 45 dollars for a twenty dollar bilge fan.
http://www.e-volks.com/catalog.0.5.html
http://www.shipstore.com/SS/HTML/ATT/ATT17314.html
Charge close to 300 dollars for a 200 dollar charger.
http://www.e-volks.com/catalog.0.2.html
http://www2.northerntool.com/product/340592_340592 .htm
And totally get their math confused when talking about KW/Amps/Horsepower, to the point they make no sense.
And suggest running their motors through your existing drive train?

Of course, it has zero GB, can't play MP3's nor videos, can't synch to your mail program or calendar, but here's a real iPod killer.

What we'd need are decent hydrocarbon fuel cells

I hear these work pretty well...

I love my Gorilla Rack workbench. Hard to find a better workbench for $99. Mine was American made, which is rare these days.

Home Depot sells a similar workbench for $150, and it's crap. Sharp corners, sharp sheet-metal. Ouch!

When I got the workbench, I was a missing part (Orchard Supply's fault, not Gorilla Rack). I didn't know what it looked like but they worked with me to figure it out. Gorilla Rack's customer support was fast, helpful & courteous-- I was really amazed considering this is just a workbench.

The steel parts are quite solid. There are no sharp edges on the sheet metal, and the corners are all rounded. The composition-board tabletop and shelftop are good enough (a little weak) and easy to replace if/when they get ruined.

The workbench is easy to assemble once you get a hold of a rubber mallet. Took less then an hour.

However, unless you have a ton of computer equipment, their shelving systems are probably overkill. Do you really have that much stuff?

If the sledgehammer treatment seems too uncivilized:

Try this.

and if your looking to save some money this model is cheaper yet... you could also probly get by with this brake im not sure at this point if they carry a cheaper shear.. the whole point is if you have any wood working skills what so ever you could easily build a case out of wood, the trick with metal ofcourse is planning in advance what to bend and at what order to make bends in... tip #1 do your drilling before you bend it all together... one other thing to look at would be perhaps spot welding certain joints... while you could invest in a spot welder it might be cheaper to take it to a shop to have them do it, but if money is the true issue you can get by without spot welding at all

and if your looking to save some money this model is cheaper yet... you could also probly get by with this brake im not sure at this point if they carry a cheaper shear.. the whole point is if you have any wood working skills what so ever you could easily build a case out of wood, the trick with metal ofcourse is planning in advance what to bend and at what order to make bends in... tip #1 do your drilling before you bend it all together... one other thing to look at would be perhaps spot welding certain joints... while you could invest in a spot welder it might be cheaper to take it to a shop to have them do it, but if money is the true issue you can get by without spot welding at all

you would need a hand brake and ofcourse, a nice drill press, and i would also recomend a shear the ones given are mearly examples of what you would need tool wise. you can sometimes get them in an all in one combination.. brake press to bend the metal, shear to do your big straight cuts and a drill press for precision holes.. you would need airplane shears and a few other assorted tools like perhaps a scratch awl and what not..