These Fixes Might Look Stupid, But They Work
Ideally, we want everything to be in perfect working order, with every tool and gadget filling a specific niche. However, real life often has different plans, and it becomes necessary to rig up a solution by any means necessary.
Call these sloppy, call these dangerous, call these inadvisable (because they certainly are!). But there's something to be said for the old saying, "If it looks stupid but it works, it ain't stupid."
Growing a hammer
For those who find themselves in the unusual position of needing to hammer something but only having the head of a hammer, here's a truly organic option.
True, it'll take awhile for the plant to grow thick enough to support the hammer, but this will result in a tool that's truly one of a kind.
Extra treads
When it comes to a shoe being grippy or slippery, most of it comes down to the texture of its soles. In general, the smoother the sole is, the more slippery the shoes will be - and, conversely, extra grooves add extra traction.
These boots look like they already provided decent grip right out of the box, but scouring the sole with a knife adds even more grip.
It'll work, briefly
It undoubtedly feels good to open up the fridge or freezer anytime you're in a hot environment with no air conditioning - so why not just use the fridge to air condition your whole house?
Well, there are many, many good reasons not to do this, and this exact scenario was shown on an old episode of The Simpsons. But if you want several seconds to several minutes of a/c bliss, here's an option.
Self steaming
Steam can be beneficial for the body - a humidifier or a visit to a steam room can help with moisturizing, relaxation, and unclogging pores.
Of course, most of us don't have a steam room in our house - but realistically, you can achieve the same effect by pouring a hot bath and finding something to trap the heat.
Made it to the shop
Soda cans aren't particularly durable, but they are made of genuine aluminum - a metal that can be adapted to any number of purposes. This driver had a hole punctured in their oil pan, but they managed to use an empty can of Pepsi to remedy the situation.
This fix won't last forever, of course, but it's exactly the kind of ingenuity that will help this car limp into the shop to get a more permanent repair.
Baby monitors are surprisingly handy
Baby monitors have a simple concept - they're essentially visual walkie-talkies, providing a live video and audio feed of your nursery.
Of course, once they're no longer necessary, there's any number of potential alternative uses for them. In this case, someone is using a baby monitor to keep an eye on their load of laundry.
Over the air
It doesn't seem to be common knowledge that it's still possible to get over-the-air TV programming for free, in glorious HD - assuming you have an antenna to catch the signal.
Antennas are not complicated in the slightest, and some clever engineering has created one out of little more than a plank of wood. It isn't pretty at all, but it works.
DIY ice cleats
Anyone who lives in an icy environment can attest to the importance of grippy boots, or even ice cleats/crampons to help maintain their footing in slippery situations.
Ice cleats are basically just a sole with a bunch of metal studs in them, so this person decided to cut out the middleman and attach a bunch of makeshift studs directly to the soles of their boots.
Not letting it die
It's easy to break a mug, and the weakest part is usually its handle. Most people would throw out a mug if the handle broke off, but it seems like a shame to get rid of something that can still hold liquid.
Is this necessary? No. Should this person let this mug go to the big mug graveyard in the sky? Perhaps. Still, it's hard not to admire the ingenuity.
Unlimited power glitch
Civic infrastructure like traffic lights and streetlights is full of electricity - electricity that's inaccessible to the average person.
Now, it certainly isn't advisable to just hack into a light pole, and it's somewhat miraculous that this person escaped serious injury. They accomplished their goal, though, which was to provide a communal power bar.
A whole new trailer
Trailers have plenty of life left in them even after they're no longer roadworthy, but this usually just means that they'll be set up permanently as a makeshift cottage.
Of course, if you have a flatbed that's big enough to accommodate one, you can simply lift it up onto the bed for a weird trailer-truck hybrid.
Give us light
The magic behind modern televisions lies in light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. True to their name, they emit bright light to illuminate the picture on screen.
When they burn out, there may still be a picture, but nothing to light it. This person isn't going to give out after an LED burnout, and they found a way to provide at least some illumination to their old TV.
I'm seeing things
This would be enough to make anyone take a second look. What is it? How on earth did anyone lift it up there?
Well, we don't have an answer to the second question, but the first one is pretty straightforward: it's an old van that's been repurposed as a hunting stand.
Dare to dream
Ride-on lawnmowers aren't exactly cheap, and most of us - even those with ambitious lawnmower dreams - find ourselves using a conventional model.
This person isn't going to give up on the ride-on dream, though, and has found a way to create something that, in purely technical terms, is a ride-on lawnmower.
DIY seafaring
This guy looks set to cross the bay using nothing more than a piece of insulation board as his raft and a big 2x4 as his paddle.
Did he take safety precautions? Probably not! Will he make it before being forced to abandon ship? Also probably not!
Sneak peek
A lot of dishwashers have an informative display on the top of their door that's going to be covered up by the counter when the door is closed, and only visible when it's open.
This person was clearly sick of not knowing what their dishwasher was doing, so they remedied the situation. All it cost them was a big chunk of countertop.
That might be unsafe
This staircase made entirely of wooden pallets does indeed reach the second floor, even if its support system seems extremely questionable.
We've heard of stairway to heaven, and this rickety staircase might just be that for anyone who risks walking on it.
Patent this ASAP
Not everyone has to shave their back, but those who do probably saw this and thought, "At last!" True, it's just a fork stuck to a razor, but it's an ingenious idea.
In fact, this could legitimately be a product that's sold in stores. They just need a marketing whiz to figure out a way to sell back razors to the masses.
Still works, barely
When you think about it, it's kind of remarkable that most laptop lids maintain the tension necessary to keep the screen upright, even after they've been opened and closed thousands of times.
Of course, they don't always hold together. This laptop lid has zero structural integrity left, but thanks to some bungee cords, it's still (sort of) usable.
Uh, I'll pass
This is a marketplace listing for a Port-a-Potty - but a very special, one-of-a-kind Port-a-Potty. Yes, some enterprising person has decided to turn this into a shower.
There are plenty of situations where an outdoor shower can be handy, but the form factor here is more than a little bit off-putting.
Hey, it works
A mirror is a mirror is a mirror, so if your car's mirror falls off, you can really just stick any old mirror in its place.
This driver has done that. The wood support arm looks sturdy (and it even hinges), but the mirror itself looks a little bit unserious.
Slow, slow cooking
Have you ever had a power failure right in the middle of cooking? It's downright maddening, and usually leads to a ruined meal.
This person didn't want to give up on their fried eggs, so they set up an array of tea lights to slowly, but hopefully surely, cook the eggs in the pan.
Automatic bug killing
Here's an ingenious solution to solve the problem of a buggy environment, and all you need is a few simple items.
Grab one of those electrified fly swatters, turn it on, and set it up over a glass of sweet, bug-friendly liquid. Pretty soon you'll have scores of dead flies on your hands.
That doesn't belong here...
CPU towers have expansion bays to accommodate all sorts of computer stuff, like DVD drives, or in the old days, floppy drives and even cigarette lighters.
As it turns out, the expansion bays here are the perfect size to accommodate an old-school car stereo head unit.
Juice 'em up
An apple press is a specialized piece of equipment, designed to pulverize apples with a lot of downward force.
That said, even though they're specialized, they're quite simple at heart. This person has taken some random buckets and other materials, combined them with an impact wrench, and made a DIY apple press.
That took commitment
You're looking at a machine that's absolutely a one of one device: a homemade, gas-powered forklift made entirely of bits and pieces of scrap metal.
There's little doubt that this took a ton of effort and might not hold together that well. But forklifts are expensive, and if you need one, you need one.
Perfect phone mount
There are tons of places to put your phone when you're driving, from your pocket to a clip-on vent holster.
This driver could have spent $20 on a device that would work perfectly, but instead they've spent $20 on one of those devices, bolted it to a piece of wood, and mounted the piece of wood to the floor of their car.
Nature's tripod
You're not always going to have a tripod with you for steady photography, but if you have an elastic band and something to mount it to, you'll find that the world is full of impromptu tripods.
In fact, this person found a way to take steady shots of a field of sunflowers but simply utilizing the strength of a sunflower stalk to hold their camera.
When inspiration strikes
This might look a little rough, but it's undoubtedly a working longboard - one equipped with a central hinge to allow it to collapse for easy storage.
It was made entirely out of parts from Home Depot. The ride might be bumpy, but the price is absolutely right.
Just barely fits
This toilet is a little too big for its space, so a contractor shaved away a bit of the wall to allow it to fit.
That's step one, and it was a success as the toilet now fits. Step two, where someone actually tries to use said toilet, might yield mixed results.
Dan Gray
