Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things, Revised Edition copyright © 2020 by Cy Tymony. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of reprints in the context of reviews.
Andrews McMeel Publishing
a division of Andrews McMeel Universal
1130 Walnut Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64106
www.andrewsmcmeel.com
ISBN: 978-1-5248-6186-5
Library of Congress Control Number: 2019954681
Editor: Jean Z. Lucas
Art Director/Designer: Sierra Stanton
Illustrator: Kevin Bremmer
Production Editor: Meg Daniels
Production Manager: Cliff Koehler
Ebook Developer: Kristen Minter
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Disclaimer
This book is for the entertainment and edification of its readers. While reasonable care has been exercised with respect to its accuracy, the publisher and the author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions in its content. Nor do we assume liability for any damages resulting from use of the information presented here.
This book contains references to electrical safety that must be observed. Do not use AC power for any projects listed. Do not place or store magnets near magnetically sensitive media.
Disparities in materials and design methods and the application of components may cause your results to vary from those shown here. The publisher and the author disclaim any liability for injury that may result from the use, proper or improper, of the information contained in this book. We do not guarantee that the information contained herein is complete, safe, or accurate, nor should it be considered a substitute for your good judgment and common sense.
Nothing in this book should be construed or interpreted to infringe on the rights of other persons or to violate criminal statutes. We urge you to obey all laws and respect all rights, including property rights, of others.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I
Sneaky Tricks and Gimmicks
The Fear of Small Sums: Detect Counterfeit Bills
Slushy Fun: Make Gel Packs for Swollen Muscles
Got Plastic? Turn Milk into Sneaky Plastic
Need Glue? Create Sneaky Glue from Milk
Getting Wired: Sneaky Wire Sources Are Everywhere
More Power to You: Make Batteries from Everyday Things
You Light Up My Life: Construct Electronic Greeting Cards
Part II
Sneaky Gadgets and Gizmos
“Superman and Green Lantern Ain’t Got Nothin’ on Me”: Make a Power Ring
“Invite the Power!”: Make Power Ring-Activated Gadgets
Gifts of a Feather You Make Together: Build Togetherness Gifts
Miniaturizing Mr. Wireless: Use Him in Remote Places
Got a Toy Car? Make a Power Room Door Opener
Irrational Public Radio: Put It Together from Scratch
Con Air: Convert Your Radio into an Aircraft Broadcast Receiver
Part III
Security Gadgets and Gizmos
Sneaky Ways to Thwart Break-Ins: Protect Your Fortress from a Man of Steal
Foam Alone: Make a Sneaky Fire Extinguisher
Gain Sneaky See-Behind Vision
Industrious Light Magic: Make a Sneaky Light in a Pinch
Sticky Fingers?: Keep Watch with an Internal Sneak Detector
Thwart Thieves with the External Sneak Detector
Thug Shot: Capture Break-Ins on Film
Hide and Sneak: Secure Valuables in Everyday Things
Part IV
Sneaky Survival Techniques
Sneaky Emergency Flotation Devices
Science Friction: Six Fire-Making Methods
Rain Check: Two Water-Gathering Techniques
Coming Extractions: Get Drinking Water from Plants
Lens Crafter: Build a Makeshift Telescope
Smoke and Mirrors: Sneaky Code Signaling
Look on the Bright Side: Make Sneaky Snow Glasses
Sneaky Snowshoes: Walk on Top of the Snow
Coldfinger: Where There’s a Chill, There’s a Way
Lost in Space? Craft a Compass
Road Scholar: Down-to-Earth Direction Finding
Pocket Protectors: Sneaky Tools and Survival Kits
Part V
Sneaky STEM Magnet and Motor Projects
Sneaky Electromagnetic Fun: Magnetism Fundamentals
Making a Sneaky Compass
Electromagnetism in Motion
Making a Sneaky Solenoid
How to Make an Electromagnet
Sneaky Motor Fun
Make a Toy Motor Generator
Make a Sneaky Chip Can Motor
Sneaky Motor Troubleshooting Tips
Going Further with Sneaky Motor Making
Sneaky Motor Design Ideas and Additions
How to Disassemble a Small Toy Motor
Sneaky Motor Bonus Project: Convert a Toothbrush into a Vibrabot
Going Further: Sneaky Motorized Reuses
Resources
Useful Websites
Recommended Reading
Acknowledgments
Special thanks go to my agent, Sheree Bykofsky, for her enthusiastic encouragement and for believing in this book from the start. I am also appreciative of the assistance provided by Janet Rosen and Megan Buckley.
I wish to thank Jennifer Fox, my editor at Andrews McMeel, and copy editor, Janet Baker, for their invaluable work.
A warm thank-you goes to Bill Melzer for insights and opinions that helped shape this book.
I am also grateful for the project evaluation assistance provided by Jerry Anderson, Isaac English, Carlos Daza, Sybil Smith, and Serrenity Smith.
And I hope the following is adequate to show my invaluable appreciation and love for Cloise Shaw. Thanks, Mom. I love you.
Introduction
“Life . . . is what we make it.”
—William James
You don’t have to be 007 to adapt unique gadgets, secure a room from intruders, or get the upper hand over aggressors. Anyone can learn how to become a real-life MacGyver in minutes, using nothing but a few hodgepodge items fate has put at our disposal. Sometimes you have to be sneaky.
Sure, it never hurts to have the smarts of Einstein or the strength of Superman, but they’re not necessary with Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things. When life puts us in a bind, the best solution is frequently not the obvious one. It’ll be the sneaky one.
Solutions to a dilemma can come from the most unlikely sources:
• A motorist stranded with a bad heater-valve gasket made a new one by cutting and shaping the tongue from an old track shoe. It worked well enough to get him home safely.
• U.S. prisoners of war devised a stealthy makeshift radio receiver using nothing more than a razor blade, a pencil, and the wire fence of the prison camp as an antenna.
• Convicts at Wisconsin’s Green Bay Correctional Institution scaled the prison walls using rope they braided from thousands of yards of dental floss.
• On September 11, 2001, a window washer trapped in a Twin Towers elevator with five other passengers used his squeegee to pry open the doors and chisel through the wall to escape the inferno.
People rarely think about the common items and devices they use in everyday life. They think even less about adapting them to perform other functions. For lovers of self-reliance and gadgetry, Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things is an amazing assortment of more than forty fabulous build-it-yourself projects, security procedures, self-defense and survival strategies, unique gift ideas, and more.
Did you know that the coins in your pocket can generate electricity or receive radio signals? Want to know what household item can identify counterfeit paper currency? How to turn milk into plastic or glue? How to locate directions using the sun or the stars? How to make a compass without a magnet, extract water from thin air, use water to start a fire, or make a ring that can turn on your TV? It’s all here. Even wire hangers and coffee creamer-container tops get their moment in the sun.
Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things does not include conventional projects found in most crafts and household hints books. Nor are instructions supplied for first aid, fishing, making a shelter, or spotting edible plants. The Resources section at the back includes lists of books and websites for obtaining science tricks, frugal facts, and camping information.
Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things avoids projects or procedures that require expensive or unusual materials not found in
the average home. No special knowledge or tools are needed. Whether you like to conserve resources or like the idea of getting something for nothing, you can use the book as a practical tool, a fantasy escape, or a trivia guide; it’s up to you. “Things” will never appear the same again.
The first edition of Sneaky Uses was met with great enthusiasm and it has since grown into a nine-title series. Projects from the books and the Sneakyuses.com website have been demonstrated at the annual STEM convention, presented on the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) website, replicated at hundreds of schools, bookstores, and libraries, as well as featured on local and national TV shows.
Since 2003, we’ve witnessed a huge rise in interest in the Makers movement and STEM educational initiatives for the do-it-yourself and creative communities. This second edition features all new STEM-oriented projects in magnetism and electricity using everyday things.
Let’s get started!
You, too, can do more with less! Many household items you use every day can perform other functions. Using nothing but a few supplies like paper clips, rubber bands, and refrigerator magnets, you can quickly make unique gadgets and gifts.
Want to know how to tell real paper currency from fake? How to make plastic and glue out of milk? Generate electricity from fruits?
If you have an insatiable curiosity for sneaky secrets of everyday things, look no further. The projects that follow can be made in no time. Start your entry into clever resourcefulness here.
The Fear of Small Sums:
Detect Counterfeit Bills
Whether it’s a hundred-dollar bill or a one, getting stuck with counterfeit money is a fear many of us have. In the United States in 2018, $70 to $200 million in fake currency was circulated. When counterfeit currency is seized, neither consumers nor companies are compensated for the loss. So what can we do about it? This project describes two methods to tell good currency from bad.
The first method is a careful visual inspection of the bill. Compare a suspect note with a genuine note of the same denomination and series. Look for the following telltale signs:
1. The texture of a legitimate bill should feel rough.
2. Denominations of $5 and higher may have a special security thread and a watermark visible when a light is shining through.
3. Bills $20 and higher may have a color changing denomination mark that appears green and changes to copper when tilted.
4. For additional legitimate bill detection tips, visit the UScurrency.gov website.
The second way to verify paper currency is to test the ink. How can we do this in a sneaky way, at home or in the office? Easy: by using one important feature of the ink used on U.S. currency. A legitimate bill has iron particles in the ink that are attracted to a strong magnet. To verify a bill, obtain a very strong
magnet or a rare earth magnet. Rare earth magnets are extremely strong for their small size. They can be obtained from electronic parts stores and scientific supply outlets. See the Resources section at the back of this book.
You can also use small refrigerator magnets, connecting them end to end to create collectively a much stronger single magnet. See Figure 1.
What’s Needed
• Dollar bill
• Strong magnet
What to Do
Fold the bill in half crosswise and lay it on a table, as shown in Figure 2. Point the strong magnet near the portrait of the president on the bill, but do not touch it. A legitimate bill will move toward the magnet, as shown in Figure 3.
Whenever you doubt the authenticity of paper currency, simply pull out your magnet and perform the magnetic attraction test. If you create the Power Ring shown in Part II of this book, it can be used for currency tests too.
