Handy Devices

By Dan Miller, Senior Editor

STAIRWAY OF TIRES (Editor's Choice):

Ever find yourself in need of a better way to walk up a frequently traveled hill? Larry Behnke, High Springs, Florida, came up with a way to make steps with discarded tires. As the stairway rises up the side of the hill, each tire is filled and compacted with the dirt dug from the space above, where the next tire up will be placed. He repeats the process to the top of the hill. Behnke also paints the tires white so they are easier to see in the dark.

SIGN IT WITH CEDAR:

Mark Surprenant, Oakdale, Connecticut, needed a sturdy and rugged signpost. He made one using two pieces of cedar, one larger in diameter than the other. He cut a hole through the top of the larger post and drove the smaller one through it with a sledgehammer. He also tapped in a few cedar wedges to better secure the post inside the hole. To better preserve his new post, Surprenant covered the cut ends with copper flashing.

WATER IN A STRETCH:

Everyone who wears them knows how hard it can be to pull on narrow-necked boots, says Bill Tranum, Little Rock, Arkansas. He has found that a 2-quart plastic bottle filled with water helps create that little bit of extra space needed to slip on his boots. Tranum suggests you leave the bottles in the boots when not using them to keep the neck stretched.

> WINNING IDEAS: Win $400 if your idea is chosen as the month's "Editor's Choice" Handy Device. Win $200 for other ideas used on this page. To submit a Handy Device, please send clear photographs, detailed drawings and a complete explanation of your idea. With each entry, include your name, address and telephone number. Send Handy Device entries to Progressive Farmer, 2204 Lakeshore Dr., Suite 415, Birmingham, AL 35209. Sorry, but we cannot acknowledge submissions or return photographs, drawings or documentation.

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