Life Hacks from the Past that Mostly Still Work Today

25. Hacks from the 1940s are still pertinent in the 21^st century

During the 1940s and 1950s Popular Mechanics offered an annual book to its readers called Home Kinks. The kinks, which correspond to the more modern hacks, were for the most part submitted by readers and selected by the magazine’s editors. Many are available online. In one issue, seven plywood trays were attached to a wooden stake by the stake penetrating a hole in their corners. Each was separated from the preceding by a wooden collar. When the stake was driven into the ground, each tray could be rotated outwards in a manner that resembled a hand of playing cards, creating a portable picnic table for several picnickers.

Another brilliant and still useful idea appeared in 1946. When painting by dipping brush into can, the can quickly became covered with paint from scraping excess from the brush. A reader suggested taking the lid from an empty can and cutting away the center portion, leaving intact the rim which attached to the can and a lip wide enough to accommodate a paintbrush. When opening a new can of paint, this lid replaced the one removed and the lip is used to clean the side of the brush of excess paint. When the job was finished, the scraper lid was removed and the remaining paint could be resealed with its original lid, with both lid and can free from excessive paint blocking a seal.