Eccentric Engineering: 35+ Wild Creations By Amateur Engineers

There are many people in this world who, once they encounter a problem in their life, be it a broken window latch or a blocked drain, will always seek out a trained professional or buy the correct tool to solve it. But there is also another group who will take charge of the situation and use whatever they have close by to sort it out themselves.

These are the humans we are celebrating in this post. The unsung heroes of homemade engineering projects and the brains behind unorthodox solutions for the irritating problems in life. This is a rundown of some of the strangest and most brilliant inventions by highly untrained engineers and DIY pioneers. Some will make you laugh, while others will make you shake your head in disbelief.

Roof Rack

This is a handy addition to your car as it provides a considerable upgrade to your ability to shop for additional stuff when you travel. They are, however, not standard with all cars. So, the owner of this vehicle decided they just couldn’t live without one.

They cunningly modified a grocery store shopping cart and transformed it into their very own bespoke roof rack. The results might not be the most aesthetically pleasing, but in terms of practicality, it definitely does the job of a typical roof rack.

Wooden Truck

Improvisation and innovation are on display in this strange photograph of a wooden truck that was spotted on Margarita Island in Venezuela. While it most definitely has a certain rustic charm to it, we are not sure about fire safety.

The driver and his passenger seem happy with their invention, and it appears to be traveling well. We just hope that the seats are at least padded with something a bit softer; otherwise, hitting bumps is going to be very interesting!

Pest Control

A rat taking up residence in your house is a very frustrating ordeal to deal with. Most people would deal with this problem by looking for experts like exterminators. But not this resourceful family that rigged up their own rat trap.

The man of the house devised a meticulous plan to get rid of the rodent. Though we don’t know how successful this elaborate trap was, we appreciate the amount of work that went into it. It reminds us of the traps Tom used to come up with to trap Jerry on Tom & Jerry!

Water Cooled Laptop

If you have a laptop that’s prone to overheating, most people would treat themselves to a new one. If you can’t afford it, you simply work with what you have and maybe come up with ways to save up and buy a new one.

But this guy came up with a third option, a water cooling system. Yes, it sounds crazy and scary, actually, because water and electricity are not generally a good mix. Also, does this mean they could only work by the sink?

A unique hybrid

Whether or not this vehicle is considered roadworthy is a question we’d love an answer to. What we do know, however, is that whoever constructed this weird hybrid truck is a confident welder. It seems to be a mash-up of at least three different vehicles.

Maybe they wanted a truck but couldn’t afford one, so they decided to patch up pieces of what they already had and craft a unique vehicle. The result was something that can only be described as the Frankenstein of the automobile world!

Chain Reaction

Sometimes, when you are confronted with something that needs urgent repair, you may decide to use what you already have at hand. This example of make-do and mend sees a bike chain that was used to fix a perishing joint.

Whether or not it was an effective solution to the problem faced, we just don’t know, but it certainly scores highly in lateral thinking. Compared to some of the projects we have featured so far, this one is certainly quite innovative.

How to Stay Cool

Somebody clearly doesn’t enjoy the hot summer nights! So, they thought of an ingenious way to rig up their own cooling system with a bucket of ice and a blower. As with most of these creations, we were certainly impressed by the craftsmanship.

Creations like this inspire us to be more willing to solve small problems on our own. Though some people cannot survive without air conditioning, others clearly can. You just need an open mind, a few supplies, and technical know-how (or YouTube), and you’re set!

If it works…

Here is another example of car-based DIY that we are not entirely convinced is road-legal. Somebody was missing a wing mirror, so they crafted one from a bike mirror and a couple of metal rods. How do you think they did?

In terms of practical solutions to problems that you sometimes encounter in day-to-day life, this could pass for an emergency fix. However, we strongly discourage driving around with make-do mirrors like this because mirrors are essential, and this one just won’t cut it.

Plumbing

This one gives us a headache. Isn’t it annoying how your water pipes suddenly spring a leak at the worst times? Sadly, getting a good plumber to fix your pipes can sometimes be tricky because those guys are always booked!

So, the owner of this home decided to do the work themselves. What you see here is a real maze of interconnecting pipes that follow a complicated schematic. But if the system works and solves the problem, who are we to argue?

Veteran Engineering

This one is quite resourceful and does the job it was designed to do just fine. We assume that this engineer was in the military, as he took some old ammunition boxes and converted them into a set of drawers. 

Sometimes, you just have to sit back and take your hat off when you see something like this. It is an excellent example of repurposing old objects and converting them into something useful and practical. It’s the epitome of upcycling.

Homemade Drums

Rhythm games have become increasingly popular in recent years as they are incredibly fun. The only drawback is that you need special instruments to play them, like guitars, microphones, or, in this example, a drum kit. This engineer didn’t want to buy one.

And so he did the next best thing and built himself one! For all the aspiring musicians in the house, this is a sign that you don’t need much to get started on your journey. Even if you can’t afford something shiny and new, you can still chase your passions.

No Ground Wire For Amp

Here we have another example of somebody who’s comfortable improvising with electrical equipment. That’s certainly not a statement anyone would use to describe us! The innovator had a guitar amplifier that, for some reason, didn’t have a ground wire.

Most people would have bought another or set this one aside completely, but this brave engineer decided to solve the problem on his own. He used a screwdriver to transfer the current and, in effect, provide the missing ground wire needed to keep the music playing. Rock on, champ!

Three Wheeled SUV

We’re not quite sure what to make of this, but one thing we do know is that you wouldn’t catch us getting a ride in this unsafe-looking vehicle! Perhaps this person was low on cash, and this was the best they could do.

As much as we admire the resourcefulness and the ‘can do’ attitude on display here, we can’t help but think that this will end in a disaster for the driver and other road users. A car like this should never leave the driveway.

Improvised Chopsticks

This one is for all the noodle lovers out there. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you have a steaming hot plate of delicious noodles, but there are no chopsticks or forks in sight? This guy did.

There is always the option of washing your hands and simply digging in, but that can be tricky with noodles. So, apparently, pencils are another option! That said, something tells us that only real chopstick experts can eat with these.

Homemade Go Kart

Whether or not this homemade go-kart is very safe to take a ride on is up for debate. Still, the fact that somebody somewhere came up with this idea and built it deserves some recognition. You can tell that some serious creativity went into this project.

Hopefully, the top speed of this thing isn’t too high because, honestly, it looks like a death trap! At that height, the risk of falling is way too high because of the disadvantageous center of gravity. But what’s life without a little bit of risk, eh?

Screen Replacement

They say necessity is the mother of invention, which certainly seems to be the case here. A computer is no good to anybody if the screen doesn’t work, so when these guys were faced with that problem, they devised a plan.

Sometimes, people’s brilliance shines through how they tackle a problem, and this is one such example. It might not be the ideal solution, but if it does the job, then surely that’s good enough, right? Wonder what Steve Jobs might have said to this.

Extra Holes

After a certain amount of time, it is almost inevitable that you’re computer will start to have problems. Quite often, this annoying fact of life is caused by the internal fan slowing down and consequently being unable to cool the machine efficiently.

Now, this might not be the most elegant solution to this particular problem, but it will definitely allow the machine to cool down. It’s the same way you open the windows when it gets too hot! But try it at your own risk!

Home Cinema

Most people who want to enjoy the fun experience of a home cinema purchase the appropriate bracket to support their projector and ensure that the device is safe and secure. However, it seems that not everyone follows that school of thought.

Whoever this is rigged up a setup that almost looks like a strange game of cat’s cradle! How secure this improvised harness will be in the long run is debatable. We wouldn’t even expect it to hold for the duration of a Christopher Nolan film!

Clutch

All cars have different characteristics, and the stiffness of the clutch in a manual drive vehicle is perhaps one of the things that can vary the most. In this case, the guy who owns this car decided that the clutch was a little stiff.

To remedy this annoying situation, he crafted an additional wooden pedal to increase the leverage and make the pedal a little less resistant to the pressure of his foot. That’s an ingenious way of solving that problem, wouldn’t you agree?

Bodywork Patch From Grocery Bag

Well, we’re not sure this is a long-term fix for a missing piece of your vehicle’s bodywork! But if it was only meant to be used temporarily (for example, a quick trip down to the garage so the car could be fixed properly), then we don’t see why not.

The rest of the car doesn’t seem to be in the best condition, so we assume that the owner isn’t too bothered about the aesthetics of this short-term fix. What we are more curious about is the whereabouts of the missing piece.

Modern Problems Require Modern Solutions

Who would have thought that something as complex and intricate as a computer hard drive could be fixed with something as simple and commonplace as a plastic salad fork? It fits so perfectly that it almost looks like an original piece of the system!

Sometimes, the key to solving a technological issue is imagination and a little bit of know-how. We are not too sure about how this works, but we’re willing to bet that whoever solved this problem knows his way around a computer.

To Stop the Remote from Getting Lost

There are few things more irritating in life than looking for a remote control you simply can’t find. This person has taken a rather drastic but seemingly effective solution to one of life’s perpetual problems, and it seems to be doing the job just fine.

Pretty much anything can be used to anchor a television remote control into position. There is no chance of this one going missing ever again. This engineer is a credit to humanity and a true inspiration. What are we going to watch next?

Mailbox improv

This is another glorious example of brilliant humans solving a problem by using whatever happens to be easily accessible to them. By converting this redundant road traffic light into a mailbox stand, this engineer has made everyone’s life a bit easier.

We wonder if the lights change when the mail gets delivered. Surely that seems to be the next logical step for this pioneer of homemade solutions. We can only speculate what the postie thought of it. Could they be the ones who took this photo and posted it online?

Self Cooling Chair

There are few things worse in life than sitting at your desk in the height of summer, hot, bothered, sweating, and bored out of your mind. The obvious solution to this irritating experience is a chair that self-cools when you sit on it.

This is the sort of invention that we would like to see become available in all retail stores. It might need a bit of work (there’s no way we’re sitting on a chair with wires sticking out like that), but as a prototype, this is a fine example of a clever solution.

French Press Holder

This person clearly enjoys taking their coffee with them on the commute to work. This is the work of a hardcore coffee lover, and we are here for some of that action. Sometimes you just need one more cup of coffee.

It might look a bit rough around the edges, but sometimes the most important thing about a creation is functionality, and this unique piece certainly has that going for it. This is making us thirsty for a steaming hot cup.

Treadmill Desk

Recent years have seen a rise in people trying to squeeze in as much fitness and exercise as they can into their workday. Treadmill desks are one of the innovations we have seen thanks to this trend, but they come at a price.

This thrifty innovator decided to handle the problem of affordability himself by creating his own version. It looks like it works just fine. This is an excellent example that proves that even without money, you can still have a version of that thing you want most but can’t afford.

Pool Heater

We have to say that this doesn’t appear to be a very safe invention. That being said, there is nothing worse than climbing into a cold swimming pool. So, sometimes you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to get what you want.

Judging by this photo, we would say there’s a lot that could potentially go wrong with this pool heater setup. Fingers crossed that it all worked out fine for these guys and that they enjoyed their swim! Just be careful trying this on your own.

Tree Surgery

Sometimes Mother Nature can cause us all a bit of trouble. In this case, this electricity pole appears to have suffered significant damage, probably from a storm. The solution people came up with was to prop it up with a piece of wood.

It’s a cheap solution that solves the problem of having to replace the entire setup, but we can’t help but think of the safety concerns it poses to the good people who live down this street. We can’t help but fear for the person who lives right next to it.

PVC Pipe Shower

It might look a little bit dirty and will probably not provide the most glamorous of shower experiences, but despite its lack of visual appeal, we think this DIY creation could pass for a reasonable shower. It seems to work just fine.

Humans can be infinitely resourceful if the situation requires it. This is a self-sufficient and budget-friendly solution that allows the owner to have a wash whenever they want. We suppose that it’s better than walking around smelling all day long!

Waiting for the Plumber

This person had a blocked drain in their bathtub, and unfortunately, the plumber wasn’t able to come and remedy the issue until later on. Fortunately, using a standard garden hose as a temporary solution, they were able to take care of it.

While it may not be a long-term fix, it looks like it certainly served its purpose until the plumber was able to come over and fix everything. We just hope that nobody needed to water the garden during the interim period!

Desk Extension

Sometimes, there just isn’t enough space on the desk to suitably organize your work. This is not something that our next engineer was going to take lying down. So, they took matters into their own hands and made a desk extension.

It may not be the most attractive desk that we have ever seen, but it definitely increased the working space by a significant amount. There really is no limit to what can be achieved with enough gaffer tape and audacity!

Spinning forks

When it comes to eating spaghetti or noodles, sometimes a regular fork is just not good enough. These spinning forks are usually available to buy at local convenience stores, but why bother when you can fashion one of your own designs?

Like many of the inventions that we have seen, this may not look as professional or attractive as something bought from a shop, but no matter. If your priority is having a tool that will ensure you enjoy your pasta, this should be perfect!

Homemade Truck

It’s expensive to buy a truck these days, so this engineer has decided to come up with a slightly different solution: the homemade truck. This is one of our favorite examples of somebody solving a problem through intriguing lateral thinking.

Judging from the photograph, this magnificent feat of customization seems to work just fine. It looks like it is capable of doing the job it was designed to do, so in our book, we have to consider it a success. 

Peanut Butter Jar lamp

This is the epitome of innovation. By converting an empty peanut butter jar into a lampshade, this creative and clever designer has created a pretty decent covering for their lamp. It is cost-effective and good for the environment as well.

Not only does it work as it is, but this engineer has also scratched up the surface of the jar so the bulb gives off softer light that is a lot more comfortable on the eyes. This one really lights us up! 

Home Built Bike

This is not something we are in a hurry to have a go on. To be honest, it actually looks a bit dangerous. That being said, we definitely acknowledge the amount of time and work that went into creating this… thing.

By our count, there are at least half a dozen parts of various bikes and mopeds that have all been joined together to create this motorbike. Not only that, but the ‘bike’ seems to be powered by something that looks like a chainsaw engine! 

Unicycle Skateboard?

Next, we have an interesting mash-up of a skateboard and a bicycle front wheel and handlebars that combined make up a sort of unicycle skateboard type of bike. It’s an interesting mode of transport, but it looks like it’s pretty fun to ride.

It’s amazing how creative people can be when they are on the hunt for something fun and interesting to make. We suspect that you would need to have an incredibly good sense of balance to get anywhere on this thing.

Bedroom door lock

This is certainly one of the better-crafted examples of homemade engineering on our list. In fact, it is so intricate and well put together that it almost looks like a piece of artwork. The one drawback is that it’s wooden.

Don’t get us wrong, wood is amazing and essential, but it’s also vulnerable to things like axes and fire. That being said, as a fun little project, this must have been very satisfying to work on. It’s also weirdly satisfying to look at.

Replacement Latch

This is a simple and effective solution to a broken latch. It is also one of the more sensible and efficient examples that we have seen on our list. Sometimes, solving a problem doesn’t have to be a big crazy project.

It is often the case that the best solution to a problem is a simple and unexciting one. A broken latch on something like a tool drawer doesn’t mean you need a new one. You can simply fix the look with something as simple as this.

Cable Tie shoelace

In a similar vein to our previous entry, this is a simple solution to another one of life’s irritating little problems. It may not be the most elegant way to solve this problem, but it is definitely effective, especially if you’re out in the field and somehow lose a shoelace.

Often, when you have to fix something immediately, you are forced to use things that you have at your disposal at the time. In this case, the man was working on a construction site and was able to improvise a way to keep his shoe securely in place.

Elevating Planter Base

We really enjoyed this one! By rigging up the potted plant to the garage door in a way that it remains upright, this amateur engineer has created something clever and quite aesthetically pleasing. Bonus points for keeping it well-watered, too!

The world is full of these everyday heroes who see an issue and take matters into their own hands. The results, in this case, were pretty satisfying to see. We also think it looks quite stylish and might have a go ourselves!

Homemade Water Gun

Sometimes you just can’t afford to treat yourself or your child to that new water gun you have had your eye on. But don’t get disheartened! Take inspiration from this fun-loving do-it-yourself enthusiast and fashion yourself one right at home!

By using a couple of everyday items that you can find lying around in most homes, this water gun pioneer made a unique gun that undoubtedly made their child the envy of the entire neighborhood. We can totally imagine them ditching their flashy guns in favor of this one!

Keep Those Scissors Safe

This is a pretty clever idea. In fact, we think we might use it ourselves! It can be really annoying when your favorite pair of scissors aren’t where you left them. To solve this common problem, you need a retractable tether.

This allows the scissors to be moved around and used comfortably without disappearing from their place in the drawer. It’s simple and clever, and it does exactly what it’s supposed to do. Another round of applause for brilliant home engineers!

Rubber chicken Fender

This is the perfect example of someone who doesn’t take themselves too seriously. Our favorite kind of humans! Judging by their rubber chicken fender protector, we could hazard a guess that this guy is always the life of the party.

This funny-looking brood of rubber chickens would be quite useful when it comes to getting into tight parking spaces. The chickens would squeak if the car pushed up against a wall or another car. It is quite an interesting solution.

Tortoise Ramp

This little construction project brings a smile to our faces. Someone else who clearly appreciates it is this little guy. It gives him a way to get himself up to see out of the window. It’s a thoughtful creation that makes us feel fuzzy inside.

Tortoises are not high-maintenance pets to have in the house, so to create this little ramp must have been a real labor of love. This also shows that not all home-built inventions need to be elaborate. Some are just built out of kindness. 

360 Time Lapse Setup

By purchasing a $2.50 oven timer and setting up a digital camera on top of it, this enthusiastic photographer is able to take 360-degree time-lapse photos. There is nothing bad you can say about this one. It’s clever, it’s effective, and it’s cheap.

If you have a passion for something, you can often find a simple and elegant solution to the majority of problems that you encounter when pursuing it. If you are good at editing photos and videos, a simple setup like this would be amazing.