X

Snow chopper made from junk--in Antarctica

If these guys can make this in a tool shop on an ice shelf, I believe Tony Stark can build his Mark I Iron Man suit in a cave.

Matt Hickey
With more than 15 years experience testing hardware (and being obsessed with it), Crave freelance writer Matt Hickey can tell the good gadgets from the great. He also has a keen eye for future technology trends. Matt has blogged for publications including TechCrunch, CrunchGear, and most recently, Gizmodo. Matt is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive. E-mail Matt.
Matt Hickey

Bob Sawicki, standing, and Toby Weisser show off their snowmobile chopper. The only thing more geeky would be to build it out of Legos. National Science Foundation/Peter Rejcek

Let's say you're stationed in Antarctica at the McMurdo Station research center. And let's say your job is to help maintain the fleet of snowmobiles the U.S. uses down there. And let's say your former job skilled you in parts fabrication.

And let's say you've got a lot of junk that's being thrown away. And finally let's say you're into motorcycles. If this is you, then you're probably Bob Sawicki or Toby Weisser, two mechanics who put their heads together and used their know-how to build the snow chopper shown above.

It was built over the course of six weeks as part of a project for the station's alternative art gallery, but it's fully functional. The duo made it entirely out of scrap parts headed to the garbage, so it cost the U.S. taxpayers nothing. I'd like to say it's the most interesting vehicle in all of Antarctica, but that would be incorrect.