Popular Mechanics Editor Roy Berendsohn ‘Working It’ at Rebuilding Together Philadelphia

I learned a lot about Popular Mechanics Editor Roy Berendsohn while we worked together building a fence at Popular Mechanics’ Rebuilding Together Philadelphia project.

Actually, I suspected it was true, but working with him digging postholes confirmed it: The guy is the real deal.

And if he works half as hard at producing the Home section in PM as he does building stuff, well, PM is a magazine built with the authenticity of a been-there-done-that editor.

See, Roy and I were tasked with building a fence on what was previously a trash-strewn but otherwise vacant lot. Problem was, however, that this lot wasn’t always vacant. Some type of structure had once stood there and our first fence post was to be dropped right into where its 18 inch thick rubble foundation was.

So forget about shovels, getting this hole dropped the requisite 24 inches took digging bars, ripping bars and our hands. And despite this photo of Roy using a post-hole digger, that tool was quickly put aside once we knew what we were dealing with.

Rock after tree root after hunk of BX-cable, the hole got wider as it got deeper.

And Roy never backed down, stopped working, or even considered exploring the option of giving up.

We removed 30 inches of soil, all told. And without skipping a beat, Roy and Team PM swooped in with the materials and help we needed to get that post dead plumb and snugged up to our layout line (mason’s string.) The hole was filled in no time by none other than Publisher Bill Congdon and crew. Roy was off to the next post.

Soakin’ wet and tireless, Roy loaned us his tools (worm-drive…niiiiiiice) and we got the fence built.

See, there’s something about working with people equally dedicated to the big picture, the details, and the hustle-work itself. If this blog doesn’t tell the story about what Theresa and I saw of Roy and the entire PM crew, I hope the pictures, well, paint the picture.

Way to go.