Inventor: This Is My Job

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• This Is My Job
• DIY
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Mario Salazar Age: 44 Years on Job: 8

Mario Salazar has built everything from hearing aids to space shuttle hardware. But when he decided to create a line of furniture, he couldn’t find a tool that would make precisely angled cuts as quickly as he wanted. So the 44-year-old invented one: the ProMiter-100, which he recently licensed to Sears Craftsman. Inspired by his wife, Tia—who has undergone a hip operation and who writes the software for his tools—Salazar plans to modify the technology for use in orthopedic surgery. He says it will allow surgeons to shape bone more efficiently. Now a full-time inventor, Salazar has a message for others: “Never underestimate what you’re capable of doing when you set your mind to doing it.”

MORE OF SALAZAR'S GEAR:

Drill Bits: Standard bits can be used on Salazar’s milling machine and his 110-volt, multi-speed Delta drill press (not pictured), which he uses for basic drilling and sanding.

Digital Miter Tool Prototype: Salazar machined this first prototype of the miter gauge himself—and continues to do so. “I sell the Ferrari of miter gauges to people who don’t buy [it] from Sears,” he says. “You’re literally getting a hand-made, custom product. I enjoy doing it, and it keeps my dexterity up.”

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