Ever wonder who invented plywood? John Mayo of New York City did in 1865 by cross-laminating and gluing thin strips of wood across each other to form a wood panel with exceptional strength -- both with and across the grain. But after getting a patent, Mayo did nothing with it until a few wood mills started using his idea to make stronger interior doors in the early 1900s. The plywood concept really got rolling when Henry Ford started using it for automobile floorboards in the 1920s. But during the stock-market-crash years, both use and interest dwindled until a little-known scientist Dr. James Nevins invented a good waterproof adhesive in 1934. It made laminated wood suitable for exterior use, too, causing the plywood revolution to begin anew, and it hasn't stopped since. And that's the On The House tip for today.