You may have seen the Zero Fog Gun at ThinkGeek. If not, look at this image cheerfully swiped their Customer Action Shots:
Cool, especially with the dry-ice-stuff. But kinda expensive. More-so, when one considers the cats will quickly tire of ethereal rings roiling towards them, and Nicole even more quickly.
Recently, the Kitchen Science segment of the Naked Scientists podcast demonstrated a built-on-the-cheap vortex cannon. If you look at the website, you'll see that the Scientists' cannon is really just a 2l bottle. Because I was listening to the podcast, and not looking at pictures, I got a different idea. I thought they cut the bottom off the bottle, taped a membrane across the opening, and thumped it like a drum-head. My immediate thought was, "I can make one of those." Followed shortly by, "I can do better than that . . . " I built this:
Cool, especially with the dry-ice-stuff. But kinda expensive. More-so, when one considers the cats will quickly tire of ethereal rings roiling towards them, and Nicole even more quickly.
Recently, the Kitchen Science segment of the Naked Scientists podcast demonstrated a built-on-the-cheap vortex cannon. If you look at the website, you'll see that the Scientists' cannon is really just a 2l bottle. Because I was listening to the podcast, and not looking at pictures, I got a different idea. I thought they cut the bottom off the bottle, taped a membrane across the opening, and thumped it like a drum-head. My immediate thought was, "I can make one of those." Followed shortly by, "I can do better than that . . . " I built this:
I used a jigsaw to cut a piece of high-density packing foam to fit the opening. I drilled holes in the sides of the bottle and through the foam. I ran a rubber-band through the holes. Small wood blocks prevent the band from withdrawing into the bottle. A small metal clip, much like a paperclip, provides something to grasp and pull at the base. I tried to build a piston, rather than a drum-head.
According to the Scientists, I should be able to extinguish a candle at 1 meter. Actually, they say 2-3 meters, with practice. But hey, I'm impatient! See for yourself:
Vortex Cannon.mov
I think I can improve it, though. The foam piece is a little too tight. I might try lubricating it. I might also try my original idea of stretching a membrane across the opening.
According to the Scientists, I should be able to extinguish a candle at 1 meter. Actually, they say 2-3 meters, with practice. But hey, I'm impatient! See for yourself:
Vortex Cannon.mov
I think I can improve it, though. The foam piece is a little too tight. I might try lubricating it. I might also try my original idea of stretching a membrane across the opening.
