FaithManor Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 So I get called into the dining room also known as, "The Science Lab", to witness a new triumph. DD has been attempting to make a lightbulb ala Thomas Edison with helium and graphite inside a glass vase turned upside down. Well, she and dh, in a crazy 10:30 p.m. brainstorming session on HOW TO ACHIEVE INCREDIBLE, BLINDING BRIGHTNESS, had unbeknowst to me earlier in the day, purchased argon from a welding supply store plus very thin tungsten wire. Tonight they evacuated the air from the vase by filling it with helium which is lighter than argon, then filled it with argon causing the helium to rise to the top, made a soft putty "stopper" to capture the gas, having hardwired the tungsten inside before filling it. Well, guess what?????? It's so bright it can only be looked at through safety glasses and, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand, it burned the insulation on the wiring, the tungsten filament, and made the glass dangerously hot to touch! Of course, NOW they are thinking that just possibly the CAR BATTERY (oh yes, the Ford Taurus is currently unpowered, they snuck out there and stole my battery under the guise of darkness) was just a little bit tooooo much juice! Really, ya think?????? Of course, this is all taking place on my antique table and they are grinning like crazy lunatics. I thought about standing by with a fire extinguisher....a very common safety precaution for me to take whenever dh and his entourage of four, pyromaniac offspring are "up to something". But, I've decided to just pretend I don't know a thing and hide in my bedroom with the computer, internet, a piece of chocolate, and netflix. Another snippet from the "FAITH'S HOUSEHOLD IS SO NUTS SHE CAN NOT POSSIBLY MAKE THIS STUFF UP" file. This is after spending a large part of Saturday sitting outside with the garden hose monitoring metal castings in dh's homemade forge which he made out of a heavy stainless steel stock pot, fireplace brick, fireplace insulation, and a propane tank. So far one HUGE model of a buffalo nickel, two wagon wheels approximately 4" in diameter, and two cannon barrels have been cast. Another cannon barrel has been turned on the metal lathe by the 14 year old weapons historian. I will say this, he did a very nice job and I'm quite proud of him for his first attempt at metal tooling. But, there is just nothing like your hubby walking across the lawn in full welding garb over his lab coat while carrying a crucible of molten aluminum towards the casting flasks with three eager children barely able to contain themselves behind the "safety line" I have established, to make you just wonder...will I be on the news some day, "Mother grieves for husband and three sons who burned themselves to the ground!" Sometimes I am absolutely no better though. Ds, the youngest, asked me today if we couldn't pretty please buy up a bunch of fire alarms and harvest the americium (radioactive element - single grain encased in gold) from the alarms so he could build a sensitive geiger counter to demonstrate for next year's 4-H science competition. I said yes! They have made me insane...if you can't beat them, join them! Sigh, this is why the little white hairs are creeping in around my temples. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theYoungerMrsWarde Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 :lol::lol::lol: That's AWESOME! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I LOVE your stories. Please...please...please move to my county and work your sciency ways on our 4H. :auto: *science man and boys (and girl) wonder to the rescue* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I wanna play :driving: at your house! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Ds14 would love your house. He's working on casting plastic resin pieces now. I'm not going to tell him about your forge. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted July 12, 2011 Author Share Posted July 12, 2011 Ds14 would love your house. He's working on casting plastic resin pieces now. I'm not going to tell him about your forge. . . Uhm...yeah...you probably don't want him building his own forge! Dh says that silcone (RTV silcone) works very well for making molds for resin castings. Youtube has a lot of good videos on this. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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