2013 August Some Blog Site

Archive for August, 2013

Potato Cannon Recap

Aug

2013

I recent built a potato cannon. For those who remember my post from last month about potato cannon attachments: no, I did not try any of those.

In the past, i.e. before I had 4 kids, I would have taken photos of each step: raw materials, prepared but unassembled parts, partial assemblies, then finished product. But today you aren’t getting any photos. There are plenty of photos and step-by-step instructions already on the Internet. In case you’re wondering – I used the plans from Instructables.

I couldn’t follow the instructions exactly, because the big-box stores didn’t have 3″ solid-core PVC. So I had to go with a 2″ combustion chamber and a 1.5″ barrel. Smaller displacement means less power, but it still worked.

I was somewhat surprised when the potato cannon worked on the first try. Right Guard for the propellant initially. That was noticed by my brother-in-law because that’s what he uses for his deodorant. I told him not to get too close.

After that, I tried WD-40. That didn’t produce any combustion. Maybe my can was too old. So then I tried half Right Guard and half WD-40. That worked pretty well, but I think the Right Guard did all the work and the WD-40 didn’t contribute much.

After about half a bag of potatoes, the cannon started misfiring. One side of the electrode was a bolt with a nut, so it was secure. The other side was held in place by tape. That was not so secure. It wore out, came loose, and the pressure from combustion started coming out the side of the cannon instead of pushing the potato out.

I was going to take the cannon home to add another bolt and nut to fix the problem, but after much spraying of Right Guard and WD-40, the cannon was greasy and smelly. So I left it at my parents’ house.

In Jerusalem he made engines of war invented by skillful men to be on the towers and on the corners for the purpose of shooting arrows and great stones. Hence his fame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.

2 Chronicles 26:15

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Bathroom Redecorating

Aug

2013

We decided to add some visual flair to the bathroom.

First, some random stucco on the otherwise-flat ceiling:

photo of shaving cream splattered on a white ceiling

Then, to catch people’s attention, some random stucco on the red wall:

photo of shaving cream splattered on a red wall

Finally, to really make it artistic, some random stucco on the mirror, of all places:

photo of shaving cream splattered on a mirror

I’m not quite sure I would have chosen to decorate in that manner, but that’s the problem with working with artists – their visions might not mesh with yours.

Here’s the real story: I was shaving and I heard a loud POP. The can of shaving cream was on the floor on the other side of the bathroom, and there was shaving cream sprayed everywhere. As you may be able to tell from the photo, the can was a bit rusty. It’s probably over a year old – growing a beard during the cold months in Michigan will make a can of shaving cream last for a long time.

photo of an exploded can of shaving cream