We’d-Be-Gon

Who needs farm show when I have friends like Fritz Hagist. Here is a true pyro solution to pesky weeds! Note that the propane line enters the combustion chamber for a pre-heat before the burners.

Update today

And aren’t those rear tires fab!!!

It is slower than I thought, 3 passes although the ground is real wet. I might need to shorten the vapor tube as my vapor temp at the first jet was over 500 f. but I might have been real low on liquid. So tomorrow I will check again with full tank. With 3 # 60 jets, I can get 1 1/2 hours of burn on 7 gallons of fuel. So I really do not want to open them up to a 55 or so. I think if the fuel was much cooler it would be much denser and hence more BTU’s in the box. I tried subbing 10% gas-90% #2 diesel after the unit was well preheated and I got yellow flames and smoke….

Maker Faire this weekend!

Maker Fair 2010 in San Mateo

We are packing today and off to Maker Faire. This is a great event for kids and I guarantee it will hold the interest of anyone who shows up that likes to make, do or learn.

The Boiler Bar crew will be there with the Giant Iron Snail Car the Golden Mean, the Electrobite, and more. We will also be doing demos on building an electric lady bug, wire card holders, casting snail pins, and how to build a fire garden.

We will be vending hand made items by the crew and will have kits available for you to work on at home.

Fire pit kit

Please stop by and say hello!

Beer Circus!!

Lagunitas Beer Circus

We had a great time entertaining the good folks of the north!

Pictures here

Here too

Every Day Carry-EDC

While searching the web for pictures of the Electric Daisy Carnival I came across these pictures in surprising quantity. It got me thinking about what I carry in my pockets every day. This is a light day, no change, and I had to use the camera to shoot the picture. Every once in a while I get called out on how many items I have on my belt. Try Google and you will see what I mean.

My pockets

I like the chainmaille supplies in this one, just in case!

Office guy.

Next week I’ll do one on what I carry in my truck at all times. Skin stapler is a must!

Lagunitas Beer Circus this Sunday

The Boiler Bar Stage and dancing girls will be there in all our glory for you to enjoy the toil of our performance and perfection.

The Giant Iron Snail will be on guard letting you enjoy in the comforts of her insides. Musical performance, dancing carnies, frolicking trollops, and loose wallets just to grease the fun. Come and enjoy our company and we yours!

Lagunitas Beer Circus

Vortex Fire Ball Generators

I call them poofers. These wonderful fire toys were the next generation of vortex generators I made for SRL. After making supersonic vortex rings with oxy-acetylene  explosions I want to take it one step further and make giant fire rings. I experimented with different shaped nozzles, pilot lights and valve sizes and came up with ball, ring and disk shaped flames. I was able to achieve great fire rings that fully separated from the cannon and traveled 30-40 feet into the air. The low sounding thump of these poofers can be heard for blocks attracting moths of all kinds. I also worked out a remote crane controller to trigger the poofers. I’m able to walk around the perimeter visiting with the crowd and letting them get a chance to shoot a giant fire ball. I’ve had kids approach the fire balls crying with fright, but wanting to shoot one themselves. The look on their face of achievement and delight with crocodile tears still fresh on their face is worth all the time experimenting.

You can see the perfect fuel air mix achieved (blue) at the flame front and tail of this fire ring. Note the vortex starting to form at the top. the unspent fuel still in the center of this ball will form the ring that will continue anouther 30-40 feet higher before the fuel is spent.

Here is the fire ring.

This poofer shoots and throws a very tight fireball 50 feet in the air.

SRL show in San Jose 2006

Here are the poofers. I can rotate the tops on the balls below. This alows me to adjust for wind and crowds.

Zolie the Blacksmith

Zolie and “Grandpa Joe” got busy at the CBA blacksmithing conference this last weekend and made a nail for Shawn Lovell’s nail stump.

She really enjoyed hammering and hanging out with Joe. She woke us up at 6:45 am in the camp ground asking if grandpa was here yet.

I had a great time seeing all my friends, serving beer, exchanging tips and dreaming up the next project.

More Pictures