June 2004
Monthly Archive
Monthly Archive
I’ve got a few links I’d like to highlight for people who are into tinkering and mechanical stuff. If you are a tinkering hobbyist you know how frustrating it can be to find exactly what you need, except the store that sells it has a 1000$ minimum order, or the part is only available in 10,000 unit pallets. Thats fine if you are a big company, not so useful for individuals. So here are a few links to places that have good stuff at reasonable prices, and no or low minimum order requirements.
Well, I hope this helps some of you tinkerers, and if anyone else has a supplier they think would go well in this list, let me know, and I’ll put it up!
4 comments Sunday 27 Jun 2004 | Sam | Lovely Links
Last night at fire spinning practice at the City Museum we got to test a new flamethrower. It was good, because like in any group, tensions can ocasionally get high, misunderstandings can cause hurt feelings, and a group feels growing pains as it trys to find out how it wants to handle the dangers (quite literal dangers, in this case) of having more people around.
One of my fellow spinners was not very happy due to the tension, and the fact that his propane tank was empty. He had brought with him version 2 of a large recreational flame thrower that he wanted to test, but was out of gas.
The flamethrower design is simple. A standard propane grill style tank is filled with liquid propane. When you open the valve, this liquid propane begins to boil, and turns into a gas as it leaves the tank. This gas is mixed with air, and ignited to cook your food. However, the tank can only boil propane away at a certain rate, otherwise the tank ices up, since the vaporization of the propane sucks the heat out of the tank. If the tank ices up, you don’t get any more gas until it thaws.
In this flame thrower, the LP tank is connected via a propane regulator to a secondary holding tank. This tank holds pressurized propane gas, instead of holding liquid propane. Coming out of the tank is a 3/4” steel pipe, with a T adapter on the end. One part of the T goes to the regulator, which fills the tank. The top part of the T goes to a gas ball valve. Coming from this valve is a long piece of the same 3/4” pipe. At the top of the pipe a small propane torch is attached to provide a pilot light.
To activate the flame thrower, you close the ball valve, and open the regulator up to around 30 PSI. The LP tank slowly pressurizes the second tank, and when you reach 30 PSI (which takes a minute), then you quickly open and close the ball valve, releasing a burst of pressurized propane from the top of the pipe. As the gas passes the pilot light, it ignites in a tremendous ball of flame. As the gas burns, it forms a 20 foot tall tower of flame, and a concussive explosion.
But as I was saying, we had no propane. One of the proprietors of the museum came out to see what we were up to, and when he realized we had no propane, he went out back and grabbed a tank for us to use. This instantly perked things up (remember the tensions I mentioned?). After a few good test explosions, the proprieter came back. At first we thought he was going to ask us to stop, but instead he asked us if we would take the apparatus way up onto a stone tower out in front of the museum, and make some big cool fireballs out where everyone could see. Clearly we were his kind of freak. So we lugged the rig up into the tower, and proceeded to release mighty bursts of fire that attracted the attention of all the people living in the lofts across the street, as well as setting off a car alarm (twice).
After the excitement of the flamethrower and the satisfaction of having caused a ruckus, the evening went much better, proving that truly there is no problem that isn’t best solved with an explosive inferno of fire.
P.S. If anyone has either a whistle valve, a gas solenoid valve, or a unicycle that I can have, please contact me!
6 comments Thursday 24 Jun 2004 | Sam | Personal
On Thursday Madalene and I went to see the Olympic torch come through town. The torch is stopping at cities around the world, and is relayed from important person to important person as it is run, by hand, through each city, burning brightly.
The torch ran down Delmar Ave., near our house. We casually wandered the block down to the street, and then stood around for a bit as motorcycles and police cars drove down the street, heralding the approaching torch. An assortment of Samsung sponsored vehicles, including an H2 Hummer, blared music as they trundled along as part of the procession. Finally, a lady holding the torch and flanked by BMW motorcycles ran past. We clapped, and on the procession went. Then we got some sandwiches.
If that sounds a little anti-climactic to you, then you’d be right. It was all quite casual, and there weren’t many people out. The cheering when the torch passed was moderate, and the parade around the torch was measly at best. The torch itself was pretty neat though, a well crafted wood and aluminum device, with a sleek look.
I rememeber when I was in Elementary school how the Olympics was the biggest event I could think of. Each classroom chose a sport to follow, and we made charts of the progress. We dressed up in costumes of our favorite countries (at the time, my favorite country was Australia) and acted out the opening ceremonies. We even tried out different olympic events like long jump and soccer. The Olympics, and the events proceeding it, were several weeks of Olympic fever at my school.
But this event was rather lackluster. It was neat to see the torch being run along, but I was surprised at how little excitement there was, and how unexcited I was. Oh well.
3 comments Saturday 19 Jun 2004 | Sam | Other
Tonight our fire spinning troupe had its first performance since choosing a name, “Pandora’s Matchbox”. We have a few friends who work for Opera Theater St. Louis, and tonight was a big cast/crew party. Each time they have a party, a different department is responsible for planning it, and each department tries to upstage the previous party.
Our friends in wardrobe, Barb and Caroline, were among those responsible for this party. They arranged for a DJ, good catering, plenty of booze, and they asked if we would spin some fire. We were plyed with food, booze, and monetary compensation for fuel use. Of course, they really had to twist our arms to come out and play with fire.
Nearly everyone in the group was able to come, and we had consistent fire for a few hours, with all sorts of interesting new toys, including a set of poi so big and scary that Leef, the operator, said that he felt like he was within the bowels of Hell itself. In fact for a moment the fire was so large that he was completely obscured from view by the towering wall of flame.
Of course, the crowd loved it.
All in all, we got lots of great feedback, yummy food, and we had a lot of fun. I think the next department is going to have a very hard time topping this party.
Pictures are forthcoming!

Madalene and I have been tending a garden in a local plot near our house. For a modest fee you rent a plot, and then everyone in the garden meets monthly to do work on the site. Then you just tend your garden whenever you want, and reap the rewards. Its a good situation for everyone involved, and Missouri weather, for all its hot and humid-ness, provides a long, good growing season.
This picture is of the bumper crop of raspberries and lettuce I harvested today. Our garden has several lettuce plants, and between them, they produce more lettuce than we can actually consume. The entire garden adheres pretty strictly to organic growing practices, and so it is generally assumed that a small portion of your crop will go to the insects, but things are doing pretty well without chemical assistance. Madalene has sighted several mantises in the garden, and we’ve been using beer to lure slugs away from the succulent lettuce.
The berries come from a communal plot that is stocked with overgrown raspberry and blackberry plants. Everyone helps water them, and then if you are around and the berries are ripe, you harvest and enjoy. Today I found nearly every visible berry had been harvested or eaten by bugs and birds. However, a large branch of the shrub had begun to collapse, and a small natural lean-to had been formed under its draping leaves. I got on my knees and peered underneath, discovering a cache of uneaten berries.
As in many things, the sweetest fruit comes to those who are willing to go where no one else dares, and this truth is exemplified no clearer than in the art of berry picking. I crawled under the drooping branches, pushing them gently up over myself. From my tenuous position on the ground, I grabbed handful after handful of berries from the lair, gently scooting out to place them in my basket. Many scratches and dirty knees later, I had a good quantity of fresh raspberries (and two blackberries). I ate some on salad, ate some raw, and I intend to eat some on ice cream later.
As the summer progresses, our peppers and tomatoes will come into ripeness, and carrots, basil and dill will follow close behind. In fact, the growing season is so long here, that we will probably plant another round of vegetables as these plants finish their lives.
0 comments Friday 04 Jun 2004 | Sam | Personal