Practical Pyromaniac: Build Fire Tornadoes, One-Candlepower Engines, Great Balls of Fire, and More Incendiary DevicesCombining science, history, and DIY pyrotechnics, this book for the workbench warrior explains humankind’s most useful and paradoxical tool: fire. William Gurstelle, author of the bestselling Backyard Ballistics, presents 25 projects with instructions, diagrams, photos, and links to video demonstrations that enable people of all ages to explore and safely play with fire. From Franklin’s stove to Diesel’s engine, explosive and fascinating tales are told of the great pyromaniacs who scientifically revealed the mysteries of fire such as “Gunpowder” Joseph Priestly, who discovered oxygen; Antoine Lavoisier, the father of chemistry; and Humphrey Davy, whose chemical discoveries and fiery inventions saved thousands of lives. By following the directions inside, the curious can replicate these breakthrough scientists’ experiments and inventions from the simply fascinating one-candlepower engine to the nearly magical fire piston and an incredible tornado of fire. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 7 | |
3 The First Lights | 31 |
4 The OneCandlepower Engine | 47 |
5 The Fire Drill | 55 |
6 The Burning Ring of Fire | 69 |
7 The Hydrogen Generator and the Oxygenizer 81 | 81 |
8 Exploding Bubbles | 101 |
12 The Extincteur | 147 |
13 The Photometer | 155 |
14 Thermocouples | 165 |
15 Technicolor Flames | 175 |
16 The Fire Tornado | 183 |
17 Great Balls of Fire | 193 |
Epilogue | 201 |
| 205 | |
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The Practical Pyromaniac: Build Fire Tornadoes, One-candlepower Engines ... William Gurstelle No preview available - 2011 |
Common terms and phrases
acid allow battery bright bubbles build Bunsen burning called candle carbon carefully cause Cavendish century chapter chemical chemistry close cloth color complete container continue copper Davy described device diameter dioxide drill electricity elements engine experiments extinguisher fabric Faraday fire fire piston fireplace fitting flame flask fuel glass handle heat hole hydrogen ignite important inches inches long inside invented KeePIng known laboratory lamp Lavoisier lectures light lighter look Manby match materials measure metal molecules moving named nature nearly oxygen piece pipe Place Priestley produced propane reaction remove Royal Institution rubber Rumford safety scientific scientists shape shown in diagram side simple stove surface temperature thermocouple things torch trough tube turn understanding vapor wick wire wood wrote