| Author | Message | ||
     Raymond Liu |
Yesterday, I made the "world's siplist steamboat with my dad. Today we tested it out, and it speeded around my bath tub like a car. But the second time we tried it, it didn't work and the pipe got so hot that black smoke came out. There was still water in the tube, but the water would not boil. We waited over ten minutes! Please help. Also, I used a one quarter inch soft copper tube because my dad said he didn't have any and he didn't want to buy any. | ||
| Simon Quellen Field (Sfield) |
You probably just have a bubble of air in the tube. This is easy to fix, just refill the tube with fresh water. Water normally has air dissolved in it, and that air comes out of solution when the water is heated. This air is usually able to get out as the water pulses, but sometimes it collects at the top of the tube and interferes with the pulsing action. | ||
| Raymond Liu |
But I did! My dad and I refilled it about 3 times and it still doesn't work. Are you supposed to put the candle so the flame is in the center of the copper tube or are you supposed to put in directly on the tube? My dad doesn't like the black smoke that is coming out and that might be the problem. I have one more question. How does the cool happy drinking bird in your catolog work? Thanks! | ||
| Simon Quellen Field (Sfield) |
The bird is described here. Since you had the boat working once, I suspect the flame has changed position, and is no longer generating enough heat. Place the candle so that the flame does not quite touch the copper tubing, but is directly under it. This should also reduce the soot production. | ||
| dDS |
That project is jsut hard in general i need all the guidlines in easier form it is impossible and you should get copper tubing in your cattalog b/c i can't find any | ||
| Simon Quellen Field (Sfield) |
If you don't have any copper tubing, it is no wonder you are finding the project difficult. The project is simple enough to have been in a cub scout manual back when I was a kid. So take heart -- once you find a hardware store and get the copper tubing, it will be a piece of cake. A quick Google search for copper tubing will show you many hardware and plumbing stores that carry it, such as this one, or this one. | ||
| jason rucks |
i have an idea about a cloud forming machine. it uses the vacuum pump described eleswhere orn your site, 3 or 4 drops of alcohol, and a seethrough can.#1 put the alcohal in the can.#2 hook the pump to the can. then seal every thing. finnaly, put vacuum on the can, and a small cloud should form. i have NOT tried this, but i saw it on a old tv show called mr.wizard. | ||
| fan of this site Unregistered guest |
candles are not the ultimate heat source for steamboats insteag take a jar lid that is all metal [no plastic ] put enough water to cover the bottom of the lid then take some alluminum foil and set it on top o the jar lid now make a slight depression in the foil now bend the exess aroud the lid prime your boat and put it in the water now fuel your new burner by soakin asnall rag in 99% rubbing alcohol put da rag in te depression in the burner put this in your boat where you used ta put da candle now light da rag n watch it go | ||
| greg koz (Greg1118) Intermediate Member Username: Greg1118 Post Number: 40 Registered: 10-2006 |
Nice spelling | ||
| Alex Roberts (Whoo_mythbusters) Senior Member Username: Whoo_mythbusters Post Number: 180 Registered: 9-2005 |
If you want me to, I can go threw all of your posts, and pick out all of your spelling and grammar mistakes, but that is not the point of this site. I'm sure that SOME of these people know how to spell and punctuate correctly, but they are just are to lazy and choose not to. i.e."Nice spelling" should have a period at the end. ;-) Come on guys, spelling mistakes happen, that's why people have created programs such as the Google toolbar with spell checker. Even so, some things slip by, but then at the same time, like the person above, some people just don't care how they appear. This argument has been fought many times on this site, but you learn to get used to it. After having said that, I am positive that someone will correct something in this post, but its OK things happen. | ||
| greg koz (Greg1118) Intermediate Member Username: Greg1118 Post Number: 42 Registered: 10-2006 |
The period is implied, or it's the same color as th backround ;-) |
