The dangers of sparking skates, but possible ignition system

[Mark]

If you endure and read the entire post it's kind of funny. Mr. Barry even appeared on The Late Night Show with David Letterman to demonstrate.
For a really "hot" spark, Barbie is the way to go.
Mark
http://www.dt.org/html/Barbie.html

http://cgi.aol.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl ... eName=WDVW

http://www.sparedollar.com/viewpic.asp? ... es-009.jpg

http://www.sparedollar.com/viewpic.asp? ... es-010.jpg

[PulseDuuude]

(While I was doing this, a neighbor walked up, and I just want to say that if you think it's easy to explain why you're squatting in your driveway, in front of a set of burning underwear, surrounded by hair spray bottles, holding a Barbie doll in your hand, then you are mistaken.)

AHAHahahaaa...

[Mike Everman]

LOL!

[Bruno Ogorelec]

Given that I am supposed to be sulking and glowering at Mark, maybe I shouldn't be saying so, but I did burst out laughing over this while I was drinking coffee, and nearly ruined the keyboard. Haven't read anything as funny for ages.

There's fancy ignition equipment if I ever saw one. My friends already think my choice of hobbies is a bit strange; if they see me with a Roller Barbie...

[larry cottrill]

There's fancy ignition equipment if I ever saw one. My friends already think my choice of hobbies is a bit strange; if they see me with a Roller Barbie...

Now, that is a funny scene - almost knocked me off my chair here at work! Actually, back about 30 years ago, when I was interested in diving, I had a bearded GI Joe doll with a full miltary helmet suit and air line. You could actually put him down in a fish tank and keep the suit more-or-less properly ventilated, as long your air held out.

More seriously, though - we have recently come up with some really good-starting engines, and it has previously been asserted on several occasions that starting with a flame at the tailpipe is possible. So why not have a 'flintlock' valveless pulsejet? You'd need a way of pre-charging the pipe with just enough fuel vapor, and then perhaps have the end capped with paper or foil except for a small opening for the flint spark to get in. Then, switch on the fuel and immediately strike your flint and you're off!

The flint and striker would be so lightweight and compact that this would even work for a flight engine, as a built-in standard feature. If you don't want your hand back there for striking, it could be done with a long strip of tough, thin plastic [I'm thinking something like a long cable tie] that you would pull through from the front and set aside. The plastic would run against the little wheel to generate a brief flood of sparks.

L Cottrill

[Mark]

Here's a sparking substance made of 6 different metals it says, info at the bottom of the linked page.
http://cgi.aol.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl ... 64200&rd=1
Here's a blast match for a blastwave pulsejet pehaps.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 51041&rd=1
And of course there are those Coleman lantern sparkers that spark when you twist the friction device.
And then you can go back in time with a replication of an antique device. I guess you have to supply your own flint?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 68226&rd=1
Here's one with flint and jute twine, nothing like a "stone age" ignititon system, might be interesting.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 76423&rd=1

Mark

[Stephen H]

hahaha i did find that a laugh... made a good story to tell at a family dinner...