An experiment too far? (off-topic)

Today (thanks to Nod's link to the most impressive Fortean Times web
site) I have been investigating the possibilities of constructing a
Leyden Jar. I was inspired by a description of such device on the
Fortean Times page relating to the Ark of the Covenant possibly
possessing the same unique properties.

http://www.forteantimes.com/articles/207_ark1.shtml

A description taken from a book published in 1899 describes the Leyden
Jar thus:

It consists of a glass jar, coated outside and inside with tinfoil to
within 2 or 3 cm of the top. It may therefore be regarded as a
condenser (capacitor) consisting of two parallel plates (positive and
negative) separated by a glass dielectric (insulator). The jar is
provided with a wooden lid, through the centre of which passes a brass
rod, terminating in a brass knob; a short length of metal chain is
attached to the lower end, and of sufficient length to touch the
tinfoil lining. The tinfoil serves as the insulated conductor, which
may be conveniently charged through the knob; the jar is either placed
on a table or held in the hand, so that the outer coating is
consequently earth-connected.

Tomorrow my mission will be to construct such a device using a milk
bottle, some tin-foil (or Baco!) a brass earthing spike (borrowed from
the garden that some wire or other was connected too), a brass knob
from the wardrobe, various other household items and a length of chain
from the kitchen sink plug.

Storms around here have been prevalent so it shouldn't be too difficult
to catch some of the power of lighting within the jar. I intend to
attach the brass knob to a lightning rod running down the side of my
local church. This I feel would make a suitable conductor.

The question is ...once I've captured the electricity what do I do with
it???? Thoughts???

Baz

wrote:
Today (thanks to Nod's link to the most impressive Fortean Times web
site) I have been investigating the possibilities of constructing a
Leyden Jar. I was inspired by a description of such device on the
Fortean Times page relating to the Ark of the Covenant possibly
possessing the same unique properties.

http://www.forteantimes.com/articles/207_ark1.shtml

A description taken from a book published in 1899 describes the Leyden
Jar thus:

It consists of a glass jar, coated outside and inside with tinfoil to
within 2 or 3 cm of the top. It may therefore be regarded as a
condenser (capacitor) consisting of two parallel plates (positive and
negative) separated by a glass dielectric (insulator). The jar is
provided with a wooden lid, through the centre of which passes a brass
rod, terminating in a brass knob; a short length of metal chain is
attached to the lower end, and of sufficient length to touch the
tinfoil lining. The tinfoil serves as the insulated conductor, which
may be conveniently charged through the knob; the jar is either placed
on a table or held in the hand, so that the outer coating is
consequently earth-connected.

Tomorrow my mission will be to construct such a device using a milk
bottle, some tin-foil (or Baco!) a brass earthing spike (borrowed from
the garden that some wire or other was connected too), a brass knob
from the wardrobe, various other household items and a length of chain
from the kitchen sink plug.

Storms around here have been prevalent so it shouldn't be too
difficult to catch some of the power of lighting within the jar. I
intend to attach the brass knob to a lightning rod running down the
side of my local church. This I feel would make a suitable conductor.

The question is ...once I've captured the electricity what do I do
with it???? Thoughts???

Baz

If you need additional wire for your experiments, you'll probably find
extraneous lengths of it attached to various metalwork around your house-
especially attached to gas and water pipes. It is likely to be green and
yellow in colour. This extra wire is unncessary for the carriage of the
electrical fluid and handy materiel for the scavenging experimenter.

After your experiment, I'd advise cutting a gap in the church's "lightning
conductor". This will help save the church from accidentally "conducting
lightning".

Once you have "tamed the lightning", you can create gaiety among your
friends by offering the charged Leyden Jar to their infant children as an
entertaining toy. Hilarity is sure to ensue.


Ian

--
www.jaxtrawstudios.com
science fiction comics with shagging in

wrote in message
ups.com...
Today (thanks to Nod's link to the most impressive Fortean Times web
site) I have been investigating the possibilities of constructing a
Leyden Jar. I was inspired by a description of such device on the
Fortean Times page relating to the Ark of the Covenant possibly
possessing the same unique properties.

http://www.forteantimes.com/articles/207_ark1.shtml

A description taken from a book published in 1899 describes the Leyden
Jar thus:

It consists of a glass jar, coated outside and inside with tinfoil to
within 2 or 3 cm of the top. It may therefore be regarded as a
condenser (capacitor) consisting of two parallel plates (positive and
negative) separated by a glass dielectric (insulator). The jar is
provided with a wooden lid, through the centre of which passes a brass
rod, terminating in a brass knob; a short length of metal chain is
attached to the lower end, and of sufficient length to touch the
tinfoil lining. The tinfoil serves as the insulated conductor, which
may be conveniently charged through the knob; the jar is either placed
on a table or held in the hand, so that the outer coating is
consequently earth-connected.

Tomorrow my mission will be to construct such a device using a milk
bottle, some tin-foil (or Baco!) a brass earthing spike (borrowed from
the garden that some wire or other was connected too), a brass knob
from the wardrobe, various other household items and a length of chain
from the kitchen sink plug.

Storms around here have been prevalent so it shouldn't be too difficult
to catch some of the power of lighting within the jar. I intend to
attach the brass knob to a lightning rod running down the side of my
local church. This I feel would make a suitable conductor.

The question is ...once I've captured the electricity what do I do with
it???? Thoughts???

Make love to it.....


Baz

On a sunny day (25 Aug 2006 10:40:26 -0700) it happened
wrote in
. com:

Storms around here have been prevalent so it shouldn't be too difficult
to catch some of the power of lighting within the jar. I intend to
attach the brass knob to a lightning rod running down the side of my
local church. This I feel would make a suitable conductor.

The question is ...once I've captured the electricity what do I do with
it???? Thoughts???

You will not have to worry about that, as the exploding glass will have
pierced you so many times you wil be dead.

Do not do this, DO NOT DO THIS.

Jan Panteltje wrote:
On a sunny day (25 Aug 2006 10:40:26 -0700) it happened
wrote in
. com:


Storms around here have been prevalent so it shouldn't be too difficult
to catch some of the power of lighting within the jar. I intend to
attach the brass knob to a lightning rod running down the side of my
local church. This I feel would make a suitable conductor.

The question is ...once I've captured the electricity what do I do with
it???? Thoughts???


You will not have to worry about that, as the exploding glass will have
pierced you so many times you wil be dead.

Do not do this, DO NOT DO THIS.

Correction!~! Let Min do it!
Let Brad do it!! I am open to mor suggestions

Jan Panteltje wrote:
On a sunny day (25 Aug 2006 10:40:26 -0700) it happened
wrote in
. com:

Storms around here have been prevalent so it shouldn't be too difficult
to catch some of the power of lighting within the jar. I intend to
attach the brass knob to a lightning rod running down the side of my
local church. This I feel would make a suitable conductor.

The question is ...once I've captured the electricity what do I do with
it???? Thoughts???

You will not have to worry about that, as the exploding glass will have
pierced you so many times you wil be dead.

Do not do this, DO NOT DO THIS.

Thank you for you concern but you have no need to worry. I will be
taking suitable protective precautions to guard against any potential
electrical anomalies. For one - I rarely conduct my experiments using
myself as the guinea pig. Whilst I will be holding the video camera, my
friend Stig will be the one dealing with the jar. I have equipped Stig
with a pair of rubber Wellington boots and some marigolds (rubber
washing up gauntlets). As an extra precaution Stig will also be sat on
his motorcycle - the rubber tyres providing a secondary insulator from
electrical shock. The leyden Jar will sit on top of the fuel tank of
Stig's motorcycle so that he does not have to hold it with his hands.

The jar is now in the final stages of construction. The most difficult
part of the operation was lining the inside of the jar with foil.
Hopefully - should weather conditions be appropriate - we will be ready
to harness the power of lighting late this evening.

One possible use for the power would be as a secondary power source for
an electric powered motor-cycle - perhaps with "in-built" laden jar and
brass or copper whip aerial (for charging during actual travel.)

I will update tomorrow with a review of the experiment.

Bazza

On a sunny day (26 Aug 2006 03:35:56 -0700) it happened
wrote in
. com:

Storms around here have been prevalent so it shouldn't be too difficult
to catch some of the power of lighting within the jar. I intend to
attach the brass knob to a lightning rod running down the side of my
local church. This I feel would make a suitable conductor.

The question is ...once I've captured the electricity what do I do with
it???? Thoughts???

You will not have to worry about that, as the exploding glass will have
pierced you so many times you wil be dead.

Do not do this, DO NOT DO THIS.

Thank you for you concern but you have no need to worry.

No, but you have.

I will be
taking suitable protective precautions to guard against any potential
electrical anomalies. For one - I rarely conduct my experiments using
myself as the guinea pig. Whilst I will be holding the video camera, my
friend Stig will be the one dealing with the jar. I have equipped Stig
with a pair of rubber Wellington boots and some marigolds (rubber
washing up gauntlets). As an extra precaution Stig will also be sat on
his motorcycle - the rubber tyres providing a secondary insulator from
electrical shock. The leyden Jar will sit on top of the fuel tank of
Stig's motorcycle so that he does not have to hold it with his hands.

You must be joking, I think by now, why not simply shoot your friend?

With half a megavolt or so and some damp weather, the lighting
will not even notice any rubber, just arc around it.
The air in your jar will ionize and heat to thousands of degrees
in a split second, the pressure will blow the bottle apart, the
glass will pierce your friend and the fuel tank, the plasma and arc will
ignite the fuel, what a mess.

You are a nutter if you do this.
Darwin award.

Do NOT DO THIS (2 x now)

Jan Panteltje wrote:

You must be joking...

He is joking.

"Jan Panteltje" wrote in message
...
| On a sunny day (26 Aug 2006 03:35:56 -0700) it happened
| wrote in
| . com:
|
| Storms around here have been prevalent so it shouldn't be too
difficult
| to catch some of the power of lighting within the jar. I intend to
| attach the brass knob to a lightning rod running down the side of my
| local church. This I feel would make a suitable conductor.
|
| The question is ...once I've captured the electricity what do I do
with
| it???? Thoughts???
|
| You will not have to worry about that, as the exploding glass will have
| pierced you so many times you wil be dead.
|
| Do not do this, DO NOT DO THIS.
|
| Thank you for you concern but you have no need to worry.
|
| No, but you have.
|
| I will be
| taking suitable protective precautions to guard against any potential
| electrical anomalies. For one - I rarely conduct my experiments using
| myself as the guinea pig. Whilst I will be holding the video camera, my
| friend Stig will be the one dealing with the jar. I have equipped Stig
| with a pair of rubber Wellington boots and some marigolds (rubber
| washing up gauntlets). As an extra precaution Stig will also be sat on
| his motorcycle - the rubber tyres providing a secondary insulator from
| electrical shock. The leyden Jar will sit on top of the fuel tank of
| Stig's motorcycle so that he does not have to hold it with his hands.
|
| You must be joking, I think by now, why not simply shoot your friend?
|
| With half a megavolt or so and some damp weather, the lighting
| will not even notice any rubber, just arc around it.
| The air in your jar will ionize and heat to thousands of degrees
| in a split second, the pressure will blow the bottle apart, the
| glass will pierce your friend and the fuel tank, the plasma and arc will
| ignite the fuel, what a mess.
|
| You are a nutter if you do this.
| Darwin award.
|
| Do NOT DO THIS (2 x now)

Of course he isn't joking, nobody jokes about serious stuff like
catching lightning. Anyway, the crackling noise is fun.

Androcles

Jan Panteltje wrote:
On a sunny day (26 Aug 2006 03:35:56 -0700) it happened
wrote in
. com:

Storms around here have been prevalent so it shouldn't be too
difficult to catch some of the power of lighting within the jar. I
intend to attach the brass knob to a lightning rod running down
the side of my local church. This I feel would make a suitable
conductor.

The question is ...once I've captured the electricity what do I do
with it???? Thoughts???

You will not have to worry about that, as the exploding glass will
have pierced you so many times you wil be dead.

Do not do this, DO NOT DO THIS.

Thank you for you concern but you have no need to worry.

No, but you have.

I will be
taking suitable protective precautions to guard against any potential
electrical anomalies. For one - I rarely conduct my experiments using
myself as the guinea pig. Whilst I will be holding the video camera,
my friend Stig will be the one dealing with the jar. I have equipped
Stig with a pair of rubber Wellington boots and some marigolds
(rubber washing up gauntlets). As an extra precaution Stig will also
be sat on his motorcycle - the rubber tyres providing a secondary
insulator from electrical shock. The leyden Jar will sit on top of
the fuel tank of Stig's motorcycle so that he does not have to hold
it with his hands.

You must be joking, I think by now, why not simply shoot your friend?

With half a megavolt or so and some damp weather, the lighting
will not even notice any rubber, just arc around it.
The air in your jar will ionize and heat to thousands of degrees
in a split second, the pressure will blow the bottle apart, the
glass will pierce your friend and the fuel tank, the plasma and arc
will ignite the fuel, what a mess.

You are a nutter if you do this.
Darwin award.

Do NOT DO THIS (2 x now)

I don't think you need to worry. Bazza is a responsible chap and I'm sure in
the event of a minor accident he'll have his mobile phone to hand to call
assistance.


Ian