Jake M
Army Guy Bowl. This is a fairly well-known stunt, especially since Mark blogged the work of Dominic Wilcox on Boing Boing back in 2004.
The methods circulating on the web generally favor the use of an oven to melt the guys together, and while that’s certainly less labor-intensive, it generates a bunch of foul-smelling fumes in your kitchen. The oven method applies indiscriminate heat, which tends to melt the guys pretty severely, and is also, reportedly, fairly sensitive to differences in composition between guys from different manufacturers.
I’ve always wanted to try this, and since it’s plastics month, I thought I’d try to figure out a way to do it outside. This method uses a heat gun to soften the plastic in a more discriminate way, and though it’s more work, it can result in a less-melty look, with more intact guys. Adding a mechanical “mushing” action to the weld also seems to make the process more tolerant of different types of plastic from different batches of guys. PVC Floating Accent Light.
Humble PVC drain pipe is cheap, widely available, easy to work with, and almost endlessly useful for making everything from patio furniture to elegant sculptures.
This lamp adds a romantic glow to any room. Designed to provide good airflow around the bulb, it seems to float magically on a soft ring of light around its base. The Floating Accent Lamp is part of a series of four family-friendly projects that use 3"- or 4"-ID (inside diameter) PVC pipe. In a weekend you can easily make all four: an accent lamp that seems to float on light, a two-faced clock to help you remember friends in another time zone, a kids’ table with a dry-erase top and matching stool, and a hanging planter. You can make them with handheld tools, but bench tools such as a band saw or table saw with a fine-toothed blade work best for making square and accurate cuts. If cutting pipe from a 10′ length, ask a friend to help support it. Fill any dings with automotive body filler and/or glaze. THE RECIPE. 1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide1/4 cup baking soda1 teaspoon of liquid soap Gently mix all ingredients in a non-metal container.
Do not mix or shake vigorously! The mixture is best used when fresh but can be stored. Do not keep mixture in an airtight container as baking soda and hydrogen peroxide when mixed together release loads of oxygen. We don't want an explosion on our hands on top of the mess we already have! I mix and keep mine in a large spray bottle I bought from Home Depot but on old plastic liter soda bottle works just a well. 3% hydrogen peroxide can be bought at most grocery and drug stores in pint and quart bottles. Caution: Surfaces that are porous may swell e.g. drywall, wood flooring, particle board, etc. with application of this recipe.
Always test for color-fastness when using first. For specific applications see my other articles. NewsBlur. Simplebooklet.com. Mindmapping. Yola - Make a Free Website. Conceptboard - Realtime Teamwork & Collaboration Software. Writer: the internet typewriter.
Starting a business.