Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Jacob's Ladder

The smell of ozone hung heavy in the air. It was silent except for the crackling and popping of a Jacobs Ladder, its flames dancing up the wires. Bent over the table in the center of the chamber was a figure like none I'd ever seen before. Tall, thin and wearing a filthy lab coat and bloody gloves he was working feverishly with a saw........

I promised I'd show you our Jacob's Ladder so here it is. (It's those two bits of white flame between the pumpkins.) Let me explain how it is made. In our business we use transformers to excite the neon in outdoor signs. The transformer turns 120 volts into 12,000 volts causing the electricity to jump quite a distance. So by taking an old transformer, attaching some coat hanger wire to the leads and bending them close together, then up and slightly further apart we can cause the current to zig zag its way up the wires just like Frankenstein's lab. THIS IS DANGEROUS! If you make one, NEVER leave it unattended, use in well a ventilated area, unplug it and allow it to cool every half hour, and NEVER let anyone touch it. In fact, don't even get close to it while it's on. It's my idea of a really cool Halloween decoration: spooky, dangerous and a touch of weird science.



P.S.

Here is Teen2's costume. She is Edward Elric from Full Metal Alchemist.

1 comment:

Sophie Honeysuckle said...

Ooh what a fab blog you have!! I'm fascinated reading about how you've turned your house into an English style cottage-it looks brilliant!! Thank-you for adding me to your blog links too! It is the same English Home magazine-it's my very favourite, I wish it came out monthly!! I keep every copy! I think the American edition has a different front cover-but more or less the same articles-we should compare!! x