The Practical Pyromaniac Build Fire Tornadoes, One-Candlepower Engines, Great Balls of Fire, and More Incendiary Devices

by Gurstelle, William

• ISBN13: 9781569767108
• ISBN10: 1569767106
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-06-01
• Publisher: Chicago Review Press

Summary

Combining science, history, and DIY pyrotechnics, this book for the workbench warrior explains humankind's most useful and paradoxical tool: fire. William Gurstelle, author of the bestselling Backyard Ballistics, presents 25 projects with instructions, diagrams, photos, and links to video demonstrations that enable people of all ages to explore and safely play with fire. From Franklin's stove to Diesel's engine, explosive and fascinating tales are told of the great pyromaniacs who scientifically revealed the mysteries of fire such as "Gunpowder" Joseph Priestly, who discovered oxygen; Antoine Lavoisier, the father of chemistry; and Humphrey Davy, whose chemical discoveries and fiery inventions saved thousands of lives. By following the directions inside, the curious can replicate these breakthrough scientists' experiments and inventions from the simply fascinating one-candlepower engine to the nearly magical fire piston and an incredible tornado of fire.

Author Biography

William Gurstelle is a professional engineer who has been researching and building model catapults, ballistic devices, and flamethrowers for more than 30 years. He is the author of Absinthe & Flamethrowers; The Art of the Catapult; the bestselling Backyard Ballistics; Building Bots; Whoosh, Boom, Splat; and Notes from the Technology Underground. He is a contributing editor at Make magazine and writes frequently for Popular Mechanics, Wired, and several other national magazines. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. ix
Keeping Safety in Mind	p. 1
The Flame Tube	p. 7
The First Lights	p. 31
The One-Candlepower Engine	p. 47
The Fire Drill	p. 55
The Burning Ring of Fire	p. 69
The Hydrogen Generator and the Oxygenizer	p. 81
Exploding Bubbles	p. 101
The Fire Piston	p. 113
The Arc Light	p. 123
Fireproof Cloth and Cold Fire	p. 131
The Extincteur	p. 147
The Photometer	p. 155
Thermocouples	p. 165
Technicolor Flames	p. 175
The Fire Tornado	p. 183
Great Balls of Fire	p. 193
Epilogue	p. 201
Bibliography	p. 205
Index	p. 207
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