Re: An couple of interesting observations and an idea.

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <Mddeming-at-aol-dot-com>

In a message dated 3/9/01 8:16:13 PM Eastern Standard Time, tesla-at-pupman-dot-com 
writes: 



>
> Original poster: "Jim Lux by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" < 
> jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net> 



Snip---- 


>
> With a flame, you might try an alcohol lamp with the salt dissolved in the 
> alcohol.  methanol is popular as an alcohol because it burns very lean with 
> minimal sooting(colorless), unlike isopropyl, which tends to burn with a 
> yellow flame.  Nitromethane is popular in commercial "colored fire" mixes 
> because the included oxygen reduces sooting, and it also has a reasonably 
> high flame speed, so it doesn't blow out in the wind.. 
>
> here's another idea: build a small aspirator that blows a fine stream of 
> aluminum powder (available from big paint supply places as pigment) 



If you're going to do this,PLEASE use very small quantities. 
1. Nitromethane is shock sensitive. Not as bad as nitroglycerin, but it can 
ruin your whole day/face/room. 
2.  It was aluminum dust and iron oxide in the coating of the Hindenberg, not 
the Hydrogen in the bag, that started the flames when triggered by an 
electrical discharge. 
Color me overly cautious, but my first Tesla coil would have been 41 next 
summer, my first solid fuel rocket 40, and, after 33 years in natural gas 
buiness, I have not lost a body part to any of them. 

Matt D.