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The Book of Experiments (1958) [pdf]

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Re: The Book of Experiments (1958) [pdf]

#41

Post by djmips »

samizdis wrote: post #6

Has anyone tried this? 131. Cut glass with. .. scissors! You will need: bowl of water, pair of scissors, piece of glass. It is possible to cut glass with ordinary scissors in any shape you wish, provided that while cutting you hold the glass and the scissors as well as your hands completely under water. The water deadens the vibrations which make the glass crack. Yes, under water, glass can be cut almost as easily as…

The technique is similar to nipping at tile to shape it. You are chipping away at the outside.

Re: The Book of Experiments (1958) [pdf]

#42

Post by djmips »

TigeriusKirk wrote: post #28

There were lots of books like this in the 1950s, some of which survived to my own childhood in the 70s. I was thinking for various reasons they probably don't exist now and that's a shame. But then I realized this is just a Book Of Potential TikTok Videos and felt better about it.

https://www.tiktok.com/@theactionlabshorts/video/70771811373...

Re: The Book of Experiments (1958) [pdf]

#43

Post by mistrial9 »

samizdis wrote: post #6

Has anyone tried this? 131. Cut glass with. .. scissors! You will need: bowl of water, pair of scissors, piece of glass. It is possible to cut glass with ordinary scissors in any shape you wish, provided that while cutting you hold the glass and the scissors as well as your hands completely under water. The water deadens the vibrations which make the glass crack. Yes, under water, glass can be cut almost as easily as…

if you set up any work area for glass, over time, there will be glass dust and shards.. this is brutally dangerous to the eyes, nostrils and other .. cleaning the glass shreds is possible with a strong vacuum, but really a sealed work box works best or extraordinary shop habits. Glass is rewarding when its done, but you know.. you have been warned.

Re: The Book of Experiments (1958) [pdf]

#44

Post by Stratoscope »

pvitz wrote: post #21
Stratoscope wrote: post #8

These are wonderful. Let me add one of my own to the collection. This is a true story from that same era, maybe a couple of years later when I got kicked out of my third grade class for being a troublemaker and had to go to a special ed class called Mrs. Spencer's Workshop. 199. Make your own printed circuit board You will need: a common kitchen cutting board, a sheet of copper, a roll of electrical tape, a fish tank…

Thanks for your story! I am wondering why your teacher would use nitric acid. Wouldn't iron(III) chloride have been much safer in a workshop with children?

As I recall, it was because I had read up in my chemistry book about what would dissolve copper, and it mentioned nitric acid. So that's what I asked for.

Mrs. Spencer's Workshop was a class where you could pick out your own projects. She would get you the materials you needed, let you do your project, and help you if you got stuck.

You could say that she was my lab assistant here rather than my teacher.

The other safety question for me is why didn't either of us use eye protection!

Re: The Book of Experiments (1958) [pdf]

#45

Post by jdougan »

maire wrote: post #33
samizdis wrote: post #4

This is just priceless. I admire the breezy dismissal of potential harm/injury, and the confident reliance on exercising "reasonable care". Favourite (so far, that is): 26. A flour bomb as a noisy finale to our air experiments ... If you tried to set fire to a small heap of flour you would not succeed. But finely divided flour in a cloud—that can make a completely harmless bomb! ... With a great BANG! off flies the l…

If you like this, then you will love this 1913 Boy Mechanic series. The Boy Mechanic Volume I: 700 Things For Boys To Do https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12655 The Boy Mechanic, Book 2: 1000 Things for Boys to Do https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/44585 One of the transcriber said: Another class of projects illustrate the caviler attitude toward environment and health in 1913. These projects involve items such as asbes…

There was also The Boy Electrician https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/63207

My elementary school (1975) library had a copy I devoured.

Re: The Book of Experiments (1958) [pdf]

#46

Post by jonjacky »

maire wrote: post #33
samizdis wrote: post #4

This is just priceless. I admire the breezy dismissal of potential harm/injury, and the confident reliance on exercising "reasonable care". Favourite (so far, that is): 26. A flour bomb as a noisy finale to our air experiments ... If you tried to set fire to a small heap of flour you would not succeed. But finely divided flour in a cloud—that can make a completely harmless bomb! ... With a great BANG! off flies the l…

If you like this, then you will love this 1913 Boy Mechanic series. The Boy Mechanic Volume I: 700 Things For Boys To Do https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12655 The Boy Mechanic, Book 2: 1000 Things for Boys to Do https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/44585 One of the transcriber said: Another class of projects illustrate the caviler attitude toward environment and health in 1913. These projects involve items such as asbes…

I recall seeing a book once called Science Experiments You Can Do At Home -- But Probably Shouldn't
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