magnifier update

Having had a little play with creating a drawing online, I lost patience and went for the “quick and scabby” approach.

The only wood I had of anywhere near the right thickness was mdf and after wondering about how to clamp the lens, went for cable ties. Hardly elegant but it works. ;-)

Tim

You've drilled through the edge of the lens to accommodate the cable ties? I see.

It does look like a fun project. My three grandchildren are all female and (broadly speaking) follow the gender stereotypes, otherwise I'd definitely be making something like this (or even for my own entertainment...)

I do recommend making soap bubble mixture and ginormous soap bubbles for grand-parent cred...

J^n

Be aware that my late wife had a magnifying lens on a flexible stand, that she used for her needlework.

On one occasion she left the lens near a window and when the sun shone it was focused onto some fabric and burnt a strip along it.

It could have been worse - it could easily have set the house on fire!

That's why those things have a flip-down cover, it's not just to keep the dust off.

At school I went into the chemistry lab one lunchtime when nobody was around and found a smouldering duster on the bench next to a large spherical flask filled with water - or some colourless liquid. The sun was shining on the flask and it made an excellent lens.

John

Why am I thinking about that high rise building on Fenchurch street they call the Walkie Talkie? (and later the Walkie Scorchie!)

Many don't have a cover. My wife's didn't.

Recent review:

Sounds like a good idea.

Do you have a recipe or a link to a recipe that works?

There is a massive 'sub-culture' on creating large soap bubbles - eg:

- best quality washing up liquid (in the UK, easiest is Fairy Platinum, original green 'flavour') - guar gum powder (eBay, or maybe ethnic food shops) - sodium bicarbonate (decent supermarket) - a small amount of 'solvent' for the guar gum - I use a splash of IPA

Exhaustive, and short form, recipe here:

NB: you will need to make the 'wands' for ginormous bubbles. I leave the research to you...

Have fun J^n

My first interpretation of that was probably wrong.

-- Richard

Over 30 years ago when my children were but children I bought a gadget for making big bubbles. It was a fabric loop that you dip in bubble solution and then “open up” to make a big loop and wave in the breeze. It was very effective.

Just had a rummage in my garage and I still have it!

Closed position for dipping.

Also see this, from one of my colleagues:

Yes, that was the 'make the gadgets yourself' aspect I was referring to.

I have made some from old T-shirts cut into thin strips; also untwisted cotton string, etc.

I have Cyril Isenberg's book on the science of soap bubbles; when I was younger I had a 'science kit' on bubble-making which I think he must have been advisor for. Good to know he was still going strong relatively recently.

Thanks, but 1 hour & 9 minutes?

It was a proper lecture. He's an academic.

I believe even badly positioned goldfish bowls can achieve this (house fire) ?. Discarded bottles are thought to cause the occasional wildfire during hot weather.

Ive had scorched curtain linings from 'bullion glass'