Homemade incinerator beam! - Page 3

Suicide Junkie · #21 July 26th, 2004, 01:41 AM

Lining the fence with small mirrors at the desired height and then bLasting an industrial laser round the yard would cut the grass pretty quick.

Unfortunately it would preclude the possibility of leaving anything ON the lawn...

Kamog · #22 July 26th, 2004, 05:56 AM

Wow, looks like fun!

What we need is to put a little electric actuator on each mirror, and some electronics so that all the mirrors track the sun automatically and aim them at the same spot. I think they have devices like that, called heliostats, for directing sunlight into light pipes for lighting buildings. But that will make it more expensive.

mottlee · #23 July 26th, 2004, 06:53 PM

OK How did you get them all to "Look" at the same point? I know you did not stand in front to adjust them!

Ruatha · #24 July 26th, 2004, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mottlee:
OK How did you get them all to "Look" at the same point? I know you did not stand in front to adjust them!

As long as you don't stand in the focal point it shouldn't be dangerous to stand infront of them, i wouldn't recommend staring into them and moving until you locate the focal point though, better not look at them at all from that direction, but standing infront of them should be ok.

EvilGenius4ABetterTomorro · #25 July 26th, 2004, 07:38 PM

I have a bird house and an annoying Blue Jay that would look good in that focal point! Squaaaawk!

EvilGenius4ABetterTomorro · #26 July 26th, 2004, 07:40 PM

Can you Bar-B-Q with this? You could put propane out of business.

Sorry Hank Hill.

Suicide Junkie · #27 July 26th, 2004, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mottlee:
OK How did you get them all to "Look" at the same point? I know you did not stand in front to adjust them!

I used a large wooden board, actually.

Hold it up in the focus, move a few more mirrors into alignment, then hose it down again before the gushing steam turns into billowing smoke.

-----

It wouldn't be very good for a barbecue...
There's not very much heat, just extremely high temperatures.
So you wouldn't cook anything, just burn spots on/holes in the surface

[ July 26, 2004, 20:33: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

Ruatha · #28 July 26th, 2004, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Suicide Junkie:

quote:
Originally posted by mottlee:
OK How did you get them all to "Look" at the same point? I know you did not stand in front to adjust them!

I used a large wooden board, actually.

Hold it up in the focus, move a few more mirrors into alignment, then hose it down again before the gushing steam turns into billowing smoke.

-----

It wouldn't be very good for a barbecue...
There's not very much heat, just extremely high temperatures.
So you wouldn't cook anything, just burn spots on/holes in the surface

But, if you put a metal pan in the focal point, the heat would dissipate out in the metal and generate a more diffuse heat, enabling some cooking/baking, but perhaps not barbeque though.
There are actually solar driven stoves.

SJ, can you try boiling some water?

Suicide Junkie · #29 July 26th, 2004, 11:51 PM

That was my point...
Spreading the energy back out defeats the whole purpose of concentrating it.

There's only a couple hundred watts going through the 16-array, and you don't have to spread that very far before its merely warm to the touch...

mottlee · #30 July 27th, 2004, 12:16 AM

Hmmm....I kinda like this Idea! SJ you had 16 in your set-up? I wounder if larger mirrors would be better...alas is a pipe dream I do not have the free time to do this in the daylight hours