You gotta be kidding!

[jordonj]

Check out what this dork put together!

http://carpetmonster.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/fj.htm

I'm surprised he didn't go to jail or even Gitmo!

[Omag 2.0]

Jeeez! I'm glad that isn't my neighbour!  :o I'm not to sure he won't get hurt in any way... Homebuild flamethrowers! What's next? Pipe-bombs? A ballistic rocket?

[Katahu]

I'm surprised that nobody in the neighberhood called the cops. Maybe they know him well enough.

[BAW0343]

I may do that someday,  minus the fire, thats a little dangerous  ;)  I like the super soaker part  :D

[legoalex2000]

oh no way!!!! im soo building that!!!

stay clear of chicago until im caught

ramos - from the second city to the third city

[Mushroom_Farmer]

Hmmm......remember the PVC potato(potatoe?

[Chris_F]

Okay, that was pretty cool.  I probably wouldn't have gone with a flamable medium (the idea of a super soaker is cool, but I'd probably find some way to fill it with soap and make a big foam gun).  But the kid was fairly careful, considering how dangerous his little experiment is.

Heck, putting a pressurized PVC thing on your back is dangerous enough.  Filling it with alcohol and lighting it on fire is something to make you consider your own mortality very carefully.

Still, for his apparent age I think he did a great job thinking it through, taking as much care as possible, etc.  But if I was his Dad I'd have to kill him.  It's just downright dangerous!

[Woodlouse2002]

I have to wonder, just what were his parents doing while they watched their son build that contraption?

[beaky]

I see the words "burn victim" in this kid's future... perhaps shortly after the alcohol dries out  the teflon tape and that flexible hose... the best part is that the reservoir is strapped to his back; could be quite a show.  :-X

This is proof that "clever" doesn't necessarily mean "smart".

At least it doesn't shoot gasoline like the real thing; pretty hard to set anything on fire (besides himself) with an alcohol flamethrower.

[Katahu]

It looks to me that he was careful enough to pick the right propellant that burns quickly enough. Otherwise, the streets would have been filled with slow burning fuel.

[H]

You can say that again, Katahu. Here, let's see if we can requote you:

It looks to me that he was careful enough to pick the right propellant that burns quickly enough. Otherwise, the streets would have been filled with slow burning fool.

8)

[Jakemaster]

THATS COOL! But at the same time extremely stupid and dangerous.  I woulda stuck with the squirt gun

[expat]

I see someone becoming a candidate for the "Darwin Awards" in the not too distant future. Either that or the "Stella Awards", when he sues the local hardware store because he burnt himself  :-/ :-/

Matt

[Chris_F]

I think the pressurized PVC tubing is a big risk.  PVC isn't designed to take pressure and who knows what repeated fillings will do (fatigue stress cracks and all).  But I'd bet he uses the thing four or five times then tears it apart and uses the parts for his next experiment.

I would have used an empty propane tank.  Remove the spigot and replace with something else.  That would make one heck of a squirt gun that you could actually trust to hold some serious pressure.

Or make the world's coolest high pressure water-rocket.  Just don't get under it when it lands.

[Mushroom_Farmer]

Actually PVC is pressure rated from 130psi to 600psi. But using it for a flame thrower is still a stupid idea. A good backfire could be detrimental to the users health.