Trivia Question of the Day
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- Capt
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Re: Trivia Question of the Day
Yeah, but he let us as teenagers (not that the word had been invented then) mess about with concentrated nitric acid and cellulose in the form of cotton wool. When it dried the trick was to hit it with a hammer to the accompaniment of a bang big enough to propel the hammer out of your hand. The acid came in a "gutta percha" bottle because it would eat glass. We had access to the "science room" during the lunch hour and three of us made a bigger than usual batch and hid it in the underfloor space. We did try a bit and it scared the ***** out of us. We left it where it was.
Many years later as I was driving through the town I noticed that they were in the process of demolishing the building with a big digger. I swithered about stopping to tell them to be careful, but then carried on. Should I have......?.
The Ancient Mariner
Many years later as I was driving through the town I noticed that they were in the process of demolishing the building with a big digger. I swithered about stopping to tell them to be careful, but then carried on. Should I have......?.
The Ancient Mariner
Re: Trivia Question of the Day
It is lower than the boiling point of water, yes. However, dropping it into boiling water would probably cause it to explode, given how well it reacts with room temperature water.
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- Chief Pilot
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Re: Trivia Question of the Day
I'm more than aware of that. However, that wasn't my point! I was referring to guncotton possibly being the forerunner of cordite.Cordite is now obsolete and it is no longer produced.
A trivial point; I still have about 600 or so rounds of Aussie made 303 British ammo stored away that are all cordite loaded. Some dating from early WW11. And it still goes bang when the trigger is squeezed!
Hate the Pommy stuff Radway Green and Kynoch loaded stuff though. Had morer than one hangfire/misfire with that stuff!
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Re: Trivia Question of the Day
When I was about 10, a couple of slightly older friends staged a tableau using this or something similar, for the benefit of the 'old' lady (probably about 50) who lived next door to one of them. Substantial bang, victim lying on footpath, other protagonist waving toy pistol. Lady came dashing out, quickly assessed the situation and performed appropriate melodramatic simulation of horror. I'm sure someone would complain about it now.Rossian wrote: ↑Fri Feb 10, 2023 4:37 pmYeah, but he let us as teenagers (not that the word had been invented then) mess about with concentrated nitric acid and cellulose in the form of cotton wool. When it dried the trick was to hit it with a hammer to the accompaniment of a bang big enough to propel the hammer out of your hand. The acid came in a "gutta percha" bottle because it would eat glass. We had access to the "science room" during the lunch hour and three of us made a bigger than usual batch and hid it in the underfloor space. We did try a bit and it scared the ***** out of us. We left it where it was.
Many years later as I was driving through the town I noticed that they were in the process of demolishing the building with a big digger. I swithered about stopping to tell them to be careful, but then carried on. Should I have......?.
The Ancient Mariner
Re: Trivia Question of the Day
OK, I'm going to award this to AM. Officially it's 98C, so just below the boiling point of water. I was inspired to look it up one day because I was wondering how they started up the fast breeder reactor at Dounreay, which had molten sodium as a coolant. I also discovered that caesium melts around 28C, so it's liquid at body temperature.
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- Capt
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Re: Trivia Question of the Day
I'll call OH on this as it was a lucky guess.
Maybe it was seeing the marked reaction when putting it in water that suggested "boiling".
Looking back there was no, absolutely no effort at safety. Eye protection? hand protection? fume protection? (and there were a lot of those) nothing at all. But then all the male teachers in the secondary school had served in WW2 and had seen a lot of "stuff".The french/german teacher had interrogated senior German officers after D-Day, the woodwork teacher had been torpedoed twice on the Arctic convoys,the english teacher had served on corvettes on the Atlantic convoys.
My son teaches the sciences in a secondary school and shakes his head in disbelief at some (most) of what we did in class.
The Ancient Marine
Maybe it was seeing the marked reaction when putting it in water that suggested "boiling".
Looking back there was no, absolutely no effort at safety. Eye protection? hand protection? fume protection? (and there were a lot of those) nothing at all. But then all the male teachers in the secondary school had served in WW2 and had seen a lot of "stuff".The french/german teacher had interrogated senior German officers after D-Day, the woodwork teacher had been torpedoed twice on the Arctic convoys,the english teacher had served on corvettes on the Atlantic convoys.
My son teaches the sciences in a secondary school and shakes his head in disbelief at some (most) of what we did in class.
The Ancient Marine
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Re: Trivia Question of the Day
No inside knowledge but I guessed at 1938. Apparently wrong but close according to my nursie.
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Re: Trivia Question of the Day
To meet Woolworth's retail price of two shillings, Airfix packaged the product in a plastic bag with a paper header that had the assembly instructions on the reverse.
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Re: Trivia Question of the Day
C'mon you have to give him that.
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Re: Trivia Question of the Day
RAF 32 Sqn B Flt ; Twin Squirrels.
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Re: Trivia Question of the Day
Let us stick to the theme. This surprised me. What year was Meccano invented?
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Re: Trivia Question of the Day
OK this has frozen. Answer 1898.
Next: What do millipedes eat. Only ask as it is millipede city here at the moment.
Next: What do millipedes eat. Only ask as it is millipede city here at the moment.
'Yes, Madam, I am drunk, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly.' Sir Winston Churchill.
Re: Trivia Question of the Day
I suppose it depends on whether you want them to thrive or die?
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They are a bit of a pain in the butt. They get under doors into the house. However if you tap the then they curl up and you can throw them out. They fall into the pool as well but last many hours under water.
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Re: Trivia Question of the Day
Rotten wood? Judging from where I've found them. Maybe fungi therein.
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Re: Trivia Question of the Day
Both Fox and Hydromet have it but Fox was first. All yours Sir.
'Yes, Madam, I am drunk, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly.' Sir Winston Churchill.
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Re: Trivia Question of the Day
Sorry for the delay, didn't realise I'd got it.
How many legs has an average millipede got (approx)?
How many legs has an average millipede got (approx)?