SAFETY

Safety. Everything is based on it. In any endeavor safety is the first thing in people's minds. Football players wear huge pads to protect themselves. Astronauts wear pressurized suits during launches, just in case. We, too, practice safety precautions. There are many events that could very easily have killed us had we not. For example, the 15,000 volt Jacob's Ladder. Just for comparison, a wall jack uses 112 Volts. Upon first receiving the transformer required for this device we had no clue as to how it worked, how to wire it, or how the power output from the device. Before we even attempted to take a shot at it, we researched how transformers work. Once we both understood the physics involved, we inspected a transformer which was in use. After this research, we had successfully learned how transformers work as well as how to wire up our machine to create the desired effect. It was only then that we took a shot at wiring it up. As it turned out, we had two input wires backwards. More on that in the [Jacob's Ladder story] .

Point in case, we could easily have died creating and using such a device. We had to design our own safety routines in order to minimize the risk. So far we have only had one serious accident, which was the accidental electrocution of Chadwick. This just goes to show you: there is ALWAYS room for mistake. The greatest precaution to injury you can take is to thoroughly research all aspects of what you are doing. Research on the internet to see if people have done such a project before you. Next you will want to research the science behind what you are doing. We recommend www.howstuffworks.com for such research. They have answered a lot of our questions. Another excellent resource is any teachers if you are still in school, or friends who are knowledgeable in the area. On a few occasions we have had an advisor with us during the production and testing. Do not be afraid to ask for help. It is essential when dealing with something you know little about.

Once research has been completed, figure out a plan of what you are going to do and what to do if there is an accident. Never deal with anything that could potentially kill you alone. We can't stress this enough. In the event something goes wrong, you will want someone to help. It also makes doing these projects a lot more fun.

The final note about safety is do not put yourself at risk to test what you have created. They often show heroics in movies where a scientist will put himself at risk in order to test a new chemical oand whatnot. Very few of our projects have worked correctly the first time. In fact, two of our mass driver designs nearly blew up. Had they, we were behind a corner and we would not have been injured. Had they exploded while we were holding them it would have sent pieces of metal and plastic splintering into our bodies, similar to buckshot fired from a shotgun. This event is often fatal.

A final note...

We will outline SOME dangers on this site, but since every project is done differently it is imperative that you remain alert when working and testing/using anything on your own. Use your own judgment. Make the call. You can usually tell from signs if something looks like it will work or not, whether something is dangerous or not. Don't get reckless because you want to finish. This will only lead to problems. We are not responsible for what you do with the information on this site, and we will not be held liable for anything as a result of the content.