All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
This article was taken from the June 2015 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
So much for show-offs blowing smoke rings in search of attention. WIRED's version is super-sized – not to mention a lot healthier. Teacher, author and entrepreneur Steve Spangler proposes this modified litter bin that lets you fire off truly epic smoke hoops on demand. Here's his guide to building your own.
You'll need a large plastic rubbish bin; a bungee cord; and a plastic shower curtain or similar sheet of plastic. Also needed is a knife or other cutting instrument; a smoke generator or smoke bomb; and, optionally, a nylon strap around two metres long. Spangler, who has a background in chemistry, warns this can set off fire alarms, so be sure to be safe and use your smoke generator in an open area.
Cut a hole 20cm in diameter in the bottom of the bin. Now stretch the shower curtain over the top end and secure it with the bungee cord. Cut off the excess curtain, leaving about 10cm for the cord to grip. Optionally, you can attach a shoulder strap between the top and bottom of the bin. Spangler originally created this cannon for his touring show in 1998. "It's a great way to teach Bernoulli's principle*," he says.
While pointing the base of the bin at your victim, smack the shower curtain: a strong blast of air should hit your target, most likely causing a startled reaction. Now fill the cannon with smoke, and when the curtain is smacked you'll see a smoke ring shoot out from the bin. This blast is powerful enough to knock a Styrofoam cup off of its resting place from several metres away, or even ruin a hairdo.
*For a flow of a non-conducting fluid or gas with no viscosity, an increase in the speed of the fluid or gas occurs simultaneously with a decrease in pressure or a decrease in potential energy.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
