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Water-Rocket-Powered Cars

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the dremel-multitool-comes-in-handy dept.

Jim Gallant writes "Big cheap thrills for very little money are yours by making water rocket powered cars. They're fun! They're hilarious! Amaze your friends."

2 of 144 comments (clear)

  1. Hmmm, what about a Dry Ice car ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Anyone ever made a dry-ice bomb ??

    Im sure you could somehow use a modified version to power a car/rocket.

    Any Ideas ?

  2. To hell with water.... by ThrudTheBarbarian · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Along much the same lines, here's one a friend showed me once (and I've done myself).

    Take an old 2-Liter, make sure it's dry. Create a small hole in the center of the lid, about big enough to insert the head of a Bic pen (3/16" ish). Take a capful of rubbing alcohol, dunp it in the bottle, screw the cap back on and swirl it around until it all evaporates. Then, take it OUTSIDE (preferably at night) and hold it in one hand, cap down. Take a lighter with the other hand and touch it to the hole in the cap. Instant rocket. The cool thing about this is that at night you can watch a blue flame wave travel up the bottle as it goes up.

    Some important notes:

    1) Make sure the hole in the cap is big enough or it blows up as the pressure can't escape fast enough
    2) If it blows up, you didn't hear this from me :)
    3) I'm told not to try this with 5-Gal plastic water bottles (the hole isn't big enough)
    4) Rubbing alcohol with higher percentage alcohol is better (there are at least two types commonly available here)
    5) Cycle fresh air into the bottle before re-launching

    Have Fun

    Usual disclaimer - this is for entertainment purposes only - so if you blow yourself up, it's not my fault (but make sure to do it spectacularly in front of friends because this is for entertainment :^))