» MAKE: NOISE — Discuss this article

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• Mildly satisfying for your inner Pyromaniac
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  Finally got this working last night. I was hoping for 5 foot shooting flames and was a little disappointed...still worth it for the sound you get.
  
  Forget the DWV copper fitting. I followed advice above and used a 1.5 x 1 standard copper reducer from Lowes...worked great.
  
  When the author says "Shake vigorously"...he means it. You'll get no combustion if you don't vaporize enough of that methanol by shaking.

  Posted by Gearhead on April 14, 2006 at 05:48:59 Pacific Time

• Needs more warning
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  Damn these articles for making this appear to be a safe little thing that some have even suggested doing indoors. OMG I almost took my hand off! I'm used to working with alcohol in compressed situations but that damn jam jar lid flew off and I have yet to find where it landed. No jet, just BANG and flying lid. Thank god for no flying glass!

  Posted by nitr0burn on March 15, 2006 at 09:32:42 Pacific Time

• Possibly easier to find parts
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  Searched for two days before finally finding jars at a grocery store (practically the last one in town I hadn't checked!) and went to a friends house to build this since he's got all kinds of fittings around his shop.
  
  He didn't even bother to look for a fitting. Grabbed one of those new aluminum "bottles" some beers and energy drinks are coming in. Found a spot on the next 1" wide and a spot a little lower 1.5" wide then cut it out.
  
  Worked for one run...but the cone looked like it had taken a LOT of heat. And it was too hot to open when I left. He ran it again the next day and cracked the jar.
  
  But a proper sized chunk of an aluminum bottle may be easier to find and seems to work.

  Posted by jhitesma on March 14, 2006 at 16:38:24 Pacific Time

• DWV vs standard fitting reducers (and an address)
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  You can get the 1 1/2" to 1 1/4" DWV fitting reducer here:
  
  http://www.plumbingfittingsdirect.com/dwv/20002.html
  
  
  I have never seen 1" DWV, so I am really curious how the author got it. You can grab a standard fitting reducer here:
  
  http://www.plumbingfittingsdirect.com/press/11700.html
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  The difference between standard and DWV is that DWV is thinner (it does not have to stand pressure) and shorter than standard compression. So if you sub out the standard, you will have to remove material from the top and bottom (so that it is approximately the same height as the DWV.
  
  Hope the link helps.
  
  dp

  Posted by dirtypants on March 14, 2006 at 00:01:04 Pacific Time

• Fittings
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  Hi -
  Thanks to everyone for their comments about the fittings. We added a note above that may also help:
  
  If you have difficulty obtaining two copper reducing fittings that fit together securely, you may omit the smaller of the two fittings, and drill the wire attachment holes in the narrow end of the single reducing fitting. The effect of this change on the Jam Jar Jet's performance will be minimal.
  
  Thanks again for the feedback!
  
  -t

  Posted by terrie on March 03, 2006 at 09:19:22 Pacific Time

• DWV Hack
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  give up on trying to find copper DWV!!!! you are not going to find it anywhere (including searches on the internet). as mentioned in other posts, just find something as a suitable substitute. i was able to find a 1.5" to 1" copper reducer at Lowes. it works great!
  
  hope i have saved you time.

  Posted by ajschiltz on March 01, 2006 at 06:50:24 Pacific Time

• copper fittings
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  I made one of these from the instructions, but couldn't find the DWV fittings at my local hardware store, either. Not to be deterred, and knowing that copper can be (relatively) easily cold worked, I set out to make a couple of fittings fit together. It took a fair amount of hammering, some press fitting with a vice, and I then had to cut a half an inch off the small end of the "cone," but I got it to work. It was a small price to pay to have a controlled explosion in a glass jar (my mommy loved it).
  
  I think that the most important thing is that the diffuser is roughly conical in shape, doesn't extend too far into the jar (like no more than 1/2 to 2/3), and that there's a small gap at the top of it for air movement. Really, you can use any quasi-conical piece of metal for the job... like Grandad's old ear trumpet, a section of the intake or exhaust system of your dad's old Chevy, your kid brother's trombone bell...

  Posted by tenax8 on February 27, 2006 at 16:38:04 Pacific Time

• Difficult to find parts
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  Is it just me, or are the parts for this project rather difficult to find? It turns out nobody sells Mason jars in Feburary, and I've been to a number of home centers and I've never seen anyone that sells copper DWV fitting. All of the DWV fittings I've ever seen in stores are PVC. I wasn't even aware they made copper DWV fittings; I knew they did cast iron, but that is relatively scarce.

  Posted by kenh2 on February 24, 2006 at 10:30:06 Pacific Time

• jam jar jet
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  Is this safe or sane to make in an apartment complex?

  Posted by hbpron on February 09, 2006 at 19:01:19 Pacific Time