Test Enclosure Parts and Plans

The Rabbit Cage was a straight forward construction project, with the aim to produce a means of containing the flying debris should an explosion occur.

Parts List

• (3) 2"x2"x8' white pine board
  
• (1) 2"x3"x8' white pine board
  
• (1) 1"x8"x8' white pine board
  
• (1) pair small door hinges
  
• (1) pair chest handles
  
• (1) 3'x10' 15 gauge hardware cloth
  
• (1) Door Latch
  
• (1lb) 2" Wood Deck Screws
  
• (3) packs 1/4"x1" metal roofing screws with rubber & steel washers
  
• (1) 1/8"x30"x30" sheet of Plexiglas
  

Tools List

• Saw, preferably electric
  
• Screwdriver, preferably an electric drill driver
  
• Tape Measure
  
• Square, Unless saw has a guide
  
• Pencil, Pen or Sharpie
  
• Sheet metal cutters
  
• nut driver, socket wrench 1/4", or socket adaptor for drill driver.
  
• 3/16" Drill bit
  
• Electric Drill or Hand Drill
  
• Scratch Awl, nail, or other sharp pointed tool
  

I wanted the overall dimensions to be 26" Wide by 25" Deep by 27" inches high. The plans are drawn up accordingly.

1. Cut the wood frame and door frame parts from 2"x2" and 2"x3"

• (4) 2"x2"x26"
  
• (3) 2"x2"x20.5"
  
• (4) 2"x2"x24"
  
• (2) 2"x3"x20.5"
  
• (2) 2"x2"x22"
  
• (2) 2"x2"x17.5"
  

2. Assemble the bottom frame from two 26" and three 20.5" 2"x2". See Illustration RC-1.



3. Assemble the top frame from two 26" 2"x2"s and the two 2"x3"s. See Illustration RC-2.



4. Take the assembled bottom frame and four 24" 2"x2"s and screw them together to form a bottom frame with side frames attached. See Illustration RC-3.



5. Take the bottom frame with attached sides and screw the top frame to it to complete the basic cage frame. See Illustration RC-4.



6. take the two 22" 2"x2"s and the two 17.5" 2"x2"s and screw them together to complete the basic door frame. See Illustration RC-5.



7. Cut hardware cloth to size to fit on the INSIDE of the door. Screw down starting in the corners then the center of each side of the door frame and thereafter advancing around the door frame until the hardware cloth is attached to the door frame by a screw every 4-5 inches. See Illustration RC-6.



8. Cut hardware cloth to fit the right side cage frame opening and repeat the screw down procedures used in step 7. This time the hardware cloth fits on the outside of the cage. See Illustration RC-6.

9. Cut hardware cloth to fit the back cage frame opening and repeat the screw down procedures used in step 7. Again the hardware cloth fits on the outside of the cage. See Illustration RC-6.

10. Cut 2 pieces of hardware cloth to fit the top cage frame opening, place the two pieces together one on top of the other and repeat the screw down procedures used in step 7. Once again the hardware cloth fits on the outside of the cage. See Illustration RC-6.

11. Cut three 1"x8"x26" pieces of wood and notch two of them so all three will fit in the bottom of the cage as a floor. Screw down with 2 screws per board at each end.

12. Mount the hinges to the door by aligning the hinges to the left edge of the door and screw them down. Place a piece of cardboard on the bottom of the cage hanging out a little where the door will mount. This technique serves as a spacer. Screw down the hinges to the cage frame.

13. Mount the cage carry handles to the 2"x3" sections of the upper portion of the cage, first by measuring the length and marking the center, then screw them down.

14. Mount the door latch to the door by screwing it down, then mount the door latch catch to the cage frame by screwing it down.

15. Make sure the Plexiglas sheet is cut to fit the front opening of the cage. Carefully drill large enough holes in the Plexiglas sheet so the screws will pass through the sheet without the threads hanging up. Mount the Plexiglas sheet first by the top two corners then the bottom two corners, then finish by screwing down the rest of the screws.

16. Cleanup.

Lab Projects Articles

Next: Building a Hydrogen Exhaust Hood
Previous: Introducing the Rabbit Cage

Introducing the Rabbit Cage

After the test accident I suspended testing until I built an enclosure to house the electrolyzer containers in case of a blow off and the result is the Rabbit Cage.



It still needs to have her "Baptism of Fire" to make sure it's sturdy enough to call safe. We'll see after the next round of carnage.

Lab Projects Articles

Next: Test Enclosure, Parts and Plans
Previous: Changes to the Test Control Panel - 24 June 08

Blooper of the Day!

Cut! Cut! Cut! This one's not in the can.

Smack's Booster Initial Test with Unexpected Results

I performed the first test of the Smack's Booster with a Simpleton plate assembly and had a horrific result.



Needless to say, over-amping the electrolyzer has quite a risk to it.

I neglected to mention that the booster was drawing just about 30 Amps when it blew. Additionally, I was looking right at the booster when it popped and the flame was orange. No mistake there.

I plan to test this some more, but not without an enclosure, which I plan on building forthwith.

Lastly, I wonder if the brown scum has something to do with it. Only testing will bear this out. I have an inkling that the scum is ferrous oxide which was liberated from the stainless steel parts. It sure looks like rust water to me at any rate.

Resistance Testing a Smack's Booster with Simpleton Plate Arrangement

I put together several clips as one regarding resistance testing the Simpleton plate arrangement and this is the result.



I determined that the resistance climbs rapidly before leveling off. I should test with a different multimeter to see if it is the result of using a digital one versus an analog one.

Second, it appears that very little NaOH is required, around a half a teaspoon should do it. More doesn't seem to affect the resistance.

Third, the resistance appears to drop 300-400 Ohms when using Sodium Hydroxide versus tap water. To give some indication, my water was tested about a year ago and it had 22 grains of hardness. Yes, I know, like a brick. I was told at the same time that during the summer, the hardness drops way off due to pumping in water from a nearby reservoir, but I have no way of testing that at this time.

Smack's Booster Simpleton Plate Assembly

I put together a short video clip of me assembling a Smack's Booster with what I call a Simpleton Plate Assembly. I intend to test this setup to get some baseline figures and learn more about the design in the process.

Common Electrolytes Examined

I picked up a grocery sack full of potential electrolytes to experiment with in hopes of finding a suitable electrolyte to use in my hydroxy gas experiments.

They are:

• Potassium Hydroxide, (KOH)
  
• Common Table Salt (NaCl)
  
• Epsom Salts or Magnisum Sulfate, (MgSO4·7H2O)
  
• Baking Soda or Sodium Bicarbonate, (NaHCO3)
  
• Drain Cleaner or Sodium Hydroxide, (NaOH)
  
• Borax or Sodium Borate, (Na2B4O7·10H2O or Na2[B4O5(OH)4]·8H2O)
  

I forgot to mention that Sodium Hydroxide will also draw CO2 out of the air, plus Potassium Hydroxide is also highly caustic. This pair seem to hold the most promise as electrolytes, but are also the most hazardous to handle.

So there it is. I might find more, but this is the electrolyte lineup.

Electrolytes & Electrolyte Testing

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Previous: Buying the Electrolyte