Inventor builds goliath smoke ring generator

While it's easy to appreciate an invention that makes all of our lives a touch easier, it takes something truly exceptional to be both impressive and completely useless simultaneously. Such is the case with the curious (and gigantic) smoke ring generator, which looks to crank out giant rings of slowly fading smoke while onlookers beg for "just one more." The hand-powered device starts by launching a ghostly orb, which hastily slows and forms the infamous circle that brings back all sorts of gangster flick-related memories. Now, where's the step-by-step instructions to build one of these bad boys? Oh, click on through for the must-see video.

[Via MAKE]

[aide @ Apr 14th 2007 7:57AM]

isnt this just a massive airzooka?

[Alexander @ Apr 14th 2007 8:37AM]

@aide:

pretty much, with some smoke being pumped into it.

[Dale Massey @ Apr 14th 2007 8:46AM]

L O S T !

Its the smoke monster!

[Peter Terren @ Apr 14th 2007 9:11AM]

This is from my site. See all the construction details here. They are really easy to do and can be made in any size.
http://tesladownunder.com/interesting_stuff.htm#Vortex%20ring%20launchers
(I'm the guy that does the Tesla stuff like the "Car thief protection" and "Eye of Sauron".)

[Stan @ Apr 14th 2007 1:15PM]

What is the diameter of the rings? There was a billboard in Times Sq from '46 until '64 or '66, that 24/7 that blew 10' smoke rings for Camel cigarettes but it was based on steam. (Con Ed supplies steam for many buildings in NYC.) This link shows the sign and the steam but not rings; it had to be a very calm day to see rings. http://www.nytstore.com/ProdDetail.aspx?prodId=1235

[Peter Terren @ Apr 14th 2007 2:07PM]

If the Camel smoker just had a large pipe to the mans mouth then rings would be rare. You do still see them like when big naval guns fire and the rings are much larger than the outlet but the central channel comes out first and longest so the rings are a bit secondary. My ring vortex generator is 30 inches across with a 15 inch hole. This 50% hole ratio seems to work well.

[Brian @ Apr 14th 2007 10:30AM]

inform the hookah smoking Caterpillar!

[Dr. Jones @ Apr 14th 2007 10:42AM]

You call that gigantic. There is a volcano in Italy, Mt. Etna (Italy), Europe's most active volcano, is known for periodically belching forth lots (up to 100 per day) of gigantic (up to 600 feet in diameter) long-lasting (up to 15 minutes) smoke rings that billow skyward (up to 18,000 feet). Take a peek at this website: http://www.decadevolcano.net/photos/smokerings.htm

[Pal @ Apr 14th 2007 11:29AM]

It's not man-made. You can't compare human creativity with mother nature!

[ambivalent @ Apr 15th 2007 12:06AM]

Dr. Jones, you sir are awesome for providing that link. The story should be replace with an article about mount Etna.

[Josh Sebastian @ Apr 14th 2007 11:06AM]

I wonder if this is the same one / guy that was at Bonnaroo last year? I think it's different actually.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qWauze0UXM

[Gandalf @ Apr 14th 2007 11:27AM]

Personally, I won't be 100% impressed until he builds a partner smoke machine that generates smoke ships that sail through the ring.

[Dr. Jones @ Apr 14th 2007 5:47PM]

I know, I know. It's just an amazing phenomenom.

[Pal @ Apr 14th 2007 11:29AM]

My physics teacher made this back in high school, it was quite fun.

[Me @ Apr 14th 2007 12:24PM]

Looks great but it's certainly not this guys invention as I've seen it on "Men in white" on the Discovery channel a week ago, and that had to be filmed a few months earlier.

Impressive ... cough .... ripoff .... cough ....... invention.

[GO @ Apr 14th 2007 12:54PM]

Mr.Wizard did this same thing on his show back in the 70s/80s.

[Thiff @ Apr 14th 2007 8:50PM]

http://www.pingmag.jp/2006/04/28/takeshi-ishiguro/

[thescienceguy @ Apr 14th 2007 4:05PM]

I saw this years ago on Bill Nye the Science Guy (i think).

cool stuff anyways. one more time!

[n.p. @ Apr 14th 2007 4:33PM]

the iowa state university chemistry club (SCUM - society of chemistry undergraduate majors) has one that they pull out every year to shoot the audience members. ours is better than the video.

[Douglas Pace @ Apr 14th 2007 5:15PM]

This is a neat device. And as far as huge smoke rings, anyone who's been to Burning Man knows of the people that make massive rings probably 100 feet or so in size: http://www.vimeo.com/clip:10537

Smoke rings are cool.

[gabrielt @ Apr 17th 2007 8:58AM]

vortex ring lauchers rule http://tesladownunder.com/ go check out this mans other homemade physics insainity and fun

[Chris @ Jun 27th 2007 4:48PM]

My friend tried to show me how to blow smoke rings once while smoking hookah. I never could learn because every time I tried, everyone would laugh.