It seemed like a good idea at the time ......

Hi there.
I found myself thinking about one of my spectacular failures in home brew engineering in another thread and thought that I'd share it and ask for your own examples of the "Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time...."

My own example:

A few years ago I decided to combine 3 things together. 4th of July, Model rocket engines, and styrofoam gliders. You can just guess what's gonna happen can't you?

Ok, first "test bed":
A styrofoam glider with a wingspan of about 1 1/2 foot, and 2 model rocket engines mounted in the middleof the fusalage just to the rear of the wings.
The time: Nighttime.
Hooked up the engines to a battery and with 2 witnesses to my stupidity ready proceeded to launch it horizontally from atop a rock. Both engines ignited and there was for a brief glorius shining moment a stream of fire. At the launch I realised 2 things.

1) I had misjudged the thrust to weight ratio.
2) The wings were flexing as lift was generated and it was going into a massive loop.... a flaming loop ...... coming right at me!!!

Luckly I managed to dodge out of the way of that wonderful flaming "O" of rocket exhaust as it proceeded to do about 3 to 4 loops before the engines burned out.

Cue the second "test bed". Having learned a little from the first one I decided to go upscale. Take a styrofoam glider with a 4 foot wingspan Chop off about 2 feet off of the wings and attach 3 rocket engines with duct tape.

The Day: 4th of july
The time: Sunset
Place: Public park with about 100 or so onlookers and several police officers watching.

I set it up. Attach the battery. point it horizontally and aim it out over a lake. "I can see the newspaper headlines now. Cruise missle attack on Govenor's Island" remarked one of my friends. It was then that i realised that yes indeed it did look sorta like a cruise missle. I decided to pass the honors of ignition to one of my friends. "This thing's been tested. Right Deson?" "of course ...... not. This is me we're talking about." was my reply. Ignition occurs. With a blast of flame shooting out of 2 of the 3 engines I observed it launch. Flames shot out for at least 10 feet. It climbed steady and flew oh so true. Glorius!! "GO Baby GO!!" I found myself yelling. Then I noticed the rubber raft out on the lake. Oh this could be bad. Very bad. The engines burned out. My little darling proceeded to arc itself straight and true and aimed at the boat. And then proceeded to splash down about 4 feet short of impacting the boat itself. Thunderous applause erupts from the onlookers as I breath a massive sigh of relief.

Anybody else have one of those "Well it seemed like a good idea at the time" moments?

Oh those handy little rocket engines. :shk:

My brother and I (both in our late 30s) decided to launch a Barbie Doll that his daughter had. We screwed a couple little eye hooks into her back to attach it to the launch tower and taped a rocket engine just under her plastic boobs.

Well, in goes the igniter, we run out the wire, pull the lockout key and fire.
Barbie stayed on the launch pad but the engine took off sideways and flew right through a tree with the children playing in it.

Thank God none of the kids were hit and nobody was hurt, but it really did seem like a good idea at the time.

Oh, bought my wife a pair of nice, suede high heels, 4" heel on these suckers... oh man she's going to look so good wearing them, I can't wait...

Oh there she comes... rounds the corner looking all beautiful... wow, I'm so lucky...

and then whammo... she stepped on my bare foot with the heel...


OUCCCCCCCCCHHHHHH


Buying those shoes seemed like a good idea at the time... :bnghd:

Fireworks..I have a story too. But I'll save it.

Bricklayer's.
I was paying my way through college, assisting some bricklayers on a beautiful building in Maryland.

I was the mud man..I mixed the cement, and sent it up in 5 gallon buckets by pulley, to the third floor.

Hey, If I stand on this big Bucket hook..And pull the rope gently, I might be able to pull myself off the ground!!!
I stood on the hook, pulled on the rope and LIFTED MY FEET right out from under me. I flipped myself onto the ground..How stupid! But I had held onto the rope in panic..Sending the hook fairly high..I let go of the rope to stand up..and the hook came back down..just missing my head..( I think it missed. LOL)

Yep, sounds like something that I would have tried myself. Glad that the fall occurred early. I'd hate to think about what would have happenned if you had gone say 30-40 feet or more!

When I was 7 yrs old, my younger sister and I decided to help out our dad and surprise him by washing the car. We didn't stop with the rag, suds in a bucket and water hose. No, we decided the car needed to have extra care. We wanted every spot off and the car sparkling. What better to do that with but Comet cleanser! What a good idea!

We sure surprised him. Dad was still able to sell the car, despite huge circles where the finish and a layer or two of paint were gone.