Build a Glowing/Flaming Pickle

Yes, the children... the children will love these.




Materials:
  • 1 pickle
  • 1 plug
  • Two large glass jars to support and insulate the wires
  • One cord
  • A couple of feet of solid 10 or 8 gauge wire for the electrodes.
  • Electrical tape
  • Safety goggles
  • A glass pan/some other insulator



    Disclaimer
    This project has the potential to kill. Don't touch the pickle or exposed wires when it is plugged in. This page assumes that you know how to safely deal with household voltage and current. Keep small children away. Do not let the bare wires touch. Wear eye protection. Do not attempt to build one of these if you can't figure out how from the information on this page.
    I am not responsible for the use or misuse of this information.




    Now, on to the fun stuff...
    The main goal here is to run 120Vac through a pickle to make it glow. All you'll need to do is push a piece of the 10 gauge wire into each end, making sure that the electrodes aren't touching, and run household power through them.

    It's that simple. Just make sure that the whole setup is on an insulated surface and on something that can handle getting pickle juice all over it. It is also an excellent idea to have a good source of ventilation, as a glowing pickle gives off clouds of foul-smelling smoke.


    When you first plug it in, it will appear that nothing is happening. Then, some juices will begin do drip out of the pickle. It will then proceed to glow and smoke while giving off a nice (60hz in the U.S.) hum.

    For my mad scientist's lab, one pickle lasted the entire night, which was about 20 glowings.





    Main