Awesome Nighthawkinlight

NightHawkInLight made the rare DIY video that’s so straightforward even kids can follow it. Even better, it’s about something that is actually useful in daily life. He figured out that a mixture of paraffin and mineral oil is a great waterproof coating for fabric. The hardest part is ironing the mixture into the fabric, but even that step is practically idiotproof.

Traditional ropes are made by winding hemp or other strong plant fibers. NightHawkInLight got his hands on an industrial machine he found on AliExpress that can take fibers like tall grass and braids them together to create rope. It required a bit of fine-tuning to make it work properly, but it did its job in the end.

Maker NightHawkInLight wanted a lightweight camp stove that he could use to heat up a shelter without adding weight or bulk to his pack. What he came up with was a couple of stoves made from coffee cans, including one with a chimney that doubles as a walking stick. It weighs under 3 lb. and costs less than $20 to build.

Science guy NightHawkInLight takes a popular pendulum physics demonstration and amps it up. He starts out with a large pendulum made from metal nuts and varying lengths of strings for the bright shots, then covers them with tape and fluorescent paint to make them glow brightly under UV light.

Inspired by science instructor Bruce Yeany, YouTuber NightHawkInLight wanted to see if he could cook a hot dog while it floated in the air. NightHawk improved on Yeany’s compressed air levitation, using a nichrome and copper coil to heat his wiener instead of a blowtorch.

NightHawkInLight built a homebrew mini-sandblaster that’s powerful enough to cut glass. With the help of some electrical tape and paraffin wax, he shows how to cut a perfect helix shape out of a test tube. If you plan on trying to DIY, be sure to follow his recommended safety precautions.

If you’ve got a theatrical Leko light and a metal pattern gobo lying around, you can project your own Bat-signal with ease. But if you don’t and you’re resourceful like NightHawkInLight, you can still build one, using a flashlight like the crazy-bright Imalent MS18, along with lenses and parts you can buy from eBay.

Back in the 1980s, hairdresser and inventor Maurice Ward came up with a substance that was apparently incredibly resistant to heat and fire. NightHawkinLight explores the history of the material known as Starlite, what happened to it, and then makes his own version of the compound.

Senko Hanabi fireworks are a traditional Japanese form of pyrotechnics that uses only a tiny bit of combustible powder to get started, then transforms through various stages to produce a sparkler effect. NightHawkInLight scored a rare lesson on how to make them at the Tsutsui Tokimasa fireworks company. Money shot at 14:18.

Recently seen in a much larger version, this intriguing piece of plastic distorts light in order to make objects placed behind it look like they’re invisible. NightHawkInLight goes beyond the wow factor to explain how the prisms in this fresnel lens work their magic. If you want to play with a Lubor’s lens, you can find a bunch on Amazon.

Invented by Nikola Tesla, this ingenious type of valve uses a series of teardrop-shaped channels to restrict the flow of gases going one direction, by allowing smooth flow the other direction. NightHawkInLight built one such valve and demonstrates how it works by igniting propane gas flowing through it.

We’ve seen some pretty awesome backyard rollercoaster builds over the years. Now learn about the physics and complexities of building one, courtesy of NightHawkInLight and engineer Paul Gregg, who shows how to create a gravity-powered thrill ride for less than $500. We also recommend checking out Gregg’s books on the subject.

After seeing the unusual way in which magnets interact with copper, NightHawkInLight explores whether an electromagnetically-generated force field in copper could stop or slow a magnetic projectile in mid-flight.

Unlike steel, copper isn’t attracted to or repulsed by magnets. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t some interaction. NightHawkInLight takes a look at some of the strange behaviors that occur between thick sheets of copper and strong neodymium magnets.

NightHawkInLight shows us how we can make a stove out of a soup can. All you need is a can tapper or can punch to create air vents and feet out of the can’s walls and base. Although in our opinion you should also have a pair of protective gloves.

Senko Hanabi is a Japanese firework that is lit upside down and emits wonderful tiny sparks. Even though it’s made of commonly found materials, NighthawkInLight says he’s been working on it for 10 years and still hasn’t perfected the sparkler.

Like many other makers, NightHawkInLight created a powerful air cannon. But he added a fun and unique accessory at its business end – interchangeable slicing blades which make quick work out of fruit and vegetables used as projectiles.

Even though it sounds like a sci-fi weapon, vacuum cannons are actually easy to build. The only “hard” part is sucking the air out of them to reduce the air pressure. NightHawkInLight made one using a 4″ diameter PVC pipe and a 3″ diameter end cap as its projectile.

NightHawkInLight walks us through the basic science behind hybrid rockets, and the process behind building a compact rocket using acrylic rod and a canister of oxygen to control its output on demand.

YouTuber NighthawkInLight made a machine that generates a small and safe vortex of air. The mini-tornado comes from a modified inline ventilation fan, while its visibility is enhanced by ultrasonic foggers and an LED lamp. It also serves as a humidifier.

A storm glass is a contraption which was invented in the 18th century as a (not very effective) weather forecast device. As NightHawkInLight demonstrates, when its crystal-growing action is sped up, it looks like a self-operating snow globe. DIY video here.

YouTuber NightHawkInLight revisits his brilliantly simple DIY airsoft gun, adding a decorative PVC housing and a longer brake line barrel. If you don’t have an air compressor, you can skip the blowgun and just squeeze the bottle to fire the pellets.

DIY weapons specialist Nighthawkinlight shows us how to make an Airsoft-style machine gun using a soda bottle and an air compressor blow gun. It doesn’t get points for style, but it does the job.