Liam
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Walking across a lakeI've been contemplating this for a while
I often go down to this lake durring the summer, and it would be fun to walk accross it!
So a few things have came to mind. Two things to be more exact:
1) How do boats float?
2) Something snowshoe-like?
Doing research....
Okay so the answer to number one is..
An object in a fluid experiences an upward force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. So if a boat weighs 1,000 pounds (or kilograms), it will sink into the water until it has displaced 1,000 pounds (or kilograms) of water. Provided that the boat displaces 1,000 pounds of water before the whole thing is submerged, the boat floats.
So i would need to displace 120 pounds of water to float like a boat...
Number two:
I asked this question because... how to phrase this.... if your walking on snow with snow shoes, you stay on top, but if you drop a pencil into the snow, it plummets right through it.
Hmmmm
Any ideas?
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Craig Browning
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Many years ago Illusion Designer/Performer Andre Kole used to parachute in to events held on lakes... he'd land in the water and WALK up to the beach area standing & walking on the water.
The system he designed is quite unique not to mention expensive, but it's certainly neat...
Franz Harary has his own variation that's done in a swimming pool as part of a levitation routine.
Again... a very expensive "impractical" piece of equipment but I do believe Andre' has rented his unit out for PR Photos and Stunts here and there (do make certain you have LOTS of money before asking however). 
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Michael Kras
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Boat shoes? 
Hmm, this is a difficult one. The closest thing I've created to walking on water is WaterStep, which is basically AirStep above a pool.
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Dbaker
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Mythbusters did an entire episode on walking on water. They decided that the entire floating shoe concept was impractical and ill advised.
Most likely, Craig is right and you're looking at spending a butt load of money - possibly several butt loads. If you could reduce it to pool size, you could whip something up for around $200, but a lake isn't going to happen for under 5k.
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Craig Browning
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| Dbaker wrote: | Mythbusters did an entire episode on walking on water. They decided that the entire floating shoe concept was impractical and ill advised.
Most likely, Craig is right and you're looking at spending a butt load of money - possibly several butt loads. If you could reduce it to pool size, you could whip something up for around $200, but a lake isn't going to happen for under 5k. |
 I think you better multiply those budget projections by at least 10...
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Michael Kras
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LOL... this certainly is a difficult one. I can't see any method being any sort of inexpensive.
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Dbaker
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| Craig Browning wrote: | | Dbaker wrote: | Mythbusters did an entire episode on walking on water. They decided that the entire floating shoe concept was impractical and ill advised.
Most likely, Craig is right and you're looking at spending a butt load of money - possibly several butt loads. If you could reduce it to pool size, you could whip something up for around $200, but a lake isn't going to happen for under 5k. |
I think you better multiply those budget projections by at least 10... |
With the materials I was thinking of, an average backyard pool could be rigged for about $200. I don't know about a lake. Depending on depth, you might need to switch support methods so who knows.
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Craig Browning
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I'm not certain what you're thinking of but most swim pool walks are done with a thick acrylic type "mesh" that sells for around $75.00 a square foot... Part of the cost is because of how the polymer absorbs light... you can literally be in the pool and not see this stuff if the water is but a little bit in motion.
If you can create a $200.00 version I'd suggest you figure a practical way of presenting it and get it on the market... let it retail for about $1,200.00 and you'll sell them like hot cakes!
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Dbaker
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| Craig Browning wrote: | I'm not certain what you're thinking of but most swim pool walks are done with a thick acrylic type "mesh" that sells for around $75.00 a square foot... Part of the cost is because of how the polymer absorbs light... you can literally be in the pool and not see this stuff if the water is but a little bit in motion.
If you can create a $200.00 version I'd suggest you figure a practical way of presenting it and get it on the market... let it retail for about $1,200.00 and you'll sell them like hot cakes! |
Acutally, I had 2 ideas and both can come up around $200.
One involves acrylic poles with platform tops - creating a stepping stone path.
The other Is a suspension bridge design. The suspension bridge would be more of a TV stunt but the stepping stone version could easily be viewed in person.
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Craig Browning
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 I like that pole & platform idea... I think you need to look a bit closer at the physics behind it, but you may have something that really could be made commercially sound.
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Dbaker
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| Craig Browning wrote: | | I like that pole & platform idea... I think you need to look a bit closer at the physics behind it, but you may have something that really could be made commercially sound. |
I assume you mean to prevent the poles from shaking with the current and dropping you in. That's not a big deal - I've already devised possible countermeasures for that (but I'm not telling how).
I never thought of selling it, but come to think of it alot of magicians do publicity stunts and such - so it wouldn't be THAT out of place. Eh, maybe I'll make it a book or something.
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