A Rolling Rock

[PlasticSpanner]

This is a Granite sphere about 1.2m diameter (4 feet) which sits in a small hollow with water pumped up underneath it. The water lifts it and acts like a frictionless bearing to spin the rock on.

I had great fun trying to get it spinning fast enough so I'd have time to get back to the camera and get this shot! Sadly, my wife wouldn't let me take it home in the back of the car!

 

[Antarctican]

hey, how cool is that?!

 

[PlasticSpanner]

Hi Anty!

I had to get is spinning fast enough to have time to get a shot of it! Nothing to do with trying to see how fast it will go or if it goes over a certain speed it over-runs the water bearing & rolls out of the hollow & down the path!

 

[oldnavy170]

I played with one of these before. They are pretty neat!!!

 

[Antarctican]

Hi Anty!

I had to get is spinning fast enough to have time to get a shot of it! Nothing to do with trying to see how fast it will go or if it goes over a certain speed it over-runs the water bearing & rolls out of the hollow & down the path!

Hey PS!
Sounds like you've gotta go back and try for the "roll down the path" shot!! In the interest of science only, of course. We need to know the critical speed.

 

[LaFoto]

Too true ... and I want you to take a pic of the back axle of your car when that thing's loaded! The exhaust pipe might just about scratch the street, but hey, this is too nice a piece to leave it there.

So: hurry back to Devon, do the test (for science only, of course!) of how fast it must spin to jump out of the pool and onto the path, get photos taken of it rolling down the path with people jumping to the left and the right (maybe in time for the "In Flight" challenge!? ) and then ... rush home with it. You won't leave a trace ... other than the burnt asphalt from your exhaust pipe on the road .