I saw the following video this morning on the Internet:
Introducing: A $20 bike made of cardboard
Makes you think that this sort of technology would make for some less-expensive but very sturdy framing material for building layouts. And it’s both water-proof AND fire-proof.
I bet Mr. Gafni would make a pretty decent MRRer, too.
Tom
[Edit: The above link has been changed to a more reliable URL]
Why would my McAfee Anti-Virus be warning me about the website you have listed?
Don’t know, NP. It’s the newser.com web site - if that makes any difference. I viewed it just fine and I have ESET.
Tom
Very interesting! Sturdy cardboard like that could certainly be used for building the frame of a layout, and as long as necessary precautions are taken, it would probably be as safe as wood in a damp basement.
I actually made a monitor stand at work out of cardboard and packing tape. It’s only the common single-layer type, and it’s a bit flimsy, but I put in some central reinforcement and it holds up a 19" LCD without any problems. With even one more layer of thickness and proper construction, a cardboard frame could easily hold a train layout made of styrofoam and plaster.
I think I’d stay away from that first link. I got the malicious site warning also. The Newser link seems to be okay.
NP and maxman,
I changed the original link to a different URL. Hopefully that should remedy the problem you both experienced.
Tom
The different URL seems to be okay.
Thanks.
My guess is that it is the sensing of an impending pop-up, which I found when I minimized the pages.
It is a victory for this gentleman, Tom, and he earned every bit of it. Brilliant!
Crandell
Well, I’m not changing. I have a bunch of other ones and it would cost me too much to convert. Why would I want to change what has worked well for years for this new technology? Plus I’ve modified my original units to do what the new unit cannot do without expensive additional add-ons.
Now maybe when battery technology advances to the point where miniature batteries can be installed…
Ummmm, what’s that? Bicycles? We’re talking about bicycles?
Sorry, I thought we were talking about DCC.
Never mind.
I would hate to be riding that cardboard bicycle during one of our summer monsoons here in Tampa! Conceptually, this is a nice idea, but the material is not appropriate to the use. In our design classes, we have HS students make furniture out of ordinary packaging cardboard with the goal of supporting at least 150 lbs for at least 1 hr, without falling apart- but leave them for three months and watch the little bugs start finding new neighborhoods to live in- within them! We always throw them out now, after the school year ends, unless Joe Student wants to bring his project home to mama. Let her deal with the new residents! It makes me question paper mâché scenery, where the paper, even if painted or covered by plaster coatings, can become an edible buffet for many types of insects. Cedarwoodron