Quote Originally Posted by solar dan
TheMetal1: "Also, I agree... kids DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME... or anywhere."

important point - don't want kids to hurt themselves or start a fire!

to make a magnifier safe for kids, all one has to instruct them that they can play with the magnifier ONLY/STRICTLY IN THE SHADE ("don't let the sun see you...."), where it is basically harmless and safe.

i've had good experiences demonstrating the power of a magnifying glass in the sun. i obviously don't teach kids about solar vaping. instead they get a lesson in energy, physics, optics, geometry and FIRE SAFETY, and they'll learn all the fun kids' stuff that one can do with a magnifying glass, they get look at objects far and near through the magnifier.

under close grown-up supervision, kids may/can be allowed to do solar engraving on wood (never plastic). for kids i recommend small magnifying glasses - about 1inch. smaller magnifying glasses burn less hot and significantly slower.

imho, giving kids as much knowledge as they can handle is far better than just saying "no!" to them. it only results in arousing the kids' curiosity, but deprives them of knowledge and understanding.

this may be somewhat off topic - but it is an important point.

I can't believe this post. When I was a kid we had a chemistry set and would blow things up, make stink bombs, do all sorts of stuff. Now, they are afraid that kids will hurt themselves with a damned magnifying glass.

YOU PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN ALL THE FUN OUT OF BEING KIDS!!! Hurting yourself is all about being a kid, broken bones, stuff in their eyes and yes, even burns. No wonder they are all on drugs. What in the hell else are you leaving for them to do?

I am not saying this to anyone in particular, just that I can't believe this has happened to our world. It is not because of terrorizim that these kids can't do all the wonderful stuff I did as a kid, it is because of you. You who are now worried they will hurt themselves with a magnifier. You that let yourself become so brainwashed that you think this way.

I have been getting ripped for over 40 years so it is my fault too. I guess I was not paying attention as it all slipped away. It all started when they took the wooden boards off the swing seats and put that plastic or rubber thing in there, you couldn't even stand up to swing very well on those and they pinch your ass when you sit and swing. I want the wood seats back. Then lets work on the chemicals in the chemistry sets.

Sorry, just me flippin' on what you sayin' nothin' personal against you all....just wow...:stoned: