General Questions

[Breaking Yaytz]

For the first step, do I have to drop the golf ball from outside the imaginary box, or can I drop it from just above the mousetrap? And for the last step, does the flag have to fit into the imaginary box during set-up or can it be as simple as creating a pulley system with a pole that exceeds the limits? Have to love the clarity of the rules.

[courage7856]

For the first step, do I have to drop the golf ball from outside the imaginary box, or can I drop it from just above the mousetrap? And for the last step, does the flag have to fit into the imaginary box during set-up or can it be as simple as creating a pulley system with a pole that exceeds the limits? Have to love the clarity of the rules.

I know the flag has to fit into the box when the device starts. It can't be outside the perimeter until later. I believe that the golf ball has to be dropped from outside of the box. For that, I would recommend having the mousetrap higher on the device, or using a tube of some sort to lead the ball directly to the mousetrap. We used an empty yogurt container, but a wide paper towel tube would work too. I hope that helps.

[Flavorflav]

For the first step, do I have to drop the golf ball from outside the imaginary box, or can I drop it from just above the mousetrap? And for the last step, does the flag have to fit into the imaginary box during set-up or can it be as simple as creating a pulley system with a pole that exceeds the limits? Have to love the clarity of the rules.

Your first question is clearly answered in the original rules: [rule excerpt] rule 4.a

Your second question is answered, albeit less clearly, by rule 3.a: [rule excerpt] Rule 4.j says that [rule excerpt] [not begin] [rule excerpt]. There seems to have still been some confusion about this, so they posted a clarification on soinc.org making it absolutely explicit that the flag and flagpole must begin inside the box.

[yousmellchinese123]

Technically, things got a lot more complicated xD
I read the clarification on my state website, and now it's time to do my last minute building, 1 week till states for me and that means one week to fix my final task xD

so then I am expecting a mousetrap activated final task would be the simplest?

[thepotato]

I hope this is in the right place.

Is burning steel wool with a 9v battery okay?
Is sewing thread fine as a monofilament?

[cypressfalls Robert]

I hope this is in the right place.

Is burning steel wool with a 9v battery okay?
Is sewing thread fine as a monofilament?

I think that would be a hazard...might want to ask on http://www.soinc.org, sewing thread I think is composed of more than one "filament", i think it was disscussed before though.

[courage7856]

I hope this is in the right place.

Is burning steel wool with a 9v battery okay?
Is sewing thread fine as a monofilament?

I think that would be a hazard...might want to ask on http://www.soinc.org, sewing thread I think is composed of more than one "filament", i think it was disscussed before though.

Depends on what kind of thread you use. I used a nylon sewing thread, which is a monofilament. It also burned quite easily. My mom's a quilter, so I know about these things, kind off

Steel wool I'm not so sure about though. I don't know if that's a conductable or not (assuming that's the step you're talking about). A 9v battery is kind of big. We used a circuit from 2 D batteries, and that's only 3 volts.

[cypressfalls Robert]

I hope this is in the right place.

Is burning steel wool with a 9v battery okay?
Is sewing thread fine as a monofilament?

I think that would be a hazard...might want to ask on http://www.soinc.org, sewing thread I think is composed of more than one "filament", i think it was disscussed before though.

Depends on what kind of thread you use. I used a nylon sewing thread, which is a monofilament. It also burned quite easily. My mom's a quilter, so I know about these things, kind off

Steel wool I'm not so sure about though. I don't know if that's a monofilament or not (assuming that's the step you're talking about). A 9v battery is kind of big. We used a circuit from 2 D batteries, and that's only 3 volts.

That works, we tryed that too but the thread is way too weak, fishing line FTW

[thepotato]

I hope this is in the right place.

Is burning steel wool with a 9v battery okay?
Is sewing thread fine as a monofilament?

I think that would be a hazard...might want to ask on http://www.soinc.org, sewing thread I think is composed of more than one "filament", i think it was disscussed before though.

Depends on what kind of thread you use. I used a nylon sewing thread, which is a monofilament. It also burned quite easily. My mom's a quilter, so I know about these things, kind off

Steel wool I'm not so sure about though. I don't know if that's a monofilament or not (assuming that's the step you're talking about). A 9v battery is kind of big. We used a circuit from 2 D batteries, and that's only 3 volts.

I got some fishing line, and it works quite nicely.

courage, I was not planning on using steel as the monofilament. I was using it as the heat from resistance thing.

[cypressfalls Robert]

remember to shield they smoke!