Week 5

Hey guys!

This week was pretty exciting for me because I finally got to start building my device! First, I went to my mentor to collect the containers and graphite rods so I could have all my materials with me. After getting those I talked to my professor about which method of sealing he thought would work more effectively. I showed him both the rubber seal that he had suggested and the caulk that I had bought and he agreed that caulk might be the better choice. If used, we would not have to drill large holes to accommodate the rubber stoppers and would be able to fill the gaps more effectively with a liquid than with a solid. After choosing our sealing, my professor showed me how to use his electric drill, gave me access to the lab, and showed me to a table I could work at.

First thing I did at the lab was clear my work space and put all of my materials where I thought convenient. After that I obtained a device that my professor had shown me can be used to measure the diameters of the graphite rod and collection tube as shown below. With that information I would be able to find the matching drill bits.

 

The device opens and closes with a dial (that I’m holding) and has to be tightened around the object being measured until it will not close any further. The display will then read the diameter of the object.

After obtaining the diameters of the rods and tube, I looked through the different drill bit sizes I possessed to find the suitable one. The size was usually written on the side of the bit but if not, I could measure its diameter. The sizes of the drill bits would not always match perfectly with that of the rods and tube but  I decided that if there was not too much of a disparity in size, I would use the ones that were closest.  I tightened the drill around the bits I had chosen and drilled three holes into my container as shown below:

3/8 Drill Bit

 

Before using the caulk, I decided to test it out first so I could become more familiar with its consistency, ease of application, and drying time. I used an extra container I had and drilled two holes the size of the graphite rods into its lid. I then found two pen bodies that I was not using anymore from my backpack, inserted them into the holes, and used the caulk to seal the gaps. I was surprised to see that caulk was thicker and harder to apply than I had originally expected! Nonetheless, it seemed to work pretty well so I got started on the real thing.

I used a crayon I had to mark the spots on the rods right above the container to ensure that when I sealed the rods to the lid, they would be high enough so that the lid would still snap shut and low enough that they would be under water level once I filled the container. I then removed the orange stoppers that were on the rods from before and the duct tape that was on the collection tube.  After that I applied the caulk, trying to get as much of it as I could into the gaps and waited for it to dry.

My professor showed me that the best way to check if the container was airtight was by blowing into it from the collection tube. I tried doing so and found it increasingly difficult to blow air into the container as the caulk dried indicating the seals were working. However, there were still places where I could feel the air was escaping. Next week, I will have to finish caulking the tube, apply more to the gaps that still weren’t sealed, and find the batteries and wires needed to perform the electrolysis of water.