Re: Micromachines Ships

> 
> > Karl Schmidt wrote:
> > >I think a better measure of ship size would be 
> > >volume (to account for varying plastic densities, and even usable
for 
> > >metal minis) but I don't have access to the equipment to do this.
> > 
> Mike Miserendino wrote:
> > Just slap some molding clay around the mini, making two halves for
easy
> > separation.  Recombine the halves, fill with water.  Pour the water
into a
> > measuring cup and whola, a simple approximation of the objects
volume.
> 
>     Why not fill a measuring cup with enough water to cover the mini.
> place the mini in the water, since plastic will probably float hold it
> under water with a toothpick or two, and measure the change in the
level
> of the water?
> Tom					       
<thomas.granvold@eng.sun.com>
> 

     Water displacement was exactly what I was thinking of, when I 
mentioned volume.  The equipment I lack is a measuring cup with small 
gradations.  Some of these models will be around 1 cm^3.   I was hoping 
that a chem student with access to a large radius, fine resolve
graduated
cylinder could plunk in his micromachines and get quick measurements.
     I could do it however; it would just be a more involved process.  
All I would need is a cup, a bowl, a balance, and water.  Fill the cup
to 
the brim and place it in the bowl.  Place the model (probably using 
toothpicks as you suggested to hold it under) in the cup.  The water it 
displaces will spill into the bowl.  Now weigh the bowl+water and 
subtract out the weight of the bowl to get the mass of the water 
displaced by the model.  Then knowing the density of water is 1g/cm^3 we

can get the volume of water displaced which is the volume of the model. 

(Alternately we can remove the model from the cup, weigh the cup+water 
and see how much the mass has decreased to get the mass of the water 
displaced.)  Then we would refill the cup and repeat.
     It is not that complex but it is a lot more time consuming and 
possibly messy with water spilling on tables and carpets.  It is the 
difference between spending 15 min. in my lab after work and spending 45

min. to hour.  I'm not interested enough to do it yet bet probably will 
be some slow day.
     I have just gotten some new micromachines to add to the list once I

weigh them though (Mon Cal Rebel Cruiser, Earth Force One, Marie
Celeste, 
Narn Dreadnought).

Karl