> Buy an overpriced Boring Company fire extinguisher! You can definitely buy one for less elsewhere, but this one comes with a cool sticker and the button is conveniently riiight above.
I debuk the flamethrower. .
it's just a Push-Start Propane Blow Torch (Short) 50$ from Amazon monted in the poor gun S.T.A.R. XR-5 Airsoft vaut 112$
start piezo button is inverted and actionned in the hole with finger .
you can see the propane walve button on top of the gun , and the Trigger is huts the original Blow Torch curved and cut
and you have a propane torch able to burn grass in your garden .. (with the propane bottle attached outside)
A flamethrower is a device which pressurizes a flammable liquid or gel, which is ignited and projected at range. This is not such a device, it’s just a propane torch with a toy gun case. You might as well call a lighter with the valve wide open a flamethrower. History of the flamethrower: http://www.firstworldwar.com/weaponry/flamethrowers.htm
Where is it defined that a flamethrower needs to use a liquid or gel?
Wikipedia says:
A flamethrower is a mechanical incendiary device designed to project a long, controllable stream of fire. They were first used by the Greeks in the 1st century AD...Some flamethrowers project a stream of ignited flammable liquid while some project a long gas flame.
> I don't see how that debunks it -- seems like that legitimizes that it is an actual working flame thrower.
No, it's a working blowtorch, not a flamethrower. (Which incidentally seems to mean that it isn't restricted by California's licensing requirement on flamethrowers, because it doesn't meet the definition of “flamethrower”, either generally or in California law.)
I think I will wait for the inevitable mashup between Musk's companies. When Boring Co. and Space X bring out their surface to air anti aircraft missile, then I will open my wallet...
But it will have to be a missile that can come back and land itself if it misses the intended target.
500 knicker for a flame thrower and 30 for a fire extinguisher.
LOL, ROFL, etc
If you are going to do silly then sort your bloody web site out. FAQ starts with this: "To solve the problem of soul-destroying traffic, roads must go 3D..."
Someone else noted that this appears to be an off-the-shelf flamethrower coupled with the plastic body of a commercial electric rifle. Total cost of those two items: $170.
That's because this is just another scheme like the hats. The goal is to raise money for the Boring Company, not necessarily to deliver a product. It's a novelty and a way for people to support the company -- that's it.
> The goal is to raise money for the Boring Company
I thought maybe raise money for charity or something.. but no. For Yet Another Musk Moonshot Company.
Seriously though, how much money are they going to raise from selling hats or flamethrowers? How many millimetres of a tunnel does one flamethrower fund?
Tesla has helped enter into public knowledge the reality that efficient, road-worthy electric cars are ready here and now, despite what the oil and automotive cartels will tell you. Existing on the outside of the cabal, they are forcing the hand of other big manufacturers to get in the game lest they lose future market share.
Space X is on its way to revolutionizing the way we make time-sensitive global and orbital deliveries, and overall the company's aspirations to start a Mars colony are incredible given that no one else is trying, not even our governments.
Hyperloop + The Boring Company is an attempt to revolutionize public transportation and eradicate the limiting factor of distance in things like our careers, hobbies, and relationships. It also aims to reduce global emissions by a less-than-trivial amount.
Your argument is that, because Musk doesn't have a hulking list of massive once-in-a-lifetime achievements (who wants to read a giant list of micro-achievements?), that he has not accomplished anything.
He is attacking industries that largely don't exist, and you are criticizing him for not already being finished with his life's work.
Don't you understand that these things take time? That his companies are still largely in the "Research" part of "Research & Development?"
What are you doing with your own life that allows you to criticize the actions of one massively motivated individual?
Think of all of the great visionaries and leaders of the past-- Don't you think that, until they completed their life's work, they were also ridiculed and criticized?
Consider building up and supporting others instead of reflexively attempting to tear them down. Don't be a naysayer.
> how much money are they going to raise from selling hats or flamethrowers?
None? That isn't the point?
To be fair, GP is completely wrong about the nature of this gimmick, but why the hate on Musk? Does it annoy you to see someone throwing outlandish ideas at the wall to see what sticks? Or to see someone attempt to enter new markets when existing choices aren't sufficient?
I don't see what they have to lose. A roughly 300% profit margin followed by the endless conversations buyers have with their friends informing them about what The Boring Company is, combined with improved employee happiness (who wouldn't get a kick out of their company having a brief flamethrower side hustle, right?), it sounds like a win-win all around to me.
> I thought maybe raise money for charity
First off, why would you expect a startup to prioritize charity fundraisers over hilarious and fun marketing campaigns, and second, selling flamethrowers doesn't preclude any possibility of The Boring Company doing fundraisers for charity anyway.
The Tesla Roadster was just an off-the-shelf AC drivetrain system for lithium-ion cars coupled with the body of a commercial sportscar. Total cost of these two items: $267,690.*
OMG guys you are so right even PayPal is just a bunch of off-the-shelf processors coupled together with some sort of digital language. The people there are not even doing real accounting. Wake up, sheeple. You're being ripped off!
As it says at the bottom: "Buy an overpriced Boring Company fire extinguisher! You can definitely buy one for less elsewhere, but this one comes with a cool sticker and the button is conveniently riiight above."
Unleashed in April, as in April 1st? This whole April fools jokes thing in the tech world is getting a bit crazy if the joke is pre-announced three months before.
I saw this as serving primarily as ironic humor. Tunnels are boring, and a boring company selling flamethrowers... Even if the flamethrowers are real, their purpose is to serve as a joke, not as a flamethrower, hence the justification of the $500 price tag.
Nobody has to buy the flamethrower any more than they had to throw their money into Cards Against Humanity's money pit.
This sbumission has turned into a Reddit sub commentary. Anyway.... I will start a competition: very boring famerthrowawayer. Please let me know in the comment section. I will sell the product for free (except you pay for shipping).
These are basically in the same category as WWI/WWII military flamethrowers. It seems these should be very illegal but I guess they are not. That just boggles my mind.
Well New York state and apparently others ban nunchucks. Can't have two sticks connected by a string. In light of that (pun intended) it is surprising that a device which shoots flames 50 feet out at 4000psi hasn't made the list.
Why should they be illegal? Anyone can whack one together with $100 in parts anyway. I wouldn't choose to own one and if I saw someone carrying one I would give then a wide berth but I don't believe everything that makes me nervous should be outlawed.
I dunno, have you ever seen someone decide to burn a really dry christmas tree? If I'm lighting a big bonfire I'd definitely prefer to have as much distance as possible between me and the fire.
Plus there are some people who believe that to light a christmas tree after christmas, that this can in fact be accomplished using a flame slightly shorter than 50 feet.
My experience watching Hollywood films tells me flamethrowers are a more effective tool at killing/maiming large groups of people than traditional firearms, so I expected them to be outlawed for the same reason you can't buy hand grenades or rocket launchers at Walmart.
Of course, now that I know they are legal I have decent reason to believe that Hollywood's propensity for exaggeration didn't end with their use of flame throwers.
I'm guessing you think these should be illegal because they could kill people.
I think they should be illegal only if there are statistics showing that a non-negligible percentage of them are used to kill people and there are reasons to believe that a state can lower their homicide rate by banning them.
Assault rifles pass the above test, but not sure flamethrowers do.
They’re heavy, unwieldy, and a cop with a sidearm will beat you on range. They’re great for clearing out bunkers and pillboxes, but not really an effective weapon in general circumstances.
As for the thickener, adding dish soap or styrofoam to gasoline and diesel mix will do the job; rocket science this ain’t.
There are better, cheaper, self-contained flamethrowers out there if you're in the market. They come up from time to time on gun forums.
They're far from popular, for what it's worth. They're finicky and while they're fun to play with for a bit... but really, what are you going to do with a flamethrower?
99 comments
[ 2.7 ms ] story [ 182 ms ] threadWhere is the fun in that?
They lampshaded that
I could imagine that maybe flame-treating concrete has some benefits for tunnels. Probably gets rid of any oils on the surface.
I'm totally just guessing here. It could also just be an inside joke or a something else, but Googling shows that it might be a thing:
http://www.concreteconstruction.net/products/decorative-conc...
https://www.instagram.com/p/BeeUSFwgLrM/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BeeYW0NA1HU/
ok then
Perhaps I'm wrong in thinking this is novel though; it's possible people just like when Boring co. makes a marketing push.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/940056523304181762
> After 50k hats, we will start selling The Boring Company flamethrower
> I know it’s a little off-brand, but kids love it
I debuk the flamethrower. . it's just a Push-Start Propane Blow Torch (Short) 50$ from Amazon monted in the poor gun S.T.A.R. XR-5 Airsoft vaut 112$ start piezo button is inverted and actionned in the hole with finger . you can see the propane walve button on top of the gun , and the Trigger is huts the original Blow Torch curved and cut and you have a propane torch able to burn grass in your garden .. (with the propane bottle attached outside)
the torch
https://www.amazon.com/Push-Start-Propane-Blow-Torch-Long/dp...
-Eric Descarpentri
The video makes it quite clear what it is -- no one should be expecting a 50 foot range military flamethrower.
Wikipedia says:
A flamethrower is a mechanical incendiary device designed to project a long, controllable stream of fire. They were first used by the Greeks in the 1st century AD...Some flamethrowers project a stream of ignited flammable liquid while some project a long gas flame.
No, it's a working blowtorch, not a flamethrower. (Which incidentally seems to mean that it isn't restricted by California's licensing requirement on flamethrowers, because it doesn't meet the definition of “flamethrower”, either generally or in California law.)
But it will have to be a missile that can come back and land itself if it misses the intended target.
LOL, ROFL, etc
If you are going to do silly then sort your bloody web site out. FAQ starts with this: "To solve the problem of soul-destroying traffic, roads must go 3D..."
.. which is so boring ...
Flamethrower: https://www.amazon.com/Push-Start-Propane-Blow-Torch-Long/dp...
Rifle: https://www.evike.com/products/68300/
Via https://taskandpurpose.com/elon-musks-600-flamethrower-will-...
I thought maybe raise money for charity or something.. but no. For Yet Another Musk Moonshot Company.
Seriously though, how much money are they going to raise from selling hats or flamethrowers? How many millimetres of a tunnel does one flamethrower fund?
Also, the ROI for humanity for a Musk company seems to be a great deal for humanity overall, not just dollars and cents.
You keep saying that but what exactly has he accomplished so far? For "the benefit of humanity" that is.
Space X is on its way to revolutionizing the way we make time-sensitive global and orbital deliveries, and overall the company's aspirations to start a Mars colony are incredible given that no one else is trying, not even our governments.
Hyperloop + The Boring Company is an attempt to revolutionize public transportation and eradicate the limiting factor of distance in things like our careers, hobbies, and relationships. It also aims to reduce global emissions by a less-than-trivial amount.
Your argument is that, because Musk doesn't have a hulking list of massive once-in-a-lifetime achievements (who wants to read a giant list of micro-achievements?), that he has not accomplished anything.
He is attacking industries that largely don't exist, and you are criticizing him for not already being finished with his life's work.
Don't you understand that these things take time? That his companies are still largely in the "Research" part of "Research & Development?"
What are you doing with your own life that allows you to criticize the actions of one massively motivated individual?
Think of all of the great visionaries and leaders of the past-- Don't you think that, until they completed their life's work, they were also ridiculed and criticized?
Consider building up and supporting others instead of reflexively attempting to tear them down. Don't be a naysayer.
None? That isn't the point?
To be fair, GP is completely wrong about the nature of this gimmick, but why the hate on Musk? Does it annoy you to see someone throwing outlandish ideas at the wall to see what sticks? Or to see someone attempt to enter new markets when existing choices aren't sufficient?
> I thought maybe raise money for charity
First off, why would you expect a startup to prioritize charity fundraisers over hilarious and fun marketing campaigns, and second, selling flamethrowers doesn't preclude any possibility of The Boring Company doing fundraisers for charity anyway.
Edit: oh, I see, never mind. I don't follow Musk much.
AC drivetrain by AC Propulsion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_Propulsion_tzero
Sportscar body by Lotus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Elise
Via http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/19/travel/driving-lots-of-zoo... *Lotus Elise: $47,690; AC Propulsion AC-150: $25,000; AC Propulsion tzero: $220,000
Flamethrower, hat, roadster –– all share the same pattern… Maybe this is Elon's modus operandi for creating consumer products.
It really is just a fun/dumb Spaceballs joke. :)
Nobody has to buy the flamethrower any more than they had to throw their money into Cards Against Humanity's money pit.
https://www.amazon.com/Indian-Galvanized-Fire-Smith-5-Gallon...
... filled with lighter fluid, plus one of these ...
https://www.amazon.com/Flexible-Lighters-bernzomatic-flexibl... ...
and some duct tape.
Got that from William S. Burroughs' The Wild Boys.
https://throwflame.com/
$1800 "Get Yours Today".
Complete, of course, with a Napalm mix package https://throwflame.com/products/napalm-mix-fuel-gelling-agen... "It thickens normal fuel to create a long lasting burn that goes great with your X15 Flamethrower"
These are basically in the same category as WWI/WWII military flamethrowers. It seems these should be very illegal but I guess they are not. That just boggles my mind.
Why should they be illegal?
Guess it's hard to draw the line between that and the nastier ones.
It's basically a big ditch burner.
Surely you don't need a 50 foot range to start a fire.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeiSDF83mXo
Of course, now that I know they are legal I have decent reason to believe that Hollywood's propensity for exaggeration didn't end with their use of flame throwers.
And a torch like this thing mislabeled as a “flamethrower” is even less regulated.
I love the smell of FREEDOM in the morning.
I think they should be illegal only if there are statistics showing that a non-negligible percentage of them are used to kill people and there are reasons to believe that a state can lower their homicide rate by banning them.
Assault rifles pass the above test, but not sure flamethrowers do.
So do cars.
As for the thickener, adding dish soap or styrofoam to gasoline and diesel mix will do the job; rocket science this ain’t.
They're far from popular, for what it's worth. They're finicky and while they're fun to play with for a bit... but really, what are you going to do with a flamethrower?