Do NOT DIY: Liquid nitrogen gun vs. flamethrower: Which will win?
Which is stronger, fire or ice? This age-old question has plagued man throughout time. But one courageous DIYer has turned his backyard into a scientific lab as he builds and tests a liquid nitrogen gun before the eyes of his YouTube follower. His video culminates in a battle between the liquid-nitrogen-fueled freeze-ray and a homemade flamethrower. I cannot stress this enough. Do not try this at home.
According to Popular Mechanics: "The first step was to fill up a thermos with liquid nitrogen. The pressure from the liquid nitrogen turning a gas shoots it up out of the hole of the thermos, and a well-placed nozzle creates a chilling frost that could cool down even the hottest summer. Ice ultimately wins, but only by advancing on the flames, so you could call it a contested victory. You'll be hard-pressed to find someone who'd stand there while the flamethrower gets a similar attempt, though."
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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