7 ms·
Boring Flamethrower
- minimaxir 9y agoIt's presented as a gag item, but has a legitimate Shopify checkout. (and apparently a $100 price cut from the leak)
- scboffspring 9y agoHas someone tried to go through the checkout process? What happens at the end?
- minimaxir 9y agoApparently preorders are going through: https://twitter.com/alharding/status/957415346771652608 https://twitter.com/alharding/status/957415346771652608
- arthurcolle 9y agoI pre-ordered one
- dbcurtis 9y ago"World's Safest Flamethrower" Where is the fun in that?
- tomjacobs 9y agoAhahahahhahhaaa https://giphy.com/gifs/the-simpsons-hank-scorpio-zqhZB6bo5FgoE https://giphy.com/gifs/the-simpsons-hank-scorpio-zqhZB6bo5Fg...
- CaliforniaKarl 9y agoI'm kindof surprised that you don't get a discount for buying a flamethrower and a fire extinguisher in the same transaction.
- vanderZwan 9y ago> 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. They lampshaded that
- cyberferret 9y agoIt's the old 'razors vs razorblades' revenue model repurposed in a much more flammable form.
- inferiorhuman 9y agoThat's a pretty reasonable price for a fire extinguisher.
- aurizon 9y agoThis will certainly liven up parties and gang fracases
- DaniFong 9y agoThis is so great <*3
- git_rancher 9y agoMaybe this is the "make a favorable impression with rich people at LA parties" PR tactic.
- pantalaimon 9y agoNot so boring after all!
- tedmiston 9y agoSo what does a flamethrower have to do with boring tunnels...?
- kowdermeister 9y agoComes handy when you have to fight demons you unleash.
- Retra 9y agoSay you want to make a tunnel through some styrofoam...
- frahs 9y agoI know with plastics, "flame treatment" is a common way to prepare surfaces for bonding (with epoxy). 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-concrete-surfaces/flame-treatment-of-concrete-for-finishing-or-cleaning_o http://www.concreteconstruction.net/products/decorative-conc...
- swalsh 9y agoHe used hat's to fund the company and promised this as a joke if the hats hit the sales mark.
- qbrass 9y agoFending off CHUDs or Morlocks.
- DaniFong 9y agoThermoshocking rock; thermoshocking the establishment.
- kowdermeister 9y agoIn action: https://www.instagram.com/p/BeeUSFwgLrM/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BeeUSFwgLrM/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BeeYW0NA1HU/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BeeYW0NA1HU/
- zeep 9y agoThat's not a real flame thrower.... I used to do something similar to this when I was 10 with a hair-spray can and a lighter
- tbodt 9y ago...he wasn't joking.
- IgorPartola 9y agoI feel like this is an inside joke that I am not in on. Can someone explain?
- Cognitron 9y agoIt's another Spaceballs reference. Like ludicrous speed and the model s ludicrous mode.
- ronnier 9y agoI feel like I’m missing some context here as to why this is #1 in HN right now.
- throwawayeo5 9y agoElon Musk circle jerk. He represents everything HN wants to be: charismatic, exploitative, and rich for no good reason.
- lxrbst 9y ago> rich for no good reason. ok then
- pmarreck 9y agoWeekend fun?
- bmelton 9y agoBoring Co is Elon Musk.
- quizbiz 9y agoIt's a practical example of how to bootstrap your startup!
- dabber 9y agoTo me, it's interesting because it appears to be a somewhat novel approach to both fundraising and marketing a moonshot company. Perhaps I'm wrong in thinking this is novel though; it's possible people just like when Boring co. makes a marketing push.
- JasonSage 9y agoFor everybody wondering what this is about: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/940056523304181762 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/940056523304181762
- bigd 9y agoRemember this spaceballs scene https://m.imgur.com/t/funny/Q13Qr https://m.imgur.com/t/funny/Q13Qr ? it cannot be a coincidence.
- mrmondo 9y agoMusk: “I know it’s a little off-brand, but the kids will love it”, this guy never ceases to crack me up!
- coryfklein 9y agoThe link is not exactly a long-threaded explanation: > After 50k hats, we will start selling The Boring Company flamethrower > I know it’s a little off-brand, but kids love it
- sneak 9y agothe world’s most lovable defense contractor!
- IntronExon 9y agoA comment from Task & Purpose 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/B076QGV1PY?th=1* https://www.amazon.com/Push-Start-Propane-Blow-Torch-Long/dp... -Eric Descarpentri
- Johnny555 9y agoI don't see how that debunks it -- seems like that legitimizes that it is an actual working flame thrower. The video makes it quite clear what it is -- no one should be expecting a 50 foot range military flamethrower.
- IntronExon 9y agoA 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 http://www.firstworldwar.com/weaponry/flamethrowers.htm
- Johnny555 9y agoWhere 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.
- dragonwriter 9y ago> 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.)
- cyberferret 9y agoI 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.
- mirimir 9y agoWell, there used to be a website about an open-source cruise missile. But I'm not finding it now :(
- gerdesj 9y ago500 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..." .. which is so boring ...
- morisy 9y agoSomeone 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. Flamethrower: https://www.amazon.com/Push-Start-Propane-Blow-Torch-Long/dp/B076QGV1PY?th=1 https://www.amazon.com/Push-Start-Propane-Blow-Torch-Long/dp... Rifle: https://www.evike.com/products/68300/ https://www.evike.com/products/68300/ Via https://taskandpurpose.com/elon-musks-600-flamethrower-will-apparently-released-civilian-market-april/ https://taskandpurpose.com/elon-musks-600-flamethrower-will-...
- Shank 9y agoThat'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.
- madeofpalk 9y ago> 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?
- nickik 9y agoDo you understand marketing?
- kiba 9y agoCan fan merchandises fund a serious industrial company? Also, the ROI for humanity for a Musk company seems to be a great deal for humanity overall, not just dollars and cents.
- andrepd 9y ago>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.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- nathanvanfleet 9y agoUnleashed 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.
- coryfklein 9y agoI 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.
- mirimir 9y agoLess safe: Take one of these ... https://www.amazon.com/Indian-Galvanized-Fire-Smith-5-Gallon/dp/B004DKE8RE 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-flexible-lighter/dp/B00VJ3C0N2 https://www.amazon.com/Flexible-Lighters-bernzomatic-flexibl... ... and some duct tape. Got that from William S. Burroughs' The Wild Boys.
- yeukhon 9y agoThis 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).
- rdtsc 9y agoI was surprised except for California (and maybe another state) owning a flamethrower is legal. https://throwflame.com/ https://throwflame.com/ $1800 "Get Yours Today". Complete, of course, with a Napalm mix package https://throwflame.com/products/napalm-mix-fuel-gelling-agents/ 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.
- freedomben 9y ago> It seems these should be very illegal Why should they be illegal?
- rdtsc 9y agoWell 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.
- tim333 9y agoThere are a lot sold for weed control in gardening https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lawn-Weed-Burner-Blaster-Blow-Torch-Flamethrower-Moss-Killer-Butane-Gas-Garden/282441976908?hash=item41c2da8c4c:g:KqIAAOSwIWVY-mxk https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lawn-Weed-Burner-Blaster-Blow-Tor... Guess it's hard to draw the line between that and the nastier ones.
- jschwartzi 9y agoWhy 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. It's basically a big ditch burner.
- FLUX-YOU 9y ago
- tim333 9y agoElon demoing (vid) https://www.instagram.com/p/BeeYW0NA1HU/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=embed_ufi_control https://www.instagram.com/p/BeeYW0NA1HU/?utm_source=ig_embed... He started of selling 50,000 baseball hats for $20 each as a fundraiser and as the Guardian put it: >Musk, who had earlier, presumably in jest, promised to start selling company-branded flamethrowers once 50,000 hats were purchased, tweeted: “Hats sold out, flamethrowers soon!” https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/dec/31/elon-musk-tesla-founder-mines-rich-marketing-seam-selling-boring-hats https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/dec/31/elon-musk...
- mankash666 9y agoYou'd expect coders to be a logical bunch. But they flock like sheep behind their idols. A Musk branded flamethrower that's 3X the cost of a similar competitor is #1 on HN.
- jaimex2 9y agoIts all good fun, people like jokes and references to things. Coders are logical but theyre not robots. My companys desks are full of overpriced merchandise from memes and movies. Also there's nothing else more interesting on HN today.
- jaimex2 9y agoUp next: Tesla coil security systems?
- jpindar 9y agoElon just tweeted that when the zombie apocalypse (which he is definitely not creating to generate demand for flame throwers) comes, you'll be glad you bought one.
- aricthered 9y agoCan anybody tell me what were to get the valve between the tank and the hose?