30 Mar
2001
30 Mar
'01
2:34 a.m.
At 06:08 AM 3/28/01 -0800, Ethan Dicks wrote:
So did mine, but my father built a real crystal set in
the 1940's. Somewhere,
I have printed instructions on how to build one, down to how to cut a section
of pipe/conduit with ears to screw it down to the block of wood that you use
as the base. Anyone know where to get a hunk of crystal these days?
The mineral is "galena", a lead ore that apparently had enough
interesting impurities to semi-conduct depending on where the
whisker floated. In SW Wisconsin, you can find it on the ground.
Raw, it's dull grey. It cleaves easily to expose shiny surfaces.
- John