Graffiti Paint Pack

I need Assorted Spray Tips like the kind spray taggers and spray artists use, but I don't know where to look.

Hi, I'm working on a physics problem where I need to look at the aerosol spray pattern from a variety of spray paint tips ... narrow, flat, wide, etc.. When I lived in NYC, I used to know of a graffiti supply place down near Canal that had a pack with several assorted tips (i.e. Fat caps, wides, etc.) but now I can't find anything like that. Any suggestions? Any city or internet site is fine. Thanks!

try Wal-Mart

New Squeezable Pentel Paint Pens - Stop Motion Video

Mach My Day

Most guys, in their quieter moments, have given some thought to building their own car. There’s something innately masculine about the process of assembling your own weekend runaround.

But what to go for? A sexy two-seater? Or how about something outrageous like an American hot-rod? Perhaps not, bearing in mind the trouble you had with that flat-pack bookcase last year.

Or, you could take it to a whole new level, invite a few mates round and building the fastest vehicle in the world, ever – in your own garage.

That’s what retired computer technician Ed Shadle has set about doing in the USA. Despite having no significant backing from big business or vehicle manufacturers, Ed and a group of his friends from around Seattle are on a quest – to yank the land speed crown from the hands of the British and return it to North America.

At the moment, the fastest machine ever to burn rubber is the Thrust SSC. Driven – or perhaps more correctly ‘piloted’ – by Wing Commander Andy Green, this sleek black chariot clocked 763mph at Nevada’s Black Rock Desert in 1997, beating the record of 633mph set by Trust SSC’s designer, Richard Noble, in 1983.

“It’s about time we Americans got seriously back into the race,” smiles Ed, who has taken the title of project manager and co-owner of North American Eagle, the privately funded US challenger. “It’s friendly competition, but there’s pride involved as well. We have some of the best technology, engineers and pioneering spirit in the world, and we want to show that.”

If it’s true that a man only buys a fast car if he’s lacking in other areas, lord knows what driving a 56-ft. tube with a rocket strapped on it says about Ed – but you can’t deny that he’s got guts. Should sufficient funding materialise, the 65-year-old (yep, that’s 65) plans to pilot North American Eagle to 805mph this autumn. That’s 1,295kph, Mach 1 or faster than sound, depending on how you want to look at it.

Frankly, if it were me, I’d be looking at it from a cowering position behind the sofa. So for Ed to be willing to strap himself into the thing he must be incredibly bullish. Actually, he’s a pretty unassuming fellow. He made good money working for IBM before retiring to spend more time with his wife. But whereas other guys at this stage turn their thoughts to fishing or gardening, Ed figured his life needed a bit more, well, propulsion.

“North American Eagle was born out of a conversation with Keith Zanghi,” says Ed, referring to the NAE’s co-owner and director of operations. “We agreed that the cost of providing something entirely new was astronomical, so we came up with the idea of buying the fuselage of a jet and modifying it.”

Of course. Sounds so simple, really; just go down to the local used jet dealership, buy one ex-military fighter, strip the wings, bung on some wheels, say a prayer, ease the throttle and…go.

“We decided on an F-104A-10 ‘Starfighter’. It took a while to find one, especially as we had limited funds. We learned it might cost upwards of US$100,000, which was too high. But luckily the one we located was already missing its wings as well as both vertical and horizontal stabilisers. It looked like it had been rolled down a hill, with all the damage and graffiti – but it was ours for US$25,000.”

Making all the necessary repairs and modifications took nearly a decade – not surprising, considering that when they started out in 1997 there were only four members on the team. Gradually more volunteers signed on, keen to spend their weekends stripping off airplane paint, drilling out old rivets and basically reincarnating a Cold War fighter onto North American Eagle, a full on Mojave road runner.

Presently the team is still building up to its first full-speed run, but they’ve already passed 400 mph and can feel their target getting ever closer. “The problem is funding,” laments Ed. “Unlike NASCAR or Formula One, our profile isn’t as high, so it’s harder finding sponsorship. So far Keith and I have been paying for this effort out of our own pockets. I don’t dare tell my wife how much money I’ve spent. She just wonders why we don’t go on vacations any more.

“But on the other hand, I love the engineering behind it. To drive it is challenging, but the real challenge has always been to build something that’s the best of its kind.”

So where does it – must it – all end, that finite point past which no vehicle can go any faster? “That’s anyone’s guess,” says Ed. “Logically, there must be some stage where you reach escape velocity, but at the moment limitations are things such as how fast you can spin a wheel without it exploding or how much stress and banging can a human being take.”

All of which doesn’t seem to bother Ed. He seems driven by that timeless maxim: records are made to be broken.

About the Author

Richard Ryan is a professional journalist who has worked in the UK, Malaysia and Australia. For more information visit http://www.richardryan.co.uk