Any way to prevent static on a backyard slide?

[BladeVenom]

Use conductive paint, and make sure it's grounded.

 

[dighn]

If the mods are bothered about that and enforce it, they need to reduce ridiculous signatures as well. Some are inflammatory and some list lengthy PC specs... those annoy me, but I'm not whining.

Oh, I updated it BTW. I won't disable because IMHO it's a courteous message. Now it's more to the point.

Happy?

[tapatap'd warning: may contain autocorrect errors]

thank you

 

[FreshCrabLegs]

If the mods are bothered about that and enforce it, they need to reduce ridiculous signatures as well. Some are inflammatory and some list lengthy PC specs... those annoy me, but I'm not whining.

Oh, I updated it BTW. I won't disable because IMHO it's a courteous message. Now it's more to the point.

Happy?

[tapatap'd warning: may contain autocorrect errors]

Yes, thank you destrekor.

 

[wirednuts]

i would try grounding it too. underneath the slide, just drive in a ground rod. theyre like 8ft long. get the thinnest one they have at the home store, and pound it down with a hammer. if youre lazy just cut it in half too... you probably dont need 8ft.

then connect the rod to the side in a safe way via copper wire or strap to the actual plastic slide. just make sure nothing is protruding or where kids might get caught or bump it.

 

[JTsyo]

hmm will grounding actually work?
I don't think having a set of cloths for the slide is going to work.

 

[Jeff7]

I loved that effect for its entertainment value. I showed the technique to the other kids at the after-school supervision thing. (It was a sort of daycare arrangement, but for middle school kids. I wasn't allowed to be home alone until somewhere around...I don't know, 14 or 15?)

Anyway, there was a plastic slide there in the playground. So, the fun part: Hold a quarter or metal object up to the metal supports at the bottom of the slide, and you could draw out a pretty nice spark. Because the spark didn't hit your skin directly, you didn't get the pain from the heat of the spark, and the tiny bit of charge transfer could happen over a larger area of skin.
The downside: Some people would hog the slide a bit, climbing back up to build a bigger charge for a bigger spark.

Look up triboelectric series. See the list of materials. Choose clothing that is closer on the series to the material the slide is made out of. The farther apart the materials, the greater the degree of charging you're going to get. I.e., there will be a huge difference between wearing clothing made of cotton & clothing made of polyester.

If I were a smart ass, I would suggest covering the bottom of the slide with a sheet of aluminum foil. Then, have the kid wear something that makes a lot of static. Then, rolling some aluminum foil down the top of the slide, then touching the top with one hand and the bottom with the other hand. I'm just joking though - DON'T DO THIS - it will knock you on your ass (or worse.)

Edit: I changed my mind. Do this and post the video. Do *not* allow your kid to do this though.

Damn.
Now I need a playground, and an absence of easily-frightened adults, otherwise someone would probably call the police when they see me putting aluminum foil on the slide.

 

[Lonyo]

If the mods are bothered about that and enforce it, they need to reduce ridiculous signatures as well. Some are inflammatory and some list lengthy PC specs... those annoy me, but I'm not whining.

Oh, I updated it BTW. I won't disable because IMHO it's a courteous message. Now it's more to the point.

Happy?

[tapatap'd warning: may contain autocorrect errors]

If you have a problem with signatures, disable them. Problem solved.

 

[destrekor]

If you have a problem with signatures, disable them. Problem solved.

But then I lose all the awesome ones!

Either way, I generally ignore them unless it catches my eye.

Oh, and Dr P has told me to "disable the signature" but I'm awaiting a response about the edited more courteous message. For the mods: I'm not explicitly ignoring the directive, rather, awaiting clarification.

[tapatap'd warning: may contain autocorrect errors]

 

[kalrith]

Rub it down with dryer sheets. It will reduce the static at least temporarily. I'm not sure of a permanent solution.

 

[DrPizza]

Damn.
Now I need a playground, and an absence of easily-frightened adults, otherwise someone would probably call the police when they see me putting aluminum foil on the slide.

Turn a slide into a giant capacitor. I have a plastic garbage can lid in my classroom that I stuck a little aluminum foil on each side of. You do NOT want to touch both sides at the same time when it's charged.

 

[gorcorps]

You and your wife should have more sex. Maybe the next kid won't such a puss.