
Harry Eng – Master Bottle Filler - simonsquiff
http://puzzlemuseum.com/puzzles/amb/eng_botts/harry-eng.htm
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simonsquiff
If you want to know more about Harry Eng, the creator of these, there is a
fascinating post here
[http://www.everything2.com/title/Harry+Eng](http://www.everything2.com/title/Harry+Eng)

Incredible man.

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raldi
So, HN readers, how would _you_ get a lightbulb in a bottle?

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wavefunction
Just grind it into a fine powder and pour into the bottle.

Done.

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Swizec
You. I like you. You're like an evolutionary algorithm satisfying a fitness
function. Spirit of the problem completely ignored, but problem bloody well
solved.

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Mchl
(S)He's really more of a wave function

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polemic
I suspect the "plank" is actually a wood veneer glued over a set of blocks.
The veneers are extremely flexible (you could roll them up) and would look
like this once carefully assembled. A side view of the 'plank' would be
interesting.

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lwhalen
I was just thinking the wood could be soaking in water for a few days to get
it good and mushy, compressed and shoved through the neck via clamps. The knot
you could tie (or partially tie) via thin shipbuilder's pliers. I have no
clever thoughts on getting a metal nut or a lightbulb through the too-small
neck of the bottle though.

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analog31
Perhaps the metal parts are manipulated from the outside with magnets somehow?

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michaelbuckbee
My thought was that they weren't an actual bolt, but magnetically attached
inside the bottle.

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samirmenon
Wow, this makes me so curious... how does he do it?

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Aardwolf
The description of the second last one gives a quite good explanation. That,
combined with a huge amount of patience and craftmanship I assume.

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NaNaN
I may deal with the playing cards but I am still curious how to put the wood
board into the bottle. :-O

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sergiotapia
There is a trick where you can wet wood for a very long time and it becomes
more malleable. This lets you do things like, place a solid metal beating
within a single hunk of wood.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO7aFRO5WMw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO7aFRO5WMw)

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rMBP
> Our venerable curator has gone nearly blind with a magnifying glass but has
> failed to find any sign of breaks or glue in this plank.

So the bottom was cut open and sealed by heat then.

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raldi
Or the wood is soft and compressible when wet, but returns to its original
shape when it dries.

Some woods (including pine) are much more compressible than you might expect:
[http://www.ewpa.com/Archive/2006/aug/Paper_306.pdf](http://www.ewpa.com/Archive/2006/aug/Paper_306.pdf)

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dfc
My favorite example of this is the "nail in wood block trick."

Youtube:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEATei2wewY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEATei2wewY)

Instructions from the patron Saint of Woodworking:
[http://www.woodwrightschool.com/downloadable-
plans/tooth%20a...](http://www.woodwrightschool.com/downloadable-
plans/tooth%20and%20nail.jpg)

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tritium
So wait. Where's his book? The one with the numbers. Did he finish it? Did any
copies ever get printed?

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chaseideas
I'm pretty sure his wife had it, last I spoke with her shortly after his
death. Nowadays, it's likely his daughter might have it.

Have a lot of great memories thoroughly enjoying that book as a kid. Used to
flip through it and test him through-out our sessions. Loved every minute of
it.

