Homemade, sort of, Electron Beam

Shooting an electron beam through air
Applied Science

You too can make your own electron beam using your molecular vacuum pump. You have one of those, right? I had one around here somewhere, didn't I? Hard to tell, there's so much stuff in this house it's darn near impossible to keep track of what I have. I was sure I had an oil drain pan here somewhere but after an extensive search we found nothing.

Needed the oil drain pan because I wanted to change the oil in the SUV. Usually I take the car to the shop for this, but depriving my wife of her car for even a few hours causes more trouble than I want to deal with. Plus our regular shop charges $80 for an oil change. Quick change places charge $30, or at least they did last time I looked, but my experience at those places has put me off. The guy at one place launched into a spiel to sell me fan belts and wiper blades. What part of 'no' don't you understand, dude? Geez. Another place had the guys costumed like old timey mechanics at Disneyland. WTF is this? I don't get it, I don't like it, and I ain't never goin' back.

So I went to NAPA and bought oil and a filter and it cost me $50. So maybe we can get another year or ten out of this engine.