Australia's Science Forum

Hi,
Is it possible to fix slinkies once they become kinked and mishappen?
A teacher suggested cutting the kinked end out and using the rest, but tin snips aren't doing it! Tough little things! I think I may be up for some new slinkies.

I have tried - and I ended up binning them!
I have cut sections out by taking them to the TAS department and asking them to cut them.

I also have an extra long stretched out slinky. A teacher thought it would be cool to put weights on to it and hang it over the balcony and keep adding wieghts until it wouldn't rebound any more.... There is only one thing I can think of to do with it - and I think i would end up in prison!

it can be fix. i have fix a few but you need two people .
i asked one of the teacher on a free period ,it work well.

sunray18 wrote:I also have an extra long stretched out slinky. A teacher thought it would be cool to put weights on to it and hang it over the balcony and keep adding wieghts until it wouldn't rebound any more.... There is only one thing I can think of to do with it - and I think i would end up in prison!

We've all had teachers come up with daft "fun" pracs to keep kids occupied between assessment and vacation.

I get stuck (funny that) with kids on lunchtime detention, so they get to fix slinkies, clean whiteboards, cut out shapes for next 2 years of pracs , wash t/tubes etc

I've fixed lots of them and you do need 2 people. One person holds one end while the other twists and twists till it untangles. The plastic ones are much better but the teachers don't think they are as good.

LOVE IT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbIC968CAZ8

um he didnt make much difference to the slinky, ha ha ha

He said FIVE easy steps... i counted a lot more hits with the hammer than that!

I guess even five hits with hammer would have done just as well. Slinky is very tuff

I've heard you can fix over stretched kinked ones by wiring them up and putting them into a hot fire, but I've never tried it.

Another one bit the dust. I tried to fix them by bending and untwisting. It resembles a spring shape, but will not bounce back anymore. Maybe I'll try the hammer method.