I think sarge is talking about a cap larger than the plug.

Like a head on a nail, or screw.

 

Got the wide cap part, but with something also down in the water, actually in the hole?

 

I'm thinking now that if the insulation is good enough, you might not need anything in the hole, other than to just keep the insulated centered. The warmer water under the ice would keep the insulated area around freezing. The point is to keep the heat from escaping right in the vicinity of the hole.

I'm wondering now if you left a really thick piece of insulation on ice for a period of time, would it not keep enough heat in to allow the water underneath to melt the ice near the center?

It would be an interesting experiment.

 

I'm wondering now if you left a really thick piece of insulation on ice for a period of time, would it not keep enough heat in to allow the water underneath to melt the ice near the center?

It would be an interesting experiment.

It would a a cool invention if you could come up with a "solar ice auger", some large black collector that put all the energy into a 6" spot on the ice, come back after a day or 2 of sunlight and you have a nice hole drilled.

 

How thick can the ice get in one night covered with some foam alone. Why not just a hammer and a foot long pole!

Hey, burn a small fire and put the coals/ashes in a covered fry pan(handle removed) and let it float... now I'm getting nutzee!

By the way, where is the OP? He's missing the work of such a renowned think-tank here at AllAboutCircuits!

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I'm wondering now if you left a really thick piece of insulation on ice for a period of time, would it not keep enough heat in to allow the water underneath to melt the ice near the center?

A "thick piece of insulation", like maybe a blanket of snow? That comes close to demonstrating that insulation alone won't melt a hole. I do wonder if the ice thins when there's a snow cover - it really ought to. Maybe if your insulating blanket also let sunlight thru. I bet a thermopane window laid on the ice would do some damage.

Here's an idea: Cut the bottom out of a colored (or painted black) 5-gal pail and replace it with clear plastic. Lay a large rock on the ice. Place the bucket upside down over the rock. Pray for a sunny day to heat up your little greenhouse. Would the rock "burn" its way through the ice? Maybe if the ice is only inches deep.

 

Did you guys open the egg-nog without me?

 

Did you guys open the egg-nog without me?

We can only hope that one of these really silly ideas may trigger a Eureka moment!

The question is which eureka moment will come first, the "new wheel" or the realization that we are all truly crazy.


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I think I'm going to head downstairs and melt some ice in a round hole called a whiskey glass. I think 80 proof ought to do it.