[Lithium_joe]

(to a backdrop of lightning against a tall tower and cries of: "Igor! fetch me another brain from the vaults!" yeth maaathhtuur!)

Today I've prepared one pumpkin and liberally doused with WD-40.

Tomorrow I'll prepare another and treat with varnish.

Then I'll see which one rots first.

It's not exactly scientific, the first pumpkin has a head start, but there are only so many hours in the day I can devote to gutting and carving pumpkins so this'll have to do.

I'll report back with my observations.

[Zombie Pumpkins!]

Good idea, these tests are very valuable to us... you're doing a service to our pumpkin community.

After they're both dead and rotted, try to bring them to live with a bolt of lightning. That would be another interesting experiment.

[500cdn]

I Look Forward To The Results
Will You Be Posting Pictures ?

[badgers]

Hey everyone I forgot about this site till I read joe's post, it's a project on keeping carved pumpkins fresh

http://www.myscienceproject.org/pumpkin.html

It shows several different ways of trying to keep the jack-o-lanterns fresh ---- I think you may be surprised by the results,
but then again some of you may not

[CanadianCarver]

Cool site. I myself use the bleach method. I think most of us would be happy with 7-10 days no matter what the method. When I bring my pumpkins into my garage at night to give them a spray with bleach and water, I turn them upside down once they have been sprayed. I think this helps prevent the pooling of liquid that caused the issues in this experiment.

[Lithium_joe]

Pictures - certainly I'll do that.

Regarding the website: Pumpkin fresh, I get the impression that is available in the U.S but not so easily in the U.K. so that may not be an option.

I tried the water n bleach method last eyar and that worked okay, but I thought this year I'd try to find out which was the better option.

[Lithium_joe]

And let me also acknowledge ZP.

Thank you very much.

I have several dozen hamsters working shifts rubbing up against baloons, I'm hoping to generate enough static charge to attempt re-animation.

[Lithium_joe]

Just finished pumpkin no. 2

To finish it all off and varnish from whole took about 5 hours.

I'll be putting photos up shortly.

We'll see how the varnish does, but first impressions of the WD-40 aren't great. The pumpkin I did yesterday has gone incredibly soft at the back, almost as if it's collapsing under it's own weight.

Three possibilities occur.

1) The pumpkin itself wasn't that good. The quality at the supermarket was risible and half of the display were soft and or mouldy already! So possibly I just got a pumpkin not up to snuff.

2) I was a bit too enthusiastic with the gutter attachement and may have carved the walls too thin.

3.) the WD-40 drained to the bottom saturating it and weakening the walls. I've tipped it up-side down and let it rest on it's lid for tonight and see if that improves the condition.

[Lithium_joe]

These patterns are from Jp's wensite not, ZP (I wanted to see how well I could do intricate carving and chose these becasueof the teeth.)

The first is called The Creeper, and the second is The Creepshow Zombie*.












*astute observers might notice that the creep-show zombie is missing a a chunk of bone from his brow - that's because it fell out just as I was finishing the last and final cut.

[Lithium_joe]

First impressions of the varnish are good. It has formed a good looking seal over the pumpkin and while still flexible looks like it will weather well. No idea how it will affect the mould or dehydration.

My first pumpkin is still looking quiet limp.

I've a new theory however:

4) Pumpkin 1, I removed the base of the pumpkin to fit it over the Howler candle and leave the lid intact. Pumpkin 2, I removed the lid as normal. I'm wondering now if the sagging on the base of the first pumpkin is simply the weight of the pumpkin pressing down on a weakened base and it is that that has made is collapse, although my other three theories might all also still be valid (under / over ripe, too thin or over- saturated)

[Lithium_joe]

I've taken some photographs of the pumpkins now after a few days - the results are dramatic - I'll post those up shortly and also place a link to the complete archive of snaps.

[nosferatu]

The anticipation is building. The crowd are getting restless. Cue slow handclap.

Wadda we want?
To see the photos!
When do we want em?
Now!!!!!!

[Lithium_joe]

Your patience will be rewarded young grasshopper.

[nosferatu]

Yes master, when I cease to strive to understand, then I will know without understanding.

[Lithium_joe]

http://public.fotki.com/CliveOstrich/fu ... erimentsi/

This is the full album with the photos in order and with a brief explanation to go with each one.

Pumpkin 1 (WD-40), 3 days. Interior and rim are 'wet' with fluid.



Pumpkin 1 (WD-40) - white 'fibreousness' visible.


Pumpkin 1 (WD-40) - leathery to the touch and very, very soft.



------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pumpkin 2 (spray varnish) 2 days - interior is strong and not rotten. (the shimmer is the varnish reflecting the flash)


Pumpkin 2 (spray varnish) 2 days - the design is still preserved and the flesh has not lost any colour.


and still looks really cool when lit up!





That's it so far. I await to see if any rot or mould appears beneath the varnish but so far and unlike pumpkin 1 it is doing well. They have both been kept in the same cold and dark conditions and so to the best of my abilities the only differences between the two are their ages (1 day apart) and the manner in which I tried to preserve them.



The complete album with all the photos is here:
http://public.fotki.com/CliveOstrich/fu ... erimentsi/
where I go into a little bit more detail about each photo.

Yours, in science and pumpkinology: Professor Lithium Joe.