Daley Ponderings

Noah (while we started the woodstove): Can fire do anything to metal?
Dad: It can melt it, if it is hot enough.

Noah (wide-eyed): So, you could melt the metal into a sword?

Noah then relays the conversation to Jonathan, who is taking a bath.

After some discussion about where one might get metal to melt, and Jonathan thinking that maybe the combination of our woodstove and the MAPP gas torch would get the metal hot enough, Noah comes back.  After each question below, Noah consulted with Jonathan and then came back with a new question.
Noah: Could you use metal pipe to make a sword?
Dad: I guess so.

Noah: Do we have any silver pipes?
Dad: No.

Noah: How about silver colored?
Dad: Yes, we have some steel pipes.

Noah: How long are the pipes?
Dad: Around 6 feet.
 
That was enough to get Jonathan out of the bath (where he had the tub completely filled and was "practicing floating").
 
Jonathan: Can we melt the pipes today?
Dad: I don't think we have a fire hot enough to melt the pipes into liquid.

Jonathan: We don't need to melt them into liquid, just make the soft enough to hammer into the right shape.  (*swish* *swish* as the imaginary sword is swung around.)  Umm... we wouldn't use the swords to hurt anyone.

5 minutes later:

Jonathan: I wonder why no one has thought of impact exploding arrows.  That way, no one can send them back to you...  unless the impact isn't hard enough.  The way it would work is that there would be some gun powder and then something that moves forward really quickly when the arrow hits its target, since I know that when something hits gunpowder it explodes.

Also, speaking of arrows, I don't understand why flaming arrows don't go out by the wind, even on in the calmest day, just with flying there should be enough wind to make the flame go out.  Do you know why?