The sun has graced us with an appearance, so a quick report before I trudge off to work for some catch-up.

1. Wear sunglasses when you try this <blinking away an afterimage spot> the spot of light is very intense

2. Focus is very important, as I would have expected from a hemispherical reflector. There is for all intents and purposes an exact focus only - not a millimeter in or out. I braced my hands on a picnic table to keep the most steady focus possible.

3. Precise orientation to the sun not critical (again reflector shape) although the closer to right-on the more energy available.

4. A bit of char cloth or charred cotton cord or lantern wick may be more rewarding than other targets. I'll check this eventually, but right now it appears that we may not be seeing ol' Sol for a week or so - just had a break in the cloud cover today. In any event, I got a very perceptable surface temperature rise in about 30 seconds (touch to lip), but my target (scrap of very thin paper) was too reflective. Don't expect flames from this; think glowing ember and it might just work.

I'll give toothpaste-as-polish a whirl tonight, but I intend to "cheat" and use the Dremel tool again - it's not better; it's a heck of a lot faster.

Tom