Beat your deathrays into plowshares!
Nikola Tesla stated that he built and operated a "death ray" device. In the middle 1980s the lost/secret documents were made public: it was based on electrospray of tungsten or mercury liquid metal micro-droplets accelerated electrically in a vacuum, with the acceleration voltage provided by a VandeGraaff machine the size of a tower. He tried to interest the US government in the weapon during WWII, claiming it was effective over hundreds of KM, but he died during the time of the negotiations (he was 86.)
Rather than trying to slice incoming aircraft in half from 300KM distance, use a scaled down version to cut up particle board or plexiglas. Don't use toxic mercury, use liquid indium or perhaps Galinstan.
Also, Tesla was using 1930's linear accelerator technology (VandeGraaff or Cockroft-Walton or Pelletron) when he could have been using AC-driven electrode stacks at much lower voltage. The wood-cutter might resemble a fairly small vacuum tube connected to a radio-frequency power supply of a few tens or hundreds of watts.-- wbeaty, Nov 16 2004 Tesla's Death Ray http://web.archive....esla/questions.htmlProposed costal defense towers from 1942 [wbeaty, Nov 16 2004, last modified Jul 11 2024] Electrospray https://en.wikipedi...trospray_ionizationA small droplet exposed to high votlage emits a stream of micro-drops [wbeaty, Nov 16 2004, last modified Jul 11 2024] Wikipedia: Galinstan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galinstannon-toxic metal that's liquid at room temp [wbeaty, Nov 16 2004] Remote control lightweight limb saw http://www.halfbake...weight_20limb_20saw [hippo, Nov 19 2004] Bandsaw by my thinking http://www.northfie...ndsaws/36deluxe.htm [bristolz, Nov 19 2004] Water jet cutter http://myweb.hinet....ome7/alteks/new.htm [Worldgineer, Nov 19 2004] A Tesla bandsaw would be nice, but what I long for most is a lightweight limb saw that I can operate from the ground with better balance and less exertion than your garden-variety polesaw. It should be able to surgically remove tree branches up to 6 inches in diameter at a distance of approximately 60 feet, and smaller branches at somewhat higher elevations. It would be nice, too, if it didn't turn the majestic tree into a burning bush.
[Standard caveats: Must be 16 or older to operate. Not to be used in the vicinity of electrical lines or structures. Not to be operated under the influence. PhD in Particle Physics required. Yadayadayada.]
Now, whatchagot?-- jurist, Nov 19 2004 What happens if you catch your hand? Is it as impressive as with a bandsaw?-- harderthanjesus, Nov 19 2004 [jutta] see link-- hippo, Nov 19 2004 Your definition of bandsaw and mine must be a bit different.-- bristolz, Nov 19 2004 I think that's generally what [wb] is talking about. Um, without a bandsaw. Just replace the whole bandsaw bit with a high velocity stream of particles. On second thought it sounds more like a water jet cutter to me (see link).-- Worldgineer, Nov 19 2004 Yeah, it's a DRY WATERJET CUTTER. With an molecule-wide jet of nanoparticles. Just like a monomolecular fiber used as a saw. (Use it as a meatcutter band saw in a butcher shop.)
Wave a stick around in order to locate the jet. Watch for the end of the stick to silently fall off. Use it to stop burglars from getting in through doors and windows. (Well, *pieces* of said burglars will probably make it through.)-- wbeaty, Jun 26 2020 And the award for the longest time gap between annotations goes to...-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jun 26 2020 random, halfbakery