The Big Book of Mischief Version 1.5
From: dr [at] ripco [dot] com (David Richards)
Subject: TBBOM 1.5 (NEW RELEASE) 1/3
Summary: The Big Book of Mischief Version 1.5 (DOS ANSI)
Keywords: The Book, interim
Release
Date: 16 Feb 94 04:38:15 GMT
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AUTHOR: David
Richards
TITLE: The Big Book Of Mischief
EDITION:Interim release (1.5) from DTP file
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—————————————————————————-
This book
is dedicated to Ben, who made it possible, to Arthur, who helped
keep it going, and to all the
amateur pyrotechnicians who have lost their
lives, senses, and limbs in the search for
knowledge.
The processes and techniques herein should
not be carried out under
any circumstances!!
On the advice of my lawyer,I hereby state that I assume no
responsibilities
for any use of the information presented in this book. The intention of
this book is to demonstrate the many techniques and methods used by persons
in this and other
countries to produce a number of conceivably hazardous
devices. None of the statements herein
should be taken to indicate the
opinions or actions of the author. The techniques described
here may be
found in public libraries and all the information given is available from
public sources. Any loss of life, property, or other perceived loss, injury
or harm is the
sole responsibility of the purchaser.
Any instructions, formulas, and other statements
herein are for
informational purposes only.Although most of the procedures can be
accomplished with minimal preparation and from easily available supplies,
this is a work of
fiction and no assumption should be made about the
accuracy or safety of any of the
procedures. This book is void where
prohibited, and shall not be sold to any person who is
ineligible to
receive it. If you are under the age of 18, a convicted felon, mentally
retarded, or a member of an organization that has as its stated or unstated
goals the
overthrow of the legitimate government of the United States of
America, you are required to
turn yourself in to the nearest officer of the
law without delay.
RELEASE
1.5
COPYRIGHT 1993
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Table of Contents
SAFETY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Basic Safety Rules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
How To Mix Dry Ingredients. . . . . .
. . . . . . . . 3
BUYING EXPLOSIVES AND PROPELLANTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Propellants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Explosives. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . 6
PREPARATION OF CHEMICALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
EXPLOSIVE FORMULAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Explosive Theory. . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Impact Explosives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Low
Order Explosives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
High Order Explosives . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 22
Other Reactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
COMPRESSED GAS
BOMBS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Bottled Gas Explosives. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. 33
Dry Ice Bombs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
USING EXPLOSIVES . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Ignition Devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
37
Impact Ignition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Electrical Ignition . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 43
Electro-mechanical Ignition . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Delays.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
EXPLOSIVE CASINGS. . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . 50
Paper Containers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Metal
Containers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Primed Explosive Casings. . . . . . . . . . .
. . . 52
Glass Containers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Plastic Containers. . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
ADVANCED USES FOR EXPLOSIVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
56
Tube Explosives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Atomized Particle Explosions.
. . . . . . . . . . . 57
SPECIAL AMMUNITION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Firearms . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . 59
Compressed Air/Gas Weapons. . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
ROCKETS
AND CANNONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Rockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 65
Cannon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
VISUAL
PYROTECHNICS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Smoke Bombs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 70
Colored Flames. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Fireworks . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
MORE INFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . 74
HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
USEFUL
CHEMICALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
FUEL-OXIDIZER MIXTURES . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 80
USEFUL PYROCHEMISTRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
SAFETY
Safety is an important concern in many
activities, but it is even more
important when working with explosives and related compounds.
If you have
an accident with a power tool you can permanently maim or kill yourself. An
automobile accident can not only kill yourself, but a dozen or more others
who have the bad
luck to be on the same road as you. When an airplane
crashes, it often kills not only the
passengers on board, but anybody who
happens to have lived near the crash site. An accidental
explosion can be
much destructive than any of these. Any accident involving explosives is
circumstances,
kill hundreds of people.
There are no such things as truly "safe" explosive devices.
While some
explosives are less dangerous than others, all such compositions are, by
their very nature, extremely hazardous.
Basic Safety Rules
1) Don’t
smoke! (don’t laugh- an errant cigarette wiped out the
Weathermen). Avoid open flames,
especially when working with flammable
liquids or powdered metals.
2) Grind all
ingredients separately. It is alarming how friction
sensitive some supposedly safe
compositions really are. Grinding causes heat
and possibly sparks, both of which can initiate
an explosion.
3) Start with very small quantities. Even small quantities of high
explosives can be very dangerous. Once you have some idea of the power of
the explosive, you
can progress to larger amounts. Store high explosives
separately from low explosives, and
sensitive devices, such as blasting
caps, should be stored well away from all flammable or
explosive material.
4) Allow for a 20% margin of error. Never let your safety depend
on
the expected results. Just because the average burning rate of a fuse is 30
secs/foot, don’t depend on the 6 inches sticking out of your pipe bomb to
take exactly 15
seconds.
5) Never underestimate the range of your shrapnel. The cap from a
pipe
bomb can often travel a block or more at high velocities before coming
to rest- If you have to
stay nearby, remember that if you can see it, it can
kill you.
6) At the least,
take the author’s precautions. When mixing sensitive
compounds (such as flash powder) avoid
all sources of static electricity.
Work in an area with moderate humidity, good ventilation,
and watch out for
sources of sparks and flame, which can ignite particles suspended in the
7) Buy quality
safety equipment, and use it at all times. Always wear
a face shield, or at the minimum,
shatterproof lab glasses. It’s usually a
good idea to wear gloves when handling corrosive
chemicals, and a lab apron
can help prevent life-threatening burns.
How
To Mix Dry Ingredients
The best way to mix two dry chemicals to form an explosive is to
use
a technique perfected by small-scale fireworks manufacturers:
1) Take a large
sheet of smooth paper (for example a page from a
newspaper that does not use staples)
2) Measure out the appropriate amounts of the two chemicals, and pour
them in two small
heaps near opposite corners of the sheet.
3) Pick up the sheet by the two corners near
the piles, allowing the
powders to roll towards the center of the sheet.
4) By
raising one corner and then the other, rock the powders back and
forth in the middle of the
open sheet, taking care not to let the mixture
spill from either of the loose ends.
immediately. Use airtight
containers for storage, It’s best to use 35mm film
canisters or other jars which do not have
screw-on tops. If you must keep
the mixture for long periods, place a small packet of
desiccant in the
container, and never store near heat or valuable items.
BUYING EXPLOSIVES AND PROPELLANTS
Almost any city or town of reasonable
size has a gun store and one or
more drugstores. These are two of the places that serious
pyrotechnicians
can visit to purchase potentially explosive material. All that one has to
Black powder, for example,
is normally used in blackpowder firearms.
It comes in varying grades, with each different
grade being a slightly
different size. The grade of black powder depends on what the calibre
of
the gun that it is intended for; a fine grade of powder could burn too fast
in the
wrong caliber weapon. The rule is: the smaller the grade, the faster
the burn rate of the
powder.
Propellants
There are many varieties of powder used as
propellants, and many of
these can be adapted for use in explosive devices. Propellants are
usually
selected for stability and high gas production, and can be very effective
if
used in a strong container. Some propellants, such as nitrocellulose,
burn at a much higher
rate when under pressure, while others burn at
basically the same rate in the open and when
confined.
Black Powder
Black powder is commonly available in four grades.
The smaller, faster
burning sizes are more difficult to find than the large, slow grades.
The
powder’s burn rate is extremely important when it is to be used in
explosives. Since
an explosion is a rapid increase of gas volume in a
confined environment, quick-burning powder
is desired. The four common
grades of black powder are listed below, along with the usual bore
width
(calibre) of the gun they would be used in. Generally, the fastest burning
powder,
the FFFF grade is desirable for explosives, and the larger grades
are used as propellants.
The FFFF grade is the fastest burning, because the smaller grade has
more
surface area exposed to the flame front, allowing the flame to
propagate through the material
much faster than it could if a larger sized
powder was used. The price range of black powder
is about $8.50 – $12.00 per
pound. The price per pound is the same regardless of the grade, so
you can
save time and work by buying finer grade of powder.
There are several problems
with using black powder. It can be
accidentally ignited by static electricity or friction, and
that it has a
tendency to absorb moisture from the air. To safely crush it, you should
use a plastic or wooden spoon and a wooden salad bowl. Taking a small pile
at a time, slowly
apply pressure to the powder through the spoon and rub it
in a series of light strokes or
circles. It is fine enough to use when it
reaches the consistency of flour.
The particle
size needed is dependent on the type of device it is
going to be used in. The size of the
grains is less important in large
devices, and in large strong casings coarse grained powder
will work. Any
adult can purchase black powder, since anyone can own black powder firearms
PYRODEX*
Pyrodex is a synthetic powder that is
used like black powder, and
which can be substituted by volume for standard blackpowder. It
comes in
the many of the standard grades, but it is more expensive per pound.
However,
a one pound container of pyrodex contains more material by volume
than one pound of black
powder. Pyrodex is much easier to crush to a very
fine powder than black powder, and it is
considerably safer and more
reliable. This is because Pyrodex is less sensitive to friction
and static
electricity, and it absorbs moisture more slowly than black powder. Pyrodex
can be crushed in the same manner as black powder, or it can be dissolved
in boiling water and
dried in the sun.
Rifle/Shotgun Powder
Rifle and shotgun propellants are
usually nitrocellulose based with
additives to modify the burning rate. They will be referred
to as smokeless
powder in all future references. Smokeless powder is made by the action of
material, a
process that is described on page 19. This material is then
dissolved by solvents and then
reformed in the desired grain size.
When dealing with smokeless powder, the grain size is not
nearly as
important as that of black powder. Both large and small grained powders burn
fairly slowly compared to black powder when unconfined, but when it is
confined, smokeless
burns both hotter and produces a greater volume of gas,
producing more pressure. Therefore,
the grinding process that is often
necessary for other propellants is not necessary for
smokeless.
Smokeless powder costs slightly more than black powder. In most states
any
citizen with a valid driver’s license can buy it, since there are
currently few restrictions
on rifles or shotguns in the U.S. There are now
ID checks in many states when purchasing
powder at a retail outlet, however
mail order purchases from another state are not subject to
such checks. When
purchased by mail order propellants must be shipped by a private carrier,
charges will be high,
due to Department Of Transportation regulations on
packaging flammable and explosive
materials.
Rocket Engine Powder
Model rocketry is an popular hobby in the
United States and many other
countries. Estes*, the largest producer of model rocket kits and
engines,
takes great pains to ensure that their engines are both safe and reliable.
The
simple design of these engines makes it very easy to extract the
propellant powder.
Model rocket engines contain a single large grain of propellant. This
grain is encased in
heavy cardboard tubing with a clay cap at the top and
a clay or ceramic nozzle in the bottom.
The propellant can be removed by
slitting the tube lengthwise, and unwrapping it like you
would a roll of
paper towels. When this is done, the grey fire clay at either end of the
propellant grain should be removed. This can be done by either cracking it
off with a sharp
bow, or by gently prying with a plastic or brass knife.
The engine material consists of three
stages. First the large fuel stage,
which is at the end nearest the nozzle. Above this is the
delay stage, which
may not be found in some engines. This stage burns slowly and produces a
produce gases to
push the parachute out through the top of the rocket.
The propellant material contains an
epoxy which makes it exceptionally
hard, so it must be crushed to a fine powder before it can
be used.be used.
By double bagging the propellant in small plastic bags and gripping it in
shattering all over.
This process should be repeated until there are no
remaining chunks, after which it may be
crushed in the same manner as black
powder.
Model rocket engines come in various sizes,
ranging from <A -2T to the
incredibly powerful D engines. The larger engines are much more
expensive,
and each letter size contains about twice as much propellant as the previous
one. The D engines come in packages of three, and contain more powder than
lesser engines.
These engines are also very useful without modification.
Large engines can be used to create
very impressive skyrockets and other
devices.
Explosives
There are many commercially available materials which are either used
as explosives, or which
are used to produce explosives. Materials which are
used to produce explosives are known as
"precursors", and some of them are
very difficult to obtain. Chemical suppliers are
not stupid, and they will
notice if a single person orders a combination of materials which
can be
used to produce a common explosive. Most chemicals are available in several
grades, which vary by the purity of the chemical, and the types of
impurities present. In most
cases lab grade chemicals are more than
sufficient. There are a few primitive mixtures which
will work even with
very impure chemicals, and a few which require technical grade
materials.
Ammonium Nitrate
Ammonium nitrate is a high explosive
material that is used as a
commercial "safety explosive". It is very stable, and is
difficult to ignite
with a match, and even then will not explode under normal circumstances.
It
is also difficult to detonate; (the phenomenon of detonation will be
explained later)
as it requires a powerful shockwave to cause it act as a
high explosive.
Commercially,
ammonium nitrate is sometimes mixed with a small amount
of nitroglycerine to increase its
sensitivity. A versatile chemical,
ammonium nitrate is used in the "Cold-Paks" or
"Instant Cold", available in
most drug stores. The "Cold Paks" consist of
a bag of water, surrounded by
a second plastic bag containing the ammonium nitrate. To get the
ammonium
nitrate, simply cut off the top of the outside bag, remove the plastic bag
of
water, and save the ammonium nitrate in a well sealed, airtight
container. It is hygroscopic,
(it tends to absorb water from the air) and
will eventually be neutralized if it is allowed to
react with water, or used
in compounds containing water. Ammonium nitrate may also be found in
many
fertilizers.
Flash Powder
Flash powder is a mixture of powdered
aluminum or magnesium metal and
one of any number of oxidizers. It is extremely sensitive to
heat or sparks,
and should be treated with more care than black powder, and under no
circumstances should it be mixed with black powder or any other explosives.
Small quantities
of flash powder can be purchased from magic shops and
theatrical suppliers in the form of two
small containers, which must be
mixed before use. Commercial flash powder is not cheap but it
is usually
very reliable. There are three speeds of flash powder commonly used in
magic,
however only the fast flash powder can be used to create reliable
explosives.
Flash
powder should always be mixed according to the method given at
the beginning of the book, and
under no circumstances should it be shaken
or stored in any packaging which might carry static
electricity.
PREPARATION OF CHEMICALS
While many
chemicals are not easily available in their pure form, it
is sometimes possible for the home
chemist to partially purify more easily
available sources of impure forms of desired
chemicals.
Most liquids are diluted with water, which can be removed by
distillation. It
is more difficult to purify solids, but there are a few
methods available.If the impurity is
insoluble in water but the pure
chemical is, then the solid is mixed into a large quantity of
warm water,
and the water (with the chemical dissolved in it) is saved. The undissolved
impurities (dregs) are discarded. When the water is boiled off it leaves a
precipitate of the
desired material. If the desired chemical is not water
soluble and the impurity is, then the
same basic procedure is followed, but
in this case the dregs are saved and the liquid
discarded.
Nitric acid (HNO3)
There are several ways to make this
most essential of all acids for
explosives. It is often produced by the oxidation of ammonia
per the
following formula:
4NH3 + 5O2 4NO + 6H2O; 2NO + O2 2NO2; 3NO2 + H2O 2HNO3
+ NO
If the chemist has sodium and potassium nitrate available, they can
be used
to convert the much less useful sulfuric acid. While this method can
be used to produce nitric
acid, the process is extremely hazardous, and it
should not be carried out unless there is no
other way to obtain nitric
acid. Do not attempt this on a larger scale without the use of
remote
manipulation equipment.
Materials
potassium nitrate ice bath
stirring rod
conc sulfuric acid distilled water retort
collecting flask with stopper
retort (300ml) heat source
sodium nitrate mortar and pestle
1) Carefully pour 100
milliliters of concentrated sulfuric acid into
the retort.
2) Weigh out exactly
185 grams of sodium nitrate, or 210 grams of
potassium nitrate. Crush to a fine powder in a
clean, dry mortar and
pestle, then slowly add this powder to the retort of sulfuric acid. If
all
of the powder does not dissolve, carefully stir the solution with a glass
rod until
the powder is completely dissolved.
3) Place the open end of the retort into the
collecting flask, and
place the collecting flask in the ice bath.
4) Begin
heating the retort, using low heat. Continue heating until
liquid begins to come out of the
end of the retort. The liquid that forms
is nitric acid. Heat until the precipitate in the
bottom of the retort is
almost dry, or until no more nitric acid forms.
CAUTION
If the acid is heated too strongly, the nitric acid will decompose as
soon as it is formed. This can result in the production of highly flammable
and toxic gasses
that may explode. It is a good idea to set the above
apparatus up, and then get away from
it.
Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4)
There are two common processes used to make
sulfuric acid,
unfortunately neither of them is suitable for small scale production outside
Dioxide (SO2), an
intensely irritating gas.
2SO2 + H2O 2SO3; SO3 + H2O H2SO4
The Chamber
Process uses nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide. On contact
with air, nitric oxide forms
nitrogen dioxide, a deadly reddish brown gas.
The reaction used for production is as
follows:
2NO + O2 2NO2; NO2 + SO2 + H2O H2SO4
Sulfuric acid is far too
difficult to make outside of a laboratory or
industrial plant. However, it is readily
available as it is a major
component of lead-acid batteries. The sulfuric acid could be poured
off from
a new battery, or purchased from a battery shop or motorcycle store. If the
acid is removed from a battery there will be pieces of lead from the battery
which must be
removed, either by boiling and filtration. The concentration
of the sulfuric acid can also be
increased by boiling it or otherwise
removing some of the water from the solution. Very pure
sulfuric acid pours
slightly faster than clean motor oil.
Ammonium
Nitrate
Ammonium nitrate is a very powerful but insensitive high explosive.
It
could be made very easily by pouring nitric acid into a large flask in
an ice bath. Then, by
simply pour household ammonia into the flask and keep
a safe distance away until the reaction
has completed. After the materials
have stopped reacting, one simply has to leave the solution
in a warm dry
place until all of the water and any neutralized ammonia or acid have
evaporated. Finely powdered crystals of ammonium nitrate would remain. These
must be kept in
an airtight container, because of their tendency to pick up
water from the air. The crystals
formed in the above process would have to
be heated very gently to drive off the remaining
water before they can be
used.
Potassium Nitrate
Potassium nitrate
can be obtained from black powder. Simply stir a
quantity of black powder into boiling water.
The sulfur and charcoal will
be suspended in the water, but the potassium nitrate will
dissolve. To
obtain 68g of potassium nitrate, it would be necessary to dissolve about 90g
Filter the dissolved solution through
filter paper until the liquid
that pours through is clear. The charcoal and sulfur in black
powder are
insoluble in water, and so when the solution is allowed to evaporate, small
crystals of potassium nitrate will be left in the container.
EXPLOSIVE FORMULAS
Once again, persons reading this material should never attempt to
dangerous to do
so. Loss of life and limbs could easily result from a failed
(or successful) attempt to
produce any explosives or hazardous chemicals.
These procedures are correct, however many of
the methods given here
are usually scaled down industrial procedures, and therefore may be
better
suited to large scale production.
Explosive Theory
An
explosive is any material that, when ignited by heat, shock, or
chemical reaction, undergoes
rapid decomposition or oxidation. This process
releases energy that is stored in the material.
The energy, in the form of
heat and light, is released when the material breaks down into
gaseous
compounds that occupy a much larger volume that the explosive did
originally.
Because this expansion is very rapid, the expanding gasses
displace large volumes of air. This
expansion often occurs at a speed
greater than the speed of sound, creating a shockwave
similar to the sonic
boom produced by high-speed jet planes.
Explosives occur in several
forms: high order explosives (detonating
explosives),low order explosives (deflagrating
explosives), primers, and
some explosives which can progress from deflagrating to detonation.
All high
order explosives are capable of detonation. Some high order explosives may
start out burning (deflagration) and progress to detonation. A detonation
can only occur in a
high order explosive.
Detonation is caused by a shockwave that passes through a block of
the
high explosive material. High explosives consist of molecules with many
high-energy
bonds. The shockwave breaks apart the molecular bonds between
the atoms of the material, at a
rate approximately equal to the speed of
sound traveling through that substance. Because high
explosives are
generally solids or liquids, this speed can be much greater than the speed
Unlike low-explosives, the fuel and oxidizer in a high-explosive are
chemically bonded, and this bond is usually too strong to be easily broken.
Usually a primer
made from a sensitive high explosive is used to initiate
the detonation. When the primer
detonates it sends a shockwave through the
high-explosive. This shockwave breaks apart the
bonds, and the chemicals
released recombine to produce mostly gasses. Some examples of high
Low order explosives do not detonate.
Instead they burn (undergo
oxidation) at a very high rate. When heated, the fuel and oxidizer
combine
to produce heat, light, and gaseous products.
Some low order materials burn at
about the same speed under pressure
as they do in the open, such as blackpowder. Others, such
as smokeless
gunpowder (which is primarily nitrocellulose) burn much faster and hotter
when they are in a confined space, such as the barrel of a firearm; they
usually burn much
slower than blackpowder when they are ignited in the open.
Blackpowder, nitrocellulose, and
flash powder are common examples of low
order explosives.
Primers are the most dangerous
explosive compounds in common use. Some
of them, such as mercury fulminate, will function as a
low or high order
explosive. They are chosen because they are more sensitive to friction,
perform like a
dangerously sensitive high explosive. Others merely burn, but
when they are confined, they
burn at a very high rate and with a large
expansion of gasses that produces a shockwave. A
small amount of a priming
material is used to initiate, or cause to decompose, a large
quantity of
relatively insensitive high explosives. They are also frequently used as a
reliable means of igniting low order explosives. The gunpowder in a bullet
is ignited by the
detonation of the primer.
Blasting caps are similar to primers, but they usually include
both
a primer and some intermediate explosive. Compounds used as primers can
include
lead azide, lead styphnate, diazodinitrophenol or mixtures of two
or more of them. A small
charge of PETN, RDX, or pentolite may be included
in the more powerful blasting caps, such as
those used in grenades. The
small charge of moderately-sensitive high explosive initiates a
much larger
charge of insensitive high explosive.
Impact Explosives
Impact explosives are often used as primers. Of the ones discussed
here, only mercury
fulminate and nitroglycerine are real explosives;
Ammonium triiodide crystals decompose upon
impact, but they release little
heat and no light. Impact explosives are always treated with
the greatest
care, and nobody without an extreme death wish would store them near any
high or low explosives.
Ammonium triiodide crystals (nitrogen triiodide)
Ammonium triiodide crystals are foul smelling purple colored crystals
that decompose under the
slightest amount of heat, friction, or shock, if
they are made with the purest ammonia
(ammonium hydroxide) and iodine. Such
crystals are so sensitive that they will decompose when
a fly lands on them,
or when an ant walks across them. Household ammonia, however, has
enough
impurities, such as soaps and abrasive agents, so that the crystals will
detonate
only when thrown, crushed, or heated.
The ammonia available in stores comes in a variety of
forms. The pine
and cloudy ammonia should not be used; only the strong clear ammonia can be
heard, and a
cloud of purple iodine gas will appear. Whatever the
unfortunate surface that the crystal was
detonated upon, it will probably
be ruined, as some of the iodine in the crystal is thrown
about in a solid
form, and iodine is corrosive. It leaves nasty, ugly, brownish-purple
stains on whatever it contacts. These stains can be removed with
photographer’s hypo solution,
or with the dechlorinating compound sold for
use in fish tanks.
Iodine fumes are
also bad news, since they can damage your lungs, and
they will settle to the ground,leaving
stains there as well. Contact with
iodine leaves brown stains on the skin that last for about
a week, unless
they are immediately and vigorously washed off.
Ammonium triiodide
crystals could be produced in the following manner:
Materials
iodine
crystalsfunnel filter paperglass stirring rod
paper towels clear ammoniatwo glass
jarspotassium iodide
1) Place 5 grams of iodine into one of the glass jars. Because
the
iodine is very difficult to remove, use jars that you don’t want to save.
2)
Add enough ammonia to completely cover the iodine. Stir several
times, then add 5 grams of
potassium iodide. Stir for 30 seconds.
3) Place the funnel into the other jar, and put
the filter paper in
the funnel. The technique for putting filter paper in a funnel is taught
in
every basic chemistry lab class: fold the circular paper in half, so that
a
semicircle is formed. Then, fold it in half again to form a triangle with
one curved side.
Pull one thickness of paper out to form a cone, and place
the cone into the funnel.
the solution into the
paper in the funnel through the filter paper.
5) While the solution is being filtered,
put more ammonia into the
first jar to wash any remaining crystals into the funnel as soon as
it
drains.
6) Collect all the crystals without touching the brown filter
paper,
and place them on the paper towels to dry. Make sure that they are not too
close
to any lights or other sources of heat, as they could well detonate.
While they are still wet,
divide the wet material into small pieces as large
as your thumbnail.
To use
them, simply throw them against any surface or place them where
they will be stepped on or
crushed. When the crystals are disturbed they
decompose into iodine vapor, nitrogen, and
ammonia.
3I2 + 5NH4OH 3 NH4I + NH3NI3 + 5H2O
iodine + ammonium hydroxide
ammonium iodide + ammonium nitrogen triiodide + water
The optimal yield from pure
iodine is 54% of the original mass in the
form of the explosive sediment. The remainder of the
iodine remains in the
solution of ammonium iodide, and can be extracted by extracting the
water
(vacuum distillation is an efficient method) and treating the remaining
product
with chlorine.
Mercury Fulminate
Mercury fulminate is perhaps one of the
oldest known initiating
compounds. It can be detonated by either heat or shock. Even the
action of
dropping a crystal of the fulminate can cause it to explode. This material
can
be produced through the following procedure:
MATERIALS
5 g mercury glass
stirring rod blue litmus paper
35 ml conc nitric acid filter paper small funnel
100 ml
beaker (2) acid resistant gloves heat source
30 ml ethyl alcohol distilled water
Solvent alcohol must be at least 95% ethyl alcohol if it is used to
make mercury fulminate.
Methyl alcohol may prevent mercury fulminate from
forming.
Mercury thermometers are
becoming a rarity, unfortunately. They may
be hard to find in most stores as they have been
superseded by alcohol and
other less toxic fillings. Mercury is also used in mercury switches,
which
are available at electronics stores. Mercury is a hazardous substance, and
should
be kept in the thermometer, mercury switch, or other container until
used. At room temperature
mercury vapor is evolved, and it can be absorbed
through the skin. Once in your body mercury
will cause damage to the brain
and other organs. For this reason, it is a good idea not to
spill mercury,
and to always use it outdoors. Also, do not get it in an open cut; rubber
gloves will help prevent this.
1) In one beaker, mix 5 g of mercury with 35 ml of
concentrated nitric
acid, using the glass rod.
2) Slowly heat the mixture until
the mercury is dissolved, which is
when the solution turns green and boils.
3)
Place 30 ml of ethyl alcohol into the second beaker, and slowly and
carefully add all of the
contents of the first beaker to it. Red and/or
brown fumes should appear. These fumes are
toxic and flammable.
4) between thirty and forty minutes after the fumes first appear,
they
should turn white, indicating that the reaction is near completion. After
ten more
minutes, add 30 ml distilled water to the solution.
5) Carefully filter out the
crystals of mercury fulminate from the
liquid solution. Dispose of the solution in a safe
place, as it is
corrosive and toxic.
6) Wash the crystals several times in
distilled water to remove as
much excess acid as possible. Test the crystals with the litmus
paper until
they are neutral. This will be when the litmus paper stays blue when it
touches the wet crystals.
7) Allow the crystals to dry, and store them in a safe place,
far away
from any explosive or flammable material.
This procedure can also be
done by volume, if the available mercury
cannot be weighed. Simply use 10 volumes of nitric
acid and 10 volumes of
ethanol to every one volume of mercury.
Nitroglycerin
(C3H5N3O9)
Nitroglycerin is one of the most sensitive explosives ever to be
commercially produced. It is a very dense liquid, and is sensitive to heat,
impact, and many
organic materials. Although it is not water soluble, it
will dissolve in 4 parts of pure ethyl
alcohol.
Heat of Combustion: 1580 cal/g
Products of Explosion: Carbon Dioxide,
Water, Nitrogen, Oxygen
Human Toxicity: Highly toxic vasodilator, avoid skin contact!
Although it is possible to make it safely, it is difficult to do so
in small
quantities. Many a young pyrotechnician has been killed or
seriously injured while trying to
make the stuff. When Nobel’s factories
make it, many people were killed by the all-to-frequent
factory explosions.
Usually, as soon as nitroglycerin is made, it is converted into a safer
nitroglycerine could use the
following procedure:
EQUIPMENT
distilled water eyedropper thermometer
3 300 ml beakers 13 ml concentrated
nitric acid
blue litmus paper 39 ml concentrated sulfuric acid
2 ice baths:
crushed ice
6 tablespoons
table salt
The salt will lower the freezing point of the water, increasing the cooling
efficiency of the
ice bath.
1) Prepare the two ice baths. While the ice
baths are cooling, pour
150 ml of distilled water into each of the beakers.
2)
Slowly add sodium bicarbonate to the second beaker, stirring
constantly. Do not add too much
sodium bicarbonate to the water. If some
remains undissolved, pour the solution into a fresh
beaker.
3) Place the 100 ml beaker into the ice bath, and pour the 13 ml of
concentrated nitric acid into the 100 ml beaker. Be sure that the beaker
will not spill into
the ice bath, and that the ice bath will not overflow
into the beaker when more materials are
added to it. Be sure to have a
large enough container to add more ice if it gets too warm.
Bring the
temperature of the acid down to 200 centigrade or less.
4) Slowly and
carefully add 39 ml of concentrated sulfuric acid to the
nitric acid. Mix well, then cool the
mixture to 100 centigrade. Do not be
alarmed if the temperature rises slightly when the acids
are mixed.
5) With the eyedropper, slowly drip the glycerine onto the acid
mixture, one drop at a time. Hold the thermometer along the top of the
mixture where the mixed
acids and glycerine meet.
The glycerine will start to nitrate immediately, and the
temperature
will immediately begin to rise. Do not allow the temperature to rise above
300 celsius. If the temperature is allowed to get to high, the nitroglycerin
may decompose
spontaneously as it is formed. Add glycerine until there is
a thin layer of glycerine on top
of the mixed acids.
6) Stir the mixture for the first ten minutes of nitration, if
the solution in
the 100 ml beaker well below 300. The nitroglycerine will
form on the top of the mixed acid
solution, and the concentrated sulfuric
acid will absorb the water produced by the
reaction.
7) When the reaction is over, the nitroglycerine should be chilled to
below 250. You can now slowly and carefully pour the solution of
nitroglycerine and mixed acid
into the beaker of distilled water in the
beaker . The nitroglycerine should settle to the
bottom of the beaker, and
the water-acid solution on top can be poured off and disposed of.
Drain as
much of the acid-water solution as possible without disturbing the
nitroglycerine.
Carefully remove a small quantity of nitroglycerine with a clean
bicarbonate solution
will eliminate much of the acid, which will make the
nitroglycerine less likely to
spontaneously explode. Test the
nitroglycerine with the litmus paper until the litmus stays
blue. Repeat
this step if necessary, using new sodium bicarbonate solutions each time.
9) When the nitroglycerine is as acid-free as possible, store it in
a clean container
in a safe place. The best place to store nitroglycerine
is far away as possible from anything
of value. Nitroglycerine can explode
for no apparent reason, even if it is stored in a secure
cool place.
Picrates
Although the procedure for the production of picric
acid, or
trinitrophenol has not yet been given, its salts are described first, since
they are extremely sensitive, and detonate on impact.
By mixing picric acid with a warm
solution of a metal hydroxide, such
as sodium or potassium hydroxide, metal picrates are
formed. These picrates
are easily soluble in warm water, (potassium picrate will dissolve in
4
parts water at 1000 C), but relatively insoluble in cold water (potassium
picrate will
dissolve in 200 parts water at 100 C). While many of these
picrates are dangerously impact
sensitive, others are almost safe enough for
a suicidal person to consider their
manufacture.
To convert picric acid into potassium picrate, you first need to
obtain
picric acid, or produce it by following the instructions given on
page 26. If the acid is in
solid form it should be mixed with 10% water (by
weight).
Prepare a moderately strong (6
mole) solution of potassium hydroxide,
and heat it until it almost reaches a slow boil. Lower
the temperature 10
degrees, and slowly add the picric acid solution. At first the mixture
stop adding picric
acid. Cool the solution to 100 C. Potassium picrate will
crystallize out. The solution should
be properly disposed of.
These crystals are impact-sensitive, and can be used as an
initiator
for any type of high explosive. The crystals should be stored in a plastic
or
glass container under distilled water.
Low Order Explosives
Low
order explosives can be defined as a single compound of mixture
of compounds which burns at a
high rate producing a large amount of gas,
which is usually accompanied by heat and light.
Most have the following
components.
An oxidizer: This can be any chemical which
contains a large
amount of oxygen. When heated the oxidizer gives up this oxygen.
A fuel: The fuel is often carbon, or a finely powdered metal.
It is the material that does the
actual burning.
A catalyst: The catalyst makes it easier for the oxidizer to
react with the fuel, and is mandatory for many of the less powerful
explosives. Not all low
explosives need a catalyst, and in many cases
(such as flash powder) adding a catalyst can
make the explosive
dangerously sensitive.
There are many low-order explosives
that can be purchased in gun
stores and used in explosive devices. However, it is possible
that a wise
store owner would not sell these substances to a suspicious-looking
individual. Such an individual would then be forced to resort to making his
own low-order
explosives.
There are many common materials which can be used to produce low
explosives.
With a strong enough container, almost any mixture of an
oxidizer and a fuel can be used to
make an explosive device.
Black Powder
First made by the Chinese for use
in fireworks, black powder was first
used in weapons and explosives in the 12th century. It is
very simple to
make, but it is not very powerful or safe. Only about half the mass of
black powder is converted to hot gasses when it is burned; the other half
is released as very
fine burned particles. Black powder has one major
danger: it can be ignited by static
electricity. This is very hazardous,
and it means that the material must be made with wooden
or clay tools to
avoid generating a static charge.
MATERIALS
75 g
potassium nitrate distilled water
charcoal wooden salad bowl
10 g sulfur wooden spoon
grinding bowl 3 plastic bags
500 ml beaker fine mesh
screen
1) Place a small amount of the potassium or sodium nitrate in the
grinding
bowl and grind it to a very fine powder. Grind all of the
potassium or sodium nitrate, and
pass it through the screen to remove any
large particles. Store the sifted powder in one of
the plastic bags.
2) Repeat step one with the sulfur and charcoal, being careful to
separate plastic
bag.
3) Place all of the finely ground potassium or sodium nitrate in the
beaker,
and add just enough boiling water to the chemical to moisten it
uniformly.
4) Add
the contents of the other plastic bags to the wet potassium or
sodium nitrate, and mix them
well for several minutes. Do this until there
is no more visible sulfur or charcoal, or until
the mixture is universally
black.
5) On a warm sunny day, put the beaker outside
in the direct sunlight.
Sunlight is really the best way to dry black powder, since it is
seldom too
hot, but it is usually hot enough to evaporate the water.
6) Using a
wooden tool, scrape the black powder out of the beaker, and
store it in a safe container.
Static proof plastic is really the safest
container, followed by paper. Never store black
powder in a plastic bag,
since plastic bags are prone to generate static electricity. If a
small
packet of desiccant is added the powder will remain effective indefinitely.
Nitrocellulose
Nitrocellulose is commonly called "gunpowder" or
"guncotton". It is
more stable than black powder, and it produces a much greater
volume of hot
gas. It also burns much faster than black powder when in a confined space.
Although the acids used can be very dangerous if safety precautions
are not followed,
nitrocellulose is fairly easy to make, as outlined by the
following procedure:
MATERIALS
cotton (cellulose) (2) 300 ml beakers
small funnel blue litmus paper
distilled water glass rod
1) Pour 10 cc of concentrated sulfuric acid into the beaker. Add to
this 10 cc of concentrated
nitric acid.
2) Immediately add 0.5 gm of cotton, and allow it to soak for exactly
3) Remove the nitrated cotton, and transfer it to a beaker of
distilled water to wash it in.
4) Allow the material to dry, and then re-wash it.
5) After the cotton is neutral when tested with litmus paper, it is
ready to be dried
and stored.
One common formula specifies 3 parts sulfuric acid to one part nitric
acid. This has not been demonstrated to be more effective than equal volumes
of each. Runaway
nitration is commonplace, but it is usually not disastrous.
It has been suggested that
pre-washing the cotton cloth in a solution of
lye, and rinsing it well in distilled water
before nitrating can help
prevent runaway nitration. If the reaction appears to be more
vigorous than
expected, water will quench the runaway reaction of cellulose.
WARNINGS
All the usual warnings about strong acids apply. H2SO4 has a tendency
to
spatter. When it falls on the skin, it destroys tissue very painfully.
It dissolves all manner
of clothing. Nitric also damages skin, turning it
bright yellow in the process of eating away
at your flesh. Nitric acid is
a potent oxidizer and it can start fires. Most strong acids will
happily
blind you if you get them in your eyes, and these are no exception.
Nitrocellulose decomposes very slowly on storage if isn’t correctly
stabilized. The
decomposition is auto-catalyzing, and can result in
spontaneous explosion if the material is
kept confined over time. The
process is much faster if the material is not washed well
enough.
Nitrocellulose powders contain stabilizers such as diphenyl amine or ethyl
centralite. Do not allow these to come into contact with nitric acid! A
small amount of either
substance added to the washed product will capture
the small amounts of nitrogen oxides that
result from decomposition. They
therefore inhibit the autocatalysis. NC eventually will
decompose in any
case.
Commercially produced Nitrocellulose is stabilized by
spinning it in
a large centrifuge to remove the remaining acid, which is recycled. It is
then boiled in acidulated water and washing thoroughly with fresh water. If
the NC is to be
used as smokeless powder it is boiled in a soda solution,
then rinsed in fresh water.
The purer the acid used (lower water content) the more complete the
nitration will be, and the
more powerful the nitrocellulose produced. There
are actually three forms of cellulose
nitrate, only one of which is useful
for pyrotechnic purposes. The mononitrate and dinitrate
are not explosive,
and are produced by incomplete nitration. The explosive trinatrate is
only
formed when the nitration is allowed to proceed to completion.
Perchlorates
As a rule, any oxidizable material that is treated with perchloric
acid will become a low order explosive. Metals, however, such as potassium
or sodium, become
excellent bases for flash type powders. Some materials
that can be perchlorated are cotton,
paper, and sawdust. To produce
potassium or sodium perchlorate, simply acquire the hydroxide
of that metal,
e.g. sodium or potassium hydroxide.
It is a good idea to test the
material to be treated with a very small
amount of acid, since some of the materials tend to
react explosively when
contacted by picric acid. Solutions of sodium or potassium hydroxide
are
ideal. Perchlorates are much safer than similar chlorates, and equally as
powerful.
Mixtures made with perchlorates are somewhat more difficult to
ignite than mixtures containing
chlorates, but the increased safety
outweighs this minor inconvenience.
Flash
Powder
Flash powder is a fast, powerful explosive, and comes very close to
many
high explosives. It is a very hazardous mixture to work with, due to
the sensitivity of the
powder. It is extremely sensitive to heat or sparks,
and should never be mixed with other
chemicals or black powder. It burns
very rapidly with a intense white flash, and will explode
if confined. Large
quantities may explode even when not confined. This is because a large
pile
of flash powder is self-confining, causing the explosion. Flash powder is
commonly
made with aluminum and/or magnesium. Other metals can be used, but
most others are either two
expensive (zirconium) or not reactive enough to
be effective (zinc)
Here are a
few basic precautions to take if you’re crazy enough to
produce your own flash powder:
1) Grind the oxidizer (KNO3, KClO3, KMnO4, KClO4 etc) separately in a
clean container.
If a mortar and pestle is used, it should be washed out
with alcohol before being used to
grind any other materials.
2) NEVER grind or sift the mixed composition. Grinding and
sifting can
cause friction or static electricity.
3) Mix the powders on a large
sheet of paper, by rolling the
composition back and forth. This technique is described in
detail on page
3
4) Do not store flash compositions for any amount of time.
Many
compounds, especially ones containing magnesium, will decompose over time
and may
ignite spontaneously.
5) Make very small quantities at first, so you can appreciate
the
power of such mixtures. Quantities greater than 10 grams should be avoided.
Most
flash powders are capable of exploding if a quantity of more than 50
grams is ignited
unconfined, and all flash powders will explode even with
minimal confinement (I have seen 10 g
of flash wrapped in a single layer of
waxed paper explode)
6) Make sure that all
the components of the mixture are as dry as
possible. Check the melting point of the
substances, and dry them
(separately) in a warm oven. If KNO3 is used it must be very pure and
dry,
or it will evolve ammonia fumes.
Almost any potent oxidizer can be used for
flash powder. Some
materials may react with the fuel, especially if magnesium is used.
KClO4
with Al is generally found in commercial fireworks, this does not mean that
it is
safe, but it is safer than KClO3 if handled correctly.
The finer the oxidizer and the finer
the metal powder the more
powerful the explosive, except in the case of aluminum. This of
course will
also increase the sensitivity of the flash powder. Beyond a certain point,
the finer the aluminum powder the less powerful the explosive, due to the
coating of aluminum
oxide which forms on the surface of the aluminum
granules.
NOTE: Flash powder in
any container will detonate. This includes even
a couple of layers of newspaper, or other
forms of loosely confined flash.
Potassium perchlorate is safer than sodium/potassium
chlorate.
High Order Explosives
High order explosives can be made
in the home without too much
difficulty. The main problem is acquiring the nitric acid to
produce the
high explosive. Most high explosives detonate because their molecular
structure is made up of some fuel and usually three or more nitrogen dioxide
molecules.
Trinitrotoluene is an excellent example of such a material. When
a shock wave passes through
an molecule of T.N.T., the nitrogen dioxide bond
is broken, and the oxygen combines with the
fuel, all in a matter of
microseconds. This accounts for the great power of nitrogen-based
several methods
of manufacturing high-order explosives in the home are
listed.
R.D.X.
plasticisers) is one of
the most valuable of all military explosives. This
is because it has more than 150% of the
power of T.N.T., and is much easier
to detonate. It should not be used alone, since it can be
set off by a
moderate shock. It is less sensitive than mercury fulminate or
nitroglycerine, but it is still too sensitive to be used alone.
R.D.X. can be produced by the
method given below. It is much easier
to make in the home than all other high explosives, with
the possible
exception of ammonium nitrate.
MATERIALS
hexamine or
methenamine 1000 ml beaker ice bath
glass stirring rod thermometer funnel
filter paper
distilled water ammonium nitrate
nitric acid (550 ml) blue litmus paper small ice bath
1) Place the beaker in the ice bath, (see page 15) and carefully pour
550 ml of
concentrated nitric acid into the beaker.
2) When the acid has cooled to below 200, add
small amounts of the
crushed fuel tablets to the beaker. The temperature will rise, and it
must
be kept below 300, or dire consequences could result. Stir the mixture.
3)
Drop the temperature below zero degrees celsius, either by adding
more ice and salt to the old
ice bath, or by creating a new ice bath.
Continue stirring the mixture, keeping the
temperature below zero for twenty
minutes.
4) Pour the mixture into 1 liter of
crushed ice. Shake and stir the
mixture, and allow it to melt. Once it has melted, filter out
the crystals,
and dispose of the corrosive liquid.
5) Place the crystals into one
half a liter of boiling distilled
water. Filter the crystals, and test them with the blue
litmus paper.
Repeat steps 4 and 5 until the litmus paper remains blue. This will make
the crystals more stable and safe.
6) Store the crystals wet until ready for use. Allow
them to dry
completely before using them. R.D.X. is not stable enough to use alone as
an
explosive.
Composition C-1 can be made by mixing (measure by weight)
R.D.X. 88%
mineral oil11%
lecithin 1%
Knead these material together
in a plastic bag. This is one way to
desensitize the explosive.
HMX. is a mixture
of TNT and RDX; the ratio is 50/50, by weight. it
is not as sensitive as unadultered RDX and
it is almost as powerful as
straight RDX.
By adding ammonium nitrate to the crystals of
RDX produced in step 5,
it is possible to desensitize the R.D.X. and increase its power,
since
ammonium nitrate is very insensitive and powerful. Sodium or potassium
nitrate
could also be added; a small quantity is sufficient to stabilize the
RDX.
RDX. detonates
at a rate of 8550 meters/second when it is compressed
to a density of 1.55 g/cubic cm.
Ammonium Nitrate (NH4NO3)
Ammonium nitrate can be made by following the method
given on page 10,
or it could be obtained from a construction site, since it is commonly
used
in blasting, because it is very stable and insensitive to shock and heat.
A
well-funded researcher could also buy numerous "Instant Cold-Paks" from
a drug store
or medical supply store. The major disadvantage with ammonium
nitrate, from a pyrotechnical
point of view, is detonating it. A rather
powerful priming charge must be used, or a booster
charge must be added.
[ ILLUSTRATIONS AVAILABLE ONLY IN COMMERICIAl PRINTED RELEASE
]
The primer explodes, detonating the T.N.T., which detonates, sending
a
tremendous shockwave through the ammonium nitrate, detonating it.
Ammonium
Nitrate – Fuel Oil Solution
Ammonium Nitrate – Fuel Oil Solution, also known as ANFO,
is a
commonly used high explosive. ANFO solves one of the major problem with
ammonium
nitrate: its tendency to pick up water vapor from the air. This
absorption results in the
explosive failing to detonate when fired. This is
less of a problem with ANFO because it
consists of 94% (by weight) ammonium
nitrate mixed with 6% fuel oil (kerosene). The kerosene
helps keep the
ammonium nitrate from absorbing moisture from the air.
This mixture, like
straight ammonium nitrate, is very insensitive to
shock. It requires a very powerful shockwave
to detonate it, and is not very
effective in small quantities. Usually a booster charge,
consisting of
dynamite or a commercial cast charge, is used for reliable detonation. Some
the power and
sensitivity. These forms can often be reliably initiated by
a No. 8 blasting cap.
These
disadvantages are outweighed by two important advantages of
ammonium nitrate explosives- cost,
and safety. In industrial blasting these
factors are much more important than in recreational
activities, and this
has contributed to the popularity of these explosives. If the explosive
is
initiated without confinement it not propagate well, and most of the
ammonium nitrate
will burn and scatter, rather than detonation as most other
high explosives would.
Ammonium nitrate explosives are much cheaper per pound than most other
explosives, with the
price per pound at about 1/10 that of dynamite.
Straight ammonium nitrate can be transported
to the blasting site without
the extract expenses incurred when transporting high explosives.
At the
site, the ammonium nitrate, in the form of small pellets, or prills, can be
mixed
with the fuel oil just prior to blasting.
If too much oil is added the power of the mixture
will decrease,
because the extra oil will absorb some of the energy from the ammonium
nitrate, and it tends to slow propagation. If commercial fertilizer is used
to provide the
ammonium nitrate, it must be crushed to be effective. This
is because fertilizer grade
ammonium nitrate is coated with a water
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Mischief 1.5
resistant substance which helps keep moisture from decomposing the
material.
This material also keeps the fuel oil from soaking into the ammonium
nitrate.
If fertilizer grade material is poured into a vat of warm, liquified
wax, the
coating will be displaced by the wax, which can also serve as fuel
for the ammonium nitrate.
This form is more sensitive than the fuel oil
mixture, and does not require as much
confinement as ANFO.
Trinitrotoluene
T.N.T., or 2,4,6 trinitrotoluene, is
perhaps the second oldest known
high explosive. Dynamite, of course, was the first. T.N.T. is
certainly the
best known high explosive, since it has been popularized by early morning
cartoons, and because it is used as a standard for comparing other
explosives.
In
industrial production TNT is made by a three step nitration process
that is designed to
conserve the nitric and sulfuric acids, so that the only
resource consumed in quantity is the
toluene. A person with limited funds,
however, should probably opt for the less economical two
step method. This
process is performed by treating toluene with very strong (fuming)
sulfuric
acid. Then, the sulfated toluene is treated with very strong (fuming) nitric
acid in an ice bath. Cold water is added to the solution, and the T.N.T. is
filtered out.
Potassium Chlorate (KClO3)
Potassium chlorate itself cannot be made in the
home, but it can be
obtained from labs and chemical supply houses. It is moderately water
toxic and
should not be brought into contact with organic matter, including
human skin.
If
potassium chlorate is mixed with a small amount of vaseline, or
other petroleum jelly, and a
shockwave is passed through it, the material
will detonate, however it is not very powerful,
and it must be confined to
explode it in this manner. The procedure for making such an
explosive is
outlined below:
MATERIALS
potassium chlorate zip-lock
plastic bag wooden spoon
petroleum jelly grinding bowl wooden bowl
1) Grind the
potassium chlorate in the grinding bowl carefully and
slowly, until the potassium chlorate is
a very fine powder. The finer the
powder, the faster it will detonate, but it will also
decompose more
quickly.
2) Place the powder into the plastic bag. Put the
petroleum jelly
into the plastic bag, getting as little on the sides of the bag as
possible,
i.e. put the vaseline on the potassium chlorate powder.
3) Close the
bag, and knead the materials together until none of the
potassium chlorate is dry powder that
does not stick to the main glob. If
necessary, add a bit more petroleum jelly to the bag.
Over time the this material will decompose, and if not used
immediately the strength
will be greatly reduced.
Dynamite (various compositions)
The name dynamite
comes from the Greek word "dynamis", meaning power.
Dynamite was invented by Nobel
shortly after he made nitroglycerine. He
tried soaking the nitroglycerine into many materials,
in an effort to reduce
its sensitivity. In the process, he discovered that Nitrocellulose
would
explode if brought into contact with fats or oils. A misguided individual
with
some sanity would, after making nitroglycerine would immediately
convert it to dynamite. This
can be done by adding one of a number of inert
materials, such as sawdust, to the raw
nitroglycerine. The sawdust holds a
large weight of nitroglycerine. Other materials, such as
ammonium nitrate
could be added, and they would tend to desensitize the explosive, while
increasing the power. But even these nitroglycerine compounds are not really
safe.
One
way to reliably stabilize nitroglycerin is to freeze it. In its
frozen state, nitroglycerine
is much less sensitive to shock, and can safely
be transported. The only drawback to this
method is that the nitroglycerine
may explode spontaneously while being thawed.
Nitrostarch Explosives
Nitrostarch explosives are simple to make, and are fairly
powerful.
All that need be done is treat any of a number of starches with a mixture
of
concentrated nitric and sulfuric acids. Nitrostarch explosives are of
slightly lower power
than T.N.T., but they are more readily detonated.
MATERIALS
filter
paperpyrex container (100 ml)distilled water
glass rod 20 ml concentrated sulfuric
acidacid-resistant gloves
1 g starch20 ml concentrated nitric acid
1) Add
concentrated sulfuric acid to an equal volume of concentrated
nitric acid in the pyrex
container. Watch out for splattering acid.
2) Add 1 gram of starch of starch to the
mixture, stirring constantly
with the glass rod.
3) Carefully add cold water to
dilute the acids, then pour the mixture
through the filter paper (see page 13). The residue
consists of nitrostarch
with a small amount of acid, and should be washed under cold
distilled
water.
Picric Acid (C6H3N3O7)
Picric acid, or
2,4,6-trinitrophenol is a sensitive compound that can
be used as a booster charge for
moderately insensitive explosives, such as
T.N.T. It is seldom used for explosives anymore,
but it still has
applications in many industries, including leather production, copper
etching, and textiles. Picric acid is usually shipped mixed with 20% water
for safety, and
when dried it forms pale yellow crystals.
In small quantities picric acid deflagrates, but
large crystals or
moderate quantities of powdered picric acid will detonate with sufficient
Picric acid,
along with all of it’s salts, is very dangerous, and should
never be stored dry or in a metal
container. Contact with bare skin should
be avoided, and ingestion is often fatal.
Picric acid is fairly simple to make, assuming that one can acquire
sulfuric and nitric acid
in the required concentration. Simple procedures
for it’s manufacture are given in many
college chemistry lab manuals. The
main problem with picric acid is its tendency to form
dangerously sensitive
and unstable picrate salts. While some of these salts, such as
potassium
picrate are stable enough to be useful, salts formed with other metals can
be
extremely unstable. For this reason, it is usually made into a safer
form, such as ammonium
picrate, also called explosive D. A procedure for
the production of picric acid is given
below.
MATERIALS
variable heat source ice bathdistilled water
38 ml
concentrated nitric acid filter paper500 ml flaskfunnel
concentrated sulfuric acid (12.5 ml) 1
L pyrex beaker10g phenolglass rod
1) Place 9.5 grams of phenol into the 500 ml flask,
and carefully add
12.5 ml of concentrated sulfuric acid and stir the mixture.
2)
Put 400 ml of tap water into the 1000 ml beaker or boiling
container and bring the water to a
gentle boil.
3) After warming the 500 ml flask under hot tap water, place it in the
thirty
minutes. After thirty minutes, take the flask out, and allow it to
cool for seven minutes.
4) After allowing the flask to cool for 10 minutes. Place the 500 ml
flask with the
mixed acid an phenol in the ice bath. Add 38 ml of
concentrated nitric acid in small amounts,
stirring the mixture constantly.
A vigorous reaction should occur. When the reaction slows,
take the flask
out of the ice bath.
5) Warm the ice bath container, if it is
glass, and then begin boiling
more tap water. Place the flask containing the mixture in the
boiling
water, and heat it in the boiling water for 1.5 to 2 hours.
6) Add 100 ml
of cold distilled water to the solution, and chill it
in an ice bath until it is cold.
7) Filter out the yellowish-white picric acid crystals by pouring the
solution through
the filter paper in the funnel. Collect the liquid and
dispose of it in a safe place, since it
is highly corrosive.
Wash out the 500 ml flask with distilled water, and put the
vigorously.
9) Re-filter the crystals, and allow them to dry.
10) Store the crystals in a
safe place in a glass container, since
they will react with metal containers to produce
picrates that could explode
spontaneously.
Ammonium Picrate (C6H2.ONH4.(NO2)3)
Ammonium picrate, also called ammonium piconitrate, Explosive D, or
carbazoate, is a
common safety explosive which can be produced from picric
acid. It requires a substantial
shock to cause it to detonate, slightly less
than that required to detonate ammonium nitrate.
In many ways it is much
safer than picric acid, since it does not have the tendency to form
make from picric
acid and clear household ammonia. All that need be done is
to dissolve picric acid crystals by
placing them in a glass container and
adding 15 parts hot, steaming distilled water. Add clear
ammonia in excess,
and allow the excess ammonia to evaporate. The powder remaining should
be
ammonium picrate. The water should not be heated, as ammonium picrate is
sensitive to
heat. Vacuum distillation and open evaporation are relatively
safe ways to extract the
picrate.
Ammonium picrate most commonly appears as bright yellow crystals, and
is
soluble in water. These crystals should be treated with the care due to
all shock sensitive
materials. Some illegal salutes have been found to
contain ammonium picrate, which makes them
much more hazardous.
Nitrogen Chloride (NCl3)
Nitrogen chloride, also
known as nitrogen trichloride, chlorine
nitride, or Trichloride nitride, is a thick, oily
yellow liquid. It
explodes violently when it is heated to 930 C, exposed to bright light
(sunlight), when brought into contact with organic substances, grease,
ozone, and nitric
oxide. Nitrogen chloride will evaporate if left in an open
vessel, and will decompose within
24 hours. It has the interesting quality
of exploding 13 seconds after being sealed in a glass
container at 600 C .
It can produce highly toxic byproducts, and should not be handled or
stored.
Because of the hazards of chlorine gas, if this procedure should never
be
carried out without an adequate source of ventilation. If a fume hood is
not available the
procedure should be done outside, away from buildings,
small children, and pets.
MATERIALS
ammonium nitrate 2 pyrex beakersheat source glass pipe
hydrochloric
acid one hole stopperlarge flask fume hood
potassium permanganate
1) In a
beaker, dissolve 5 teaspoons of ammonium nitrate in water.
If too much ammonium nitrate is
added to the solution and some of it remains
undissolved in the bottom of the beaker, the
solution should be poured off
into a fresh beaker.
2) Collect a quantity of
chlorine gas in a second beaker by mixing
hydrochloric acid with potassium permanganate in a
large flask with a
stopper and glass pipe.
3) Place the beaker containing the
chlorine gas upside down on top of
the beaker containing the ammonium nitrate solution, and
tape the beakers
together. Gently heat the bottom beaker. When this is done, oily yellow
droplets will begin to form on the surface of the solution, and sink down
to the bottom. At
this time, remove the heat source immediately.
4) Collect the yellow droplets with an
eyedropper, and use them as
soon as possible.
Alternately, the chlorine can be
bubbled through the ammonium nitrate
solution, rather than collecting the gas in a beaker, but
this requires
timing and a stand to hold the beaker and test tube.
The chlorine gas can
also be mixed with anhydrous ammonia gas, by
gently heating a flask filled with clear
household ammonia. Place the glass
tubes from the chlorine-generating flask and the tube from
the ammonia
generating flask in another flask that contains water.
Lead Azide
Lead Azide is a material that is often used as a booster charge for
other explosive,
but it does well enough on its own as a fairly sensitive
explosive. It does not detonate too
easily by percussion or impact, but it
is easily detonated by heat from an ignition wire, or a
blasting cap. It
is simple to produce, assuming that the necessary chemicals can be
procured.
By dissolving sodium azide and lead acetate in water in separate
beakers, the
two materials are put into an aqueous state. Mix the two
beakers together, and apply a gentle
heat. Add an excess of the lead acetate
solution, until no reaction occurs, and the
precipitate on the bottom of the
beaker stops forming.
Filter off the solution, and wash
the precipitate in hot water. The
precipitate is lead azide, and it must be stored wet for
safety. If lead
acetate cannot be found, simply acquire acetic acid, and put lead metal in
Lead azide can also be produced by
substituting lead nitrate for the
acetate. the reaction is given below:
lead
nitrate + sodium azide lead azide + sodium nitrate
Pb(NO3)2 + 2NaN3 Pb(N3)2 + 2NaNO3
sodium nitrate and
traces of lead. The contaminated water should be disposed
of in an environmentally safe
manner.
Other Reactions
This section covers the other types of materials
that can be used in
pyrotechnic reactions. although none of the materials presented here
are
explosives, they are often as hazardous as explosives, and should be treated
with
due respect.
Thermite
Thermite is a fuel-oxidizer mixture that is used to
generate
tremendous amounts of heat. It was not presented earlier because it does not
react nearly as readily as most mixtures. The most common form of thermite
is a mixture of
ferric oxide and aluminum, both coarsely powdered. When
ignited, the aluminum burns by
extracting oxygen from the ferric oxide. The
thermite reaction is is really two very
exothermic reactions that produce
a combined temperature of about 22000 C. It is difficult to
ignite, however,
but once it is ignited, thermite is one of the most effective fire
starters
around.
To produce thermite you will need one part powdered aluminum and
three
parts powdered iron oxide (ferric oxide or Fe2O3), measured by weight. There
is no
special procedure or equipment required to make thermite. Simply mix
the two powders together.
Take enough time to make the mixture as homogenous
as possible. The ratio of iron oxide to
aluminum isn’t very important, and
if no weighing equiptment is available a 1/1 mixture by
volume will work.
If a small amount of finely powdered material is used as a starter, the
bulk
of the thermite mixture can be made up of larger sized material, in the same
ratio.
There are very few safety hazards in making thermite. The aluminum
dust can form
an explosive mixture in air, and inhaling powdered metals can
be very bad for your health. It
is important to take precautions to insure
that the powdered metals are very dry, or the water
vapor produced during
the reaction will cause the thermite to spray droplets of molten steel
in
a large radius.
Ignition of thermite can be accomplished by adding a small amount
of
potassium chlorate to a teaspoon of thermite, and pouring a few drops of
sulfuric
acid on it. This method and others are discussed on page 49.
Another method of igniting
thermite is with a magnesium strip. The important
factor in igniting thermite is having a
material that will produce
concentrated heat in a very small region. For this reason, matches
will not
work, but sparklers and other aluminum based flares will.
Molotov
Cocktails
One of the simplest incendiary devices invented, The Molotov cocktail
is now employed in the defense of oppressed people worldwide. They range
in complexity from
the simple bottle and rag to complicated self-igniting
firebombs, but in any form a molotov
cocktail can produce devastating
results.
By taking any highly flammable material, such
as gasoline, diesel
fuel, kerosene, ethyl or methyl alcohol, lighter fluid, turpentine, or
any
mixture of the above, and putting it into a large glass bottle, anyone can
make an
effective firebomb. After putting the flammable liquid in the
bottle, simply put a piece of
cloth that is soaked in the liquid in the top
of the bottle so that it fits tightly.
Then, wrap some of the cloth around the neck and tie it, but be sure
to leave a few inches of
lose cloth to light. Light the exposed cloth, and
throw the bottle. If the burning cloth does
not go out, and if the bottle
breaks on impact, the contents of the bottle will spatter over a
large area
near the site of impact, and burst into flame.
Flammable mixtures such as
kerosene and motor oil should be mixed with
a more volatile and flammable liquid, such as
gasoline, to insure ignition.
A mixture such as tar or grease and gasoline will stick to the
surface that
it strikes, burn hotter and longer, and be more difficult to extinguish. A
a bottle contain a mixture of different fuels must be shaken well before it
is lit and
thrown.
Other interesting additives can include alcohol, acetone or other
solvents, which will generally thin the contents and possibly increase the
size of the
fireball. By adding a gelling agent such as disk soap,
polystyrene, or other material the
flaming material can be made sticky
enough that it will adhere to a vertical surface, such as
a wall or the side
of a vehicle.
Chemical Fire Bottle
The chemical
fire bottle is really nothing more than an advanced
molotov cocktail. Rather than using
burning cloth to ignite the flammable
liquid, which has at best a fair chance of igniting the
liquid, the chemical
fire bottle utilizes the very hot and violent reaction between sulfuric
acid
and potassium chlorate. When the container breaks, the sulfuric acid in the
mixture
of gasoline sprays onto the paper soaked in potassium chlorate and
sugar. The paper, when
struck by the acid, instantly bursts into a white
flame, igniting the gasoline. The chance of
failure to ignite the gasoline
is very low, and can be reduced further if there is enough
potassium
chlorate and sugar to spare.
MATERIALS
potassium
chlorate (2 teaspoons)12 oz.glass bottle w/lined capplastic spoon
gasoline (8 ounces) sugar (2
teaspoons) cooking pan
baking soda (1 teaspoon) sulfuric acid ( 4 ounces)paper towels
glass cup glass or teflon coated funnelrubber cement
1) Test the cap of the bottle with
a few drops of sulfuric acid to
make sure that the acid will not eat away the bottle cap
during storage.
If the acid eats through it, a new top must be found and tested, until a
cap
that the acid does not eat through is found. A glass top is excellent.
2)
Carefully mix the gasoline with the sulfuric acid. This should be
done in an open area and
preferably from a distance. There is a chance that
the sulfuric acid could react with an
impurity in the gasoline, igniting it.
3) Using a glass funnel, slowly pour the mixture
into the glass
bottle. Wipe up any spills of acid on the sides of the bottle, and screw the
water. Then
carefully rinse the outside with plenty of cold water. Set it
aside to dry.
4)
Put about two teaspoons of potassium chlorate and about two
teaspoons of sugar into the glass
cup. Add about = cup of boiling water,
or enough to dissolve all of the potassium chlorate and
sugar.
5) Place a sheet of paper towel in the raised edge cooking pan. Fold
the
paper towel in half, and pour the solution of dissolved potassium
chlorate and sugar on it
until it is wet through, but not soaked. Allow the
towel to dry.
6) When it is
dry, put a line of cement about 1" wide down the side
of the glass bottle. Starting
halfway across the line of cement, wrap the
paper towel around the bottle, with the bottom
edge of the towel lining up
with the bottom edge of the bottle. Coat the inside of the
remaining edge
of the towel with cement before pressing it into place. Store the bottle in
7) When finished, the solution
in the bottle should appear as two
distinct liquids, a dark brownish-red solution on the
bottom, and a clear
solution on top. The two solutions will not mix. To use the chemical
fire
bottle, simply throw it at any hard surface.
NEVER OPEN THE BOTTLE, SINCE
SOME SULFURIC ACID MIGHT BE ON THE
CAP, WHICH COULD TRICKLE DOWN THE SIDE OF THE BOTTLE AND
IGNITE THE
POTASSIUM CHLORATE, CAUSING A FIRE AND/OR EXPLOSION.
9) To test the
device, tear a small piece of the paper towel off the
bottle, and put a few drops of sulfuric
acid on it. The paper towel should
immediately burst into a white flame.
If you
intend to subsitute other flammable liquids for the gasoline,
first make sure that they will
not react with the sulfuric acid. This can
be done by mixing a small amount in a bottle, then
testing the Ph after
several days have passed.
COMPRESSED GAS
BOMBS
Compressed gas bombs come in several forms, but all of them utilize
the
square pressure law- as the temperature of the gas increases, the
pressure increases at a much
higher rate. Eventually the pressure will
exceed the rating of the container, and it will
burst, releasing the gas.
Bottled Gas Explosives
Bottled gas, such
as butane for refilling lighters, propane for
propane stoves or for bunsen burners, can be
used to produce a powerful
explosion. To make such a device, all that a destructive person
would have
to do would be to take his container of bottled gas and place it above a can
of Sterno or other gelatinized fuel, light the fuel and leave the area in
a hurry. Depending
on the amount of gas, the fuel used, and on the thickness
of the fuel container, the liquid
gas will boil and expand to the point of
bursting the container in anywhere from a few seconds
to five minutes or
more.
In theory, the gas would immediately be ignited by the
burning
gelatinized fuel, producing a large fireball and explosion. Unfortunately,
the
bursting of the bottled gas container often puts out the fuel, thus
preventing the expanding
gas from igniting. By using a metal bucket half
filled with gasoline, however, the chances of
ignition are better, since the
gasoline is less likely to be extinguished. Placing a canister
of bottled
gas on a bed of burning charcoal soaked in gasoline would probably be the
most effective way of securing ignition of the expanding gas, since although
the bursting of
the gas container may blow out the flame of the gasoline,
the burning charcoal should
immediately re-ignite it. Nitrous oxide,
hydrogen, propane, acetylene, or any other flammable
gas will do nicely.
Another interesting use of compressed flammable gases is in the
the appropriate
amount of oxygen, a very loud explosive combustion can be
achieved.
The simplest form of
gas device is based on the common oxygen-
acetylene cutting torch. First the torch is lit and
the mixture of gases is
adjusted for a hot, bright flame.
Next, the gas is diverted into
some form of container. This can be a
soft, expandable container, such as a child’s balloon or
a rigid, inflexible
container, such as a garbage can or metal pipe. It is much safer to use
container is
used, it can be used to lauch all sorts of interesting
projectiles.
A major danger in
using mixed gases is the high chance of stray sparks
igniting the gases. A few simple safety
measures can help reduce this
dangerous problem:
1) Always store the gases in
seperate containers! This is the most
important rule in working with flammable gases.
Pressurizing oxygen with a
flammable gas is askng for trouble, as under pressure the gases may
react
spontaneously, and compressing mixed gases greatly increases the chances of
flashback.
2) Always work in the open. Flammable gases should never be used
indoors. Large quantities of heavier or lighter than air gases could
accumulate near the floor
or ceiling.
3) Avoid static electricity. Static is less of a problem on humid
days, and it can be reduced by wearing clothing made of natural fibers,
removing all metal
(such as jewelry, riveted clothes, etc) and wearing shoes
with crepe soles.
4)
Keep your distance. Gas explosions can be very powerful and
unpredictable. A 55 gallon trash
bag filled with the optimum mixture of
oxygen and acetylene 100 feet away can blow out
eardrums and crack brick
walls.
6) Start out small. Work your way up from small
plastic bags or
children’s balloons.
The best method for safe ignition is to
mount a spark plug into a
length of heavy steel pipe, and imbed this pipe 2-3 feet into the
ground,
with less than 2 feet above ground. If desired, a sealed (to prevent any
sparks)
switch can be wired across the wires to short the cable when you’re
working at the site. Run
heavy cable underground from the pipe to a ditch
or bunker at a safe distance, and terminate
the cable in a pair of large
alligator clips, like the ones used on auto jumper cables. The
outer edge
of these jumpers and the last foot of wire should be painted bright red. Now
drive a second pipe 2 feet into the ground, leaving 3-4 feet above ground.
While working at
the site, the shorting switch should be thrown and
the two alligator clips attached to the top
of the pipe at the bunker. Once
the gas equiptment is set up, check to ensure that both clips
are on the
pipe, then turn off the shorting switch and retreat to the bunker.
At the
bunker, remove the clips from the pipe and take cover. The
wires can now be attached to a
high-voltage source. The spark plug will
create a short electrical arc, igniting the gases. If
the gas fails to
ignite on the first try, wait a few seconds then power up the spark plug a
dispersed.
can be greatly
improved. The safest method is two have 2 bunkers equidistant
from the site, with one unmanned
bunker containing the gas cylinders and
remotely controlled valves, and the second bunker
containing the controls
and personnel.
During the recent gulf war, fuel/air bombs
were touted as being second
only to nuclear weapons in their devastating effects. These are
basically
similar to the above devices, except that an explosive charge is used to
rupture the fuel container and disperse its contents over a wide area. a
delayed second charge
is used to ignite the fuel. The reaction is said to
produce a massive shockwave and to burn
all the oxygen in a large area,
causing suffocation.
Another benefit of fuel-air
explosives is that the vaporized gas will
seep into fortified bunkers or other
partially-sealed spaces, so a large
bomb placed in a building would result in the destruction
of the majority
of surrounding rooms.
Dry Ice Bombs
(Or: How to
recycle empty soda bottles)
Dry ice bombs have been discovered and rediscovered by many
different
people, and there is no sure way to know who first came up with the idea of
putting dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) into an empty plastic soda bottle.
There is no standard
formula for a dry ice bomb, however a generic form is
as follows:
Take a 2-liter
soda bottle, empty it completely, then add about 3/4
Lb of dry ice (crushed works best) and
(optional) a quantity of water. twist
cap on tightly, and get as far away from it as
possible.
Depending on the condition of the bottle, the weather, and the amount
and
temperature of the water added, the bottle may go off anywhere from 30
seconds to 5 minutes
from when it was capped. Without any water added, the
2-liter bottles generally take from 3 to
7 minutes if dropped into a warm
river, and 45 minutes to 1= hours in open air. It is possible
for the
bottle to reach an extreme pressure without reaching the bursting point, in
which case any contact with the bottle would cause it to explode. This
effect has resulted in
several injuries, and is difficult to reliably
reproduce.
The explosion sounds
equivalent to an M-100, and usually results in
the bottle breaking into several large, sharp
pieces of frozen plastic, with
the most dangerous projectile being the top section with the
screw-on cap.
Plastic 16 oz. soda bottles and 1 liter bottles work almost as well as do
the 2-liters, however glass bottles aren’t nearly as loud, and can produce
dangerous
shrapnel.
Remember, these are LOUD! Dorian, a classmate of mine, set up 10
bottles in a
nearby park without adding water. After the first two went off
(there was about 10 minutes
between explosions) the Police arrived and spent
the next hour trying to find the guy who they
thought was setting off
M-100’s all around them…
Using anything other than plastic to
contain dry ice bombs is
suicidal. Even plastic 2-liter bottles can produce some nasty
shrapnel: One
source tells me that he caused an explosion with a 2-liter bottle that
destroyed a metal garbage can. Because of the freezing temperatures, the
plastic can become
very hard and brittle, and when the bottle ruptures it
may spray shards of sharp, frozen
plastic. While plastic bottles can be
dangerous, glass bottles may be deadly. It is rumored
that several kids have
been killed by shards of glass resulting from the use of a glass
bottle.
For some reason, dry ice bombs have become very popular in the state
of Utah. As
a result, dry ice bombs have been classified as infernal
devices, and in utah possession of a
completed bomb is a criminal offense.
Most other states do not have specific laws on the books
outlawing these
devices. There are several generic offenses which you could be charged
with,
including disturbing the peace, reckless endangerment, destruction of
property,
and construction of a nefarious device.
It is interesting to note that dry ice bombs are not
really
pyrotechnic devices. As the carbon dioxide sublimes into it’s gaseous state,
the
pressure inside the bottle increases. When the bottle ruptures, the gas
is released. This
sudden release of pressure causes the temperature of the
gases to drop. It is noticed that
right after detonation, a cloud of white
vapor appears. This may be the water vapor in the
surrounding air suddenly
condensing when it contacts the freezing cold gas.
Almost any
reaction that produces large amounts of gas from a much
smaller volume can be used. One common
variation is the use of Drano*
crystals and shredded aluminum foil. When water is added the
Drano, which
is mainly lye (an extremely caustic substance), dissolves in the water and
reacts with the aluminum, producing heat and hydrogen gas. If the heat
doesn’t melt the bottle
the pressure will eventually cause it to rupture,
spraying caustic liquid and releasing a
large quantity of (flammable)
hydrogen gas, as well as some water vapor.
Another
interesting reaction is adding managanese dioxide to hydrogen
peroxide. The manganese dioxide
is a catalyst that allows the hydrogen
peroxide to release the extra oxygen atom, yielding
free oxygen and water:
2H2O2 + MgO2 2H2O +O2 + MgO2
It may be possible to
combine the drain opener reaction with the
hydrogen peroxide reaction, yielding heat, oxygen,
and hydrogen. When mixed
in the proper proportion these three components can yield a very
powerful
explosion from the violently exothermic reaction of the hydrogen and oxygen.
Preliminary experiments have shown that the drain opener reaction tends to
proceed much more
quickly than the peroxide reaction, and it often produces
enough excess heat to cause the
bottle to rupture prematurely.
Another possible reaction is pool chlorine tablets (usually
calcium
hypochlorite) and household ammonia. This reaction produces poisonous
chlorine
gas. Baking soda and vinegar have been tried, but the reaction seems
to become inhibited by
the rising pressure.
There are also many variations possible when using dry ice. If a
bottle that is not dissolved by acetone (such as most 2-L soda bottles) is
used, the curshed
dry ice can be mixed with acetone. This will greatly speed
up the reaction, since unlike
water, acetone remains a liquid at very low
temperatures. One hazard (benefit?) of adding
acetone is that the rupturing
bottle will spray cold acetone around in liquid form. This can
be very
hazardous, since acetone is a very powerful solvent, and is extremely
flammable.
USING EXPLOSIVES
Once a person has produced his
explosives, the next logical step is
to apply them. Explosives have a wide range of uses, from
entertainment to
extreme destruction.
NONE OF THE IDEAS PRESENTED HERE ARE EVER
TO BE CARRIED OUT, EITHER
IN PART OR IN FULL. PLANNING OR EXECUTING ANY OF THESE IDEAS CAN
LEAD TO
PROSECUTION, FINES, AND IMPRISONMENT!
The first step a person that would
use explosive would take would be
to determine how big an explosive device would be needed to
achieve the
desired effect. Then, he would have to decide what materials to use, based
on what is currently available. He would also have to decide on how he
wanted to initiate the
device, and determine where the best placement for
it would be. Finally, one must produce the
device without unacceptable risk
to ones own life.
Ignition Devices
There are many ways to ignite explosive devices. There is the classic
"place on
ground, light fuse and get away" approach, and there are position
or movement sensitive
switches, and many things in between. Generally,
electrical detonation systems are safer than
fuses, but there are times when
fuses are more appropriate than electrical systems; it is
difficult to carry
a sophisticated electrical detonation system into a stadium, for
instance,
without being caught. A device with a fuse or impact detonating fuze would
be
easier to hide.
Fuse Ignition
The oldest form of explosive ignition, fuses
are perhaps the favorite
type of ignition system. By simply placing a piece of waterproof fuse
in
a device, one can have almost guaranteed ignition. Fuses are certainly the
the most
economical and commonyl available means of ignition.
Modern waterproof fuse is extremely
reliable, burning at a rate of
about 2.5 seconds to the inch. It is available as model
rocketry fuse in
most hobby shops, and costs about $3.00 for a package of ten feet. Cannon
simplicity and
reliability. All that need be done is light it with a match
or lighter. Of course, if the Army
had only fuses like this, then the
grenade, which uses a form of fuse ignition, would be very
impractical. If
a grenade ignition system can be acquired, by all means use it, it is the
sources for
some are listed in the appendices. The next best thing to a
pull-ring system is to prepare a
fuse system which does not require the use
of a match or lighter, but still retains a level of
simplicity. One such
method is described below:
MATERIALS
strike-on-cover type matches
electrical tape
waterproof fuse
1) To
determine the burn rate of a particular type of fuse, simply
measure a 6 inch or longer piece
of fuse and ignite it. With a stopwatch,
press the start button the at the instant when the
fuse lights, and stop the
watch when the fuse reaches its end. Divide the time of burn by the
length
of fuse, and you have the burn rate of the fuse, in seconds per inch. This
will
be shown below:
Suppose an eight inch piece of fuse is burned, and its complete time
20 seconds / 8 inches = 2.5 seconds per inch.
desired time by the number
of seconds per inch:
10 seconds / 2.5 seconds per inch = 4 inches
Note:
The length of fuse here means length of fuse to the powder. Some
fuse, at least an inch,
should extend inside the device. always add this
extra inch, and always put it inside the
device.
2) After deciding how long a delay is desired before the explosive
device
is to go off, add about = inch to the pre-measured amount of fuse,
and cut it off.
Do not pull off
individual matches; keep all the matches attached to the
cardboard base. Take one of the
cardboard match sections, and leave the
other one to make a second igniter.
4)
Wrap the matches around the end of the fuse, with the heads of the
matches touching the very
end of the fuse. Tape them there securely, making
sure not to put tape over the match heads.
Make sure they are very secure
by pulling on them at the base of the assembly. They should not
be able to
move.
5) Wrap the cover of the matches around the matches attached to
the
fuse, making sure that the striker paper is below the match heads and the
striker
faces the match heads. Tape the paper so that is fairly tight around
the matches. Do not tape
the cover of the striker to the fuse or to the
matches. Leave enough of the match book to pull
on for ignition.
The match book is wrapped around the matches, and is taped to itself.
The matches are taped to the fuse. The striker will rub against the match
heads when the match
book is pulled.
6) When ready to use, simply pull on the match paper. It should pull
them. In turn, the
burning match heads will light the fuse, since it
adjacent to the burning match heads.
Making Blackmatch Fuse
Take a flat piece of plastic or metal (brass or aluminum
are easy to
work with and won’t rust). Drill a 1/16th inch hole through it. This is
your
die for sizing the fuse. You can make fuses as big as you want, but
this is the right size for
pipe bombs and other rigid casings.
To about = cup of black powder add water to make a thin
paste. Add
= teaspoon of corn starch. Cut some one foot lengths of cotton thread. Use
cotton, not silk or thread made from synthetic fibers. Put these together
until you have a
thickness that fills the hole in the die but can be drawn
through very easily.
Tie your
bundle of threads together at one end. Separate the threads
and hold the bundle over the black
powder mixture. Lower the threads with
a circular motion so they start curling onto the
mixture. Press them under
with the back of a teaspoon and continue lowering them so they coil
into the
paste. Take the end you are holding and thread it through the die. Pull it
through smoothly in one long motion.
To dry your fuse, lay it on a piece of aluminum foil and
bake it in
your 2500 oven or tie it to a grill in the oven and let it hang down. The
fuse must be baked to make it stiff enough for the uses it will be put to
later. Air drying
will not do the job. If you used Sodium Nitrate, it will
not dry completely at room
temperatures.
Cut the dry fuse with scissors into 2 inch lengths and store in an air
tight container. Handle this fuse careful to avoid breaking it. You can
also use a firecracker
fuse if you have any available. The fuses can
usually be pulled out without breaking. To give
yourself some running time,
you will be extending these fuses (blackmatch or firecracker fuse)
with
sulfured wick.
Finally, it is possible to make a relatively slow-burning fuse in
the
home. By dissolving about one teaspoon of black powder in about < cup of
boiling
water, and, while it is still hot, soaking in it a long piece of all
cotton string, a
slow-burning fuse can be made. After the soaked string
dries, it must then be tied to the fuse
of an explosive device. Sometimes,
the end of the slow burning fuse that meets the normal fuse
has a charge of
black powder or gunpowder at the intersection point to insure ignition,
since the slow-burning fuse does not burn at a very high temperature.
A similar type of slow
fuse can be made by taking the above mixture
of boiling water and black powder and pouring it
on a long piece of toilet
paper. The wet toilet paper is then gently twisted up so that it
resembles
a firecracker fuse, and is allowed to dry.
Making Sulfured Wick
There are several ways to make sulfured wick, One method is to use heavy
cotton string
about 1/8th inch in diameter. You can find it at a garden
supply or hardware store, it is
often used for tieing up tomatoes. Be sure
the string is cotton, and not some form of
synthetic fabric. You can test
it by lighting one end. It should continue to burn after the
match is
removed and when blown out will have a smoldering coal on the end. Put a
small
quanitity of sulfur in a small container (a small pie pan works well)
and melt it in the oven
at 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
The sulfur will melt into a transparent yellow liquid. If it
starts
turning brown, it is too hot. Coil about a one foot length of string into
it. The
melted sulfur will soak in quickly. When saturated, pull it out
and tie it up to cool and
harden.
It can be cut to desired lengths with scissors. 2 inches is about
right. These
wicks will burn slowly with a blue flame and do not blow out
easily in a moderate wind. They
will not burn through a hole in a metal
pipe, but are great for extending your other fuse.
They will not throw off
many sparks. This is quite unlike blackmatch, which generates sparks
which
can ignite it along its length causing much less predictable burning times.
Making Quickmatch Fuse
Sometimes it is desirable to have a reliable, fast burning
fuse,
rather than to use slow fuse. Quickmatch fuse burns almost instantaneously,
and is
useful when two items, located some distance apart, need to be
ignited at the same time.
The simplest way to make quickmatch is to enclose a length of
blackmatch fuse in a tube with
an inside diameter about twice the diameter
of the fuse. When one end is lit, the fuse will
burn through the tube within
a couple seconds. This is because the tube helps the sparks from
the
blackmatch to propagate down the length of the fuse.
Another simple method of making
quickmatch is to purchase a roll of
extra-wide masking tape (1=-2 inches works well). Unwind a
few feet of tape,
then pour a trail of blackpowder or pyrodex down the middle, making sure
to
leave =" of the tape on the right side clean of powder. When the rest of the
tape is completely covered with powder, fold the left side over to within
<" of the
right edge, then fold the (clean) right side over the left and
press it in place. The finished
quickmatch should now be held by one end to
allow the excess powder to drain out. If multiple
devices are to be attached
to the quickmatch, a small hole can be poked at the appropriate
spot and an
inch of blackmatch fuse should be inserted at that point.
Quickmatch is
easily damaged by water, and should not be flattened out
as that will limit its effectiveness.
If the fuse has a tendency to go out,
coarser grained powder should be used.
Impact Ignition
Impact ignition is an excellent method of ignition for any device
that
is intended to be employed as a projectile. The problem with an impact
igniting
device is that it must be kept in a very safe container so that it
will not explode while
being transported to the place where it is to be
used. This can be done by having a removable
impact initiator.
The best and most reliable impact initiator is one that uses factory
made initiators or primers. A no. 11 cap for black powder firearms is one
such primer. They
usually come in boxes of 100, and cost about $2.50.
To use such a cap, however, one needs a
nipple that it will fit on.
Black powder nipples are also available in gun stores. All that a
person has
to do is ask for a package of nipples and the caps that fit them. Nipples
have a hole that goes all the way through them, one of the ends is threaded,
and the other end
has a flat area to put the cap on. A cutaway of a nipple
is shown below:
[
ILLUSTRATIONS AVAILABLE ONLY IN COMMERICIAl PRINTED RELEASE ]
When making using this
type of initiator, a hole must be drilled into
whatever container is used to make the bomb out
of. The nipple is then
screwed into the hole so that it fits tightly. Then, the cap can be
carried
and placed on the bomb when it is to be thrown. The cap should be bent a
small
amount before it is placed on the nipple, to make sure that it stays
in place. The only other
problem involved with an impact detonating bomb
is that it must strike a hard surface on the
nipple to set it off. By
attaching fins or a small parachute on the end of the bomb opposite
the
primer, the bomb, when thrown, should strike the ground on the primer, and
explode.
Of course, a bomb with mercury fulminate in each end will go off
on impact regardless of which
end it strikes on, but mercury fulminate is
also likely to go off if the person carrying the
bomb is bumped hard.
MAGICUBE* Ignitor
A very sensitive and reliable
impact initiator can be produced from
the common MAGICUBE type camera flashbulbs. Simply crack
the plastic cover
off, remove the reflector, and you will see 4 bulbs, each of which has a
Carefully grasp this rod with a pair of
needle-nose pliers, and pry
gently upwards, making sure that no force is applied to the glass
bulb.
Each bulb is coated with plastic, which must be removed for them to
be
effective in our application. This coating can be removed by soaking the
bulbs in a small
glass of acetone for 30-45 minutes, at which point the
plastic can be easily peeled away.
based smokeless powder
(or make your own nitrocellulose see page 19)in a
small quantity of acetone and/or ether,
forming a thick glue-like paste.
Coat the end of the fuse with this paste, then stick the bulb
(with the
metal rod facing out) into the paste. About half the bulb should be
completely
covered, and if a VERY THIN layer of nitrocellulose is coated
over the remainder of the bulb
then ignition should be very reliable.
To insure that the device lands with the bulb down, a
small streamer
can be attached to the opposite side, so when it is tossed high into the air
Electrical Ignition
Electrical ignition systems for detonation are usually the safest and
most reliable form of
ignition. Electrical systems are ideal for demolition
work, if one doesn’t have to worry so
much about being caught. With two
spools of 500 ft of wire and a car battery, one can detonate
explosives from
a comfortable and relatively safe distance, and be sure that there is
nobody
around that could get hurt. With an electrical system, one can control
exactly
what time a device will explode, within fractions of a second.
Detonation can be aborted in
less than a second’s warning, if a person
suddenly walks by the detonation sight, or if a
police car chooses to roll
by at the time. The two best electrical igniters are military
squibs and
model rocketry igniters. Blasting caps for construction also work well.
Model
rocketry igniters are sold in packages of six, and cost about $1.00
per pack. All that need be
done to use them is connect it to two wires and
run a current through them. Military squibs
are difficult to get, but they
are a little bit better, since they explode when a current is
run through
them, whereas rocketry igniters only burst into flame. Most squibs will NOT
detonate KClO3/petroleum jelly or RDX. These relatively insensitive
explosives require a
blasting cap type detonation in most cases. There are,
however, military explosive squibs
which will do the job.
Igniters can be used to set off black powder, mercury fulminate,
HMDT,
or guncotton, which in turn, can set of a high order explosive.
A
Simple Electric Fuze
Take a flashlight bulb and place it glass tip down on a file.
Grind
it down on the file until there is a hole in the end. Solder one wire to
the case
of the bulb and another to the center conductor at the end. Fill
the bulb with black powder or
powdered match head. One or two flashlight
batteries will heat the filament in the bulb
causing the powder to ignite.
Another Electric Fuze
Take a medium
grade of steel wool and pull a strand out of it. Attach
it to the ends of two pieces of copper
wire by wrapping it around a few
turns and then pinch on a small piece of solder to bind the
strand to the
wire. You want about = inch of steel strand between the wires. Number 18
or 20 is a good size wire to use.
Cut a = by 1 inch piece of thin cardboard of (the type used
in match
covers is ideal). Place a small pile of powdered match head in the center
and
press it flat. place the wires so the steel strand is on top of and in
contact with the
powder. Sprinkle on more powder to cover the strand.
The strand should be surrounded with
powder and not touching anything
else except the wires at its ends. Place a piece of
blackmatch in contact
with the powder. Now put a piece of masking tape on top of the lot,
and
fold it under on the two ends. Press it down so it sticks all around the
powder. The
wires are sticking out on one side and the blackmatch on the
other. A single flashlight
battery will set this off.
Electro-mechanical Ignition
mechanical switch to
set off an explosive charge electrically. This type
of switch is typically used in booby traps
or other devices in which the
person who places the bomb does not wish to be anywhere near the
device when
it explodes. Several types of electro-mechanical detonators will be
discussed.
Mercury Switches
Mercury switches are a switch that uses the
fact that mercury metal
conducts electricity, as do all metals, but mercury metal is a liquid
at
room temperatures. A typical mercury switch is a sealed glass tube with two
electrodes and a bead of mercury metal. It is sealed because of mercury’s
nasty habit of
giving off brain-damaging vapors. The diagram below may help
to explain a mercury switch.
When the drop of mercury ("Hg" is mercury’s atomic symbol) touches
both
contacts, current flows through the switch. If this particular switch
was in its present
position, A—B, current would not be flowing. If the
switch was rotated 90 degrees so the
wires were pointed down, the mercury
would touch both contacts in that vertical position.
would only touch the +
contact on the A side. Current, then couldn’t flow,
since mercury does not reach both contacts
when the switch is in the
vertical position. This type of switch is ideal to place by a door.
If it
were placed in the path of a swinging door in the versicle position, the
motion of
the door would knock the switch down, if it was held to the ground
by a piece if tape. This
would tilt the switch into the versicle position,
causing the mercury to touch both contacts,
allowing current to flow through
the mercury, and to the igniter or squib in an explosive
device.
Trip wire Switches
A trip wire is an element of the classic
booby trap. By placing a
nearly invisible line of string or fishing line in the probable path
of a
victim, and by putting some type of trap there also, nasty things can be
caused to
occur. If this mode of thought is applied to explosives, how would
one use such a trip wire to
detonate a bomb. The technique is simple. By
wrapping the tips of a standard clothespin with
aluminum foil, and placing
something between them, and connecting wires to each aluminum foil
contact,
an electric trip wire can be made, If a piece of wood attached to the trip
wire
was placed between the contacts on the clothespin, the clothespin would
serve as a switch.
When the trip wire was pulled, the clothespin would snap
together, allowing current to flow
between the two pieces of aluminum foil,
thereby completing a circuit, which would have the
igniter or squib in it.
Current would flow between the contacts to the igniter or squib,
heating the
igniter or squib and causing it to explode. Make sure that the aluminum foil
contacts do not touch the spring, since the spring also conducts
electricity.
Radio Control
Detonators
In the movies, every assassin and criminal uses a radio controlled
detonator to set off explosives. With a good radio detonator, one can be
several miles away
from the device, and still control exactly when it
explodes, in much the same way as an
electrical switch. The problem with
radio detonators is that they are rather costly. However,
there could
possibly be a reason that one would be willing to spend the amounts of money
involved with a radio control system and use it as a detonator. If such an
individual wanted
to devise an radio controlled detonator, all he would need
to do is visit the local hobby
store or toy store, and buy a radio
controlled toy. Taking it back to his/her abode, all that
he/she would have
to do is detach the solenoid/motor that controls the motion of the front
radio controlled
airplane, or the rudder of a boat, and re-connect the squib
or rocket engine igniter to the
contacts for the solenoid/motor. The device
should be tested several times with squibs or
igniters, and fully charged
batteries should be in both he controller and the receiver (the
part that
used to move parts before the device became a detonator).
One interesting
variation on this method is to adapt a mundane device
to serve as a remote detonator. Radio
pagers are ideal for this purpose.
Alpha-numeric display pagers can be rented for around $20
per month, and the
display can easily be wired to a detonation device. The pager number can
be
called from anywhere in the world, and when the appropriate message is
entered the
device is triggered. Similarly, a cellular telephone could be
adapted to respond in the same
manner.
Delays
A delay is a device which causes time to pass from
when a device is
set up to the time that it explodes. A regular fuse is a delay, but it
would cost quite a bit to have a 24 hour delay with a fuse. This section
deals with the
different types of delays that can be employed by an
antisocial person who wishes to be sure
that his bomb will go off, but wants
to be out of the country when it does.
Fuse
Delays
It is extremely simple to delay explosive devices that employ fuses
for
ignition. Perhaps the simplest way to do so is with a cigarette. An
average cigarette burns
for between 8-11 minutes. The higher the tar and
nicotine rating, the slower the cigarette
burns. Low tar and nicotine
cigarettes burn quicker than the higher tar and nicotine
cigarettes, but
they are also less likely to go out if left unattended, i.e. not smoked.
better for
delaying the ignition of a fuse, but there must be enough wind
or draft to give the cigarette
enough oxygen to burn. People who use
cigarettes for the purpose of delaying fuses will often
test the cigarettes
that they plan to use in advance to make sure they stay lit and to see
how
long it will burn. Once the burning rate of a brand of cigarette is
determined, it
is a simple matter of carefully putting a hole all the way
through a cigarette with a
toothpick at the point desired, and pushing the
fuse for a device in the hole formed.
Improved Cigarette Delay
A variation on the standard cigarette display was
invented by my good
friend John A. (THE Pyromaniac). Rather than inserting the fuse into
the
SIDE of the cigarette (and risk splitting it) half of the filter is cut off,
and a
small hole is punched THROUGH the remainder of the filter and into the
tobacco.
The fuse
is inserted as far as possible into this hole, then taped or
glued in place, or the cigarette
can be cut and punched ahead of time and
lit as if you intended to smoke it, then attached to
the fuse at the scene.
Taking a few puffs can help prevent the cigarette from going out, as
well
as improving your chances of dying from lung cancer.
A similar type of device can
be make from powdered charcoal and a
sheet of paper. Simply roll the sheet of paper into a
thin tube, and fill
it with powdered charcoal. Punch a hole in it at the desired location,
and
insert a fuse. Both ends must be glued closed, and one end of the delay must
be
doused with lighter fluid before it is lit. Or, a small charge of
gunpowder mixed with
powdered charcoal could conceivably used for igniting
such a delay. A chain of charcoal
briquettes can be used as a delay by
merely lining up a few bricks of charcoal so that they
touch each other, end
on end, and lighting the first brick. Incense, which can be purchased
at
almost any novelty or party supply store, can also be used as a fairly
reliable
delay. By wrapping the fuse about the end of an incense stick,
delays of up to an hour are
possible.
Random Electronic Delay
An interesting delay mechanism
that provides an random delay can be
produced from the following items:
Relay (2)
9V batteries Wire
Soldering Iron(2) 9V battery connectors(2) SPST switches
1)
Solder 2 wires to the relay. The first wire should be soldered to
one side of the coil (or the
appropriate contact) and the other wire should
be soldered to the center contact of the ralay
switch.
2) Solder a SPST switch to each of the wires, and solder the red wire
from each of the 9V battery connectors to the other pole of each switch.
3) Solder the
other wire from the 9V connector that is attached to the
switch for the relay coil to the
other side of the relay coil.
4) solder the other wire from the second 9V connector to
one wire from
an electric squib or detonator. The other wire from the squib is soldered
to the normally closed contact of the relay.
5) Making sure that both switches are
open, attach both batteries to
their respective connector.
When you’re ready to
use the device, close the first switch (the one
that energizes the relay’s coil). Make sure
that you hear a CLICK! The click
signifies that it is safe to throw the second switch.
The squib will blow when the 9V battery that is powering the relay’s
coils runs out of power,
or if the first switch (the one powering the relay)
is thrown before the second switch.
[ ILLUSTRATIONS AVAILABLE ONLY IN COMMERICIAl PRINTED RELEASE ]
Timer Delays
Timer delays, or "time bombs" are usually employed by an
individual
who wishes to preset the exact moment of detonation. There are several ways
to build a timer delay. By simply using a screw as one contact at the time
that detonation is
desired, and using the hour hand of a clock as the other
contact, a simple timer can be made.
The minute hand of a clock should be
removed, unless a delay of less than an hour is desired.
One problem with
this method is that many new alarm clocks do not have sufficent torque to
many clocks
have plstic hands, or the metal hands may be coated with an
insulating substance. Any timer
made in this manner should be tested several
times to ensure that the circuit closes
consistently.
The main disadvantage with this type of timer is that it can only be
set
for a maximum time of 12 hours. If an electronic timer is used, such
as that in an electronic
clock, then delays of up to 24 hours are possible.
First the speaker should be removed and a
meter attached to the wires, to
check if there is any current flowing when the alarm is not
active. You
should also check to see how much current is provided when the alarm goes
off.The wires should be attached to a small switch, and then to a squib or
igniter. In this
manner a timer with a delay of over 23 hours can be made.
All that one has to do is set the
alarm time of the clock to the desired
time, connect the leads, and leave the area. This could
also be done with
an electronic watch, if a larger battery were used, and the current to
the
speaker of the watch was stepped up via a transformer. This could be very
effective,
since such a timer could be extremely small.
There are a few dangers inherent in this method
of making timers.
Sveral people have blown themselves up by not taking into account some of
when the power
is turned on or off.
The timer in a VCR (Video Cassette Recorder) is ideal. VCR’s can
usually be set for times of up to a week. The leads from the timer to the
recording equipment
would be the ones that an igniter or squib would be
connected to. Also, one can buy timers
from electronics stores that would
be work well. Finally, one could employ a digital watch,
and use a relay,
or electro-magnetic switch to fire the igniter, and the current of the
watch
would not have to be stepped up.
Chemical Delays
Chemical
delays are uncommon, but they can be extremely effective in
some cases. These were often used
in the bombs the Germans dropped on
England. The delay would ensure that a bomb would detonate
hours or even
days after the initial bombing raid, thereby increasing the terrifying
effect on the British citizenry.
If a glass container is filled with concentrated sulfuric
acid, and
capped with several thicknesses of aluminum foil, or a cap that it will eat
through, then it can be used as a delay. Sulfuric acid will react with
aluminum foil to
produce aluminum sulfate and hydrogen gas, and so the
container must be open to the air on one
end so that the pressure of the
hydrogen gas that is forming does not break the container.
secured there with tape.
When the acid eats through the aluminum foil, it
can be used to ignite an explosive device in
several ways.
Sulfuric acid is a good conductor of electricity. If the acid that
eats
through the foil is collected in a glass container placed underneath
the foil, and two wires
are placed in the glass container, a current will
be able to flow through the acid when both
of the wires are immersed in the
acid. The acid will also react with potassium chlorate or
potassium
permanganate, see below.
Spontaneous Combustion
Some of the ingredients for these can only be had from a chemical
supply while others can be
obtained with a little effort.
Scatter out approx. 5 g of chromic anhydride. add 2
drops of ethyl
alcohol. It will burst into flame immediately.
Measure by weight,
four parts ammonium chloride, one part ammonium
nitrate, four parts powered zinc. Make sure
that all the powders are very
dry, and mix in a clean dry vessel. Pour out a small pile of
this and make
a depression on top. Put one or two drops of water in the depression. Stay
well back from this.
Spoon out a small pile of powdered aluminum. Place a small amount
of
sodium peroxide on top of this. A volume the size of a small pea is about
right. One
drop of water will cause this to ignite in a blinding flare.
Measure by volume 3 parts
concentrated sulfuric acid with 2 parts
concentrated nitric acid. Mix the two acids in a large
pyrex beaker. Hold
a dropper of turpentine about 2 feet above the mixture. When drops
strike
the acid they will burst into flame.
Sulfuric acid reacts very violently
with potassium chlorate and
potassium permanganate. If a few drops of sulfuric acid are added
to a pile
of either of these oxidizers, the pile will burst into flame within seconds.
Most of the above mixtures can have other chemicals added to them
(oxidizers, powdered
metals) and can be placed on the top of a pile of a
flammable substance, or used to start a
fuse.
EXPLOSIVE CASINGS
This section will cover
everything from making a simple firecracker
to a complicated scheme for detonating an
insensitive high explosive, both
of which are methods that could be utilized by protectors of
the rights of
the common man.
Paper Containers
Paper was the
first container ever used for explosives, since it was
first used by the Chinese to make
fireworks. Paper containers are usually
very simple to make, and are certainly the cheapest.
There are many possible
uses for paper in containing explosives, and the two most obvious are
in
firecrackers and rocket engines. Simply by rolling up a long sheet of paper,
and
gluing it together, one can make a simple rocket engine. Perhaps a more
interesting and
dangerous use is in the firecracker. The firecracker shown
here is one of Mexican design. It
is called a "polumna", meaning "dove". The
process of their manufacture is
not unlike that of making a paper football.
If one takes a sheet of paper about 16 inches in
length by 1.5 inches wide,
and folds one corner into a triangle which lines up on the top of
the sheet,
then folds that end of the paper over in another triangle, a pocket is
formed. This pocket can be filled with black powder, pyrodex, flash powder,
gunpowder, or any
of the quick-burning fuel-oxidizer mixtures that occur in
the form of a fine powder. A fuse is
then inserted, and one continues the
triangular folds, being careful not to spill out any of
the explosive. When
###### END OF PART 2 OF 3 ###### Send mail to dr [at] ripco [dot] com
for a full copy
###### START OF PART 3 OF 3 ###### The Big Book Of Mischief 1.5
the polumna is finished, it should be taped together very tightly, since
this will
increase the strength of the container, and produce a louder and
more powerful explosion when
it is lit. The finished polumna should look
like a thin triangle of paper, less than = inch
thick.
Metal Containers
The classic pipe bomb is the best known
example of a metal-contained
explosive. Less fortunate pyrotechnicians take white tipped
matches and cut
off the heads. They pound one end of a pipe closed with a hammer, pour in
often kills the
fool, since when he pounds the pipe closed, he could very
easily cause enough friction between
the match heads to cause them to ignite
and explode the unfinished bomb. By using pipe caps,
the process is
somewhat safer, and any person who desires to retain of their limbs would
never use white tipped matches in a bomb. Regular matches may still be
ignited by friction,
but it is far less likely than with "strike-anywhere"
matches.
First, one
needs to obtain a length of water pipe and two caps. For
obvious reasons, it is best not to
buy all three items from the same store.
The pipe should not be more than six times as long as
its diameter.
Next, the pipes and caps are cleaned with rubbing alcohol, and rubber
gloves are put on. The pipe is allowed to dry, and never handled with bare
hands. If the
outside of a glove it touched, and then the pipe is handled
with that glove, it is possible to
transfer a fingerprint onto the pipe.
A hole is drilled one pipe cap, and a fuse is placed
through the hole.
If a bit of tissue paper is packed around the fuse on the inside of the
to escape if the
pipe is inverted. The fuse would extend at least an inch
inside the pipe. There are several
possible variations in fusing pipes.
One bomber in New York City used 3 inch diameter pipes,
each a foot
long. He would solder a six inch piece of copper tubing to the inside of the
pipe cap, and extend the fuse down this tube. The end of the fuse was tied
into a knot, just
big enough to block the copper pipe so powder would not
enter. This added some delay once the
fuse burned down into the pipe, and
it also caused the powder to start burning from the center
outward, creating
a more uniform blast effect.
One famous pipe bomber used large
diameter pipes with four holes
drilled into each of the end caps. Each hole had a length of
threaded steel
rod run through it, and extending about = inch from both end caps. These
rods were held in place by heavy nuts on both ends of all four rods. The
intention of this was
to help the pipe stay intact until all the powder had
burned, to increase the effective power
of the bomb.
Once the fused end cap is prepared, the cap would be screwed on
tightly. To
help secure it, a drop of Loctite* could be added to the
threads. The pipe could now be filled
with any fast burning powder. Packing
the powder down is very dangerous, and does not increase
the force of the
explosion. It will increase the amount of smoke and flames produced by the
The pipe is usually filled to within an inch of the end, and a large
wad of
tissue paper ( Many brands of tissue paper, including Kleenex*, are
moisturized and should not
be used) is packed into the pipe to keep any
powder from getting onto the threads.
Finally, the other pipe cap would be screwed in place. If the tissue
paper is not used, some
of the powder could be caught in the threads of the
pipe or pipe cap. This powder would be
crushed, and the friction can ignite
the powder, which could be very detrimental to the health
of the builder.
NOTE: The metal caps are very difficult to drill holes in, it is much
easier
to drill a hole into the middle of the pipe (before it is filled!) and
thread the
fuse through this opening.
Many people have had great success with this design.
According to an
old german by the name of Lionel. After detonating one of these inside a
cookie tin, found the lid about 1/2 block away, the sides of the tin blown
out, and an
impression of the pipe, (which was later found blown flat)
threads and all on the bottom of
the tin… it seems that the welded seam
gives out on most modern rolled pipes, however a cast
pipe (no seam) would
produce more shrapnel (which may or may not be desirable).
This is
one possible design. If, however, one does not have access to
threaded pipe with end caps, you
could always use a piece of copper or
aluminum pipe, since it is easily bent into a suitable
configuration. A
major problem with copper piping, however, is bending and folding it
without
tearing it; if too much force is used when folding and bending copper pipe,
it
will split along the fold. The safest method for making a pipe bomb out
of copper or aluminum
pipe is similar to the method with pipe and end caps.
Pipe Bombs From Soft Metal
Pipes
First, one flattens one end of a copper or aluminum pipe carefully,
making
sure not to tear or rip the piping. Then, the flat end of the pipe
should be folded over at
least once, carefully so as not to rip the pipe.
A fuse hole should be drilled in the pipe
near the now closed end, and the
fuse should be inserted.
Next, the bomb-builder would
partially fill the casing with a low
order explosive, and pack the remaining space with a
large wad of tissue
paper. He would then flatten and fold the other end of the pipe with a
pair
of pliers. If he was not too dumb, he would do this slowly, since the
process of
folding and bending metal gives off heat, which could set off the
explosive.
Carbon Dioxide "Pellet Gun" or Seltzer cartridges.
A CO2 cartridge from a B.B
gun is another excellent container for a
low- order explosive. It has one minor disadvantage:
it is time consuming
to fill. But this can be rectified by widening the opening of the
cartridge
with a pointed tool. Then, all that would have to be done is to fill the
CO2
cartridge with any low-order explosive, or any of the fast burning fuel-
oxidizer mixtures,
and insert a fuse. These devices are commonly called
"crater makers".
A
cartridge is easiest to fill if you take a piece of paper and tape
it around the opening to
form a sort of funnel. A new,full cartridge must
be emptied before it can be used. Once the
gas is released, some
condensation may form on the inside. Use a punch or sharp phillips
(+)
screwdriver to enlarge the pin-hole opening on a used cartridge. You can
place the
empty cartridge in a warm oven to drive out any moisture.It may
not be necessary to seal the
hole, but if you must do so, epoxy and
electrical tape should work quite well.
These
cartridges also work well as a container for a thermite
incendiary device, but they must be
modified. The opening in the end must
be widened, so that the ignition mixture, such as
powdered magnesium, does
not explode. The fuse will ignite the powdered magnesium, which, in
turn,
would ignite the thermite. The burning thermite will melt the container and
release liquid iron.
Primed Explosive Casings
The previously
mentioned designs for explosive devices are fine for
low order explosives, but are unsuitable
for high order explosives, since
the latter requires a shockwave to be detonated. A design
employing a
smaller low order explosive device inside a larger device containing a high
order explosive would probably be used.
If the large high explosive container is relatively
small, such as a
CO2 cartridge, then a segment of a hollow radio antenna can be made into a
the
cartridge.
Glass Containers
Glass containers can be suitable for low order
explosives, but there
are problems with them. First, a glass container can be broken
relatively
easily compared to metal or plastic containers. Secondly, in the not too
unlikely event of an "accident", the person making the device would probably
be
seriously injured, even if the device was small. A bomb made out of a
sample perfume
bottle-sized container exploded in the hands of one boy, and
he still has pieces of glass in
his hand. He is also missing the final
segment of his ring finger, which was cut off by a
sharp piece of flying
glass.
Nonetheless, glass containers such as perfume bottles can
be used by
a demented individual, since such a device would not be detected by metal
detectors in an airport or other public place. All that need be done is
fill the container,
and drill a hole in the plastic cap that the fuse fits
tightly in, and screw the cap-fuse
assembly on.
Large explosive devices made from glass containers are not practical,
since
glass is not an exceptionally strong container. Much of the explosive
that is used to fill the
container is wasted if the container is much larger
than a 16 oz. soda bottle. Also, glass
containers are usually unsuitable
for high explosive devices, since a glass container would
probably not
withstand the explosion of the initiator; it would shatter before the high
explosive was able to detonate.
Plastic Containers
Plastic
containers are perhaps the best containers for explosives,
since they can be any size or
shape, and are not fragile like glass.
Plastic piping can be bought at hardware or plumbing
stores, and a device
much like the ones used for metal containers can be made. The
high-order
version works well with plastic piping. If the entire device is made out of
plastic, it is not detectable by metal detectors. Plastic containers can
usually be shaped by
heating the container, and bending it at the
appropriate place. They can be glued closed with
epoxy or other cement for
plastics. Epoxy alone can be used as an end cap, if a wad of tissue
paper
is placed in the piping. Epoxy with a drying agent works best in this type
of
device.
One end must be made first, and be allowed to dry completely before
the device
can be filled with powder and fused. Then, with another piece
of tissue paper, pack the powder
tightly, and cover it with plenty of epoxy.
PVC pipe works well for this type of device, but
it cannot be used if the
pipe had an inside diameter greater than 3/4 of an inch. Other
plastic
putties can be used in this type of device, but epoxy with a drying agent
works
best.
In my experience, epoxy plugs work well, but epoxy is somewhat
expensive. One
alternative is auto body filler, a grey paste which, when
mixed with hardener, forms into a
rock-like mass which is stronger than most
epoxy. The only drawback is the body filler
generates quite a bit of heat
as it hardens, which might be enough to set of a overly
sensitive explosive.
One benefit of body filler is that it will hold it’s shape quite well,
and
is ideal for forming rocket nozzles and entire bomb casings.
Film
Canisters
For a relatively low shrapnel explosion, you could try pouring it into an
goodies make an
explosion that is easily audible a mile away, but creates
almost no shrapnel. One a day with
no wind, adding extra fuel (like
fine charcoal) can produce the classic mushroom cloud.
There are several important safety rules to follow, in addition to the
usual rules for
working with flash powder.
1) Make a hole and insert the fuse before putting any powder
into the canister.
2) Don’t get any powder on the lip of the canister.
3) Only use a
very small quantity to start with, and work your way up to the desired
effect.
4) Do not
pack the powder, it works best loose and firction can cause ignition.
5) Use a long fuse,
these are very dangerous close up.
Book Bombs
One approach to disguising a
bomb is to build what is called a book
bomb; an explosive device that is entirely contained
inside of a book.
Usually, a relatively large book is required, and the book must be of the
books, large
textbooks, and other such books work well. When an individual
makes a book into a bomb, he/she
must choose a type of book that is
appropriate for the place where the book bomb will be
placed. The actual
construction of a book bomb can be done by anyone who possesses an
electric
drill and a coping saw. First, all of the pages of the book must be glued
together. By pouring an entire container of water-soluble glue into a large
bucket, and
filling the bucket with boiling water, a glue-water solution can
be made that will hold all of
the book’s pages together tightly. After the
glue-water solution has cooled to a bearable
temperature, and the solution
has been stirred well, the pages of the book must be immersed in
the glue-
water solution, and each page must be thoroughly soaked.
It is extremely
important that the covers of the book do not get stuck
to the pages of the book while the
pages are drying. Suspending the book
by both covers and clamping the pages together in a vise
works best. When
the pages dry, after about three days to a week, a hole must be drilled
into
the now rigid pages, and they should drill out much like wood. Then, by
inserting
the coping saw blade through the pages and sawing out a rectangle
from the middle of the book,
the individual will be left with a shell of the
book’s pages.
The rectangle must be
securely glued to the back cover of the book.
After building his/her bomb, which usually is of
the timer or radio
controlled variety, the bomber places it inside the book. The bomb
itself,
and whatever timer or detonator is used, should be packed in foam to prevent
it
from rolling or shifting about. Finally, after the timer is set, or the
radio control has been
turned on, the front cover is glued closed, and the
bomb is taken to its destination.
ADVANCED USES FOR EXPLOSIVES
The techniques presented here are
those that could be used by a person
who had some degree of knowledge of the use of
explosives. Advanced uses for
explosives usually involved shaped charges, or utilize a minimum
amount of
explosive to do a maximum amount of damage. They almost always involve
high-
order explosives.
Shaped Charges
A shaped charge is an explosive
device that, upon detonation, directs
the explosive force of detonation at a small target
area. This process can
be used to breach the strongest armor, since forces of literally
millions
of pounds of pressure per square inch can be generated. Shaped charges
employ
high-order explosives, and usually electric ignition systems. Keep
in mind that all explosives
are dangerous, and should never be made or
used!! all the procedures described in this book
are for informational
purposes only.
If a device such as this is screwed to a safe, for
example, it would
direct most of the explosive force at a point about 1 inch away from the
in the explosive
material. This cone should be formed with a 450 angle. A
device such as this one could also be
attached to a metal surface with a
powerful electromagnet.
Tube
Explosives
A variation on shaped charges, tube explosives can be used in ways
that shaped charges cannot. If a piece of = inch diameter plastic tubing was
filled with a
sensitive high explosive like R.D.X., and prepared as the
plastic explosive container on page
53, a different sort of shaped charge
could be produced; a charge that directs explosive force
in a circular
manner. This type of explosive could be wrapped around a column, or a
doorknob, or a telephone pole. The explosion would be directed in and out,
and most likely
destroy whatever it was wrapped around.
When the user wishes to use a tube bomb, it must first
be wrapped
around the object to be demolished, after which the ends are connected
together. The user can connect wires to the squib wires, and detonate the
bomb with any method
of electric detonation.
Atomized Particle Explosions
If a highly
flammable substance is atomized, or, divided into very
small particles, and large amounts of
it is burned in a confined area, an
explosion similar to that occurring in the cylinder of an
automobile is
produced. The vaporized gasoline/air mixture burns explosively, and the hot
gasoline was
atomized and ignited in a building, it is very possible that
the expanding gassed could push
the walls of the building down. This
phenomenon is called an atomized particle explosion if a
solid is used, or
a fuel/air explosive if the material is a gas or liquid.
If a person
can effectively atomize a large amount of a highly
flammable substance and ignite it, he could
bring down a large building,
bridge, or other structure. Atomizing a large amount of gasoline,
for
example, can be extremely difficult, unless one has the aid of a high
explosive. If
a gallon jug of gasoline was placed directly over a high
explosive charge, and the charge was
detonated, the gasoline would instantly
be atomized and ignited.
If this occurred in a
building, for example, an atomized particle
explosion would surely occur. Only a small amount
of high explosive would
be necessary to accomplish this, 7 ounces of T.N.T. or 3 ounces of
R.D.X
should be sufficient to atomize the contents of a gallon container. Also,
instead
of gasoline, powdered aluminum, coal dust or even flour could be
used for a similar effect.
material, since a
low-order explosion does not occur quickly enough to
atomize and will simply ignite the
flammable material.
SPECIAL AMMUNITION FOR PROJECTILE WEAPONS
deviant’s arsenal.
Such ammunition gives the user a distinct advantage over
individual who use normal ammunition,
since a grazing hit can cause extreme
damage. Special ammunition can be made for many types of
weapons, from
crossbows to shotguns.
Special Ammunition For Primitive
Weapons
For the purposes of this publication, we will call any weapon
primitive
that does not employ burning gunpowder to propel a projectile
forward. This means blowguns,
bows and crossbows, and slingshots. Primitive
weapons can be made from commonly available
materials, and a well made
weapon will last for years.
Bow and Crossbow
Ammunition
Bows and crossbows both fire arrows or bolts as ammunition. It is
extremely simple to poison an arrow or bolt, but it is a more difficult
matter to produce
explosive arrows or bolts. If, however, one can acquire
aluminum piping that is the same
diameter of an arrow or crossbow bolt, the
entire segment of piping can be converted into an
explosive device that
detonates upon impact, or with a fuse.
All that need be done is
find an aluminum tube of the right length and
diameter, and plug the back end with tissue
paper and epoxy. Fill the tube
with any type of low-order explosive or sensitive high-order
explosive up
to about = inch from the top.
Cut a slot in the piece of tubing, and
carefully squeeze the top of
the tube into a round point, making sure to leave a small hole.
Place a no.
11 percussion cap over the hole, and secure it with super glue or epoxy.
Finally, wrap the end of the device with electrical or duct tape, and
make fins out of tape.
Or, fins can be bought at a sporting goods store,
and glued to the shaft.
When the arrow
or bolt strikes a hard surface, the percussion cap
explodes, igniting or detonating the
explosive.
Special Ammunition for Blowguns
The blowgun is an
interesting weapon which has several advantages.
A blowgun can be extremely accurate,
concealable, and deliver an explosive
or poisoned projectile. The manufacture of an explosive
dart or projectile
is not difficult.
Perhaps the most simple design for such involves
the use of a pill
capsule, such as the kind that are taken for headaches or allergies.
Empty
gelatin pill capsules can be purchased from most health-food stores. Next,
the
capsule would be filled with an impact-sensitive explosive, such as
mercury fulminate. An
additional high explosive charge could be placed
behind the impact sensitive explosive, if one
of the larger capsules were
used.
Finally, the explosive capsule would be reglued back
together, and a
tassel or cotton would be glued to the end containing the high explosive,
Care must be taken-
if a powerful dart went off in the blowgun, you
could easily blow the back of your head
off.
Special Ammunition for Slingshots
A modern slingshot is a formidable
weapon. It can throw a shooter
marble about 500 ft. with reasonable accuracy. Inside of 200
ft., it could
well be lethal to a man or animal, if it struck in a vital area. Because
of the relatively large sized projectile that can be used in a slingshot,
the sling can be
adapted to throw relatively powerful explosive projectiles.
A small segment of aluminum pipe
could be made into an impact-
detonating device by filling it with an impact sensitive
explosive material.
Also, such a pipe could be filled with a low order explosive, and
fitted with a fuse, which would be lit before the device was shot. One
would have to make sure
that the fuse was of sufficient length to insure
that the device did not explode before it
reached its intended target.
Finally, .22 caliber caps, such as the kind that are used in
.22
caliber blank guns, make excellent exploding ammunition for slingshots, but
they
must be used at a relatively close range, because of their light
weight.
One company,
Beeman, makes an extremely powerful slingshot which can
fire short arrows, as well as the
usual array of ball ammo. These
slingshots can be used with the modified crossbow
ammunition.
[ ILLUSTRATIONS ARE AVAILABLE WITH THE COMMERICIAL PRINTED RELEASE ]
Special Ammunition For Firearms
Firearms were first invented by the
ancient chinese. They soon
realized that these weapons, even in a primitive form, were one of
the most
potent to overthrow a government. The authorities encouraged the
metalworkers
to apply their skills to less socially threatening weapons,
upon pain of death.
When special ammunition is used in combination with the power and
rapidity of modern firearms,
it becomes very easy to take on a small army
with a single weapon. It is possible to buy
explosive ammunition, but that
can be difficult to do. Such ammunition can also be
manufactured in the
home. There is, however, a risk involved with modifying any ammunition.
If the ammunition is modified incorrectly, in such a way that it makes the
bullet even
the slightest bit wider, an explosion in the barrel of the
weapon will occur. For this reason,
nobody should ever attempt to
manufacture such ammunition.
Pipe Guns (zip
guns)
Commonly known as "zip" guns, guns made from pipe have been used for
it or to shoot
once in an assassination or riot and throw away if there is
any danger of apprehension.
They can often be used many times before exploding in the user’s face.
With some designs, a
length of dowel is needed to force out the spent shell.
There are many variations but the
illustration shows the basic design.
First, a wooden stock is made and a groove is cut for the
barrel to
rest in. The barrel is then taped securely to the stock with a good, strong
tape.
The trigger is made from galvanized tin. A slot is punched in the
trigger flap to
hold a roofing nail, which is wired or soldered onto the
flap. The trigger is bent and nailed
to the stock on both sides.
The pipe is a short length of one-quarter inch steel gas or water
pipe
with a bore that fits in a cartridge, yet keeps the cartridge rim from
passing
through the pipe.
The cartridge is put in the pipe and the cap, with a hole bored
through it, is screwed on. Then the trigger is slowly released to let the
nail pass through
the hole and rest on the primer.
To fire, the trigger is pulled back with the left hand and
held back
with the thumb of the right hand. The gun is then aimed and the thumb
releases
the trigger and the thing actually fires.
Pipes of different lengths and diameters are found
in any hardware
store. All caliber bullets, from the .22 to the .45 are used in such guns.
other. For instance, a
.22 shell will fit snugly into a length of a car’s
copper gas line. Unfortunately, the copper
is too weak to withstand the
pressure of the firing. So the length of gas line is spread with
glue and
pushed into a wider length of pipe. This is spread with glue and pushed
into a
length of steel pipe with threads and a cap.
Using this method, you can accommodate any
cartridge, even a rifle
shell. The first (innermost) size of pipe for a rifle shell
accommodates the
bullet. The second or outermost layer accommodates its wider powder
chamber.
A simple and very dangerous (to the user and to the target) 12-gauge
shotgun
can be made from a 3/4 inch steel pipe. If you want to reduce the
number of gun law
violations, the barrel should be at least eighteen inches
long.
The shotgun’s firing
mechanism is the same as that for the pistol.
It naturally has a longer stock and its handle
is lengthened into a rifle
butt. Also, a small nail is driven half way into each side of the
stock
about four inches in the front of the trigger. The rubber band is put over
one
nail and brought around the trigger and snagged over the other nail.
In case a person actually
made a zip gun, he would test it before
firing it by hand. This is done by securely mounting
gun to a tree or post,
pointed to where it will do no damage. Then a long string is tied to
the
trigger and the maniac holds it from several yards away. The string is then
pulled
back and let go. If the barrel does not blow up, the gun might be
safe to fire by hand. Repeat
firings may weaken the barrel, so NO zip gun
can be considered "safe" to use.
Special Ammunition for Handguns
If an individual wished to produce explosive
ammunition for his/her
handgun, he/she could do it, provided that the person had an impact-
lead bullets, and
then make or acquire an impact-detonating explosive. By
drilling a hole in a lead bullet with
a drill, a space could be created for
the placement of an explosive. After filling the hole
with an explosive,
it would be sealed in the bullet with a drop of hot wax from a candle.
This hollow space design also works for putting poison in bullets.
In many spy
thrillers, an assassin is depicted as manufacturing "exploding
bullets" by placing a
drop of mercury in the nose of a bullet. Through
experimentation it has been found that this
will not work. Mercury reacts
with lead to form a inert silvery compound, which may be
poisonous, but will
not affect the terminal ballistics of the bullet.
Special Ammunition for Shotguns
Because of their large bore and high power, it is
possible to create
some extremely powerful special ammunition for use in shotguns. If a
shotgun shell is opened at the top, and the shot removed, the shell can be
re-closed. Special
grenade-launching blanks can also be purchased. Then, if
one can find a very smooth,
lightweight wooden dowel that is close to the
bore width of the shotgun, a person can make
several types of shotgun-
launched weapons.
With the modified shell in the firing
chamber, lightly insert the
dowel into the barrel of the shotgun. Mark the dowel about six
inches above
the muzzle, and remove it from the barrel. The dowel should be cut at this
point, and the length recorded. Several rods can be cut from a single length
of dowel rod.
are ideal, or a long
fuse can be used. This device can be a chemical fire
bottle (see page 31), a pipe bomb (page
52), or a thermite bomb (page 30).
After the device is made, it must be securely attached to
the dowel. When
this is done, place the dowel back in the shotgun when ready to fire.
After checking that the device has a long enough fuse, or that the
impact igniter is armed,
light the fuse (if necessary), and fire the
shotgun at an angle of 45 degrees or greater. If
the projectile is not too
heavy, ranges of up to 300 ft are possible if special
"grenade-launcher
blanks" are used- use of regular blank ammunition may cause the
device to
land perilously close to the user.
Special Ammunition for
Compressed Air/Gas Weapons
This section deals with the manufacture of special
ammunition for
compressed air or compressed gas weapons, such as pump B.B guns, gas powered
of as kids toys,
can be made into rather dangerous weapons.
Special Ammunition for BB Guns
A BB gun, for this manuscript, will be considered any type of rifle
or pistol that uses
compressed air or gas to fire a projectile with a
caliber of .177, either B.B, or lead pellet.
Such guns can have almost as
high a muzzle velocity as a modern firearm rifle. Because of the
speed at
which a .177 caliber projectile flies, an impact detonating projectile can
easily be made that has a caliber of .177.
Most ammunition for guns of greater than .22
caliber use primers to
ignite the powder in the bullet. These primers can be bought at gun
stores,
since many people like to reload their own bullets. Such primers detonate
when
struck by the firing pin of a gun. They will also detonate if they
impact any a hard surface
at high speed.
Usually, they will also fit in the barrel of a .177 caliber gun. If
they
are inserted flat end first, they will detonate when the gun is fired
at a hard surface. If
such a primer is attached to a piece of thin metal
tubing, such as that used in an antenna,
the tube can be filled with an
explosive, be sealed, and fired from a B.B gun. A diagram of
such a
projectile appears below:
(Ill. 5.31)
[ ILLUSTRATIONS
AVAILABLE ONLY IN COMMERICIAl PRINTED RELEASE ]
The front primer is attached to the
tubing with a drop of super glue.
The tubing is then filled with an explosive, and the rear
primer is glued
on. Finally, a tassel, or a small piece of cotton is glued to the rear
primer, to insure that the projectile strikes on the front primer. The
entire projectile
should be about 3/4 of an inch long.
Special Ammunition for .22 Caliber Pellet
Guns
A .22 caliber pellet gun usually is equivalent to a .22 cal rifle, at
close
ranges. Because of this, relatively large explosive projectiles can
be adapted for use with
.22 caliber air rifles.
A design based on glycerine medicne capsules is suitable, since
some
capsules are about .22 caliber or smaller. Or, a design similar to that in
section
5.31 could be used, only one would have to purchase black powder
percussion caps, instead of
ammunition primers, since there are percussion
caps that are about .22 caliber. A #11 cap is
too small, but anything
larger will do nicely.
ROCKETS AND
CANNONS
Rockets and cannon are generally thought of as heavy artillery.
Private citizens do not usually employ such devices, because they are
difficult or impossible
to acquire. They are not, however, impossible to
make. Any individual who can make or buy
black powder or pyrodex can produce
and fire long range cannons and rockets.
Rockets were first developed by the Chinese several hundred years
before the myth of christ began. They were used for entertainment, in the
form of fireworks.
They were not usually used for military purposes because
they were inaccurate, expensive, and
unpredictable. In modern times,
however, rockets are used constantly by the military, since
they are cheap,
reliable, and have no recoil. Perpetrators of violence, fortunately, cannot
rocketry is a
popular hobby of the space age, and to launch a rocket, an
engine is required.
Estes, a
subsidiary of Damon, is the leading manufacturer of model
rockets and rocket engines. Their
most powerful engine, the "D" engine, can
develop almost 12 lbs. of thrust; enough
to send a relatively large
explosive charge a significant distance. Other companies, such as
Centuri,
produce even larger rocket engines, which develop up to 30 ft lbs. of
thrust.
These model rocket engines are quite reliable, and are designed to
be fired electrically. Most
model rocket engines have three basic sections.
[ ILLUSTRATIONS AVAILABLE ONLY IN
COMMERICIAl PRINTED RELEASE ]
The clay nozzle at the bottom is where the igniter is
inserted. When
the area labelled "thrust" is ignited, the "thrust"
material, usually a large
single grain of a propellant such as black powder or pyrodex, burns,
forcing
large volumes of hot, rapidly expanding gasses out the narrow nozzle,
pushing
the rocket forward.
After the material has been consumed, the smoke section of the engine
that has had
various compounds added to it to produce visible smoke, usually
black, white, or yellow in
color. This section exists so that the rocket
will be seen when it reaches its maximum
altitude, or apogee.
When it is burned up, it ignites the ejection charge. The ejection
charge consists of finely powdered black powder. It burns very rapidly, and
produce a large
volume of hot gases. The explosion of the ejection charge
pushes out the parachute of the
model rocket. It could also be used to
ignite a second stage, or to start a fuse.
Rocket
engines have their own peculiar labeling system. Typical engine
labels are: <A-2T, =A-3T,
A8-3, B6-4, C6-7, and D12-5. The letter is an
indicator of the power of an engine.
"B" engines are twice as powerful as
"A" engines, and "C"
engines are twice as powerful as "B" engines, and so
on. The number following the
letter is the approximate thrust of the engine,
in pounds. the final number and letter is the
time delay, from the time that
the thrust period of engine burn ends until the ejection charge
fires; "3T"
indicates a 3 second delay.
NOTE: an extremely effective
rocket propellant can be made by mixing
aluminum dust with ammonium perchlorate and a very
small amount of iron
oxide. The mixture is usually bound together by an epoxy.
Basic Rocket Bomb
A rocket bomb is simply what the name implies: a bomb that is
delivered to its target by means of a rocket. Most people who would make
such a device would
use a model rocket engine to power the device. By
cutting fins from balsa wood and gluing them
to a large rocket engine, such
as the Estes "C" engine, a basic rocket could be
constructed. Then, a small
explosive device would be added. To insure that the fuse of the
device is
ignited, the clay over the ejection charge of the engine should be scraped
off
with a plastic tool.
Duct tape is the best way to attach an explosive charge to the rocket
Many different
types of explosive payloads can be attached to the rocket,
such as a high explosive, an
incendiary device, or a chemical fire bottle.
Either four or three fins must be glued to the
rocket engine to insure
that the rocket flies straight. The fins should be symmetrically
spaced.The
leading edge and trailing edge should be sanded with sandpaper so that they
are rounded. This will help make the rocket fly straight. A two inch long
section of a plastic
straw can be attached to the rocket to launch it from.
A clothes hanger can be cut and made
into a launch rod. The segment of a
plastic straw should be glued to the rocket engine
adjacent to one of the
fins of the rocket.
By cutting a coat hanger and straightening
it, a launch rod can be
made. After a fuse is inserted in the engine, the rocket is simply
slid
down the launch rod, which is put through the segment of plastic straw. The
rocket
should slide easily along a coat hanger.
Long Range Rocket Bomb
Long range rockets can be made by using multi stage rockets. Model
rocket engines with an
"0" for a time delay are designed for use in multi-
stage rockets. An engine such as
the D12-0 is an excellent example of such
an engine. Immediately after the thrust period is
over, the ejection charge
explodes. If another engine is placed directly against the back of
an "0"
engine, the explosion of the ejection charge will send hot gasses and
burning particles into the nozzle of the engine above it, and ignite the
thrust section. This
will push the used "0" engine off of the rocket,
causing an overall loss of
weight.
The main advantage of a multi-stage rocket is that it loses weight as
travels,
and it gains velocity. A multi-stage rocket must be designed
somewhat differently than a
single stage rocket, since, in order for a
rocket to fly straight, its center of gravity must
be ahead of its center
of drag. This is accomplished by adding weight to the front of the
rocket,
or by moving the center of drag back by putting fins on the rocket that are
well
behind the rocket. The fuse is put in the bottom engine.
Two, three, or even four stages can
be added to a rocket bomb to give
it a longer range. It is important, however, that for each
additional
stage, the fin area gets larger.
Cannon
The cannon
is a piece of artillery that has been in use since the 11th
century. It is not unlike a
musket, in that it is filled with powder,
loaded, and fired. Cannons of this sort must also be
cleaned after each
shot, otherwise, the projectile may jam in the barrel when it is fired,
Basic Pipe Cannon
Almost anyone
can make a simple cannon can be made from a thick pipe.
The only difficult part is finding a
pipe that is extremely smooth on its
interior. This is absolutely necessary; otherwise, the
projectile may jam.
Copper or aluminum piping is usually smooth enough, but it must also
be
extremely thick to withstand the pressure developed by the expanding hot
gasses in a
cannon.
If one uses a projectile, such as a modified M-100 or similar device,
a pipe
that is about 1.5 – 2 feet long is ideal. Such a pipe must have
walls that are at least = inch
thick, and be very smooth on the interior.
If possible, screw an end plug into the pipe.
Otherwise, the pipe must be
crimped and folded closed, without cracking or tearing the pipe. A
small
hole is drilled in the back of the pipe near the crimp or end plug. Then,
all that
need be done is fill the pipe with about two teaspoons of grade
blackpowder or pyrodex, insert
a fuse, pack it lightly by ramming a wad of
tissue paper down the barrel, and drop in a CO2
cartridge. Brace the cannon
securely against a strong structure, light the fuse, and run. If
the person
is lucky, he will not have overcharged the cannon, and he will not be hit
by
pieces of exploding barrel.
An exploding projectile can be made for this type of cannon with a
CO2
cartridge. It is relatively simple to do. Just make a crater maker, and
construct it
such that the fuse projects about an inch from the end of the
cartridge. Then, wrap the fuse
with duct tape, covering it entirely, except
for a small amount at the end. Put this in the
pipe cannon without using a
tissue paper packing wad.
When the cannon is fired, it will
ignite the end of the fuse, and
launch the cartridge. The explosive-filled cartridge will
explode in about
three seconds, if all goes well.
Rocket Firing Cannon
only difference is the
ammunition. A rocket fired from a cannon will fly
further than a rocket launched alone, since
the action of shooting it
overcomes the initial inertia. A rocket that is launched when it is
moving
will go further than one that is launched when it is stationary. Such a
rocket
would resemble a normal rocket bomb, except it would have no fins.
The fuse on such a device
would, obviously, be short, but it would not
be ignited until the rocket’s ejection charge
exploded. Thus, the delay
before the ejection charge, in effect, becomes the delay before the
bomb
explodes. Note that no fuse need be put in the rocket; the burning powder
in the
cannon will ignite it, and simultaneously push the rocket out of the
cannon at a high
velocity.
Reinforced Pipe Cannon
In high school, a friend of mine built
cannons and launched CO2
cartridges, etc. However, the design of the cannon is of interest
here.
It was made from two sections of plain steel water pipe reinforced
with steel
wire, and lead. The first section had in inside diamter of one
inch, and an outside diameter
of an inch less than the inside diamter of the
second length of pipe. The smaller pipe was
wrapped with steel wire and
placed inside the larger section.
They dug into the side of
a sand pile and built a chimney out of
firebrick. Then they stood the assembled pipe and wire
on end in the
chimney, sitting on some bricks. By using a blowtorch to heat up the
chimney, the pipe was heated until it was red hot. Then molten lead was
poured into the space
between the pipes.
If the caps aren’t screwed on tight, some of the lead will leak out.
If that happens, turn off the blowtorch and the pipe will cool enough and
the lead will
stiffen and stop the leak.
They used both homemade and commercial black powder, and slow
smokeless shotgun powder in the cannon. Fast smokeless powder is not
reccomended, as it can
generate pressures which will transform your cannon
into a large bomb.
After hundreds of
shots they cut the cannon into several sections, and
cut two of these the long way and
seperated the components. There was no
visible evidence of cracking or swelling of the inner
pipe.
VISUAL PYROTECHNICS
There are many other types
of pyrotechnics that can be used. Smoke
bombs can be purchased in magic stores, and large
military smoke bombs can
be bought through advertisements in gun and military magazines. Even
the
"harmless" pull-string fireworks, which consists of a sort of firecracker
that explodes when the strings running through it are pulled, could be
placed inside a large
charge of a sensitive explosive.
Smoke Bombs
One type of
pyrotechnic device that might be deployed in many way
would be a smoke bomb. Such a device
could conceal the getaway route, or
cause a diversion, or simply provide cover. Such a device,
were it to
produce enough smoke that smelled bad enough, could force the evacuation of
a
building, for example. Smoke bombs are not difficult to make. Although
the military smoke
bombs employ powdered white phosphorus or titanium
compounds, these raw materials are
difficult to obtain. Instead, these
devices can often be purchased through surplus stores, or
one might make the
smoke bomb from scratch.
Most homemade smoke bombs usually employ
some type of base powder,
such as black powder or pyrodex, to support combustion. The base
material
will burn well, and provide heat to cause the other materials in the device
to
burn, but not completely or cleanly. Table sugar, mixed with sulfur and
a base material,
produces large amounts of smoke. Sawdust, especially if
it has a small amount of oil in it,
and a base powder works well also. Other
excellent smoke ingredients are small pieces of
rubber, finely ground
plastics, and many chemical mixtures. The material in road flares can
be
mixed with sugar and sulfur and a base powder produces much smoke. Most of
the
fuel-oxidizer mixtures, if the ratio is not correct, produce much smoke
when added to a base
powder. The list of possibilities goes on and on. The
trick to a successful smoke bomb also
lies in the container used. A plastic
cylinder works well, and contributes to the smoke
produced. The hole in the
smoke bomb where the fuse enters must be large enough to allow the
material
to burn without causing an explosion. This is another plus for plastic
containers, since they will melt and burn when the smoke material ignites,
producing an
opening large enough to prevent an explosion.
Simple Smoke
There are many
ways to produce moderate quantities of dense smoke from
simple materials. Motor oil works
well, but is not good for the environment.
You can also mix six parts powdered zinc with one
part powdered sulfur. This
mixture can be ignited by safety fuse or a red hot wire.this
formula is very
similar to the zinc and sulfur rocket propellants used in some amateur
rocketry, and will produce pressure and much less smoke if confined.
Colored
Flames
Colored flames can often be used as a signaling device. by putting a
ball
of colored flame material in a rocket; the rocket, when the ejection
charge fires, will send
out a burning colored ball. The materials that
produce the different colors of flames appear
below.
COLOR MATERIAL USED IN
red strontium nitrate road flares
green
barium nitrate green sparklers
yellow Sodium nitrate salt
blue copper (+ PVC) old
pennies
white magnesium (use alone!) fire starters, tubing
purple potassium permanganate
treating sewage
Fireworks
While fireworks are becoming much more
difficult to obtain, it isn’t
very difficult to produce quality hand-made pieces. The most
important
factor in achieving a reliable firework is practice. While your first few
attempts are likely to be spectacular failures, you can learn from your
mistakes. There is no
fast way to become proficient at hand production-
patient practice is the key to consistent,
reliable displays.
Firecrackers
A simple firecracker can be made from
cardboard tubing and epoxy. The
common spiral wound tubes are not very effective for
firecrackers made from
slower burning powders, though they will work with flash powder. The
tubing
used should be reasonably thick-walled, and can be produced by winding kraft
paper on a steel core. after winding two layers on the core the paper should
be coated with a
thin layer of glue (any light glue will work) for the
remaining layers. The core should be
removed after winding, as the tube will
shrink slightly as it dries.
1) Cut a
small piece of cardboard tubing from the tube you are using.
"Small" means anything
less than 4 times the diameter of the tube.
2) Set the section of tubing down on a
piece of wax paper, and fill
it with epoxy and the drying agent to a height of 3/4 the
diameter of the
tubing. Allow the epoxy to dry to maximum hardness, as specified on the
package.
3) When it is dry, put a small hole in the middle of the tube, and
insert a desired length of fuse.
4) Fill the tube with any type of flame sensitive
explosive. Flash
powder, pyrodex, black powder, nitrocellulose, or any of the fast burning
5) Fill the
remainder of the tube with the epoxy and hardener, and
allow it to dry.
6) For
those who wish to make spectacular firecrackers, use flash
powder, mixed with a small amount
of other material for colors. By adding
powdered iron, orange sparks will be produced. White
sparks can be produced
from magnesium shavings, or from small, LIGHTLY crumpled balls of
aluminum
foil.
Skyrockets
Impressive skyrockets can be easily
produced from model rocket
engines, with a few minor modifications. While rocket engines for
rockets
can be made from scratch, it is difficult to produce a reliable product.
MATERIALS
Model Rocket engine (see below) Paper tubing flash powder
Bamboo stick
glue plastic scraper
Commercially produced model rocket engines are available from most
hobby
stores. They are discussed in detail on page 65. If bamboo rods are not
available,
any thin dowel rod can be used. The rod serves as a stabilizer
to help maintain the
skyrocket’s path. If the rod is too heavy it will cause
the rocket to spiral, or even to
double back.
Either buy a section of body tube for model rockets that exactly fits
the
engine, or make a tube from several thicknesses of paper and glue.
Scrape out the clay backing
on the back of the engine, so that the
powder is exposed. Glue the tube to the engine, so that
the tube covers at
least half the engine. Pour a small charge of flash powder in the tube,
By adding materials as detailed in the section on firecrackers,
various types of effects can be produced. By putting Jumping Jacks or bottle
rockets with the
stick removed in the tube, spectacular displays with moving
fireballs can be produced.
Finally, by mounting many home made firecrackers
on the tube with the fuses in the tube,
multiple colored bursts can be made.
Roman Candles
Roman candles are
impressive to watch. They are relatively difficult
to make, compared to the other types of
home-made fireworks, but they are
well worth the trouble.
1) Buy a = inch thick
model rocket body tube, and reinforce it with
several layers of paper and/or masking tape.
This must be done to prevent
the tube from exploding. Cut the tube into about 10 inch
lengths.
2) Put the tube on a sheet of wax paper, and seal one end with epoxy
and
the drying agent. Half an inch is sufficient.
3) Put a hole in the tube just above the
bottom layer of epoxy, and
insert a desired length of water proof fuse. Make sure that the
fuse fits
tightly.
4) Pour an inch of pyrodex or gunpowder down the open end of
the tube.
5) Make a ball by powdering about two 6 inch sparklers of the desired
color. Mix this powder with a small amount of flash powder and a small
amount of pyrodex, to
have a final ratio (by volume) of:
60% sparkler material
20% flash
powder
20% pyrodex.
After mixing the powders well, add water, one drop at a time,
and
mixing continuously, until a damp paste is formed.
This paste should be
moldable by hand, and should retain its shape
when left alone. Make a ball out of the paste
that just fits into the tube.
Allow the ball to dry.
6) When it is dry, drop the
ball down the tube. It should slide down
fairly easily. Put a small wad of tissue paper in the
tube, and pack it
gently against the ball with a pencil.
7) Repeat steps 4
through 6 for each "shot" the candle will have.
When ready to use, put the
candle in a hole in the ground, pointed
in a safe direction, light the fuse, and run. If the
device works, a colored
fireball should shoot out of the tube. The height can be increased
by
adding a slightly larger powder charge in step 4, or by using a slightly
longer
tube.
If the ball does not ignite, add slightly more pyrodex to thepaste
made in
step 5.
The balls made for roman candles also function very well in rockets,
producing an effect of colored falling fireballs.
LISTS OF
SUPPLIERS AND MORE INFORMATION
Most, if not all, of the information in this publication
can be
obtained through a public or university library. There are also many
publications
that are put out by people who want to make money by telling
other people how to make
explosives at home.
Advertisements for such appear frequently in paramilitary magazines
and newspapers. This list is presented to show the large number of places
that information and
materials can be purchased from. This listing also
includes fireworks companies. The fact that
a company is listed here does
not imply any endorsement or relationship with them.
COMPANY NAME AND ADDRESS WHAT COMPANY SELLS
Full Auto Co. Inc. Explosive
Formulas
P.O. Box 1881 paper tubing,plugs
MURFREESBORO, TN 37133
MJ
Distributing Fireworks Formulas
P.O. Box 10585
YAKIMA,WA 98909
American
Fireworks News Fireworks News Magazine.
SR Box 30 sources and techniques
DINGMAN’S
FERRY, accurate source of info
PENNSYLVANIA 18328
Barnett Int’l Inc. Bows,
Crossbows, archery
125 Runnels St. equipment, some air rifles
P.O. Box 226 quality
varies by price
PORT HURON,
MICHIGAN 48060
Crossman Air Guns Large
assortment of air
P.O. Box 22927 guns, quality varies.
ROCHESTER,
NEW YORK
14692
R. Allen Professional Construction
P.O. BOX 146 books and formulas
WILLOW GROVE, PA 19090
Executive Protection gas grenades, cutlery
Products and
protection devices
316 California Ave.
RENO, NEVADA 89509
Unlimited
Chemicals
Box 1378-SN Cannon Fuse
HERMISTON, OREGON 97838
Badger Fireworks
Co. Class "B" and "C" Fireworks
Box 1451 Janesville,
WISCONSIN
53547
New England Fireworks Class "C" Fireworks
P.O. Box 3504
STANFORD, CONNECTICUT 06095
Rainbow Trail Class "C" Fireworks
Box
581
EDGEMONT, PENNSYLVANIA 19028
Stonington Fireworks Inc. Class "C"
and "B" Fireworks
4010 New Wilsey Bay U.25 Road
RAPID RIVER, MICHIGAN 49878
Windy City Fireworks Class "C" and "B" Fireworks
P.O. BOX 11
Loompanics Books on Explosives,
P.O. Box 1197 Survival,
etc
Port Townsend, WA 98368.
Sierra Supply Army Surplus,
PO Box 1390
Technical Manuals
Durrango, CO 81302
(303)-259-1822.
Paladin Press The most
well known
P.O. Box 1307 dealer of books on
Boulder, CO 80306 explosives, etc
P.O. Box 1625 Dept. 893
El Dorado, AR 71731
Phoenix Systems Cannon Fuse, Mil surplus
P.O. Box 3339 and many books
Evergreen CO 80439
Wide selection
U.S. Cavalry Military and adventure
2855 Centennial Ave.
equipment
Radcliff, KY 40160-9000
(502)351-1164
BOOKS
The Anarchist’s
Cookbook (highly inaccurate)
Blaster’s Handbook [Dynamite user's manual] Dupont
(explosives manufacturer)
This manual is reasonably priced at around $20, and has a lot of
information on
propagation blasting and charge calculation.
Manual Of Rock Blasting [Dynamite user's
manual]
This manual from Atlas is a bit expensive at $60, but it covers
everything found
in the Blaster’s Handbook, as well as demolition and other
operations.
The
Anarchist Arsenal: Incendiary and Explosive Techniques [Erroneous]
112p. 1990, ISBN
0-585-38217-6, Paladin Press
Ragnar’s Guide to Home and Recreational Use of High
Explosives
Benson, Ragnar. 120p. 1988, ISBN 0-87364-478-6, Paladin Press
Part of a
series of very inaccurate books, anything with Benson
Ragner’s name on it should be taken with
a grain of salt.
Deadly Brew: Advanced Improvised Explosives [highly unsafe]
Lecker, Seymour. 64p. 1987, ISBN 0-87364-418-2, Paladin Press
Explosive Dust: Advanced
Improvised Explosives [death trap]
Lecker, Seymour. 60p. 1991 ISBN 0-87364-587-1, Paladin
Press
Improvised Explosives: How to Make Your Own [almost correct]
Lecker,
Seymour. 80p. 1985 ISBN 0-87364-320-8, Paladin Press
The Poor Man’s James Bond:
Homemade Poisons, Explosives, Improvised Firearms,
Pyrotechnics… [Criminology series]
Saxon, K. 1986 ISBN 0-8490-3675-5 Atlan Formularies
The New Improved Poor Mans’s James
Bond, No. 1 (6th ed.) [lab manual]
Saxon, Kurt 477p. 1988 ISBN 0-318-41070-2 Atlan
This
volume includes material from Weingarts Pyrotechnics as well as
some original material. This
is one of the most well known books in the field.
The Poor Man’s James Bond, Vol 2 [lab
manual, reprints from asstd. sources]
Saxon, K. 484p. 1987 ISBN 0-318-41071-0 Atlan
U.S. Army Staff. 188p. 1967 ISBN 0-87364-077-2 Paladin Press.
it is somewhat
outdated. Prices range from $5.00 to $15.00 .
Improvised Munitions Handbook
U.S.
Army Staff, Technical Manual 31-210
The procedures given are feasible, but they written are
with the
presumption that the maker is willing to accept a high degree of risk.
Pyrotechnics
George W. Weingart.
Gives ingredients, proper handling techniques, and
several formulas
for the production of a numbeer of professional pyrotechnic devices.
Explosives
Arthur Marshall – Chemical Inspector, Ordnance Dept. England
Published
by P. Blakiston’s Son & Co. in 2 volumes
Volume one covers production and volume two
covers properties and
tests. Both are illustrated, very comprehensive and well written.
Hazardous Chemical Desk Reference
N. Irving Sax and R.J. Lewis, SR. Reinhold Press
1096pp
A quick reference guide to 4,700 of the most commonly used hazardous
chemicals
and compounds, includes incompatibilities and hazards.
The Merck Index [11th
Edition]
S. Budavari et al Eds: Merck, Rahway, Nj 2368pp
Covers more than 10,000
chemicals with information on properties,
production, uses, and other essential facts. The
ultimate desk reference for all
chemists, this volume is available for $44 from a number of
sources.
CRC Handbook of Laboratory Safety [2nd Edition]
Ed. N.U. Steere, CRC
Press 864pp
The CRC Handbook is a valuable resource, and includes standard
laboratory
safety measures as well as procedures for using and disposing of many
commonly encountered
materials. Well worth the $90 list price.
Explosives
R. Meyer. 3rd Edition UCH
Publisher, Weinheim, FRG 1987 452pp
Covers the entire field, with nearly 500 entries including
formulas
and descriptions for 120 explosive chemicals as well as 60 fuels and oxidizing
agents. This softcover manual is available from Aldrich Chemical for $128
LIST OF USEFUL HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS
Anyone can get many chemicals
from hardware stores, supermarkets, and
drug stores to get the materials needed to produce
explosives or other
dangerous compounds. Household sources often contain impurities which
can
have an adverse effect when used in pyrotechnic reactions. The presence of
impurities will often change the sensitivity of an explosive. Whenever
possible, it is best to
use pure technical grade supplies.
Chemical Used In Available at
acetone
nail polish rmvr,paint thnr Hardware,Drug
alcohol, ethyl alcoholic drinks, solvents
liquor,hardware
aluminum (foil) packaging, baking grocery
aluminum (pwdr/dust) bronzing
powder paint store
ammonium hydroxide CLEAR household ammonia supermarkets
ammonium
nitrate cold packs,fertilizer drug stores
butane Cig. lighter refills drug store
calcium
chloride sidewalk de-icer hardware
carbon carbon batter hardware
ethanol denatured
alcohol drug store
ethyl ether auto quick start fluid auto supply
fuel oil diesel
vehicles gas stations
glycerine drug stores
hexamine Hexamine camp stoves camping,
surplus
hydrochloric acid muriatic acid (cleaning) hardware
hydrogen peroxide hair
bleaching solution salon
iodine disinfectant(soln in alcohol)drug store
magnesium fire
starters, heater anodes camping,plumbing
methenamine hexamine camp stoves camping,surplus
potassium permanganate
water purification purification supplier
propane bottled stove gas camping,hardware
sulfuric acid Car battery (refills) automotive
sulfuric acid Root destroyer (with solids)
hardware,garden
sulfur gardening (many impurities) hardware
sodium hydroxide Lye, oven
cleaners hardware,grocery
sodium nitrate fertilizer "nitre" gardening
sodium
perchlorate solidox (torch pellets) hardware
toluene lacquer thinner paint supply
CHECKLIST OF USEFUL CHEMICALS
The serious explosives researcher
soon realizes that if he wishes to make
a truly useful explosive, he will have to obtain the
chemicals through any of a
number of channels. Many chemicals can be ordered through chemical
supply
companies. To avoid embarassment, place an order for large quantities of a few
unrelated chemicals at each of several companies, and if possible, use seperate
addresses for
each order. A list of useful chemicals in order of priority would
probably resemble the
following:
LIQUIDS SOLIDS
Nitric Acid Potassium Perchlorate
Sulfuric Acid
Potassium Chlorate
95% Ethanol Picric Acid (powder)
Toluene Ammonium Nitrate
Perchloric Acid Powdered Magnesium
Hydrochloric Acid Powdered Aluminum
Potassium
Permanganate
GASES Sulfur (flowers of)
Mercury
Potassium Nitrate
Hydrogen
Potassium Hydroxide
Oxygen Phosphorus
Chlorine Sodium Azide
Carbon Dioxide Lead
Acetate
Nitrogen Barium Nitrate
Helium
FUEL-OXIDIZER MIXTURES
There are nearly an infinite number of fuel-oxidizer mixtures that can be
produced in
the home. Some are very effective and dangerous, while others are
safer and (usually) less
effective. A list of working fuel- oxidizer mixtures
is presented, but the exact measurements
of each compound are not set in stone.
A rough estimate is given of the percentages of each
fuel and oxidizer.
NOTE: Mixtures that uses substitutions of sodium perchlorate for
potassium
perchlorate become moisture-absorbent and less stable. In general, sodium
compounds are much more hygroscopic than their potassium equivalents.
Magnesium can usually be
substituted for aluminum. Using magnesium makes
the mixture more powerful, but it also
increases instability and makes it more
shock sensitive. There are some chemicals with which
magnesium will react
spontaneously, and it decomposes in the presence of any moisture.
Perchlorates can usually be substituted for chlorates. The perchlorate is
much more stable,
and has a lower safety risk than chlorates. If chlorates must
be used they should never be
mixed with sulfur or gunpowder. It is a good idea
to add a small amount of calcium carbonate
to any mixture containing chlorates.
The higher the speed number, the faster the fuel-oxidizer
mixture burns
after ignition. Also, as a rule, the finer the powder, the faster the burn
rate.
Extremely fine aluminum powder is detrimental because the layer of aluminum oxide
becomes a significant fraction of the weight when particle size is very small.
As one can
easily see, there is a wide variety of fuel-oxidizer mixtures
that can be made at home. By
altering the amounts of fuel and oxidizer(s),
different burn rates can be achieved, but this
also can change the sensitivity
of the mixture.
USEFUL
PYROCHEMISTRY
In general, it is possible to make many chemicals from just a few
basic
ones. A list of useful chemical reactions is presented. It assumes knowledge
of
general chemistry; any individual who does not understand the following
reactions would merely
have to read the first few chapters of a high school
chemistry book.
potassium perchlorate from perchloric acid and potassium hydroxide
K(OH) + HClO4 KClO4+ H2O
potassium nitrate from nitric acid and potassium hydroxide
K(OH) + HNO3 KNO3+ H2O
ammonium perchlorate from perchloric acid and ammonium hydroxide
NH3OH + HClO4
NH3ClO4+ H2O
ammonium nitrate from nitric acid and ammonium hydroxide
NH3OH +
HNO3 NH3NO3 + H2O
powdered aluminum from acids, aluminum foil, and magnesium
2AlCl3(aq) + 3Mg 3MgCl2 (aq) + 2Al
The Al
will be a very fine silvery powder at the bottom of the container which must be filtered and dried.
This same method
works with nitric and sulfuric acids, but these acids are too valuable in the
production of high explosives to use for such a purpose,
unless they are available in great
excess.
Reactions of assorted fuel-oxidizer mixtures
Balanced equations of
some oxidizer/metal reactions. Only major products
are considered. Excess metal powders are
generally used. This excess burns with
atmospheric oxygen.
2KNO3 + 5Mg K2O + N2 +
5MgO + energy
KClO3 + 2Al KCl + Al2O3 + energy
3KClO4 + 8Al 3KCl + 4Al2O3
+ energy
6KMnO4 + 14Al 3K2O + 7Al2O3 + 6Mn + energy
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BOOK. THIS IS APPROXIMATELY LINE NUMBER 3,670 OF THE TOTAL -
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David
Richards Ripco Communications Inc.
My opinions are my own, Public Access in Chicago
But
they are available for rental FREE Usenet and Email
dr [at] ripco [dot] com (312) 665-0065