37 replies to this topic

[cooperman435]

Sorry Bright star but I think you are under estimating both the stupidity of some of the people who are listed as forum members and the power of some of the compounds we use.

two prime examples being a recent poster who on one link dammned anyone dreaming of producing black powder as nutters but then went on to ask for help obtaining permanganate to make flash from! Another young life that just maybe could have been saved a great deal of pain and suffering from the replys the post got and this link may get across the message better than words alone can.

flash being the second example. Even when made carefully observing safety precautions its still dangerous work and any noticable quantity can as most of us know self confine from .5g upwards. Anyone making that type of stuff needs to be reminded as graphically as possible that safety always should come first. It brought home to me the power of the things we make and the extreme danger we put ourselves in all for a hobby.

Sorry if this seems like a burn (no pun intended) but I just feel this type of stuff is most definately relavant.

Phill

[overflow]

2. Sugar/KNO3 smoke mix molten together I attempted. I foolishly heated it in the kitchen oblivious to the inevitable. The blue methane flames heated the pan full of golden syrup coloured mixture and it became hotter and hotter. I calmly continued before a hiss became a roar and the smoke erupted throughout the room. I desperately swayed the pan of violent flames back and forth but couldn't decide whether I should make a dash for the backdoor over the prized laminated wood flooring or stay put. Before I could realise my stupidity the worksurface was burnt to a crisp but had I learned my lesson?

Same thing happened to me a couple years ago, but i was more foolish. I knew it had to be cooked with an extremely low flame, but once i had to rush and so i used a bigger flame. BIG MISTAKE. A half meter flame flew past my nose, fried the top of the kitchen and filled the whole home with smoke.
You can't even immagine how much my parents where happy.

Another time (but this was a LOT ago, when i was a child) i used to brake a banger in two halfes and use one half as a fountain while keeping it in my hand. I used this system succesfully until in my half also had some clay used as a delay. The clay was enough to impede the gas escape and so it exploded in my hand. Needless to say my ears where in pain, and i developed two quite big bags of blood on my index and thumb...

[martgold]

HI cooperman. I like your web page. Out of interest is your home made furnace powerfull enough to melt brass and bronze? How much did it cost to make if you don't mind me asking?

[marble]

Worst close call:

I was making a 600g kno3/sugar smoke device, i normally add a drop of water to aid the melting process but due to me having leaver operated taps i flooded it with water. Decided to use a higher heat to boil off the water slowly. Next thing i know is the whole thing has gone up in my kitchen. Thank god kno3/sugar smoke isnt too toxic and i was using a borosilicate beaker. The whole house was filled and i was lucky not to start a fire.

[Resix]

I've had a few close calls that were somewhat serious because I started experimenting with firework making, and pyro stunts way, way too young (12yo with flash )

Anyway here are my favorites. (Ones i learned most from)

Firstly. Was about 13, and had 2oz of flash mix that I had purchased from some magicians store. I cut a hole in a 1 3/4 inch shell, and removed the starts and corn husks and refilled it flash powder. The shells were originally designed to explode about 70 feet into the air. Well, the flash filled shell made it about 20 feet and what was probably 20grams of flash detonated. That blast knocked me and my friends down and set off a lot of car alarms. I guess it is a close call because none of us were seriously injured. - Lesson learned: Never, EVER modify commercial fireworks!

My 2nd favorite one was at about the age of 17, when I was making a batch of Al powder using HCl. It was my first attempt, and I didn't realize the amount of heat that would be produced. I picked up the flask while it was reacting so that i could swish it around when the glass cracked and hot HCl acid spilled all over my feet. Luckily the reaction was about 80% done, so there wasn't too much HCl left, but the Aluminum Chloride killed the grass.

Some of the other close calls I've had aren't appropriate for this forum so I'm not going to post them, but I will say this: stay away from HE's...

Lessons I've learned: Zippos do not make a good fuse lighter. Modifying fireworks is never good. Check your fuses burn rate every 2-3 feet (I've had as much as 3sec/15cm difference on different section on the same 50 foot spool.) Smoking cigarettes while mixing compositions do NOT make you look cool in front of your friends . KNO3 + Sugar = A LOT of Energy...

I know, this wont give any credibility to my at all, but hey, we all started somewhere and did stupid things.

[Creepin_pyro]

Well, the flash filled shell made it about 20 feet and what was probably 20grams of flash detonated. That blast knocked me and my friends down...

You were knocked down from a flash salute 20 feet away?

[Andrew]

but hey, we all started somewhere and did stupid things.

yep, ditto.

[Resix]

Not really knocked down, but i don't know how to explain it, it was like... the shock of it made us dive or something, i don't remember anymore because it was 6 years ago. But i do remember ending up on the ground for some reason.