HPAVC/HPAVC CD-ROM.iso/pc/AED_BOT.ZIP/5-7

Text File | 1993-09-19 | 167.6 KB | 3,840 lines

5.0     SPECIAL AMMUNITION FOR PROJECTILE WEAPONS

     Explosive and/or poisoned ammunition is an important part of a social
deviant's arsenal.  Such ammunition gives the user a distinct advantage over
individual who use normal ammunition, since a grazing hit is good enough to
kill.  Special ammunition can be made for many types of weapons, from crossbows
to shotguns.


5.1     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 wristrockets.


5.11     BLOWGUNS

5.111     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.
Such a capsule could easily be opened, and the medicine removed. Next, the
capsule would be re-filled with an impact-sensitive explosive. 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, to insure that the impact-detonating explosive
struck the target first.  Such a device would probably be about 3/4 of an inch
long, not including the tassel or cotton, and look something like this:

                 ____________________
                /mercury |           \-----------------------
               (fulminate|   R.D.X.   )---------------------- } tassels
                \________|___________/-----------------------


5.112     Blowgun and Ammunition

Plagiarised By: The Jolly Roger

    In this article I shall attempt to explain the use and
manufacture of a powerfull blow-gun and making darts for the gun.The
posession of the blow gun described in this article IS a felony. So be
carefull where you use it. I don't want to get you all busted.

    1. Several strands of yarn (About 2 inches a-piece)
    2. A regular pencil
    3. A 2 1/4" long needle (hopefully with a beaded head.
       If not obtainable,wrap tape around end of needle.
    4. 2-3 1/4 foot pipe. (PVC or Aluminum) Half a inch in diameter

Constructing the dart:

    Carefully twist and pull the metal part (Along with eraser) of the
pencil till it comes off.

    Take Pin and start putting about 5-7 Strands of yarn on the pin. Then
push them up to the top of the pin. But not over the head of the pin (or the
tape).  Push pin through the hollow part of the head where the pencil was
before.

That should for a nice looking dart.  (see illustration)

     #####
>>>>>-----/    #  is the yarn
               >  is the head of the pencil
               -  is the pin it-self
               /  is the head of the pin


Using the Darts:

    Now take the finished dart and insert it in the tube (if it is too
small put on more yarn.)

Aim the tube at a door, wall, sister, etc. Blow on the end of the pipe.

    Sometimes the end of the pipe may be sharp. When this happens I suggest
you wrap it with some black electrician tape.It should feel a lot better.


5.113     How To Make Blow Darts
Author: The Pyro
From: ==Phrack Inc.==   Volume One, Issue Two, Phile 4 of 9

    Blow darts are easy to make and all the materials can be found in
your own home. These darts can travel a long distance with good penetration
if constructed correctly.

Materials needed:

    A small piece of wood
    A sewing machine needle
    A spool of thread
    A couple nails
    Hammer
    Glue
    Scissors

    Hammer the two nails about two inches apart on the board. Wrap the
thread tightly around the two nails. The number of times the thread is
wrapped around the nails will determine the amount of weight and stability
the dart has. Once you have decided you have wrapped enough thread, cut it
close to the nail at around a half inch. Take this small tuft of thread and
put a dab of glue on the folded end. The kind of glue you use is very
important. I suggest that you use a tacky kind of glue (nothing runny, like
Elmer's glue). Attach this to the needle and hold until it is dry.

    Another kind of dart can be made with Q-tips. This kind of dart
doesn't work as well as the first one, but it is sometimes easier to make.
first you have to get the kind of Q-tips that have a plastic stem. Cut the
Q-tip close to one end. Insert the sewing needle into the Q-tip and secure
it by melting the plastic slightly with a lighter. This kind of dart
doesn't last long because the cotton come off easily.

Blow Guns:

    Ordinary straws make an excellent blow gun with this kind of dart.
Another kind can be made with a cheap pen by taking apart the pen and using
the shell. Any long, cylindrical, object with the diameter of a straw will
work very well.



5.12     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 1/2 an 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.  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.  The finished product should look like:

               _____
               |   | ---------- no. 11 percussion cap
               ||*||
                |*|
                |*|
                |*|
                |*|
                |*|
                |*| ----------- aluminum piping
                |*|
                |e|
                |x|
                |p|
                |l|
                |o|
                |s|
                |i|
                |v|
                |e|
                |*|
                |*|
                |*|
                |*|
                |*|
                |*|
                |*|
               /|_|\
              / |t| \
              | |p| |
              | |_| |
              | |e| | -------- fins
              | |p| |
              | |y| |
              |_|_|_|
                |_|

     tp: tissue paper
     epy: epoxy

     When the arrow or bolt strikes a hard surface, the percussion cap
explodes, igniting or detonating the explosive.



5.13     Special Ammunition for Wristrockets and Slingshots

    A modern wristrocket 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 wristrocket, the
wristrocket 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
wristrockets, but they must be used at a relatively close range, because of
their light weight.

5.14     Exploding Arrows

Author: Garbled User

    Shotgun primer (from UNFIRED shell)
    BB
    Glue
    Bow
    Aluminum arrow
    Gunpowder

    Fill the arrow with gunpowder. Glue the primer to the end of the arrow.
Glue the BB to end of the primer. Shoot at your intended enemy. Watch him die
in pain as the arrow explodes! This also tends to produce millions of little
shards of aluminum, which can be quite deadly when accelerated (say,.. by an
explosion).

(as always, gunpowder can be replaced by many other things..)


5.15    Pocket Rockets
Author:  Chief O'Hara 12/6/84

    \______       ______/
     ______>     <______
    /                   \


What is a pocket rocket ?

    A device measuring approximately 1 3/4" long, that when
properly made will fly 4-8 feet, if properly set off. although not a
powerful device, it is well suited to annoying your dorm-mate, or perhaps a
classmate during those often recurring sessions of boredom.

1    packet of matches (cardboard matches, not wooden ones)
1    pin (a small one, steal it from mums sewing basket)
1    piece of aluminum foil, 1" sq. for every rocket (reynolds wrap)
1    pair of scissors (optional)
1    paper clip (optional)
1    cigarettee lighter (optional)

Making the little buggers

Okay so you've raided the house for all the stuff....

1)    Take the pack of matches apart by removing the little staple at the
    bottom.
2)    Use the scisors to cut off a single match from the bunch.
3)    Cut out a 1 inch square of aluminum foil and fold it in half.
4)    Put the head of the match in the center of the crease and press the
    foil so it forms around the head
5)    Wrap the rest of the foil around the match head as tightly and
    neatly as possible.

    Now u have a match with the head wrapped up in foil, with the foil
coming 1/2 inch down from the head. This is the way you'd store them if you
weren't going to fire them immediately.

Note- neatness counts, tightness counts, yes you can just rip a match out,
and rip foil but the end result won't work as well.

Preparation for launch

1)    Take the pin and push it under the foil until you feel the point
    start to crush the head. Keep the pin as close to the match as
    possible when doing this.

2)    Bend the paper clip to form a 45 deg angle with the horizon, and
    set it on a relatively non-flammable surface, pointing in the
    direction you wish to fire the rocket.

3)    Remove the pin from the match and gingerly set the match on the
    paper clip, being careful not to crush the foil down (the place the
    pin was is now the exhaust port).

Launch

Heat the head of the match (the part covered with foil) till ignition.

Notes:
    Neatness always counts on these buggers, always use scissors when
possible. You should use a lighter instead of a match so u dont get
scorched fingers. I have yet to get a 2 stage rocket to fly, if you do
update the file. If all of this is too complicated for you then perhaps
page 45 of 'The Great International Paper Airplane Book' said it better...

    "Pocket rocket. Instructions: wrap aluminum foil around upper half
of paper match. Push straight pin up under foil to head of match and remove
again leaving exhaust channel. Place match on opened paper clip and hold
lighted match to tip. Step back."


5.2     SPECIAL AMMUNITION FOR FIREARMS

     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.

5.21     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-sensitive
explosive and a few simple tools.  One would first purchase all 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.  A diagram of a completed
exploding bullet is shown below.

                      _o_ ------------ drop of wax
                     /|*|\
                    | |*|-|----------- impact-sensitive explosive
                    | |_| |
                    |_____|

     This hollow space design also works for putting poison in bullets.

5.22     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.
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. Insert the dowel in the barrel of the shotgun with the
shell without the shot in the firing chamber. Mark the dowel about six inches
away from the end of the barrel, and remove it from the barrel. Next, decide
what type of explosive or incendiary device is to be used. This device can be a
chemical fire bottle (sect. 3.43), a pipe bomb (sect 4.42), or a thermit bomb
(sect 3.41 and 4.42). After the device is made, it must be securely attached to
the dowel. When this is done, place the dowel back in the shotgun. The bomb or
incendiary device should be on the end of the dowel. Make sure that the device
has a long enough fuse, light the fuse, and fire the shotgun. If the projectile
is not too heavy, ranges of up to 300 ft are possible. A diagram of a shotgun
projectile is shown below:

                ____
               ||  |
               ||  |
               ||  | ----- bomb, securely taped to dowel
               ||  |
               ||__|
               || |
               || | ------- fuse
               || |
               ||
               ||
               ||
               || --------- dowel
               ||
               ||
               ||
               ||
               ||
               || --------- insert this end into shotgun


5.23     Explosive Bullets

Author: Saint Anarchy
From: Phantasy Magazine No.4


    Greetings fellow anarchists and hackers. This bullet is an explosive
type of bullet, but not in the technical sense which would make it illegal.
This bullet contains no real explosives, but never the less it explodes with
equal the violence as if it did contain them. It can be used in all calibers,
both in rifles and handguns.

    Before we undertake this little project, I'd like to state that in no
way do I condone the use of this type of bullet, but provide it here in this
periodical for your enlightenment and entertainment only. Some old timers have
used this bullet for years, especially Cajuns and some more of the radical
elements in the United States and abroad.

    The secret of this bullet is WATER, yes H2O, But how can water make a
bullet explode you ask? Simply put, when an ordinary lead or soft point bullet
type enters tissue, the tissue builds up in front of the nose, pushing the
nose rearward causing the lead to mushroom.

    The less pointed the nose and the greater the velocity, the greater the
mushrooming effect. With a hollow-point bullet, a certain amount of soft tissue
enters the hollow and causes expansion, but not much can enter because of the
cushion of air trapped in the hollow. But in the bullet we will create, it
works on the principle of hydraulics.

    Water is incompressible and according to physical laws, when it is
trapped in a container and pressure is exerted on any portion of it, that same
pressure is exerted on the inside surface of the container. If you have a
glass bottle completely filled with water with no trapped air and you tryed to
stopper it by tapping in the glass stopper with your hand, you could shatter
the container.

    Lets say the bottom area of the glass stopper is one square inch in
surface area and you tap it with a force of two pounds. The inside surface may
have an area of one hundred square inches. This means that the total expanding
force exerted on the inside surface of the bottle is 200 pounds!

    The force on the gas-check in the bullet upon impact is also
transmitted undiminished to every portion of the inside surface of the hollow.
The result is enough force for the bullet to literally explode!!! But since
the nose is hollow-pointed, only the nose of the bullet will explode. The main
body of the bullet continues to penetrate as a lead cylinder.

    I must explain however, that the hollow point isn't the usual size.
Experiments have shown that in order to obtain sufficient hydraulic pressure,
the diameter of the cavity must be 38% or 40% of the bullet diameter. The depth
of the cavity does not control the rate of expansion, it simply determines the
degree of explosion. Obviously a deeper cavity means more internal surface
which the impact pressure can use, and therefore a greater explosion with a
greater portion of the bullet being disintegrated.

    It is generally considered that the fragmentation of a bullet is
undesireable because its energy is wasted in its disintegration and there can
be no further penetration of tissue except by small particles of the bullet
held together and mushroomed until it stops moving. All its kinetic energy
would be exausted against the tissue covering an area approximately the size
of the mushroom.

    This bullet is different in that it penetrates first and then
disintegrates violently from internal pressures, like a bomb!! Creating its
own shock-wave which affects all tissue in the immediate area. One of the nice
features about this bullet is that it's a home-brew, The principle items you
need are a special bullet mold in the caliber of your gun, with an extra large
hollow-point, a gas checker, and an eye-dropper.

    Theres no trick to making the bullet, its cast in the usual way. The
water is added with the eye-dropper to completely fill the hollow point cavity.
The gas-checker, with its concave side outward, is then seated over the water
with a punch of a bullet lubricator-sizer. Since the gas-check is over-sized,
it seals the the water filled cavity like the cap on a bottle.

    Now some of you may not have a re-loader, dies, and molds. Your saying
"OK what about me?". Well heres a quick fix for you. Purchase a box of hollow
points in your caliber. Enlarge the cavity with a round file or use a taper
like myself. Fill the cavity with water, (I prefer to use a needle for this),
stolen from my local Dr. on my last visit. Then seal the hollow with silicon or
preferably teflon and allow to dry. Its not as good as the molded type but works
1/2 as well.

Note:

    The bullet will only work on fleshy material, (Humans, animals,
watermelons) It will not work if shot at a rock, board, wall or police cruiser.
Have phun folks!!


5.24     Pipe or Zip Guns

From: The Poor Man's James Bond by Kurt Saxon
Author: Man-Tooth
Published: ==Phrack Inc.== Volume One, Issue Two, Phile #3 of 9


    Commonly  known as "zip" guns, guns made from pipe have been used for
years by juvenile punks.  Today's Militants make them just for the hell of it
or  to  shoot once in an assassination or riot and throw away if there is any
danger of apprehension.

    They  can  be  used  many  times  but with some, 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, 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.

    Some  zip  guns  are  made from two or three pipes nested within each
other.   For  instance,  a .22 shell will fit snugly into a length of a car's
copper  gas  line.   Unfortunatey,  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 accomodate any cartridge, even a rifle
shell.  The first size of pipe for a rifle shell accomodates the bullet.  The
second accomodates its wider powder chamber.

    A  12-gauge  shotgun  can be made from a 3/4 inch steel pipe.  If you
want  to  comply  with  the  gun laws, the barrel should be at least eighteen
inches long.

    Its  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  fr ont of the trigger.  The rubber band is put over one nail
and brought around the trigger and snagged over the other nail.

    In case you actually make a zip gun, you should test it before firing
it  by  hand.  This is done by first tying the gun to a tree or post, pointed
to  where it will do no damage.  Then a string is tied to the trigger and you
go  off  s  everal yards.  The string is then pulled back and let go.  If the
barrel does not blow up, the gun is safe to fire by hand.

          You should not attempt to register such a gun.                          Pipe Cap
                 /
                /   Bullet     Tape       Pipe
               /        /      /   \        /
               v       /      /     \      /
             !----!   /       v     v      v
           Nail--\  /   /-!---v-----!---!-!---!---------
              v ---  - - - - - -!- -!-!- -!- - - - !
            //---->    ![][]\   !   ! !   !        !
           ^  ! !--\   ![][]/   !   ! !   !        !
          Wire/   ! !   \-!- - - - -!- -!-!- -!- - - - !
      Trigger---> ! ! !---!         !   ! !   !     ::::
             /! !      /--------!---!-!---!--::::--!
            / :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: <-\
           !  !-!   /                             \-- Rubber
           /       /                                    band
           !       !
           !      /
           !      !
           !      !
           !      !
           !------!


                  Z I P   G U N

                               / <---Nail
                           !-!/
       /------------------\              /-----!o!-----\
      ! O        O       O !            ! ------------- !
       \--------! !-------/             !!             !!
            !-!                     !!             !!
                        !!             !!
                        !!             !!
      Trigger before bending       /--> !!             !! <--\
                     Place  !!             !!   Nail
                     nail                       hole
                     here

                          Trigger



5.25     Low Signature Systems (Silencers)

Author: The Jolly Roger

    Low  signature  systems (silencers) for improvised small arms weapons
can be made from steel gas or water pipe and fittings.

    grenade container
    steel pipe nipple, 6 in. (15 cm) long - (see table 1 for diameter)
2    steel pipe couplings - (see table 2 for dimensions)
    cotton cloth - (see table 2)
    drill
    absorbent cotton

1)    Drill hole in grenade container at both ends to fit outside diameter
of pipe nipple.  (see table 1)

                 ->    /----------------------\
                /     |                        |
        2.75 in |      )                      ( <-holes
         dia.   \     |                        |
                 ->   \-----------------------/

                      |-----------------------|
                               5 in.

2)    Drill four rows of holes in pipe nipple.  Use table 1 for diameter and
location of holes.

                      (Note: I suck at ASCII art!)

                                6 in.
                |-----------------------------------|
                _____________________________________ ___
                | O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O |  | C (nom. dia.)
                -------------------------------------
         (size of hole)   |                   \ / (space between)
                          B (dia.)             A


3)    Thread  one of the pipe couplings on the drilled pipe nipple.

4)    Cut coupling length to allow barrel of weapon to thread fully into
low  signature  system.   Barrel  should butt against end of the drilled pipe
nipple.

5)    Seperate  the  top  half of the grenade container from the bottom half.

6)    Insert  the  pipe  nipple  in the drilled hole at the base of the
bottom  half of the container.  Pack theabsorbent cotton inside the container
and  around  the  pipe  nipple.

7)    Pack the absorbent cotton in top half of grenade container leaving
hole  in center.  Assemble container to the bottom half.

8)    Thread the other coupling onto the pipe nipple.

Note:
    A longer container and pipe nipple, with same "A" and "B" dimensions
as those given, will furthur reduce the signature of the system.


How to use:

1)    Thread the low signature system on the selected weapon securely.

2)    Place the proper cotton wad size into the muzzle end of the system
    (see table 2)

3)    Load weapon

4)    Weapon is now ready for use



    TABLE 1 -- Low Signature System Dimensions
    ------------------------------------------

                                        (Coupling)  Holes per   (4 rows)
               A         B         C         D         Row        Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------
.45 cal        3/8       1/4       3/8       3/8       12           48

.38 cal        3/8       1/4       1/4       1/4       12           48

  9 mm         3/8       1/4       1/4       1/4       12           48

7.62 mm        3/8       1/4       1/4       1/4       12           48

.22 cal        1/4       5/32      1/8*      1/8       14           50
------------------------------------------------------------------------
           *Extra Heavy Pipe
       (All dimensions in inches)



TABLE 2 -- Cotton Wadding - Sizes
---------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------
Weapon                        Cotton Wadding Size
-------------------------------------------------
.45 cal                       1-1/2 x 6 inches

.38 cal                       1 x 4 inches

  9 mm                        1 x 4 inches

7.62 mm                       1 x 4 inches

.22 cal                       Not needed
-------------------------------------------------



5.3     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, CO2 B.B guns,
and .22 cal pellet guns.  These weapons, although usually thought of as kids
toys, can be made into rather dangerous weapons.

5.31     SPECIAL AMMUNITION FOR B.B GUNS

     A B.B gun, for this manuscript, will be considered any type of rifle or
pistol that uses compressed air or CO2 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 bullet-firing 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 are thrown at a hard surface at a great 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:

             _____ primers _______
            |                    |
            |                    |
            |                    |
            V                    V
          ______                ______
          | ________________________ |-------------------
          | ****** explosive ******* |------------------- } tassel or
          | ________________________ |-------------------   cotton
          |_____                _____|-------------------
                    ^
                    |
                    |
                    |_______ antenna tubing

     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.

5.32     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 similar to that used in
section 5.12 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.

6.0     ROCKETS AND CANNONS

     Rockets and cannon are generally thought of as heavy artillery.
Perpetrators of violence 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 make such things.
A terrorist with a cannon or large rocket is, indeed, something to fear.

6.1     ROCKETS

     Rockets were first developed by the Chinese several hundred years
before Christ.  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 obtain military rockets, but they
can make or buy rocket engines.  Model 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 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.  The diagram below will help explain them.

     __________________________________________________________
     |_________________________________________________________| -- cardboard
      \  clay  | - - - - - - - - - - | * * * | . . . .|c|            casing
       \_______|  - - - - - - - - -  | * * * |  . . . |l|
        ______ _ - - - thrust - - -  | smoke | eject  |a|
       / clay  |  - - - - - - - - -  | * * * | . . . .|y|
      /________|_____________________|_______|________|_|_______
     |_________________________________________________________| -- cardboard
                                              casing

     The clay nozzle is where the igniter is inserted.  When the area labeled
"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 is
ignited.  It is usually a slow-burning material, similar to black powder that
has had various compounds added to it to produce visible smoke, usually black,
white, or yellow in colour.  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, labeled "eject".  The ejection charge is finely
powdered black powder.  It burns very rapidly, exploding, in effect.  The
explosion of the ejection charge pushes out the parachute of the model rocket.
It could also be used to ignite the fuse of a bomb...

     Rocket engines have their own peculiar labeling system.  Typical engine
labels are: 1/4A-2T, 1/2A-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 bound together by an epoxy.

6.11     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, by attaching a "crater maker", or CO2
cartridge bomb to the rocket, a bomb would be added.  To insure that the fuse of
the "crater maker" (see sect. 4.42) ignited, the clay over the ejection charge
of the engine should be scraped off with a plastic tool.  The fuse of the bomb
should be touching the ejection charge, as shown below.

          ____________ rocket engine
          |                         _________ crater maker
          |                         |
          |                         |
          V                         |
     _______________________________V_
     |_______________________________|  ______________________
      \   | - - - - - -|***|::::|      /# # # # # # # # # # # \
       \__| - - - - - -|***|::::|  ___/  # # # # # # # # # # # \
        __  - - - - - -|***|::::|---fuse--- # #  explosive  # # )
       /  | - - - - - -|***|::::|  ___   # # # # # # # # # # # /
      /___|____________|___|____|____ \_______________________/
     |_______________________________|


     thrust> - - - - - -
     smoke>  ***
     ejection charge> ::::

     Duct tape is the best way to attach the crater maker to the rocket
engine.  Note in the diagram the absence of the clay over the ejection charge
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 look like the following diagram:

          |\
          | \
          |  \
          |   \  <--------- glue this to rocket engine
          |    \
          |     \
          |      \
          |       |
          |       |
          |       |
  leading edge    |
   ------->       |
          |       |
          |       |  trailing edge
          |       |    <--------
          |       |
          |       |
          |       |
          |       |
           \_____/

     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.  A front view of a completed rocket bomb is shown below.

                              |
           fin                | <------ fin
            |                 |           |
            |                 |           |
            |               __|__         |
            V              /     \        V
           ---------------|       |---------------
                           \_____/
                              |o <----------- segment of plastic straw
                              |
                              |
                              | <------ fin
                              |
                              |

     By cutting a coat hanger at the indicated arrows, and bending 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 coathanger, such as the one
illustated on the following page:
                        ____
                       /    \
                      |      |
          cut here _____     |
                       |     |
                       |     |
                       |    / \
                       V   /   \
         _________________/     \________________
        /                                        \
       /                                          \
      /____________________________________________\
                                   ^
                                   |
                                   |
                    and here ______|

     Bend wire to this shape:

                         _______ insert into straw
                         |
                         |
                         |
                         V
          ____________________________________________
          \
           \
            \
             \
              \  <--------- bend here to adjust flight angle
               |
               |
               |
               |
               |
               | <---------- put this end in ground
               |

6.12     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.  A diagram of a multi-stage rocket appears on the following page:

                    ___
                   /   \
                   |   |
                   | C |
                   | M | ------ CM: Crater Maker
                   |   |
                   |   |
                   |___|
                   |   |
                   |   |
                   |   |
                   | C | ------ C6-5 rocket engine
                  /| 6 |\
                 / | | | \
                /  | 5 |  \
               /   |___|   \ ---- fin
              /   /|   |\   \
             /   / |   | \   \
            /   /  |   |  \   \
           /   /   | C |   \   \
          |   /    | 6 |    \   |
          |  /     | | |     \  |
          | /      | 0 |      \ |
          |/       |___|       \|
          |       /     \       |
          \______/   ^   \______/ ------- fin
                     |
                     |
                     |
                     |
                     C6-0 rocket engine

     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.

6.13     MULTIPLE WARHEAD ROCKET BOMBS

     "M.R.V." is an acronym for Multiple Reentry Vehicle.  The concept is
simple: put more than one explosive warhead on a single missile.  This can be
done without too much difficulty by anyone who knows how to make crater-makers
and can buy rocket engines.  By attaching crater makers with long fuses to a
rocket, it is possible that a single rocket could deliver several explosive
devices to a target. Such a rocket might look like the diagram on the
following page:
              ___
             /   \
             |   |
             | C |
             | M |
             |___|
          ___|   |___
          |  |   |  |
          |  | T |  |
         / \ | U | / \
        /   \| B |/   \
        |   || E ||   |
        | C ||   || C |
        | M ||   || M |
        |   ||___||   |
        \___/| E |\___/
             | N |
            /| G |\
           / | I | \
          /  | N |  \
         /   | E |   \
        /    |___|    \
       / fin/  |  \ fin\
      |    /   |   \    |
       \__/    |    \__/

               ^
               |____ fin

     The crater makers are attached to the tube of rolled paper with tape.
the paper tube is made by rolling and gluing a 4 inch by 8 inch piece of paper.
The tube is glued to the engine, and is filled with gunpowder or black powder.
Small holes are punched in it, and the fuses of the crater makers are inserted
in these holes.  A crater maker is glued to the open end of the tube, so that
its fuse is inside the tube.  A fuse is inserted in the engine, or in the bottom
engine if the rocket bomb is multi stage, and the rocket is launched from the
coathanger launcher, if a segment of a plastic straw has been attached to it.

6.14     ROCKET FUELS

6.141    Method 1

    Potassium or Sodium Nitrate
    Granulated Sugar
    Fuse (Blackmatch)

    This is easy to make and fun to play with. Mix equal parts by volume
Potassium or Sodium Nitrate and granulated sugar. Pour a big spoonful of this
into a pile. Stick a piece of blackmatch fuse into it; light; and step back.
This is also a very hot incendiary. A little imagination will suggest a lot of
experiments for this.

6.142    Method 2

    Zinc dust
    Sulphur

    Mix equal parts by volume of zinc dust and sulfur. Watch out if you
experiment with this. It goes off in a sudden flash. It is not a powerful
explosive, but is violent stuff even when not confined because of its fast
burning rate.

    As I continue from this point some of the ingredients are going to be
harder to get without going through a chemical supply. I try to avoid this.
I happen to know that B. Prieser Scientific (local to my area) has been
instructed by the police to send them the names of anyone buying chemicals in
certain combinations. For example, if a person were to buy Sulfuric acid,
Nitric acid and Toluene (the makings for TNT) in one order the police would be
notified. I will do the best I can to tell you how to make the things you need
from commonly available materials, but I don't want to leave out something
really good because you might have to scrounge for an ingredient.
I am guessing you would prefer it that way.

    Hydrazine is the chemical you'll probably have the hardest time
getting hold of. Uses for Hydrazine are: Rocket fuel, agricultural chemicals
(maleic hydra- zide), drugs (antibacterial and antihypertension), polymerization
catalyst, plating metals on glass and plastics, solder fluxes, photographic
developers, diving equipment. Hydrazine is also the chemical you should be
careful with.

6.143    Method 3

6 parts Sodium Chlorate mixed *THOROUGHLY* with 5 parts Rubber Cement.

6.144    Method 4

50%    Sodium Chlorate
35%    Rubber cement ('One-Coat' (tm))
10%    Epoxy resin hardener
5%    Sulfur

You may want to add more sodium chlorate depending on the purity you are using.

6.145    Method 5

    Potassium or Sodium Nitrate
    Granulated Sugar
    Fuse (Blackmatch)

    This is easy to make and fun to play with. Mix equal parts by volume
Potassium or Sodium Nitrate and granulated sugar. Pour a big spoonful of this
into a pile. Stick a piece of blackmatch fuse into it; light; and step back.
This is also a very hot incendiary. A little imagination will suggest a lot of
experiments for this.


6.146    Method 6

    Zinc dust
    Sulphur

    Mix equal parts by volume of zinc dust and sulfur. Watch out if you
experiment with this. It goes off in a sudden flash. It is not a powerful
explosive, but is violent stuff even when not confined because of its fast
burning rate.

    As I continue from this point some of the ingredients are going to be
harder to get without going through a chemical supply. I try to avoid this.
I happen to know that B. Prieser Scientific (local to my area) has been
instructed by the police to send them the names of anyone buying chemicals in
certain combinations. For example, if a person were to buy Sulfuric acid,
Nitric acid and Toluene (the makings for TNT) in one order the police would be
notified. I will do the best I can to tell you how to make the things you need
from commonly available materials, but I don't want to leave out something
really good because you might have to scrounge for an ingredient.
I am guessing you would prefer it that way.

    Hydrazine is the chemical you'll probably have the hardest time
getting hold of. Uses for Hydrazine are: Rocket fuel, agricultural chemicals
(maleic hydra- zide), drugs (antibacterial and antihypertension), polymerization
catalyst, plating metals on glass and plastics, solder fluxes, photographic
developers, diving equipment. Hydrazine is also the chemical you should be
careful with.

6.147    Method 7

6 parts Sodium Chlorate mixed *THOROUGHLY* with 5 parts Rubber Cement.

6.148    Method 8 (better performance)

50%    Sodium Chlorate
35%    Rubber cement ('One-Coat' (tm))
10%    Epoxy resin hardener
5%    Sulfur

You may want to add more sodium chlorate depending on the purity you are using.


6.15     Rocket Tubes and YOU!

Author: Garbled User and the F. B. I.

    This file will tech you the basics of building, loading and using the
dreaded rocket tube. This is one of the militant's most powerful devices!!

    The rocket tube is a simple device that will let you destoy things at
extreme distances with relative ease!  This desturctive mechanism allows the
roving anarchist to take buildings, low flying aircraft, doors, and even people
out from afar. Interested yet?? Well read on..

    The rocket tube can be easily manufactured by taking a few trips around
town. A working knowledge in Model Rocketry will help you VERY MUCH! The better
you are at rocket building, the more accuracy and power your tube will have!


    rocket engine (any size but mini, for range)
    basic rocket building equipment (tubes, nose cones, fins, etc)
    gasoline
    model Cement
    shotgun shell and small nail(optional)
    gunpowder
    long metal tube (about 2 1/2-3" in diameter & 2-3ft long)
    small wooden handle
2    wood screws
    basic assembly tools, glue, screwdriver
    dowel about 1/8th inch diameter,3 1/2ft.lng


Now here's a nice diagram..


      ------------------------------------------------------------
open  |                                                          |  closed end
end   |                                                          | <----
  --->|                                                          |
      |                                                          |
      |                                                          |
      ------------------------------------------------------------
            \       \
             \       \
              \       \
               \_______\


    The back end should be TOTALLY sealed.. unless you want your face
ripped apart. A blast shield around the front end made of sheet metal would
also be a good idea! But is not nessecary if you put the handle farther back.

Note:
     The farther back the handle is.. the harder it will be to keep the
rocket straight.. and your accuracy will suffer considerably.

    Now.. the rocket is simple to construct... just build a basic rocket..
Now, cut the fins in a manner as shown...



                       ______________
                      /             /
                     /             /
                    /             /
                   /             /
       -------------------------------
                   ---------------   |
       -------------------------------
                   \             \
                    \             \
                     \             \
                      \_____________\



    The total width of the rocket (with 4 fins!) should be equal to the
diameter of the rocket tube, and sand them off so they fit nicely.

    Now put the little straw on the side of the rocket.

    Find yourself a long piece of metal, round and thin.It must be able
to fit into the little straw on the side of the rocket, and should be 3 inches
longer than the rocket tube.

    Put the metal piece through the straw, and fit the rocket into the
tube. You need to secure the metal dowel in a place in the sealed end of the
tube. this will serve as a guide for the rocket. It may be easier if the seal
on the back is removable, or at least seal it on AFTER you put the dowel in.
The entire tube, dowel and all should be greased smooth, all throughout the
inside. This will insure a smooth launch.

    Now.. to build your rocket.. I will give a distance estimation based
on some estes charts, and personal knowledge..


Engine size |  horizontal range |  verticle range |
---------------------------------------------------
A8-3        |  200-400 ft       | 200-600ft       |
b6-4        |  300-600ft        | 300-900ft       |
C6-5        |  350-1000ft       | 400-1450ft      |
d12-5       |  600-1500ft       | 800-2300ft      | (the best! most advised)



    You will want to select your engine depending on the range of the
target. Also remember these are MUCH heavier than normal rockets.. it is not
advised to aim low!! aim just high of your target, depending on the distance.
For very long distances aim at a 30-45 degree angle. Practice makes perfect.
Practice with weighed down duds before you go indiscriminatly blowing up nuke
plants..

    A normal rocket is made with recovery wadding, and a nice little
parachute..  Fuck these.. This should be made the following way.

A)    Take 1 paper towel.. soak it in gasoline..
B)    Take 1 paper towel.. soak it in battery acid, and muriatic(HCL)acid.
    Let dry (optional ^^^)
C)    Mix gasoline and gunpowder in a 3:1 ratio.. disolve thouroughly.
    Soak 2 paper towels in this and let dry.


Now take your tube and do the following..

---------------------------------------------------------------------
  nose || gunpowder           |     C      |  B   |   A  |engine
---------------------------------------------------------------------
(a,b,c correspond to the steps listed above)


Now, there are two ways to build this rocket..

1)    Rocket will fly until out of fuel and then explode (can be delayed)
this is good for kiling people, scare tactics, and airplane destruction.

2)    Rocket will run out of fuel, engine will eject.. and will explode on
impact. The uses for this are obvious, doors, cars, buildings, landforms
(heh heh).

    For number one.. glue the nose cone on.. and launch(more on that later)

    For number two, replace C with A. Omit C and B. Place a stopper about
1" thick in front of the engine. Glue this in.. fill the remaining space with
more gunpowder. Now, take the shotgun shell, and glue it in so that the primer
faces out the front of the rocket. Drive the nail through the nose cone, so
that the head of the nail is at the tip of the cone. Get some more tubing and..

       ---b-----------
a------         --c-----------
-------         --------------
       ----------------

a is the nose cone
b is the extra tubing, and
c is where the shotgun shell is..

    The nail tip, sticking out from A should just touch the primer. Put
some glue around it to insure the placment. B should be glued around C, and A
should have a very WEAK bond to b.

    When the rocket hits cone first.. the bond between a and b breaks.
This causes the nail to break the primer, and set off the shell, causing a
VERY nasty explosion.


    Ok, now the last part, the engine. Take your engine and make a slow
burning fuse. 15-20 seconds should be enough. (depending on how fast you want
the rocket going off). Now, scrape a larger hole out of the clay in the back.
(use a drill bit). Fill this with gunpowder and a fuse. Place a little glue on
the end to hold it all in.

    To launch..  place the straw (from the rocket) on the dowel (in the
tube). Get a lighter. Light the fuse. Tilt the tube back so the rocket falls
back into the tube. DO NOT PUSH IT IN YOURSELF. (I shouldn't need to explain
this one!) Aim the tube, and wait for the rocket to fire.. hold steady.. this
mutha kicks one damn ass punch! Also.. wear goggles.. don't be an idiot.

Note:
    The engine bit can also be done with the regular igniters from a
rocket..  but remember.. they have a 50% failure rate.. so by gaining an
electrical push  button system.. you can lose your launch speed.. and possibly
your life!


What to use this for..

    These rockets will be refered to as TYPE A (launch/explode) and type B
(launch/impact/explode). TYPE A is normally used to cause a BIG fireball in the
middle of nowhere..  but if launched into somebodies stomach.. can be quite
cool! Also this type is used to blow up aircraft, due to the phenominal aim you
would need to actually HIT the plane.. this can take it out as long as you get
near the craft.. and time it right.  These are also used to destroy crowds..
This tactic is quite deadly! Launching one of these into a crowd is like blowing
up a bomb in the middle. These rocket tubes are comparable to RPGs and bazookas!

    Type B is used to take out tanks, cars, doors, buildings and other
assorted non moving objects. The explosion from type B is MUCH bigger than A,
but will not travel as far!  Type B can also be used to set off a pre-planted
explosive somewhere by aiming at the general vicinity.

    So.. when you've got a big gang fight to go to.. and your outnumbered
10 to 1, bring good ol Nellie the RT along. When they see a rocket shoot out
of that  tube and blow up the swingset.. they'll run like hell!!

    Or maybe your fighting  a civil war... playing war games.. or
whatever.. Just remember.. This was brought to YOU by the FBI.. and GarbLeD
USeR.

Note:

    If the engine fires and the rocket does not leave the tube.. Chuck
the  tube .. and hit the deck.. you fucked up somewhere.. and the rocket will
still  explode!!!

Also:
    These tubes are REUSABLE.. so you can make 400 rockets, and only need
one tube... but try and re-grease it FREQUENTLY.. otherwise the above may
happen to YOU!

Also:
     The first time you make this.. try it without the dowel in the
middle.. sometimes it works better with, and sometimes better without. I
suppose it depends on the quality of the rocket.


  This FBI paper was paid for, in part by a special grant from noone.
Copyright 1999 GArbled UseR.  All rights Blown to Hell.


6.16     Portable Grenade Launcher

Author: The Jolly Roger

        If  you  have a bow, this one is for you.  Remove the ferrule
from  an  aluminum  arrow,  and fill the arrow with black powder (I use grade
FFFF, it burns easy)and then glue a shotshell primer into the hole left where
the  ferrule  went.   Next, glue a BB on the primer, and you are ready to go!
Make  sure  no  one  is nearby....  Little shreds of aluminum go all over the
place!!


6.2     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, causing the
barrel to explode.  A sociopath could build a cannon without too much trouble,
if he/she had a little bit of money, and some patience.

6.21     BASIC PIPE CANNON

     A simple cannon can be made from a thick pipe by almost anyone.  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 CO2 cartridge, since such a projectile can be
made to explode, a pipe that is about 1.5 - 2 feet long is ideal.  Such a pipe
MUST have walls that are at least 1/3 to 1/2 an inch thick, and be very smooth
on the interior.  If possible, screw an endplug 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 endplug.
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.  Such a cannon would look like this:

             __________________ fuse hole
             |
             |
             V
      ________________________________________________________________
     | |______________________________________________________________|
     |endplug|powder|t.p.| CO2 cartridge
     | ______|______|____|____________________________________________
     |_|______________________________________________________________|

     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 shoot the CO2 cartridge. The explosive-filled cartridge will explode in
about three seconds, if all goes well. Such a projectile would look like this:

           ___
          /   \
          |   |
          | C |
          | M |
          |   |
          |   |
          |\ /|
          | | | ---- tape
          |_|_|
            |
            | ------ fuse

6.22     ROCKET FIRING CANNON

     A rocket firing cannon can be made exactly like a normal cannon; the
only difference is the ammunition. A rocket fired from a cannon will fly
further than a rocket 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. It would look like this:

           ___
          /   \
          |   |
          | C |
          | M |
          |   |
          |   |
          |___|
          | E |
          | N |
          | G |
          | I |
          | N |
          | E |
          |___|

     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.


6.23     Tennis Ball Cannon

    At  this time (twelve years ago) most soft drink cans were rolled tin
rather  than the molded aluminum.  We would cut the tops and bottoms off of a
bunch  of  them  and tape them together with duct tape, forming a tube of two
feet  or  more.   At the end we would tape a can with the bottom intact, more
holes  punched  (with  a  can opener) around the top, and a small hole in the
side  at the base.  We then fastened this contraption to a tripod so we could
aim it reliably.  Any object that came somewhat close to filling the tube was
then placed therein.  In the shop, we used the clock as a target and an empty
plastic  solder  spool  as  ammunition, with tape over the ends of the center
hole  and sometimes filled with washers for weight.  When taken to parties or
picnics,  we  would  use whatever was handy.  Hot dog rolls or napkins filled
with  potato  chips provided spectacular entertainment.  Once loaded, a small
amount  of  lighter fluid was poured into the hole in the side of the end can
and  allowed  to  vaporize  for a few moments.  The "fire control technician"
would announce "Fire in the Hole" and ignite it.

    BOOM!  Whoosh!  The clock never worked after that!

    Our  version  of  the potatoe chip cannon, was built similarly.  Ours
used  coke  cans,  six  with  the top and bottom removed, and the seventh had
church  key  holes all around one end.  This was spiral wrapped with at least
two  rolls  of  duct  tape.  A wooden shoulder rest and forward hand grip was
taped to the tube.  For ignition we used lantern batteries to a model-t coil,
actuated  by  a push button on the hand grip.  A fresh wilson tennis ball was
stuffed  all the way back to the grid, and a drop or two of lighter fluid was
dropped  in one of two holes in the end.  The ignition wire was poked through
the  other  hole.  We would then lie in ambush, waiting for somthing to move.
When fired with the proper air/fuel mixture, a satisfying thoomp!  At maximum
range  the  ball  would travel about 100 yards with a 45 degree launch angle.
Closer  up the ball would leave a welt on an warring opponent.  When launched
at  a  moving  car  the thud as it hit the door would generally rattle anyone
inside.  Luckily we never completed the one that shot golf balls.


6.24     Home-brew Blast Cannon

Author: The Jolly Roger

1    plastic drain pipe, 3 feet long, at least 3 1/2 inches in diameter
1    smaller plastic pipe, about 6 inches long, 2 inches in diameter
1    large lighter, with fluid refills (this gobbles it up!)
1    pipe cap to fit the large pipe, 1 pipe cap to fit the small pipe
5    feet of bellwire
1    SPST rocker switch
    16v polaroid pot-a-pulse battery
    15v relay (get this at Radio Shack)
    Electrical Tape
1    free afternoon


    Cut the bell wire into three equal pieces, and strip the ends

    Cut a hole in the side of the large pipe, the same diameter as the
small  pipe.   Thread  the  hole  and one end of the small pipe.  they should
screw together easily.

    Take  a  piece of scrap metal, and bend it into an "L" shape, then
attach it to the level on the lighter:


     /------------------------gas switch is here
     V
     /------
    !lighter!!<---metal lever
    !!!
    !!


    Now,  every  time  you pull the 'trigger' gas should flow freely from
the  lighter.  You may need to enlarge the 'gas port' on your lighter, if you
wish to be able to fire more rapidly.

    Connect two wires to the two posts on the switch

    Cut  two holes in the side of the smaller tube, one for the switch
on  the  bottom,  and  one  for  the metal piece on the top.  Then, mount the
switch in the bottom, running the wires up and out of the top.

    Mount  the lighter/trigger in the top.  Now the switch should rock
easily,  and  the trigger should cause the lighter to pour out gas.  Re-screw
the smaller tube into the larger one, hold down the trigger a bit, let it go,
and  throw  a  match  in there.  If all goes well, you should hear a nice big
'THUD!'

    Get a hold of the relay, and take off the top.

1---------------
v/
 2--------------/<--- the center object is the metal finger inside
                3                                       the relay
 cc-------------/
 oo----------------4
 ii
 ll----------------5



    Connect  (1) to one of the wires coming from the switch.  Connect (2)
to  (4),  and  connect (5) to one side of the battery.  Connect the remaining
wire  from  the  switch  to the other side of the battery.  Now you should be
able  to  get  the  relay  to make a little 'buzzing' sound when you flip the
switch and you should see some tiny little sparks.

    Now,  carefully  mount  the relay on the inside of the large pipe,
towards the back.  Screw on the smaller pipe, tape the battery to the side of
the cannon barrel (yes, but looks aren't everything!)

    You should now be able to let a little gas into the barrel and set
it off by flipping the switch.

    Put  the cap on the back end of the large pipe VERY SECURELY.  You
are now ready for the first trial-run!


To Test:

    Put  something very, very large into the barrel, just so that it fits
'just  right'.  Now, find a strong guy (the recoil will probably knock you on
your  ass  if  you  aren't  careful!).   Put  on a shoulderpad, earmuffs, and
possibly  some  other  protective  clothing  (trust the Jolly Roger!  You are
going to need it!).  Hold the trigger down for 30 seconds, hold on tight, and
hit  the switch.  With luck and the proper adjustments, you should be able to
put a frozed orange through 1/4 or plywood at 25 feet.


7.0     PYROTECHNICA ERRATA

     There are many other types of pyrotechnics that a perpetrator of
violence might employ. Smoke bombs can be purchased in magic stores, and large
military smoke bombs can be bought through adds in gun and military magazines.
Also, fireworks can also be used as weapons of terror. A large aerial display
rocket would cause many injuries if it were to be fired so that it landed on the
ground near a crowd of people. 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
high explosive. Tear gas is another material that might well be useful
to the sociopath, and such a material could be instantly disseminated over
a large crowd by means of a rocket-bomb, with nasty effects.

7.1     SMOKE BOMBS

     One type of pyrotechnic device that might be employed by a terrorist 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,
such materials are usually unavailable to even the most well-equipped terrorist.
Instead, he/she would have to make the smoke bomb for themselves.

     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-oxodizer
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.



7.11     Smoke Bomb, the 4 lbs/city block recipe

1)    Mix:    3 parts Sugar : 6 parts Epsom Salts
2)    Put in a tin can, and onto a low flame (like a lighter)
3)    Let gel & harden
4)    Put match in as a fuse.
5)    Light and run like hell 'cause 4 pounds will fill a city block



7.12     Smoke-Stink Bomb

Author: Ragner Rocker

    You can purchase Sulphur at a drugstore under the name "Flowers of
Sulphur. Now when Sulphur burns, it will give off a very strong odor and
plenty of smoke (Sulphur Dioxide + Sulphur Trioxide, literally stinking gas).
Now all you need is a fuse from a firecracker, a tin can, and the Sulphur.

    Fill the can with Sulphur (Pack very lightly), Put aluninum foil over
the top of the can, poke a small hole into the foil, insert the wick, and
ight it and get out of the room if you value your lungs. You can find many uses
for this or at least I hope so.



7.13     Zinc/Sulphur Smoke

    The following reaction should produce a fair amount of smoke. Since
this reaction is not all that dangerous you can use larger amounts if
necessary for larger amounts of smoke.

6g    zinc powder
1g    sulfur powder

    Insert a red hot wire into the pile, step back.  Alot of smoke should
be created.


7.14     Chlorine/Turpentine Smoke

    Take a small cloth or rag and soak it in turpentine. Quickly drop it
into the bottle of chlorine. It should give off a lot of black smoke and
probably start burning.


7.15     Pool Chlorine Smoke

    Take organic pool chlorine and mix it with vegtable shortening and put
it someplace you don't like. It reacts by itself to produce a very noxious
white smoke and heat.


7.16     Smoke Bomb, Alpine Kracker's Recipe

Author: Alpine Kracker
From: ==Phrack Inc.==  Volume One, Issue Six, Phile 6 of 13

    Saltpetre (Potassium Nitrate)
    Sugar
    Alcohol (100% is best, but plain rubbing alcohol will work)
    Gunpowder (or some ground-up rocket engines)
    Matches (Get a box of 50 packs -they can be very useful.)
    Coffee can
    Cigarette

Instructions:

    Combine the sugar and saltpetre in a 3:1 ratio (Sugar:saltpetre)
and heat over a low flame until the mixture has thoroughly melted together.
(It will look like sticky white lumps when ready) You need to stir this
continually while heating, and remove it from the flame at the very first
sign of smoke. I had a batch go off in my face once, and the workroom was
filled with smoke for a good half hour. It is easier and safer to work with
smaller batches.

    Now, dump all of this "smoke powder" into a coffee can, add some
match heads, moisten it with a little alcohol, and add gunpowder until all
the smoke powder is coated. Now tape a cigarette between the match heads in
an unopened book. Imbed the book into the mixture.

Light the but, and walk casually away to find a nice alibi within 5 minutes.


Notes:

You should be able to find some Saltpeter in a local drug store.

    All of the gunpowder, match heads, and alcohol is simply to insure
good ignition. You can omit them, but if you have them, mix them in for
reliability's sake. For the fuse, you can either use the one listed, or
either some canon fuse, or a rocket igniter and an electrical system.

    A quarter pound of this stuff is supposed to fill a city block. I'm
not sure if that is accurate, but it sure fills a public bathroom nicely.


7.17     Smoke Bombs

Courtesy of: the Jolly Roger

Here is the recipe for one helluva smoke bomb!

4 parts sugar
6 parts potassium nitrate (Salt Peter)

    Heat this mixture over a LOW flame until it melts, stirring well.
Pour it into a future container and, before it solidifies, imbed a few
matches into the mixture to use as fuses. One pound of this stuff will fill
up a whole block with thick, white smoke!


7.2     COLOURED FLAMES

     Coloured flames can often be used as a signaling device for terrorists.
by putting a ball of coloured flame material in a rocket; the rocket, when
the ejection charge fires, will send out a burning coloured ball. The
materials that produce the different colours of flames appear below.


COLOUR               MATERIAL                        USED IN
────-─               ────────                        ───────
_______________________________________________________________________________
red                 strontium                      road flares,
                    salts                          red sparklers
                    (strontium nitrate)
_______________________________________________________________________________
green               barium salts                   green sparklers
                    (barium nitrate)
_______________________________________________________________________________
yellow              sodium salts                   gold sparklers
                    (sodium nitrate)
_______________________________________________________________________________
blue                powdered copper                blue sparklers,
                    old pennies
_______________________________________________________________________________
white               powdered magnesium             firestarters,
                    or aluminum                    aluminum foil
_______________________________________________________________________________
purple              potassium permanganate         purple fountains,
                                                   treating sewage
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

7.3     Tear Gas

     A terrorist who could make tear gas or some similar compound could use
it with ease against a large number of people. Tear gas is fairly complicated
to make, however, and this prevents such individuals from being able to utilize
its great potential for harm. One method for its preparation is shown below.

     EQUIPMENT
     _________

     1.  ring stands (2)
     2.  alcohol burner
     3.  erlenmeyer flask, 300 ml
     4.  clamps (2)
     5.  rubber stopper
     6.  glass tubing
     7.  clamp holder
     8.  condenser
     9.  rubber tubing
     10.  collecting flask
     11.  air trap
     12.  beaker, 300 ml


     MATERIALS

     10 gms  glycerine
     2 gms sodium bisulfate
     distilled water

1.)  In an open area, wearing a gas mask, mix 10 gms of glycerine with 2 gms
     of sodium bisulfate in the 300 ml erlenmeyer flask.

2.)  Light the alcohol burner, and gently heat the flask.

3.)  The mixture will begin to bubble and froth; these bubbles are tear gas.

4.)  When the mixture being heated ceases to froth and generate gas, or a brown
     residue becomes visible in the tube, the reaction is complete.  Remove the
     heat source, and dispose of the heated mixture, as it is corrosive.

5.)  The material that condenses in the condenser and drips into the collecting
     flask is tear gas.  It must be capped tightly, and stored in a safe place.

Note:

    Dr. Petonski relates that the taking of Aspirin before becoming
intoxicated with Tear Gas lessens the effect.


7.31   'Good Time' Tear Gas

Author: Digital Destruction (604)

    Okay everyone, it's time to cook! It seems to me, that an insurance
seminar just wouldnt be any fun without some good potent tear gas. Am I
right? Well anyway, As I was walking through my local K-Mart I was
approached by the King, Elvis himself who instructed me by divine
intervention to write this file so here goes.

To make real potent tear gas, it's relatively simple.

2 lbs.    Red Pepper Seeds
    handy-dandy Popeil Percolater
    perfume bottle or Binaca Blaster

Procedure:

    Place seeds, 1/2 pound at a time and perk (perk?) for an hour or
two. Scoop the seeds out and you will have about 2 tablespoons of the most
potent resin I've seen. Put this with a little Tabasco in a squirter and
there ya go. The seeds can also be reused for fun... The next time you go
see 'Camille' in the movies, toss a few off the balcony!

    Hee Hee....Anyway, this is Digital Destruction telling you, when
the earth collides with the sun, try to stay out of the backblast.


7.32      Tear Gas II

From: The Poor Man's James Bond by Kurt Saxon

Typed and Uploaded by: Lex Luthor

    There are several eye and nose irritants on the market which can be
easily duplicated.

    A good irritant is formaldehyde. Better known as embalming fluid,
it smells horrible, hurts the eyes and nose, and on exposure to the air it
vaporizes, making a room uninhabitable for hours.

    It can be squirted from a water pistol or nasal inhaler, poured on
the floor or vaporized by a bomb described in the STINKUM PHILE.

    Formaldehyde can be bought at the drug store under the pretext of
wanting it to preserve mice or other lab specimen.



    The irritant mailmen use against dogs and which is sold widely for
self defense is oleoresid capsicum. Capsicum is the hot essence of red
peppers. Oleoresin is the process for extracting it. To extract the
Capsicum, grind up four ounces of red pepper seeds in a blender or with a
mortar andb pestle. Red pepper seeds are bought in the grocers's.

    The dry, ground seeds are then put into a coffee percolator in
which there is about 16 ounces of alohol, preferably with the water
distilled out. The seeds are then percolated for about a half hour. The
alcohol is then distilled off until there are only a couple of table spoons
of red liquid left in the flask. The red liquid is then added to a half
pint of light mineral oil, bought at a drug store.

    It can be sprayed from a nasal spray. Another good way is with a
window cleaning sprayer bought at any dime store. The tube of the sprayer
is cut to fit in a two ounce medicine bottle. This way you have enough of
the goody to last through a whole demonstration, no matter which side
you're on. It is also nice to keep by the door or by your computer to repel
intruders. intruders. (Bell Security!)

    Before using, the container should be given a phew shakes. Under
laboratory conditions all the oil is extracted from the seeds. But with my
Mickey Mouse method a lot of oil is left in so the residue is quite potent.
Just be sure you strain out any larger bits so the sprayer hole is not
clogged.

    The ground seeds left in the percolator are dried and saved. They
are great for throwing into the faces of people in a mob. If you really
want a laugh, throw some broadcast from a theater balcony during the death
scene in "Love Story".

    The goody called MACE is probably only acrolein. If not, it works
just as well as MACE and is simple and fun to produce. It is the same
product as described on pages 104 through 106 of the ANARCHIST COOKBOOK.
Mine however, is broken down and simplified.

    Acrolein is not toxic but causes horrible pain in the nose and
copious tears, and irritates the skin. A shot in the face from a water
pistol or some other sprayer will put anyone out of the game for at least
half an hour.

    Acrolein is best made an ounce at a time. Put in the flask 2 1/2
ounces of glycerine and 3/4 ounce of sodium bisulfate (Sani-Flush), both of
which can be bought at any grocery store.

    The still is set up with the outside tube connected as the fumes
are bad. When the mixture starts to bubble it must be watched constantly
to make sure it does not bubble up into the neck of the flask. If it starts
for the neck of the flask, remove the lamp until it settles down. If the
lamp is too hot, the tin can is raised on small blocks until the right heat
is gotten.

    Distill off an ounce of acrolein and take away the lamp. An ounce
is all this size batch is good for. Let the flask cool for anb hour before
opening and cleaning. Pour the residue down the sink and put your face over
the drain to get a sample of the vapor. Then cap the receiving bottle and
wash everything the acrolein was in contact with. The best squirter for the
three irritants above is a water pistol. Most water pistol. Most water
pistols leak badly so they mustt be tranbsported barrel up so the goody
won't ooze out around the trigger. It will leak when you use it so it is
best to put in the plastic sandwhich bag with the opening held around the
barrel with the rubberband. If the is pistol has a trigger guard it should
be cut off and then it can be used just as easily in a plastic bag as
otherwise.

    For casual carrying around, you cant beat a nasal spray. The best
ones can be screwed open so the goody can be poured in. If not, you have to
squeeze it and put its nozzle into the goody. When the pressure is
released the irritant will be sucked up.

    Such irritants are illegal to carry in some states. that's one of
the reasons the nasal spray is best. If you are searched and it is found,
there is little chance it will be recognized for what it is.  I don't know
what advice to give you if the cop has the sniffles and goes to use some of
your goody.

thats all pholks


7.4     FIREWORKS

     While fireworks cannot really be used as an effective means of terror,
they do have some value as distractions or incendiaries. There are several
basic types of fireworks that can be made in the home, whether for fun, profit,
or nasty uses.

7.401     Casings and Glues

One of the biggest complaints I hear about firework formulas goes something
like, "This $@#!!* thing doesn't work! I wish someone would actually try
the things out before they upload them and waste my time!" Sometimes, I
agree.  There are formulas for fireworks and explosives that have no chance
of working, and others that are downright dangerous. Many were obviously
thrown together by kids who never really tried them out, but thought they
would look "big" in the eyes of their friends if they wrote some "anarchy"
files. Others copy formulas from old manuals on pyrotechnics or explosives,
or even old encyclopedias.  These will often work, but many were written
before anyone thought about safety, and were abandoned after enough people
got blown away. Modern literature on pyrotechnics often warn against some
of these old formulations, but they get copied anyway by people who either
don't know or don't care that they're dangerous. These files can then get
passed around the country by others who don't know of the danger.

Let me make my feelings clear. People who write such trash are dangerous
and should be treated the same as anyone who tried to slip you a computer
virus or trojan horse. At least a trojan will just screw up your hard
drive. That can be repaired, but you can't go buy a new set of eyes or
fingers! If you don't thoroughly understand what you're doing, go learn
some more, first. There are enough bad text files out there that taking the
time to learn about dangerous materials and mixtures will be your only
defense against getting seriously hurt.

But a formula may be completely correct and as safe as a pyrotechnic
mixture is expected to be, and you still may have trouble making it work.
Often the reason is that the kids who wrote the text files don't know how
to package the materials to get the proper results. Or they didn't know
that it takes more than just mixing chemicals to make some of the
compositions work. If you've ever mixed together the ingredients for
gunpowder and watched its feeble fizzling compared that to the hard flash
of commercial gunpowder, you've seen how important the proper processing
can be. Sure, the first time you mixed a few chemicals together it was a
real kick just to set fire to a small pile of it and watch it burn. But to
make any kind of decent firework requires that a properly designed casing
be used to hold your magic powders, and then those powders have to be made
properly. A poorly designed casing or improperly processed composition will
louse things up as much as any lousy formula.

There don't seem to be any text files out there that discuss casings or
processing, though I've personally downloaded hundreds that contain
formulas for pyrotechnic mixtures. Now we can change all that.

So what's the big deal about casings? Just a paper tube, right? No, not
quite. A roman candle casing has to be able to handle repeated bursts so as
to fire its stars like a rifle does bullets. But if all the burning
materials inside change the inside diameter of the casing by too much, then
the puffs of gas that fire the stars into the air will escape around them
and not push them very high. Some of my early attempts didn't fire the
stars out at all. A skyrocket casing has to be light, strong enough not to
burst even though the pressures inside can be tremendous, and if it has a
nozzle it has to grip it tightly enough that it doesn't get blown out of
the casing. A firecracker on the other hand, has to be flimsy enough to
burst yet strong enough to grip its end plugs rather than let them rip
loose and fire off of the end of the casing. There are dozens of other
examples, and if the casings aren't built right then you've just built a
dud.

So, learning all about various papers and glues isn't nearly as sexy as
playing with chemicals, but until you do you may as well just go lighting
up little piles of powder. You'll save a lot of money, and the results will
be no less spectacular. But there's a lot more to this than we can cover in
the size text file that's been typical of this series. We'll break this
topic up into a group of files that are a bit larger than usual. This will
just be part 1 of the discussion on casings and construction.

So, now that I've shamed you into wanting to learn about paper and glue,
let's get down to business. There are two kinds of paper tubes available.
These are called spiral wound and parallel wound. If you've ever tried to
wrap a sheet of paper around a dowel, pencil, or broomstick handle, you
produced a crude parallel wound casing. We'll be sharpening our skills in
this area. Spiral wound casings are made by wrapping thin strips around a
round dowel form in a spiral pattern. Tubes used to hold wrapping paper,
paper towels and toilet paper are made using this method, so check one of
these if you have trouble picturing the method. Spiral wound casings are
almost useless in fireworks as they have much less strength. Only
firecrackers like M-80s use spiral wound casings, and that's because
they're not supposed to be strong. So if you happen to come across some
spiral wound tubes that are the right size to cut up for M-80s, you may be
able to use them. Otherwise, they're probably not all that useful, even if
they seem thick enough.

Just so as not to worry anybody, you don't NEED a spiral wound tube for
M-80s. A suitably thin parallel wound tube will do the job just fine.
Spiral wound tubes are frequently used wherever possible because they're
cheaper to make. Machines that handle thin strips of paper don't make as
many wrinkled tubes as machines that have to handle wide sheets. Since
we'll be doing our work by hand, this need not bother us.

                                  Glues

The good news here is that the materials won't be nearly as hard to come by
as some of the pyrotechnic mixtures mentioned in earlier installments.
There are different types of glue formulas, most being variations of flour
paste, which you can select, depending on what's convenient to you. If you
don't feel like doing the slimy work needed to make this muck, I'll mention
that I've had some success with commercial white glues, like Elmer's Glue
All, though this tends to make a casing that doesn't accept certain types
of end plugs very tightly. I wouldn't use it for rocket casings, and
firecrackers have to be specially constructed. It's also going to cost a
lot more than flour paste. You can experiment with it for small batches, if
you like. It's also possible to get passable results with batches of white
school paste, thinned down with enough water to make it flow. But if you're
going to make a reasonable number of casings, you'll need larger batches of
glue, and you can make it fairly cheaply and simply.

A good, homemade glue that will make strong casings is made by adding 4 1/2
cups of flour to 3 cups of boiling water and then adding 1/8 ounce of alum
(aluminum potassium sulfate). Stir this combination until it is consistent
in blend. When it's cooled, it's ready to use. The flour is the actual
glue. The alum helps fireproof the mess and helps act as a preservative.
This is important, as wet flour will eventually spoil, and so this mess has
to be used up fairly quickly. Don't count on saving it for more than a
couple of days and especially don't try storing it in a jar or other closed
space. The flour will spoil by fermenting, producing lots of gas, bursting
your jar.

But if spoilage is a real problem, can we let the flour spoil BEFORE we
make the glue? This is not as silly a question as it sounds. By doing this,
we make a slop that can be kept a month or so, if it's also kept in a
reasonably cool, dark place. Just don't make it on a full stomach.

Pour anywhere from a few cups to a few bucketfulls of flour into a
container large enough to cover it with a good layer of water but still be
only a third full. How much water you use doesn't matter too much right
now, as most of it will be poured out later. Just make sure that you're
making a batter, instead of a dough. Stir it up good, but don't worry too
much about little lumps.  That will be corrected later.

Now for the revolting part. Let the stuff sit for 2-3 days in a warm (90
degrees F) place and check it after then. If it hasn't begun fermenting by
then, drop in a few pinches of instant yeast. When the fermentation is
finished and there are no more bubbles forming, the flour will have settled
as a gooey layer at the bottom of a pool of revolting brownish liquid. Get
rid of the brown slop and note how much batter is resting in the bottom of
the container.  Boil enough water so as to have a volume that's twice the
size of the batter, and pour it in slowly, stirring the flour briskly.
It'll start out being easy to stir, but will get thick in a hurry. If
you're only making a few cups at a time, it won't be heavy enough to hold
still while you're trying to stir it, so you might want to have the
container clamped down solid.

If you did it all right, you should have a batch of clear, smooth paste
that's plenty sticky and fine for sticking your casings together. Since
it's already a spoiled batch of flour, it can't go bad a second time and
needs no preservatives.

If you plan to use any Chlorates in your fireworks you should also add some
potassium carbonate dissolved in water to your glue before using it to make
any casings. I always put it in, no matter what I plan to do. The reason
for this is that glue tends to deteriorate slightly, producing a slightly
acidic material. Old paper used in the casings can also become acidic. Any
Chlorate that comes in contact with an acid will produce tiny amounts of
Chloric Acid, which can ignite if you do anything more vigorous than just
thinking about it.  Potassium Carbonate will counteract the effect of any
acids, making your final masterpiece much safer than it would be otherwise.
After that, it's still common practice to design fireworks so that no
Chlorate bearing portions actually touch any glue.

A super hard pyrotechnic cement can be made by mixing finely powdered
Calcium Carbonate (powdered chalk) with Sodium Silicate solution. The
proportions will vary depending on the amount of water in the Sodium
Silicate, but you can make a few small test batches to check what works
best for your materials. The Sodium Silicate should be thick enough to
remind you of maple syrup, and can either be thinned with distilled water
or allowed to thicken by evaporation, as needed. Stir in the Calcium
Carbonate until you've got a thick, sticky mess.  When this stuff hardens,
you won't be able to clean it off of your utensils, so use items that you
won't mind throwing away.

This material makes nice end plugs in large firecrackers, and can be mixed
with sawdust and a bit of red powdered tempra paint to make that nice,
solid shell that coats cherry bombs. But this stuff is rock hard and turns
into a shower of skin and eye piercing shrapnel once it bursts. Keep this
in mind as you design your little gems.



7.402     Rolling Casings

This is one of those very important skills that always seem to be ignored
in files that describe the pyrotechnic arts. Yet, the properly built casing
will make the difference between sucess and failure of your creations. For
most casings, brown Kraft paper will work very well. Everyone who's in any
way involved with modern civilization is familiar with this stuff as the
brown paper bags used by supermarkets, hardware stores, and many other
businesses.  It's tough and will absorb the glue, making a tough casing.
While stores in many areas are switching to plastic bags, it should be
possible to save enough bags to meet your needs. If not, you can buy the
paper in large rolls from paper supply houses. While it comes in various
thicknesses, choose something that's comparable to the paper bags, which
seem to be well suited for our needs.

While the simplest casings are just made by rolling a piece of paper over a
rod, and then sliding it off and gluing the end closed, these are not of
very much use. Most casings need to have glue between the layers of paper
to make them hard, have to be cut to the proper length while they're still
wet and mushy from the glue, and you have to use care not to glue the
casing to the rod you're winding it on.

You have two choices as to the type of rod to use to roll your casings. A
metal bar will last longest, won't swelll from the moisture in the glue,
and won't easily stick to a stray glue droplet, but is more expensive,
takes more work to cut to size, and will quickly dull the knife blade that
will be used to cut the casing. A wooden dowel is cheap, easy to cut to
length, available in a wide variety of sizes. It will also have to be
replaced more frequently if you cut your casings while they're on it,
because the knife blade will quickly cut deep grooves into the wood. It
also requires extra care to keep from gluing the casing to it. We'll
describe the procedure for wrapping a casing around a wooden dowel. If you
choose to use a metal rod, you can ignore the extra cautions that using
wood will require.

Start with a sheet of paper. One dimension will be about an inch and a half
larger than the length of your casing. The other dimension will have to be
learned from trial and error, and will have to do with how thick you want
the casing wall to be. Wrap one and a half turns of the paper around the
dowel and give the dowel a twist so that the paper is wrapped tightly with
no slack or wrinkles. Unwrap about a quarter turn, enough so that it still
remains tightly wrapped but just barely so. Next, put glue on the paper
near the crack where the wrapped portion meets loose portion and start
wrapping the paper by rolling the dowel over a flat surface. If you're
using a bottle of white glue for this, the long line of glue will glob up
and travel along as you roll the casing.

Whenever an area runs low on glue, squirt some more in the depleted area.
If you're using a liquid paste, you'll instead want to apply it with a
brush. In either case, don't let the glue get any closer than a half inch
from the ends of the tube. This is particularly important if you're using a
wooden dowel, as any glue that runs out the end will make it difficult or
impossible to remove the casing. Keep rolling and applying glue until the
paper is all used up. If your casing isn't thick enough, it's easy to fix.
Just glue on another piece, keep applying the glue, and keep rolling.

Once you're done rolling, take a sharp knife and place it about 3/4 of an
inch from one end, at right angles to the tube. Press down and roll back
and forth, and you'll cut away the unglued end of the tube, along with a
little of the glued portion. Slide the piece off and do the same to the
other side. With a little practice, you can make the knife cut go around in
a perfect circle rather than a slightly ragged spiral, and the end of the
casing will be smooth. As quickly as you can, slide the tube off of the
rod, and set it aside to dry. Besides the danger of gluing the tube to the
rod, there is also the problem that the tube will shrink slightly as it
dries, so don't leave it on the rod any longer than you have to.

There are a few things to think about; the wetness in the glue will quickly
dull the knife blade. Wipe it off immediately after cutting an end. It's
not a bad idea to use an X-Acto knife, which uses cheap, disposable blades.
You may also find that a whetstone is useful in extending the life of your
blades. Another thing to consider is that even if no glue touches your
dowel, it will still absorb traces of moisture and after you've wound a
couple of casings, it will be much easier for you to accidentally glue the
casing to the dowel. It's a good idea to have several dowels and use them
in rotation so that each has time to dry off before it gets used again.

After you've had some practice rolling casings, you'll find it fairly easy
to roll your casings on one dowel, slide it off before you cut off the
unglued ends, slide the end onto a second dowel that's been sanded down to
make it just a bit smaller, and use that to cut the ends off. This way, you
won't cut knife marks into your good rolling dowels, and when the ends of
your cutting dowels get too ragged you can just cut them off and use the
fresh end for cutting. You needn't put the cutting dowel more than an inch
into the casing before cutting it. This will reduce the chances of getting
it stuck.



7.403       What Was That About Chlorates?

Materials like Potassium Chlorate and Barium Chlorate are among those that
you love and fear to use. Unlike the Perchlorates, which are much safer,
Chlorates form Chloric Acid in the presence of moisture (like humidity) and
any kind of acid material, and this can cause your mixtures to ignite on
their own. If that igniting mixture is inside a salute that's piled in a
box with other salutes, you can expect the whole thing to go up at once.
Impressive to watch from a distance, but if it was in the trunk of your
car, you should expect to have to answer a lot of questions to the
authorities. And pay higher insurance. Yes, there's nothing like Chlorates
to make fireworks so thoroughly spectacular.

What to do? I normally avoid them, but have no problem with passing on
formulas that use them, as long as you realize what you're getting into.
While there are some places they should never be used, Chlorates are
sometimes used in stars that get fired from a roman candle or aerial bomb,
because the speed with which they get ejected can actually blow them out.
Chlorate based mixtures just don't blow out. If you want to use them, use
small amounts and don't try to store your creations over long periods of
time. Keep them away from other fireworks.

We can neutralize an acid by adding a base (a Hydroxide) but bases tend to
absorb atmospheric moisture and screw up the burning of your mixture. A
group of compounds that act much like bases (Carbonates) also can
counteract small traces of acids. Make sure that your glue contains
carbonates to counteract the effect of any acids that may form. If you want
your eyes and fingers to last a lifetime, it's also a good idea to add some
sort of Carbonate to the firework mixture. This will counteract any acid,
but adds nothing at all to the performance of the powder. Furthermore, they
can change the color that the powder burns. We've covered the elements that
add color in an earlier file, and know, for example that Strontium salts
give a red color. So adding Strontium Carbonate to the mixture can at least
give us some coloring. Barium Carbonate can give a green color. While
Sodium Carbonate might give us a yellow though, it also absorbs atmospheric
moisture and will keep your mixture from burning properly.

The use of carbonates is particularly important if your mixture contains
both a Chlorate and Sulfur. Sulfur can form both traces of Sulfur Dioxide
and Hydrogen Sulfide, and BOTH of these become acidic in water. One of the
earlier files in this series showed how a mixture of just Potassium
Chlorate and Sulfur will explode when you strike them. The trace amounts of
acid that are always present in sulfur in the air can form enough Chloric
Acid to explode when hit. Now, if you let it sit by itself for a long time,
it may decide to ignite by itself.  Then again, it may not. A potassium
Chlorate-Sulfur bearing pyrotechnic mixture may behave properly the first
99 times you try it, and then bite you on the hundredth. If you want to
experiment with Chlorate-Sulfur formulas, use small amounts only, add a
carbonate before using them in any real fireworks, and absolutely avoid any
of the ancient formulas that use Chlorates and Sulfur in firecrackers. For
that matter, Chlorates mixed with anything in a firecracker are a bad idea.



7.41     FIRECRACKERS

     A simple firecracker can be made from cardboard tubing and epoxy.
The instructions are below:

     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, potassium picrate, lead azide,
        nitrocellulose, or any of the fast burning fuel-oxodizer mixtures
        will do nicely.  Fill the tube almost to the top.

     5) Pack the explosive tightly in the tube with a wad of tissue paper
        and a pencil or other suitable ramrod.  Be sure to leave enough space
         for more epoxy.

     6) Fill the remainder of the tube with the epoxy and hardener, and allow
         it to dry.

     7) For those who wish to make spectacular firecrackers, always use
        flash powder, mixed with a small amount of other material for
        colours.  By crushing the material on a sparkler, and adding it
        to the flash powder, the explosion will be the same colour as the
        sparkler.   By adding small chunks of sparkler material, the
        device will throw out coloured burning sparks, of the same colour
        as the sparkler.  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.

        Example:  Suppose I wish to make a firecracker that will explode
               with a red flash, and throw out white sparks.  First,
               I would take a road flare, and finely powder the material
               inside it.   Or, I could take a red sparkler, and finely
               powder it.  Then, I would mix a small amount of this
               material with the flash powder.  (NOTE: FLASH POWDER
               MAY REACT WITH SOME MATERIALS THAT IT IS MIXED WITH, AND
               EXPLODE SPONTANEOUSLY!)  I would mix it in a ratio of
               9 parts flash powder to 1 part of flare or sparkler
               material, and add about 15 small balls of aluminum foil
               I would store the material in a plastic bag overnight
               outside of the house, to make sure that the stuff doesn't
               react.  Then, in the morning, I would test a small amount
               of it, and if it was satisfactory, I would put it in the
               firecracker.

     8) If this type of firecracker is mounted on a rocket engine,
        professional to semi-professional displays can be produced.


7.411     The "GIANT" Firecracker Class

Author: Saint Anarchy/D.O.A.
From: Phantasy No.8

    FireCrackers are so simple to make that many books on fireworks often
ignore them. There are two main types of FireCrackers, but many different
mixtures or powder formulas. This month I will only look at the "GIANT"
FireCracker Class.

    Handmade "GIANT" FireCrackers are made by first rolling paper around a
3/4 inch wooden dowel until the paper is 1/8 inch thick. This is the casing of
the FireCracker. The best paper to use is from a brown paper grocery bag. It
is cut into the desired width and length to make 1/8 inch when rolled. On the
last layer of the rolling process, the paper is glued and the completed paper
tube is slipped off the dowel.

    1/4 Inch thick slice of the dowel is used to plug the end. The plug for
the fuse end is drilled to allow for the fuse. The plugs are smeared with glue
before being pressed into the end of the tube. More glue is squeezed around
the fuse after being inserted.

    In all the directions I have for making giant FireCrackers, it is
recommended that they be filled only about 1/3 full. It is generally accepted
that completely filled ones are not as loud as 1/3 filled tubes.

    If you choose to only fill the tube 1/3 of the way, make sure you
insert the fuse deep enough as to reach the powder. Adequate FireCrackers canu
be made with commercial gun powder, pistol powder being the best to use, but
even shotgun powder will do. In Part II next month will look at complete
powder formulas and the second class of FireCrackers.


7.42     SKYROCKETS

     An impressive home made skyrocket can easily be made in the home from
model rocket engines.  Estes engines are recommended.

     1) Buy an Estes Model Rocket Engine of the desired size, remembering
        that the power doubles with each letter.  (See sect. 6.1 for details)

     2) 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.

     3) 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, about 1/2 an inch.

     4) By adding materials as detailed in the section on firecrackers,
        various types of effects can be produced.

     5) By putting Jumping Jacks or bottle rockets without the stick
        in the tube, spectacular displays with moving fireballs or
           M.R.V.'s can be produced.

     6) Finally, by mounting many home made firecrackers on the tube with
        the fuses in the tube, multiple coloured bursts can be made.

7.421     More Sky Rockets

    Next to the Roman Candle, these are perhaps the most popular articles
of the pyrotechnical craft and, on good authority, apparently antedate the
candle. So much has been written about sky rockets that any detailed description
would be superfluous. The French, particularly, have left a most complete
history, Sometimes amusing, in view of the present status of rocket manufacture.
The rocket consists of a tube of paper rammed with suitable composition, its
lower end choked to about one-third of the diameter of its bore, and having a
hollow center extending upward through the composition to about 3/4 of an inch
of the top. A stick attached to the tube serves to balance it while ascending.
Roughly, the composition of a rocket, that is, the portion of it that is
burning while it is ascending, should be seven times its diameter in length.
Six-sevenths is pierced through the center while one-seventh is solid and acts
as a fuse to communicate the fire to the heading when the rocket reaches the
highest point of its flight.

    The tube is made of strong paper, preferably 3 turns of hardware paper
on the inside with 4 or more turns of straw board or Kraft paper on the outside.
A good rocket case can also be made of heavy rag or building paper, if it is
properly rolled with good paste. The process of choking the case and ramming
in a mold has been practically discontinued. An average model for a 1 pound
rocket is given in the file "ROCKET.ANS" (ANSI graphics format).

    Good rockets should be uniform, all those of one caliber ascending to
the same height and bursting at about the same time. This is particularly
desirable in bouquets of 100 or more, fired simultaneously, or a straggling
effect is produced.

    Most rockets larger than 3 ounces are rammed singly or by gang rammers,
which can be built on a custom basis. Today, hydraulic rammers are also in use.

    For very large rockets, a scoop of clay is shaken in and rammed with
eight good blows of a mallet on the longest rammer. Then, a scoopful of
composition is rammed with about eight lighter blows. This is repeated until
the case is filled to about 1 inch from the top. Shift rammer as it becomes
necessary to use shorter ones. There should be 1 inch of solid composition
above the top end of the spindle. Now the final charge of clay is put in and
the hollow pin rammer is used. This sets the clay while leaving an opening for
the fire to reach the heading. Care must be used to see that the hollow tube
just pierces the clay. If it does not go through, the heading will fail to
fire; if it goes too far, the heading will fire prematurely. (The heading is
the blast charge or whatever you want to ignite) the following are good
compositions for rockets of the different sizes given: (given in weighted
parts)

                    1-3 ounces    4-8 ounces    1-3 pounds    4-8 pounds
Potassium Nitrate      18            16            16            18
Mixed Coal             10             9            12            12
Sulfur                  3             4             3             3

    If rockets burst before ascending, add more coal; if they ascend too
slowly, add more Potassium Nitrate. For the smaller sizes, use fine coal, for
larger, coarser in proportion to the diameter. In 4-8 pound rockets, use
partly granulated Potassium Nitrate.

7.43     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 1/2 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.  About 1/2 of 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 about 1 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
        colour.  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) 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 coloured fireball should shoot out of the tube to a height of
        about 30 feet.  This height can be increased by adding a slightly
        larger powder charge in step 4, or by using a slightly longer tube.

     8) If the ball does not ignite, add slightly more pyrodex in step 5.

     9) The balls made for roman candles also function very well in rockets,
        producing an effect of falling coloured fireballs.


7.44     Serpents

    The eggs for producing this remarkable article consists of small pellets
of sulfocyanide (thiocyanate) of mercury which has the remarkable property of
swelling 25-50 times its original size when lighted, producing a ling, snake-
like ash. To prepare it, make a concentrated solution of mercuric chloride and
add, little by little, a solution of potassium sulfocyanide, stirring
constantly. A grayish precipitate will be formed, and when the last addition
of sulfocyanide no longer produces cloudiness, permit the mixture to settle.
Drain the supernatant liquid off as much as possible, remove the precipitate
to a filter paper, placed in a glass funnel, and wash slightly. When it is
thoroughly dried, reduce it to a fine powder. When ready to for the eggs,
moisten the composition very sparingly with a weak solution of gum arabic
which may be added a pinch of potassium nitrate and, made into cones, by
ramming. However, this product is poisonous to man and other living species,
since it is composed of cyanide and mercury. Thus, another formula has been
devised to accommodate safety.

    A safer version of the above serpent can be made of the following:
Naphtha pitch (10), Linseed oil (2), Fuming nitric acid (7), and Picric acid
(3 1/2). Reduce the pitch to a fine powder; add linseed oil and mix well in a
mortar. Add the fuming nitric acid, always a little at a time, Allow to cool
for 1 hour. Wash several times with water, the last time allowing the mass to
stand in the water for several hours. Dry thoroughly; powder finely and add
picric acid, rubbing it in well. Moisten with gum arabic water and form into
pellets about the size of a #4 star.


7.45     Smokes

    This branch of pyrotechny seems to have been somewhat overlooked, though
its possibilities for daylight entertainment as a supplement of night displays
could open an interesting field for those with enough imagination to develop
it.

    There are as many colors and tints of smoke as there are flames and
aerial combinations. The simplest form of the smoke used in pyrotechny is the
smoke pot, as used in spectacles like THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII and BURNING OF
ROME, where it is desired to give the effect of destruction by fire. Smoke and
spark posts consist of short cases about 4-6 inches in diameter and 6-12
inches in length. A basic formula subject to variation is:

                                  Smoke 1   Smoke 2   Spark 1   White
Potassium Nitrate                    4         6        ---       12
Lampblack                            1        ---       ---       ---
Fine Charcoal                        1        ---        1         1
Realgar                              1        ---       ---       ---
Rosin                                1        ---       ---       ---
Sulfur                              ---      1 1/4      ---       16
Antimony Sulfide                    ---        1        ---       ---
Meal Powder                         ---        1         2        ---
Sawdust                             ---       ---        1        ---


7.46     Whistling Fireworks

    The peculiar property of picrate of whistling while burning has been
known for a long time. You can manufacture whistling fireworks using this
substance. In a porcelain receptacle, dissolve 1 pound of picric acid in the
least possible quantity of boiling water; add 1/4 pound of potassium
carbonate, a little at a time, stirring continuously. When effervescence has
subsided, add 1 pound of powdered potassium nitrate. Stir thoroughly, allow to
stand for an hour and then place it on a heavy piece of filter paper in a
glass funnel, to drain. When it is dry, crush to a fine powder with a wooden
roller.

    Although this is a reasonably safe composition, only small quantities
should be handled at a time, as an explosion will cause disastrous result, or
will they? heh heh. The dry powder may be rammed into tubes from 1/4 to 3/4
inches in diameter, and will produce the whistling sound when burned. Bamboo
tubes are most effective.

    Owing to the ease with which potassium picrate detonates, whistles
cannot be use in shells, but small tubes, 1/4 inches in diameter and 2 1/2
inches long, when charged with the above composition, may be placed in the
heads of rockets or fastened to the outside and arranged to burn while the
rocket is ascending. Attached to wheels, they are quite amusing, but the most
effective use for them is in a series of six or eight, ranging in size from 1/4
to 3/4 inches in diameter, set side by side like a Pandean pipe and burned
simultaneously.

    A non--picrate whistle, safer than the one above, is made from potassium
chlorate (3), and Gallic acid (1). This composition makes a very good whistle
and is not nearly as troublesome to prepare as the one using picric acid.


7.47     Coloured Flames

    Colored flames are made by dissolving various substances in alcohol. A
copper can filled with cotton is impregnated with the alcoholic solution. It
is lighted by a tuft of cotton protruding from the opening. For green flame,
use boric acid. Red flame uses strontium or lithium chloride. Yellow flame
requires sodium chloride. A blue flame may be produced with copper sulfate or
cesium carbonate.


7.48     Basic Coloured Fireworks

Author: Ford Prefect

    All are explosive but in normal quantities, and if the directions are
followed carefully, there is little danger of blowing yourself up.

    First is a list of chemicals which are commonly used. these mixtures
burn with different colors and can be used for a number of different things.

    The numbers following are parts by wei of each of the chemicals. Parts
by weight is a ratio. 6 pbw means for every 1 (gram for instance) you need 6
(grams) of the other.

White:
potassium nitrate.......6
antimony sulfide........1
powdered sulfur.........1

White:
potassium nitrate......24
powdered sulfur.........7
charcoal................1

White:
potassium sulfide......55
powdered sulfur........11
charcoal................1

Y Canlow:
potassium nitrate.......4
powdered sulfur.........1
charcoal................2
sodium chloride.........3

Y Canlow:
powdered sulfur.........4
charcoal................1
potassium nitrate......24
sodium carbonate........6

Red:
strontium nitrate.......4
powdered orange shellac.1

Red:
strontium nitrate......11
powdered sulfur.........4
charcoal................1
calcium carbonate......11
potassium nitrate.......1

Purple:
copper sulfate..........1
strontium nitrate.......1
powdered sulfur.........1
charcoal................1
potassium nitrate.......3

Green:
barium nitrate..........7
powdered sulfur.........4
charcoal................1
potassium nitrate.......1

Green:
barium chlorate.........9
powdered orange shellac.1

Blue:
antimony sulfide........2
powdered sulfur.........4
potassium nitrate......12

Blue:
potassium nitrate......12
powdered sulfur.........3
charcoal................1
copper sulfate..........2
powdered rosin..........1


7.49     Stars, Flares, and Color Mixtures


    We will be using the following materials this time. Get familiar
with them. Some can be highly dangerous.


Aluminum Dust (and powder)   Al

An element used for brilliancy in the fine powder form. It can be purchased as
a fine silvery or gray powder. All grades from technical to superpure (99.9%)
can be used. It is dangerous to inhale the dust. The dust is also flammable, by
itself. In coarser forms, like powder, it is less dangerous.


Antimony Sulfide Sb S
                   2 3

Also known as "Black" Antimony Sulfide. (There is also a "Red" form, which is
useless to us.) This is used to sharpen the report of firecrackers, salutes,
etc, or to add color to a fire. The technical, black, powder is suitable. Avoid
contact with the skin. Dermatitis or worse will be the result.


Barium Chlorate   Ba(ClO ) * H O
                        3 2   2

Available as a white powder. It is poisonous, as are all Barium salts. It is
used both as an oxidizer and color imparter. It is as powerful as Potassium
Chlorate and should be handled with the same care. Melting point is 414
degrees.


Barium Nitrate  Ba(NO )
                     3 2

Poisonous. Used as an oxidizer and colorizer. The uses and precautions are the
same as with a mixture containing Potassium Nitrate.


Charcoal  C

A form of the element carbon. Used in fireworks and explosives as a reducing
agent. It can be purchased as a dust on up to a coarse powder. Use dust form,
unless otherwise specified. The softwood variety is best, and it should be
black, not brown.


Copper Acetoarsenite   (CuO) As O Cu(C H O )
                            3  2 3    2 3 2 2

The popular name for this is Paris Green. It is also called King's Green or
Vienna Green. It has been used as an insecticide, and is available as a
technical grade, poisonous, emerald green powder. It is used in fireworks to
add color. Careful with this stuff. It contains arsenic.


Copper Chloride   CuCl
                      2

A color imparter. As with all copper salts, this is poisonous.


Copper Sulfate   CuSO *5H O
                     4   2

Known as Blue Vitriol, this poisonous compound is available as blue crystals or
blue powder. Can be purchased in some drugstores and some agricultural supply
stores. Used as a colorizer.


Dextrine

This can be purchased as a white or yellow powder. It is a good cheap glue for
binding cases and stars in fireworks.


Lampblack   C

This is another form of the element carbon. It is a very finely powdered black
dust (soot, actually) resulting from the burning of crude oils. It is used for
special effects in fireworks.


Lead Chloride  PbCl
                   3

Available as a white, crystalline, poisonous powder, which melts at 501
degrees. As with all lead salts, it is not only poisonous, but the poison
accumulates in the body, so a lot of small, otherwise harmless doses can be as
bad as one large dose.


Mercurous Chloride  HgCl

Also known as calomel or Mercury Monochloride. This powder will brighten an
otherwise dull colored mixture. Sometimes it is replaced by Hexachlorobenzene
for the same purpose. This is non poisonous ONLY if it is 100% pure. Never
confuse this chemical with Mercuric Chloride, which is poisonous in any purity.


Potassium Chlorate  KClO
                        3

This, perhaps, is the most widely used chemical in fireworks. Before it was
known, mixtures were never spectacular in performance. It opened the door to
what fireworks are today. It is a poisonous, white powder that is used as an
oxidizer. Never ram or strike a mixture containing Potassium Chlorate. Do not
store mixtures containing this chemical for any length of time, as they may
explode spontaneously.


Potassium Dichromate   K Cr O
                        2  2 7

Also known as Potassium Bichromate. The commercial grade is used in fireworks
and matches. The bright orange crystals are poisonous.


Potassium Nitrate   KNO
                       3

Commonly called Saltpeter. This chemical is an oxidizer which decomposes at 400
degrees. It is well known as a component of gunpowder and is also used in other
firework pieces. Available as a white powder.


Potassium Perchlorate   KClO
                            4

Much more stable than its chlorate brother, this chemical is a white or
slightly pink powder. It can often substitute for Potassium Chlorate to make
èthe mixture safer. It will not yield its oxygen as easily, but to make up for
this, it gives off more oxygen. It is also poisonous.


Red Gum

Rosin similar to shellac and can often replace it in many fireworks formulas.
Red Gum is obtained from barks of trees.


Shellac Powder

An organic rosin made from the secretions of insects which live in India. The
exact effect it produces in fireworks is not obtainable from other gums. The
common mixture of shellac and alcohol sold in hardware stores should be
avoided. Purchase the powdered variety, which is orange in color.


Sodium Oxalate  Na C O
                  2 2 4

Used in making yellow fires. Available as a fine dust, which you should avoid
breathing.


Strontium Carbonate   SrCO
                          3

Known in the natural state as Strontianite, this chemical is used for adding a
red color to fires. It comes as a white powder, in a pure, technical, or
natural state.


Strontium Nitrate   Sr(NO )
                         3 2

By far the most common chemical used to produce red in flares, stars and fires.
Available in the technical grade as a white powder. It does double duty as an
oxidizer, but has a disadvantage in that it will absorb some water from the
air.


Strontium Sulfate   SrSO
                        4

Since this chemical does not absorb water as readily as the nitrate, it is
often used when the powder is to be stored. In its natural state it is known as
Celestine, which is comparable to the technical grade used in fireworks.


Sulfur   S

A yellow element that acts as a reducing agent. It burns at 250 degrees, giving
off choking fumes. Purchase the yellow, finely powdered form only. Other forms
are useless without a lot of extra and otherwise unnecessary effort to powder
it.


Zinc Dust   Zn

Of all the forms of zinc available, only the dust form is in any way suitable.
As a dust, it has the fineness of flour. Should be either of the technical or
high purity grade. Avoid breathing the dust, which can cause lung damage. Used
in certain star mixtures, and with sulfur, as a rocket fuel.


The Chemistry of Pyrotechnics

Most pyrotechnic mixtures follow a very simple set of chemical rules. We'll go
over those now. Most mixtures contain an oxidizing agent, which usually
produces oxygen used to burn the mixture, and a reducing agent, which burns to
produce hot gasses. In addition, there can be coloring agents to impart a color
to the fire, binders, which hold the mixture in a solid lump, and regulators
that speed up or slow down the speed at which the mixture burns. These are not
all the possibilities, but they cover most all cases.

Oxidizing agents, such as nitrates, chlorates, and perchlorates provide the
oxygen. They usually consist of a metal ion and the actual oxidizing radical.
For example, Potassium Nitrate contains a metal ion (Potassium) and the
oxidizing radical (the Nitrate). Instead of potassium, we could instead
substitute other metals, like sodium, barium, or strontium, and the chemical
would still supply oxygen to the burning mixture. But some are less desirable.
Sodium Nitrate, for example, will absorb moisture out of the air, and this will
make it harder to control the speed at which the mixture will burn.

In the following examples, we'll use the letter "X" to show the presence of a
generic metal ion.

Note that Nitrates are stingy with the oxygen that they give up. They only give
one third of what they have.

    Some        Some
   Nitrate     Nitrite  Oxygen

     2XNO  ---> 2XN0    +  O
         3          2       2

Chlorates are very generous, on the other hand. They give up all the oxygen
they have. Furthermore, they give it up more easily. It takes less heat, or
less shock to get that oxygen loose. Mixtures using chlorates burn more
spectacularly, because a smaller volume of the mix needs to be wasted on the
oxidizer, and the ease with which the oxygen is supplied makes it burn faster.
But the mixture is also MUCH more sensitive to shock.

     Some           Some
   Chlorate       Chloride     Oxygen

     2XClO   --->   2XCl     +   3O
          3                        2

Perchlorates round out our usual set of oxidizing tools. Perchlorates contain
even more oxygen than Chlorates, and also give it all up. However, they are not
as sensitive as the Chlorates, so they make mixtures that are "safer". That is,
they're less likely to explode if you drop or strike them.

     Some          Some
  Perchlorate    Chloride     Oxygen

     XClO   --->   XCl     +    2O
         4                        2

Reducing agents, like sulfur and charcoal (carbon) simply burn the oxygen to
produce sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide. It's usually best to include a
mixture of the two in a pyrotechnic mixture, as they burn at different speeds
and temperatures, and the proper combination will help control the speed of
combustion. Also, when extra fast burning speed is needed, like in rockets and
firecrackers, metal powder is often added. The finer the powder, the faster the
burning rate. The proportions change the speed, as well. Magnesium powder or
dust is often used for speed. Aluminum dust works, but not as well. Zinc dust
is used in some cases. Powdered metal, (not dust) particularly aluminum or
iron, are often used to produce a mixtire that shoots out sparks as it burns.
In rare cases, it is desirable to slow down the burning speed. In this case,
corn meal is often used. It burns, so acts as a reducing agent, but it doesn't
burn very well.


Coloring agents are very interesting. It's long been known that various metals
produce different colored flames when burned in a fire. The reasons are buried
in the realm of quantum physics, but the results are what matters, and we can
present them here. Note that if we use an oxidizing agent that contains a
colorizing metal, it can do a double job. It can produce oxygen and color.

Barium     -Barium salts give a pleasant green color. Barium Nitrate is most
            often used.
Strontium  -Strontium salts give a strong red color. Strontium Nitrate is a
            very convenient material for red.
Sodium     -Sodium salts give an intense yellow color. So intense in fact that
            any sodium compounds in a mixture will usually wash out other
            colorizers. As has been said, Sodium Nitrate absorbs moisture from
        the air, and so is not really suitable to impart color. Instead,
            Sodium Oxalate is usually used. This does not absorb lots of water,
            but has the disadvantage of being very poisonous.
Copper     -Copper salts are used to give a blue color. Blue is the most
            difficult color to produce, and it's usually not too spectacular.
            Usually Copper Acetoarsenite (Paris Green) is used. This compound
            contains arsenic, and is very poisonous. Since it still doesn't
            produce a very memorable blue, it's often used with mercurous
            chloride, which enhances the color, but is also poisonous, and
            expensive, to boot.
Potassium  -Potassium salts will give a delicate purple color, if they'e very
            pure. The cheaper lab grades of potassium nitrate often contain
            traces of sodium, which completely obscure the purple color. In
            order to get the purple coloring, very pure grades must be used,
            and you must be very careful to mix it in very clean vessels, and
            scoop it from the supply jar with a very clean scoop. The color is
            certainly worth the effort, if you can get it.


Some mixtures that burn in colors also contain binders, that hold the mixture
together in a solid lump. These lumps are usually referred to as stars. The
balls fired from a roman candle or the colorful showers sprayed from aerial
bombs are examples of stars. Depending on the mixture, the binder is either a
starch called dextrine or finely powdered orange shellac. A shellac-like
material called red gum is also used on occasion. In some mixtures, the shellac
powder also helps produce a nice color. Shellac mixtures are moistened with
èalcohol to get them to stick together. Dextrine mixtures are moistened with
water.

If the colored mixture is to be used as a flare, it's just packed into a thin
paper tube. If it's to be fired from a roman candle, it's usually extruded from
a heavy tube by pushing it out with a dowel, and the pieces are cut off as the
proper length pops out. Stars fired from an aerial bomb are usually made by
rolling the moist mixture flat, and cutting it with a knife into small cubes.
Stars that are extruded are often called "pumped stars" those that are rolled
out are "cut stars".

The following are formulas for mixtures that burn with various colors. Parts
are by weight.


Red

Potassium Chlorate    9
Lampblack             1
Strontium Nitrate     9
bind with shellac
dissolved in alcohol


Blue

Potassium Chlorate    9         This one is inferior
Copper Acetoarsenite  2         Potassium Chlorate    12
Mercurous Chloride    1         Copper Sulfate        6
Sulfur                2         Lead Chloride         1
bind with dextrine              Sulfur                4
in water                        bind with dextrin in water


Green

Barium Chlorate       8         Barium Nitrate        3
Lampblack             1         Potassium Chlorate    4
Shellac Powder        1         Shellac Powder        1
bind with alcohol               Dextrine              1/4
                Bind with alcohol

Yellow

Potassium Chlorate    8         Potassium Chlorate    8
Sodium Oxalate        3         Sodium Oxalate        4
Lampblack             2         Shellac Powder        2
Bind with shellac in            Dextrine              1
alcohol or dextrine             Bind with alcohol
in water


White

Potassium Nitrate     6
Sulfur                1         Antimony Sulfide      2
bind with dextrine in water


Orange

Strontium Nitrate     36
Sodium Oxalate        8
Potassium Chlorate    5
Shellac Powder        5
Sulfur                3
Bind with alcohol


Purple (ingredients must be very pure)

Potassium Chlorate    36        This one has more of a lilac color
Strontium Sulfate     10        Potassium Chlorate    38
Copper Sulfate        5         Strontium Carbonate   18
Lead Chloride         2         Copper Chloride       4
Charcoal              2         Lead Chloride         2
Sulfur                12        Sulfur                14
bind with dextrine in           bind with dextrine in water
water


Brilliant White

Potassium Perchlorate 12
Aluminum Dust         4
Dextrine              1
Bind with water


Golden Twinkler Stars - Falls through the air and burns in an on and off
  manner. The effect is spectacular. A pumped or cut star.

Potassium Nitrate     18
Sulfur                3
Lampblack             3
Aluminum Powder       3
Antimony Sulfide      3
Sodium Oxalate        4
Dextrine              2
Bind with water

Zinc Spreader Stars - Shoot out pieces of burning zinc and charcoal. These
  stars are much heavier than usual, and require larger charges if they're to
  be fired from a tube.

Zinc Dust             72
Potassium Chlorate    15
Potassium Dichromate  12
Granular Charcoal     12 èDextrine               2
bind with water

Electric Stars - Stars that contain aluminum powder

Potassium Nitrate     15        Potassium Chlorate    60
Aluminum, fine        2         Barium Nitrate        5
Aluminum, medium      1         Aluminum, fine        9
Black Powder          2         Aluminum, medium      4
Antimony Sulfide      3         Aluminum, coarse      3
Sulfur                4         Charcoal              2
bind with dextrine in           Dextrin               5
water                           bind with red gum in
                                water
Potassium Perchlorate 6
Barium Nitrate        1         Potassium Perchlorate 4
Aluminum              20        Aluminum, medium      2
Dextrin               1         Dextrin               1
bind with shellac in            bind with shellac in alcohol
alcohol


Simpler Zinc Spreaders

Potassium Nitrate     14        Potassium Chlorate    5
Zinc Dust             40        Potassium Dichromate  4
Charcoal              7         Charcoal, medium      4
Sulfur                4         Zinc Dust             24
bind with dextrine in           bind with dextrine in water
water


Willow Tree Stars - Use large amounts of lampblack -- too much to burn fully.
  Gives a willow tree effect.

Potassium Chlorate    10
Potassium Nitrate     5
Sulfur                1
Lampblack             18
bind with dextrine in water

In future files, we'll look at using these mixtures to produce roman candles,
aerial bombs, and other effects. As always, don't forget that it's just plain
stupid to go buying all these materials from one chemical supply house. When
you buy it all as a group, they know what you plan to do with it, and they keep
records. If anyone goes investigating the source of homemade fireworks and
checks with your supplier, there will be a lead straight to you. Be sure to
cover your tracks.


7.5     OTHER

7.51     Mace Substitute

Author: the Jolly Roger

3 parts Alcohol : 1/2 parts Iodine : 1/2 parts Salt

            OR:

3 parts    Alcohol : 1 parts Iodized Salt (Mortons)

    It's not actual mace, but it does a damn good job on the eyes...


7.52      Laughing Gas

Author:    THE REFLEX

    Ammonium nitrate
    100% Rubbing or Wood alcohol
    Plastic clothes bag
    Flask and stopper
    Alcohol lamp

    As a special treat for the dopers in the audience and since ammonium
nitrate has been on your mind for a few minutes, you might as well learn how to
make laughing gas from ammonium nitrate.

    Laughing gas was one of the earliest anaesthetics.  After a little while
of inhaling the gas the patient became so happy [ain't life great?] he couldn't
keep from laughing.  Finally he would drift off to a pleasant sleep.

    Some do-it-yourselfers have died while taking laughing gas.  This is
because they has generated it through plastic bags while their heads were
inside.  They were simply suffocating but were too bombed out to realize it.

    The trick is to have a plastic clothes bag in which you generate a lot
of the gas.  Then you stop generating the gas and hold a small opening of the
bag under your nose, getting plenty of oxygen in the meantime.  Then, Whee!

    To make it you start with ammonium nitrate bought from a chemical supply
house or which you have purified with 100% rubbing or wood alcohol.

    First, dissolve a quantity of ammonium nitrate in some water.  Then you
evaporate the water over the stove, while stirring, until you have a heavy
brine.  When nearly all the moisture is out it should solidify instantly when a
drop is put on an ice cold metal plate.

    When ready, dump it all out on a very cold surface.  After a while,
break it up and store it in a bottle.

    A spoonful is put into a flask with a one-hole stopper, with a tube
leading into a big plastic bag.  The flask is heated with an alcohol lamp.

    When the temperature in the flask reaches 480 F the gas will generate.
If white fumes appear the heat should be lowered as the stuff explodes at 600 F.

When the bag is filled, stop the action and get ready to turn on.

Just send all "donations" to...
[In this business, a since of humor is necessary!]


7.521    Making Nitrous Oxide/Laughing Gas

Author: Saint Anarchy

    This phile is a special treat for all you dopers in the audience, I
don't normally write "Drug" philes, but I thought a recess from my anarchy
might do us all well, Nothing like a well deserved R and R break. Laughing Gas
was one of the early anesthetics. After a little while of inhaling the gas,
the patient becames so "Happy", he couldn't keep from laughing. Then he would
drift off into peaceful slumber.

    Some of you "Home Chemists" have died while taking laughing gas, this
is because they had the gas generated through a plastic bag while their head
was in the bag. They were simply suffocating, but were to bombed out of their
minds to care, or realize it. Hence, their demise. But there are worse ways to
go I suppose.

    The trick is to have a plastic clothes bag in which you generate a lot
of the gas. Then you stop generating the gas and hold a small opening of the
bag under your nose, or suck on it like a whippet. This way you get plenty of
oxygen while inhaling the gas.

    To make Laughing Gas, you start with Ammonium Nitrate, Im not going in
to detail on how to obtain it, but all you Backyard Chemists should Know how
and where to obtain it.

  1. Place a metal Pie Pan in Freezer for at least 2 hours

  2. Now, dissolve a quantity of Ammonium Nitrate in some Water
     (Preferably use Pure Steam distilled Water, available at CVS or
     Drug Store)

  3. Evaporate the Water over the stove!
     NOTE!!!: Use your lowest heat setting, Ammonium Nitrate can Explode!!

     While evaporating the water the Nitrate should be like a heavy syrup
     or brine, When all the water is nearly out remove the pie plate.
     Take a drop of solution and let drip on pie plate.
     It should solidify instantly, if not your brine still has too much
     water in it.

   4. When Brine is ready dump all of it in pie plate and let solidify

   5. A spoonful of mixture is Now ready to be taken and put into a flask
      with a one hole stopper, put pyrex tube in stopper and place bag over
      tube.

   6. Heat mixture in flask to 480 Degrees F., if white smoke appears the
      mixture is too hot, it will explode at 600 Degrees F.

   7. Now sit back, invite some buds over and have a gas... Literally...



7.53      Green Goddess

    Zinc (Zn) <---NOTE: This is not the same as Zinc Oxide!
    Sulfur (S)


1)    Mix the two together 1/2 and 1/2.

2)    MAKE SURE that you mix them very well. The best way to do so, is to
    put the mixture in a jar with a lid and shake it up for 15-60
    seconds, until it is all a greyish color.

3)    To ignite, use a fuse, or throw a match into the powder. WARNING,
    this burns very very quickly, and produces smoke. Also it burns at
    a fairly high temperature. It will surprise you when you throw a
    match into it. There will be a delay, and then all of a sudden, it
    will flash up, and is capable of burning the hell out of you.


Common Uses:

1)    Rocket Fuel

2)    Bombs <--- NOTE: The best way to do this is to take it and compress
                         it into cardboard tubing.

3)      Smoke bombs (Cardboard tube w/ big hole.)
4)      Flare bombs.
5)      The rest is up to your imagination


7.54     Nitrate Compound


2 tblsp Potassium Nitrate (KNO3)
2 tblsp Aluminum Powder (dust) (Al)
0.5-1 tblsp Sulfur (S)

    Mix all ingredients and shake, until all is one solid color.
Silver-grey. You can light this with a fuse or throw a match into it to
light. You may experiment with the ratios. Here are a few tips:

a) To make more smoke add more sulfur to the mixture.
b) To make it burn slower, add more Potassium Nitrate.
c) To make it burn faster, add more Aluminum Dust.

           Have Fun Experimenting!

Uses:

- High power fuel
- Bombs
- Melting Mailboxes


7.55    BIC Balistics

Author: Video Vindicator

        I'm sure all of you are familiar with the Bic lighter, and I'm also
sure you've tried to make the Bic Flamethrower at one time or another.
Well... here's 2 more things you can do, First off is the Bic Rocket, and
then the Bic Sparkler. Both work almost every time! Enjoy...

        2 or more Bic lighters (the big kind)
        1 large open parkinglot with noncombustible material surrounding it


        - NORMAL TOP AND SIDE -     - TOP AND SIDE, FLME BLOCKER REMOVED -

     Flame         |Flame Blocker   /=========\   Striker
          \   __   |   ___         //          \ /
           +_/__|<-+->|_+_|        ||M        +_O== <-+  .0.
          |:....|     |   |        ||A       |:....|  | |   |
          |  :  |     |   |        ||G       |  :  |  | |   |
          |  :  |     |   |        ||N       |  :  |  | |   |
 Fuel --->|  :  |<-+  |   |        ||I       |  :  |  | |   |
 Area 1   |  :  |  |  |   |        ||F       |  :  |  | |   |
          |__:__|  |  |___|        ||Y       |__:__|  | |___|
                   |               ||                 |
                   |Fuel Area 2   //                  |Fuel Valve
                                 //
                 __             //
     Striker--> /  \ <==========/
                \__/
                 .
        Flint--> I
                 #
       Spring--> #


        First, hit the back side of the flame blocker against something and
break it off. Take off the striker and get the spring and flint. Set them
aside somewhere safe for later use. Next pull off the Fuel Valve, and put
your fingure over the hole where the fuel comes out and shake it up. Leave
your fingure on the hole.


Launching:

        Find someplace where you can lay the lighter so the bottom faces
up. Set it there, take the other lighter and light the rocket. It should
burn just like it normally does, except the flame should be melting the
plastic. It melts down to the fuel and... one of three things happens: It
flies up into the air and explodes (usually about 10-20 feet up), Skips
along the ground, or just explodes. It usually takes about 2 minutes for
it to burn through the plastic. What every you do, don't go back to the
lighter after it's been burning for more than 1 minute. And only go back
if the flame went out!


BIC Sparkler:

        This isn't really a sparkler, but it sure is fun. Take the flint
and the spring you set aside from the rocket and wrap the flint in the
spring, like this, you pull the sprint, put the flint in the middle, like a
plus sign, and then twist the spring once so it looks like this:

                           Flint
                                \
                                 ||
                               ."||". <- Spring
                              ."    ".
                              "      "
Then hold it over the flame of the one lighter you have left until it starts
to wrinkle up or get red. Then throw it against a wall and whoosh, sparks fly
Everywhere and there's a little char mark left on the wall.

CONCLUSION:

    Enjoy these, they're lots of fun at parties when everyones drunk,
the sparkler is really trippy then. They are both best at night, but good
during the day as well. [Ed - Yes!]


7.56     Cherry Bomb

    Ping pong ball.
    Black powder.
    Fuse, at least 5 in.
    Nail polish.
    Any type of tape.

Procedure:

1. Use an ice pick to poke a hole in the ping pong ball, then use a razor
   blade to make a big enough hole to put the black powder in.
2. Place the black powder in. Probably 3/4 full is best.
3. Now, insert the fuse into the ice pick hole.
4. Cover the entire ball with nail polish. This is used to make it louder.
5. Finally, cover the whole thing with tape, also used for loudness.


7.57     How to open your own M-80 Factory

*Supplies*

Chicago Paper Tube. Phone # [phone]. You will be getting the paper
tubes from here. Order tubes that are 1/2" in diameter by 1 1/2" long with a
1/16" wall with RED outer wrap.

Paper Products. 1310 5th St., Tempe, AZ. 85281. Order 1/2" diameter paper end
plugs. Write to them for prices. REMEMBER:  for every 100 paper tubes you
order, you must order 200 paper end plugs.

Midwest Fireworks. 8550 RT. 224,Deerfield,OH. 44411.  Phone [phone].
Order one roll of 1/8" water proof fuse. Each M-80 needs a 2" fuse, so for
every 100 paper tubes you order, you should have 17' of water proof fuse.

Barium Chemicals Inc.,P.O. Box 218,County Rd. 44, Steubenville, OH. 43952.
Phone [phone].  Order Potassium Perchlorate. Order 2 pounds for every
250 paper tubes you order.

Alcan Metal Powder Div.,P.O. Box 290, Elizabeth,NJ 07207. Phone [phone]-
4600. Order #AL-105 Aluminum Powder. Order 1 pound for every 250 paper tubes
you order.

Buy 1 gallon of Elmers glue from a hardware store or lumber yard.


*Assembly*

1.  Put 1 drop of glue on the inside of one end of the tube and insert the
    paper end plug.

2.  Punch or drill a 1/8" hole in the side of the paper tube.

3.  Cut the fuse you purchased into 2" long pieces.

4.  Insert the fuse into the hole in the paper tube and glue in place.

5.  Scoop the paper tube with the fuse into a container of flash powder. The
    paper tube should be about 2/3 full.

6.  Put glue on the end plug and insert it into the paper tube filled with
    flash powder.

7.  The completed M-80 firecracker should dry and the glue will become hard in
    30-45 minutes.

Suggested Price for the M-80's
You can make up your own price,but here are some prices.
2 for $1.00   11 for $5.00   24 for $10.00   50 for $20.00   100 for $40.00

7.58     Flash Powder Formula

Sensitive to friction and impact. High Explosive!

Potassium Perchlorate     2 lbs.
Aluminum Powder           1 lb.

There must be a 2 to 1 ratio of Potassium Perchlorate to Aluminum Powder in
order for the flash powder to be good. It must also be mixed well.
We will be using the following materials this time. Get familiar with them.
Some can be highly dangerous.


7.59     Touch Paper

We will be using many more chemicals this time, and some can be quite
dangerous. Please read the following information carefully.

Potassium Nitrate - KNO
                       3
Also known as saltpeter, this is commercially used as a diuretic for animals.
It also works as an oxidizing agent in various pyrotechnic mixtures. That is,
when heated it provides the oxygen needed to make the rest of the mixture
burn.

Potassium   Potassium
 Nitrate     Nitrite   Oxygen

 2KNO   --->  2KNO    +  O
     3            2       2


                                Touch Paper

This is an easily made material that acts like a slow burning fuse and is
ideal for testing small amounts of a pyrotechnic mixture. It is made by
soaking a piece of absorbent paper, like a paper towel, in a saturated
solution of Potassium Nitrate. (A saturated solution means that you have
dissolved as much of the chemical in water as is possible.) Hang the paper up
to dry, and be sure to wipe up any drips. When dry it is ready. Cut off a
small strip and light the edge to see how different it acts from ordinary
paper. This will ignite all but the most stubborn mixtures, and will ignite
gunpowder, which will in turn ignite most anything else.

Don't dip the towel in the Potassium Nitrate solution a second time to try to
make it "stronger". This will actually make it less effective. Some of the
fancier paper towels don't work too well for this. Best results are obtained
from the cheap folded paper towels found in public restrooms everywhere.


7.60     Self Igniting Mixtures


We will be using many more chemicals this time, and some can be quite
dangerous. Please read the following information carefully.


Sodium Azide - NaN
                  3
This white powder is very poisonous. It is also a bit unstable, so treat it
gently.

Lead Nitrate - Pb(NO )
                    3 2
This contains poisonous lead and is very water soluble so your body will
absorb it quickly, given the chance. The government has banned leaded paints
and is phasing out leaded gasoline because the stuff slowly accumulates in
your body and can screw up all sorts of important innards. If you are careless
with Lead Nitrate you can do a few lifetimes' worth of damage in one
afternoon.

Ammonium Nitrate - NH NO
                     4  3
Commonly used as fertilizer, this stuff is somewhat dangerous in large
quantities, particularly if it gets very hot. (Entire shiploads of this
material have been known to go up all at once.) When heated gently, it
decomposes into water and nitrous oxide (laughing gas). Farmers sometimes use
it to blow up tree stumps by mixing it with fuel oil and setting the gunk off
with a detonator. We'll have a very different use for it here.

Potassium Nitrate - KNO
                       3
Also known as saltpeter, this is commercially used as a diuretic for animals.
It also works as an oxidizing agent in various pyrotechnic mixtures. That is,
when heated it provides the oxygen needed to make the rest of the mixture
burn.

Potassium   Potassium
 Nitrate     Nitrite   Oxygen

 2KNO   --->  2KNO    +  O
     3            2       2



Potassium Chlorate - KClO
                         3
A much more spectacular oxidizing agent than Potassium Nitrate. It not only
yields more oxygen than Potassium Nitrate, it does so more easily. Pyrotechnic
mixtures containing this chemical will require much less of it, and yet burn
more fiercely. Even percussion can readily set the mixtures off. This can be
useful, but it sometimes makes the mixtures more sensitive than you'd like.
Mixtures containing this chemical must be handled carefully. Potassium
Chlorate is also poisonous.

Potassium     Potassium
 Chlorate      Chloride   Oxygen

  2KClO   --->   2KCl   +   3O
       3                      2


Aluminum Dust

Very finely divided aluminum. When put in a glass jar, it almost looks like a
solid piece of grey metal. In this form it is flammable. Also, it can
seriously damage your lungs if you inhale it. Be careful not to stir up any
clouds of dust, and it goes without saying that you shouldn't use it near an
open flame.

Zinc Dust

Very finely divided zinc. Not quite as flammable as Aluminum Dust, but still
worth handling carefully. Can also damage your lungs if inhaled.

Lampblack

This is very finely divided carbon, usually obtained as a soot from other
manufacturing processes. It is much more effective in pyrotechnic mixtures
than powdered charcoal. Tiny spots of this are almost unnoticeable, but they
stick to your hands and smear incredibly far. If you're not very tidy you
should expect to find black smears all over your face and hands after using
this.

Sulfur

A yellow powder used as a reducing agent in many pyrotechnic mixtures. Buy
this in the finely powdered form. You can also get it in hard lumps, but these
will just waste extra time as you have to grind them yourself.

Potassium Permanganate

An oxidizing agent that's somewhat less vigorous than others mentioned here.
Not usually used in pyrotechnic mixtures because it's more expensive and less
effective than some of the alternatives. There are a few cases when it's just
the right thing. Don't let this accidentally come in contact with glycerine.
If such an accident happens, the resulting mess should be immediately wiped up
with wet paper towels and buried or flushed down a toilet. It should NOT be
thrown away in a dry waste receptacle!!!

Gum Arabic

A white powder which is mixed with water to make a glue like substance. Useful
for coating various mixtures or binding them together into a solid mass.

Sodium Peroxide

A very strange and dangerous oxidizer. Don't let it get wet and don't let it
touch your skin.

Glycerine

A thick liquid, chemically similar to rubbing alcohol. Though harder to get
burning, it will burn in the right circumstances. Fairly safe stuff.

Iodine Crystals

Pure Iodine is a steel grey solid, which is poisonous and which produses
poisonous vapors when heated. Smells similar to the chlorine used in bleaches
and swimming pools. If you accidentally should drop some on a hot surface and
notice the odor, you should leave the area.


                           Self Igniting Mixtures

Pulverize 1 gram of Potassium Permanganate crystals and place them on an
asbestos board or in an earthenware vessel. Let 2-3 drops of glycerine fall
onto the Potassium Permanganate. The mixture will eventually sizzle and then
flare. Potassium Permanganate is the oxidizing agent. The glycerine is
oxidized so quickly that heat is generated faster than it can be dissipated.
Consequently, the glycerine is ignited. Because this mixture takes so long to
catch on fire, it is sometimes useful when a time delay is needed to set off
some other mixture. If you lose patience with this test, DO NOT THROW THE
MIXTURE AWAY IN A WASTEBASKET!!! Either bury it or flush it down a toilet. I
know of at least one house fire that was started because this was not done.
Given time, this stuff WILL start to burn.

This demonstration produces a very nice effect, but sends out a lot of
poisonous fumes, so do it outside. Make a mound of equal volumes of iodine
crystals and aluminum dust. Make a small indentation at the top of the mound
and add a drop or two of water and move away. It will hiss and burst into
flame, generating thick purple smoke. The fumes are Iodine vapor which is
very caustic, so make sure you are upwind of the fire. Since this is set off
by moisture, you should not store the mixed material. Mix it immediately
before you plan to use it.

Shred a small piece of newspaper and place on it a small amount of sodium
peroxide. Add two drops of hot water. The paper will be ignited. CAUTION: Keep
Sodium Peroxide from moisture and out of contact with organic materials (your
skin, for example.)

Ammonium Nitrate, 5 grams, 1 gram of Ammonium Chloride. Grind these
SEPARATELY, and add 1/4 gram of zinc dust. Form a cone and add 2-4 drops of
water. A bright blue flame with large volumes of smoke forms. Depending on the
quality of your zinc dust, you may need to increase the quantity of zinc.
Since this is ignited by moisture, you should not attempt to store this
mixture.



7.61      Salutes

These are among the simplest pyrotechnic devices to make. There are many
ways to make them, some more dangerous than others. When you get right down
to it, there's no such thing as a safe salute; if one of these goes off in
your hand, you'll lose fingers. But if you build them properly and use some
common sense when firing them, there's little risk.

There are several things to always avoid. First, only paper casings should
be used. Metal, plastic or glass can send out lethal shrapnel, while hard
paper will simply throw light shreds of paper while being just as loud. The
second point is the end plugs used. Commercially made salutes used to use
either a cast epoxy or the Sodium Silicate/Calcium Carbonate glue mentioned
earlier. Either of these will send out eye piercing shrapnel. Wooden plugs,
while easily cut from dowels, can also put an eye out. But good paper end
plugs can be made that won't hurt anyone.

The third danger point is the powder formulation. Some old books give
compositions using Chlorates or even Chlorates with Sulfur. While these are
the easiest and probably the cheapest, they're also very dangerous.
Weingart's "Pyrotechnics", published in the 1930's, states that 90% of the
injuries in fireworks factories involved Chlorate/Sulfur mixtures.
Weingart's point was that you should be extra careful with these. It
apparently never occurred to those folks that 90% of the accidents could
then have been eliminated by using different formulations. Perchlorates and
aluminum dust are the "modern" solution to this problem. They're not the
cheapest, but they're just as good and are far safer.

The fourth problem is the small wad of hard, black crud that's placed where
the fuse meets the casing. It's referred to as priming, and while it serves
as a glue to hold the fuse in place, it's mostly black powder and will
flare up when the flame from the fuse reaches it. Rough treatment of the
fuse will get it bent at that point, and that's where the fuse is most
likely to go out. But if it does, it will first have lit the priming, and
that's enough to relight the fuse. It kind of makes the salute more
reliable. While it's more likely to go off properly when lit, it's also
more likely to go off by accident. Any stray spark can set off the priming,
and if one salute in a box goes off, it will easily light the priming on
the others and set them off too. Priming would have been a good idea if it
weren't so dangerous. But anyone with half a brain won't beat his salutes
around so as to damage the fuse, and we can use ordinary glue instead of
priming. Avoid using priming, or any salutes you find that use it.

We'll look into making a salute that's just a little smaller than an M-80.
It's fairly easy for a beginner and uses less powder, for those of you who
can only get access to a limited supply, or are caniballizing powder out of
packs of commercial firecrackers. It still makes a fairly respectable bang,
and is fairly easily scaled up for those who want a really big boom.


                        *
                 fuse-> *
                        *
                        *
                 glue   *
                     \  *
                       /*\
 casing --->  ==========*==========
              --.       *       .--
    end         |       *       |
     cap -----> |       *       |
                |.......*.......|
                |.......*.powder|
              --'...............`--
              ====================

Start with a 7/16 inch dowel, about 8 inches long. Using the glueing
techniques discussed above, take a 6 inch square sheet of kraft paper and
roll it into a solid casing. Cut off the 3/4 inch pieces on the ends, or
perhaps only 1/2 inch pieces, if your glueing skills are good enough. When
in doubt, cut off more. If the ends don't contain sufficient glue they
won't be strong enough to hold the end caps sturdily. Cut the remaining
tube into pieces that are from 1 1/4 inches to 1 1/2 inches long. Take them
off the dowel and set them aside to dry.

Next, we'll make the end caps. Get a 5/16 inch dowel (whatever the inside
diameter of the casing, this will always be about 1/8 inch less. This will
allow it to be about 1/16 inch thick, as you'll see) and four squares of
kraft paper. One square should be about 1 inch on a side, and the other
three should be about 3/4 inch. Place the larger square flat on the tip of
the dowel, centered as well as you can, and pull it down over the dowel to
form a cap.  Place a hefty drop of glue on the tip of this cap and rub one
of the smaller squares over this drop. When one side of the square is
fairly well covered, pull it down tightly over the first. Don't worry about
keeping the corners alligned; they'll be cut off in a moment, anyway. Pull
the last two squares down over the cap one at a time, smearing a drop of
glue each time. Make sure that this cap is squeezed tightly. If you wish,
you can make sure by momentarily wrapping a piece of heavy cord around it.
The cord is always a good idea for larger end caps, but its optional here.
Next, using the X Acto knife, use the same rolling motion we use for
casings to cut off the ragged end, leaving a cap that's 3/16 to 1/4 inch
high. It should be easy to slide this cap into the casing as shown in the
picture, though the fit should be a bit snug.

The first cap is best glued in while the casing is still wet. Make sure
it's well glued, and then pinch the wet casing and end cap inward at 6 or 7
points around the circle with a pair of needle nosed pliers. With the end
of the casing pinched in, it will be possible to put a slightly undersized
dowel into the casing, and smash the pinched end down against a hard
surface, causing the casing to curl around the end cap. When dry, this will
never blow out.

When the casing is dry, drill the fuse hole and insert a piece of safety
fuse long enough to almost touch the opposite wall of the casing and to
extend AT LEAST an inch from the casing. Glue it in place and let it dry.

The casing should be filled no more than 1/3 full of loose powder. Any more
and you'll actually get less of an explosion. I prefer to use 1 part dark
pyro aluminum dust to 3 parts Potassium perchlorate. Most any flashpowder
may be substituted here, but they tend to require metal in dust, not
powdered, form.  Gunpowder won't work at all here. Once the powder is in, a
second end cap is liberally glued in and the ends pinched in as well as you
can. Be extra careful, as attatching the second end cap turns the thing
into an explosive device. Give it a day or two to dry completely.

It should be pointed out that most of the explosive force of these things
is dissipated within a couple of inches of the casing. This is why people
often lose fingers or parts of their hands, but never their wrists. If you
can make a wooden fixture to hold the salute while inserting the end plug
with a wooden tool, you'll be safely distant from most of an accidental
explosion. Safety glasses are also a good idea.

If made properly, you'll get a decent bang, the casing will split along its
length, usually through the fuse hole, and the second end cap will blow
out. The first cap that got smashed in place never seems to come off. If
only one cap blows out, it wasn't in tight enough, and the bang will be
pretty lame.  If you do your test firings in a little pit, 1 foot deep and
no more than a foot wide, you'll usually be able to recover the fragments
to determine how well you're doing. After mastering these you can try
making larger ones.

Since salutes with any respectable amount of powder are illegal in all 50
states, those you buy are made in clandestine factories, with little regard to
safety. They're made cheap, fast and can contain all sorts of dangerous
mixtures. Because factories can be found by tracing the purchases of certain
chemicals, salutes often contain whatever garbage was available at the time.
Besides Chlorate/Sulfur mixes, some have been found to contain Picrates, which
can remove your hand by just shaking them. What's the point? Any large salutes
you buy were probably made by people who wanted to make a fast buck and were
cared more about evading the feds than assuring your safety. If you want to
make a big bang, it's probably safer to make your own, where you know what
you're playing with. It's strange, but true.