HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: tayloe@rtsg.mot.com (Dan Tayloe)
Subject: Re: Flash & Bang
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 14:33:50 GMT

In article <1687CA391.PCZZ@ibm.rz.tu-clausthal.de> PCZZ@ibm.rz.tu-clausthal.de writes:
>In article <003316g.20.718570840@ace.acadiau.ca>
>003316g@ace.acadiau.ca (STEPHEN EDWARD ELLIOTT GREGORY) writes:
> 
>>
>>        I'm trying to make something that will make a bang and a lot of
>>smoke and I figured this was the place to ask.
>>        Any suggestions?
>>
>>Steve Gregory                                  003316G@ace.acadiau.ca
> 
>Try this one:
>equal amounts of
>         potassium perchlorate (KClO_4) and
>         finest aluminium powder
>carefully mixed and filled into a paper tube (don't press the stuff!).
>Ignite it with a straw filled with black powder (75% potassium nitrate,
>10% sulphur, 15% charcoal) which is sticked into the tube as a quick match.
>Be careful!
> 
>cu       Nick.                    pczz@ibm.rz.tu-clausthal.de


I have found that two litter bottles and gun powder (as in the stuff from
the gun shops) make a wonderful boom.  If black powder substitute is used,
there is a fair amount of smoke produced.  The black powder substitute
(Pyrodex? brand) worked better for me than reloading powder.

Take a 6" square of soft plastic such as that from the wimpy plastic bags
you get from the grocery store and poke it with you finger down into the
2 litter bottle.  This forms a little plastic bag under the neck of the 
bottle.  Fill this completely with powder.  The powder will be loosely
packed, so press it down, then fill and press down once more.

Make a small hole in the cap of the bottle large enough for a fuse to
just go through.  Screw the cap on the bottle.  The plastic ought to be
hanging over the edge of the neck.  The cap gets screwed on over this as well.

Make sure you use a long fuse!  Don't use a short little firecracker fuse!
Get at least 30 feet away!  It works best if the bottle is stood upright.
Like I said, this makes a wonderful boom.
From: chuck@scilab.lonestar.org (Chuck Knight)
Newsgroups: rec.pyrotechnics
Subject: Dichromate compounds
Date: 15 Oct 92 20:09:41 GMT
Organization: Science Lab; Arlington, Texas

I have had a hard time finding a source for small quantities of the 
dichromate compounds.  Specifically Ammonium and Potassium Dichromates.  
I have found that a minimum order of 1-5 kilo is required.  So, does 
anyone know of a source for small quantities, or a way to make them?

     -- Chuck Knight
From: u9a36@seq1.keele.ac.uk (S Booth)
Newsgroups: rec.pyrotechnics
Subject: Hydrogen sulphide
Date: 16 Oct 1992 11:12:19 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu
X-Unparseable-Date: Fri, 16 Oct 92 16:16:42 WET DST

			
	Just felt I must make a minor correction to Joe Collins's post about
	making hydrogen sulphide.  He said that eventually your nose will get
	used to the smeel of hydrogen sulphide.  While this is true what is the
	more usual reason for no longer being able to smell it is that it 
	actually anesthetises the "smell cells" of your nose. To quote my old
	chemistry teacher "It isn't when you smell H2S you should worry it's
	when you can't smell it!".

				Stephen Booth

--

   |----------------------------------------------------------------------|
   | University of Keele, Keele       |            u9a36@uk.ac.keele.seq1 |
   | All normal disclaimers apply     |            u9a36@seq1.keele.ac.uk |
   |----------------------------------------------------------------------|

                        STOP CAPITAL PUNISHMENT NOW
From: billn@hpcvaac.cv.hp.com (bill nelson)
Newsgroups: rec.pyrotechnics
Subject: Re: Help Me!
Date: 15 Oct 92 21:28:17 GMT
Article-I.D.: hpcvaac.1992Oct15.212817.21126
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Company, Corvallis, Oregon USA

kraai4712@iscsvax.uni.edu writes:
: Read the following and carefully and decide for yourself if we should help
: someone who has been unable to learn how to spell or to use English, presumably
: his native language.
: 
: In article <DHDNsB1w164w@cellar.org>, blu@cellar.org (Dan Reed) writes:
: > Ok, Ok, now then, Ive been known to play around with "stuff", so I know to 
: > take adqite precations and so on.  Im not stupid, however, today, my 
: > secratairy brought in for me, one M-80, and one 1/4 stick.  Ive blown up 
: > M-80's before, so I know what they can do (noise, damage, and shock).  
: > However, ive never blown up a 1/4 stick.  I live in a very remote area of 
: > South NJ, so chances are its going to be set off in a feild (we tossed out 
: > the idea of blowing it up in the backyard, about 500 ft from the house, in 
: > fear of losing windows).  Its got a 30 second (or what looks to be 30 second 
: > fuse) on it IMHO this is not enough...so....  
: 
: I'm no expert myself, but this is pitiful.  "adquite precations"

Hm. Even you had a type in your quoted phrase. :-)

What do you expect. The man has a "secratairy" to do the spelling for him.
Poor spelling skills are not unusual - even here on the net where they
sometimes generate flames. Apparently, in some schools, they do not teach
people how to use a dictionary.

Bill
Newsgroups: rec.pyrotechnics
From: dulcinea@cwis.unomaha.edu (Shaene Steinauer)
Subject: Re: Please help
Organization: University of Nebraska at Omaha
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1992 01:01:09 GMT

--This is me again.  I just wanted to add that I read the
Dan Tayloe, et. al articles on electric ignition, and will be
trying the easiest methods.  I am a layperson.  I'm going to go
and find out now if model rocket engine ignitors are small enough
to do the job.

Thanks, guys!

(More suggestions still appreciated)

--Shaene Steinauer
Newsgroups: rec.pyrotechnics
From: russ@gagme.chi.il.us (Russell J. Price)
Subject: Re: Liquid Fuel Rockets
Originator: russ@gagme
Organization: Gagme Public Access UNIX, Chicago, Illinois.
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 17:41:33 GMT

>>You don't want to play with hydrazine.  Really, you don't, especially
>>considering the rather crude, leaky apparatus you are describing.
>>Don't take my word for it; look it up in Sax.
>There are safer hypergolic fuels than hydrazine. Heheh... Not much safer
>though. You may wish to look into Furfural alcohol and fuming nitric acid.
>
 
I remember, a long time ago, a Popular Science article about OTRAG, a German
company that was going to build cheap rockets for launching satellites.
According to the article, they used ordinary diesel fuel, with nitric acid
for the oxidizer.  I don't know if they used any additional ignition sources,
though.  Whatever became of OTRAG, anyway?
-- 
Russ Price                      russ@gagme.chi.il.us
----------------------------------------------------
"Bus error - passengers dumped"
Newsgroups: rec.pyrotechnics
From: court@newton.physics.mun.ca (J. Lewis)
Subject: Re: Help Me!
Organization: Memorial University of Newfoundland
Distribution: usa, na, world
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 15:53:38 GMT

>Let us encourage each other, teach each other, and leave off the petty 
>bickering and ego trips based on ephemera such as spelling.

Most versions of Unix have a spell-checker.  It is worth using.
From: bxhv03@castle.ed.ac.uk (Mr John Ewart)
Newsgroups: rec.pyrotechnics
Subject: Re: Thermite Ignition
Date: 7 Oct 92 10:08:23 GMT
Organization: Edinburgh University

In article <1992Oct6.142218.1@fnalc.fnal.gov> khartman@fnalc.fnal.gov writes:
>Hey Gang,
>
>	I wanted to add my two cents and describe the igniter system that
>has worked well for me when I demonstrate the Thermite Reaction.

	When I was a lad .... our chemistry teacher demonstrated the
thermite reaction using a piece of magnesium ribbon as a 'fuse'. I can
remenber the results being rather spectacular - so it must have been
enough ... now the ready availability of magnesium ribbon, that's
another matter.

	John
From: fisher2557@iscsvax.uni.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pyrotechnics
Subject: Re: Tennis Ball Cannons
Date: 8 Oct 92 13:34:50 -0500
Organization: University of Northern Iowa

In article <BvpH1J.DJ2@acsu.buffalo.edu>, v064myby@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Christophe J Quaranta) writes:
> 
> 	Some friends of mine in Ohio made an excellent tennis ball cannon.
> It used a large coffee can as the c.c., and 5 or so soup cans as the barrel.
> About 1 inch from the back of the c.c. was a can lid cut to the shape of
> a turbine wheel. They affixed this in place and put some metal scraps between
> it and the back of the coffee can. This was so the fuel could be mixed well
> with air.
> 	It worked quite impressively, although
> I only saw it fire in our apartment complex so I'm not sure how many metres
                     **^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
                     IS THIS NUTZ OR WHAT??!!!
> the ball would've gone.
> Gasoline was the fuel used.
> 					Latre,
> 					Chris

Testing stuff like this indoors is positively STUPID.

later,
 Nathan

--
******************************************************************
*** lemme count -- 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 fingers... 1,2 eyes... ***
*** does this make me the expert?                              ***
******************************************************************
From: v064myby@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Christophe J Quaranta)
Newsgroups: rec.pyrotechnics
Subject: Unresouceful Unknowing Morons
Date: 13 Oct 92 17:08:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41


	I am suprised at all the posts dealing with "I can't obtain any
chemicals."  I have had no problem getting oxidizers & stuff through the
mail.  I can't believe that people posting on this net would be so stupid!
	I don't see any harm in shipping perchlorates, etc, when I can
pick up the phone and have 4 gallons of nitromethane shipped to my doorstep.
Now which is more dangerous?  A solid which can decompose to produce oxygen
if heated to 300 degrees, but can't burn on it's own and is not shock 
sensitive, or an extremely flammable, mobile liquid that can support it's
own combustion, and is even capable of detonation under certain circumstances?
	I believe there is a company called Firefox which specializes in 
Pyro chemicals.  Anyone have the address - post it, or E-mail it to those 
who don't have it.
		
						Latre,
						'Q'
From: Robert.T.Warfield@dartmouth.edu (Robert T. Warfield)
Newsgroups: rec.pyrotechnics
Subject: Re: Dichromate compounds
Date: 16 Oct 92 11:30:38 GMT
Article-I.D.: dartvax.1992Oct16.113038.18092
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
X-Posted-From: InterNews1.0a5@newshost.dartmouth.edu


  Try the Sigma Chemical Company 1-800-325-3010. They have up to a 2kg
size.
PLEASE BE CAREFULL!!!!!  Potassium Dichromate is HIGHLY toxic. It
attacks and destroys the kidneys in even very small amounts.

**********************************************************************
* Authur, king of the Britons    * King of the who?                  *
* King of the Brittons!          * Who are the Brittons anyway?      *
* I am, you are, we all are the  *                                   *
* Brittons and I am your king!   * Well, I didn't vote for you.      *
**********************************************************************
Robert T. Warfield@dartmouth.edu
Newsgroups: rec.pyrotechnics
From: russ@gagme.chi.il.us (Russell J. Price)
Subject: Re: Tennis Ball Cannons
Originator: russ@gagme
Organization: Gagme Public Access UNIX, Chicago, Illinois.
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 03:50:35 GMT

In article <BvpH1J.DJ2@acsu.buffalo.edu> v064myby@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Christophe J Quaranta) writes:
>
>	Some friends of mine in Ohio made an excellent tennis ball cannon.
>It used a large coffee can as the c.c., and 5 or so soup cans as the barrel.
>About 1 inch from the back of the c.c. was a can lid cut to the shape of
>a turbine wheel. They affixed this in place and put some metal scraps between
>it and the back of the coffee can. This was so the fuel could be mixed well
>with air.
 
A friend of mine had an interesting non-pyro spud cannon... it consisted of a
small compressed air tank with a 2" diameter pipe, controlled by a ball
valve.  A standard tire valve was used to fill the tank with air at 125 psi.
A potato of sufficient size was then shoved into the pipe and rammed in.
Turning the valve lever a quarter turn launched the spud about 600-700 feet...
-- 
Russ Price                      russ@gagme.chi.il.us
----------------------------------------------------
"Bus error - passengers dumped"
Newsgroups: rec.pyrotechnics
From: wyvern@iastate.edu (Nuno Bettencourt)
Subject: Re: Recipe for that rotten egg stuff (Ammonium Hydroxide?)
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 19:01:06 GMT

In article <1992Oct15.162158.4463@fid.morgan.com> joec@fid.morgan.com (Joe Collins) writes:
>In article <usgcjsx.718577086@gsusgi1.gsu.edu> usgcjsx@gsusgi2.gsu.edu (Felix_T._Cat) writes:
>>
>>How do you make that real smelly stuff
>>that stinks like rotten eggs, it used to come in little glass vials..??
>>Any info...?
>
>That stuff is H2S, hydrogen sulfide. BTW, it is poisonous although the
>smell will chase you away before you get overcome. But do remember that
>the nose measures CHANGE in odors, not ODORS. So your sense of smell
>will become deadened to the foul odor and thus you could become
>overcome if you hang around.
>
>The classic way to make this gas is to mix FeS (Iron Sulfide) with an
>acid. 
>
>FeS - you can get it at most hobby stores
>For acid, try warm/hot vinegar or Sodium BiSulphate dissolved in
>water.
>
>Do this OUTSIDE - its real foul. Do it in SMALL quantities as well.
>
	What would FeS be called in a hobby store, or how would you
ask for it? Is there any way to make this stuff yourself? (simple way btw ;)


Newsgroups: rec.pyrotechnics
From: brom@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au (David Bromage)
Subject: Re: <None>
Organization: Monash University General Access Unix
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 04:44:27 GMT

 (motazev@hobo.ECE.ORST.EDU) wrote:
: Would it be very dangerous to use a hot glue gun to glue the ends of
: a cracker filled with KCLO4 and AL flashpowder? Would a weaker elmers 
: or such glue suffice?

If you have ANY doubts then don't do it. Try a cyanoacrylate gel.
Newsgroups: rec.pyrotechnics
From: fernee@newton.physics.uq.oz.au (Mark Fernee)
Subject: Re: Liquid Fuel Rockets
Organization: Physics Dept. The University of Queensland
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 07:10:04 GMT

In article <9228513.13060@mulga.cs.mu.OZ.AU>, farb@ecr.mu.oz.au (William_Cuming FARROW) writes:
|> A friend and I are currently in the process of building a liquid fuel rocket
|> using H2O2 and hydrazine.  These are loaded into separate syringes and
|> injected into the combustion chamber simultaneously using medicsal type
|> needles.  The combustion chamber is made from two soda bulbs attached to 
|> each other like so:
|> 
|>         ______________________           _______
|>       /			  \________/
|>       |						
|>       \			  /--------\
|>        -----------------------           -------
|> 
|> (ie the end bulb is cut halfway down so that it has a large opening)
|> 
|> The needles go through holes on the right half.
|> The two fuels immediately combust on contact with each other, and they 
|> are injected by joining the plungers together and depressing both at the
|> same time using a rubber band.  Due to the volatile nature of these chemicals
|> it is probably best if you can inject them remotely rather than with your
|> hands.
|> Any suggestions as to alternative fuels or catalysts are welcome.
|> (I think this was used in WWII Mescher Schmidts (sp?))
|> 
|> Billy Boy.	(farb@ecr.mu.oz.au)
|> 

I'd just like to point out a basic design flaw based on simple physics.

Pressure gradients. The pressure inside the combustion chamber must be
lower than the pressure in your fuel tanks. The pressure gradient is the
sole factor which determines the direction of fuel flow. If the chamber
pressure is greater than the syringe-rubber band pressure, the syringes
will travel backwards. To make a liquid fuel rocket motor, you either
need to use special high flow pumps or a pressurized storage tanks.

If you use a monogolic fuel (eg hydrazine hydrate with a permanganate
catalyst, I think?), you might have an easier time. Monogolic fuels were 
used for the vernier rockets by NASA. There should be plenty of books in
your library regarding this sort of technology.

I guess you know that you're dealing with very toxic and dangerous chemicals.
I wouldn't get my hands anywhere near this contraption.

It should be pointed out that there is much more than the chemistry of
the fuel-oxidiser to consider in a liquid fuel rocket. Physics and 
engineering are crucial factors, much more important than which 
fuel combination to use. Maybe you should try a homemade ramjet.

If you have any success in your venture, let me know.

Thanks,

Mark.
From: blu@cellar.org (Dan Reed)
Newsgroups: rec.pyrotechnics
Subject: Jezus Christ people!
Date: 16 Oct 92 17:46:16 GMT
Organization: The Cellar BBS and public access system

My God, ya know, fuck you all, who make a big stink about my post, where, yes 
granted, more than a few things are mispelled.  OK?  Ya know, it was the end 
of the damn day, and who the hell ever said I could spell OR type.  For 
christ sakes, I ask a question, and what do I get?  A bunch of shit.  I 
thought some people here could help me, ya know, being experts and all, but I 
guess I was wrong.  Im sorry about this post, but I thought that the first 
wennie, who mentioned it was a bit out of line.

And, yes, back in college I got a "B" in English Comp ][.  Years of doing 
CAD, and only typing words like LINE and ZOOM have taken their toll on me..

Now, could someone please answer my question?

----- 
 Dan Reed (Blu-Max) blu@cellar.org - AutoCad Geek - VW Lover - InlineSkater 
68 Cougar XR-7, 89 VW Golf, 72 Honda CL360Twin, Ti/99/4a, Vextrex, Timex
Newsgroups: rec.pyrotechnics
From: aroll@gucis.cit.gu.edu.au (Ashley Roll)
Subject: Re: Thermite Components
Organization: Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 92 01:49:47 GMT

btb@NCoast.ORG (Brad Banko) writes:


>	I was wondering, is there another way besides ordering from a
>chem. suppy company to get Potassium permanganate and Glycerine? I'm sure
>there's a reasonable substitute.

As far as I know, you should be able to get both of these at your local 
Chemist (Drug store), Potassium permanganate is known as 
Condies (sp??) Crystals (it is a dark purple colored crystal).
You can buy Glycerine in small bottles (well you can in Australia)

Have fun..

Cheers,
Ash.

........../\/\/\................../\...........................................
......../\...../\...../\/\/\/\.../\...........................................
....../\......../\../\........../\/\/\/\.....   Ashley Roll                ..
...../\/\/\/\/\/\.../\/\/\/\.../\....../\...   aroll@gucis.cit.gu.edu.au  ..
..../\......../\........../\../\......./\..................................
.../\......../\.../\/\/\/\.../\......./\..................................
       It is amazing how much mature wisdom resembles being too tired...
                                   - Unknown.
Newsgroups: rec.pyrotechnics
From: billn@hpcvaac.cv.hp.com (bill nelson)
Subject: Re: Liquid Fuel Rockets
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Company, Corvallis, Oregon USA
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 21:30:42 GMT

watpod72@olaf.carleton.ca (George Bragg) writes:
: In <1992Oct15.174133.1813@gagme.chi.il.us> russ@gagme.chi.il.us (Russell J. Price) writes:
: 
: > 
: >I remember, a long time ago, a Popular Science article about OTRAG, a German
: >company that was going to build cheap rockets for launching satellites.
: >According to the article, they used ordinary diesel fuel, with nitric acid
: >for the oxidizer.  I don't know if they used any additional ignition sources,
: >though.  Whatever became of OTRAG, anyway?
: >-- 
: 
: Oh, jesus!  Be careful with that type of explosive.  It's very similar
: to mining explosives in composition and characteristics...

It would not work as an explosive, or not very well. It uses fuming nitric.
The mixture ignites upon mixing - very violently.  It is not a mixture I
would particularly care to mess with. However, I would rather use it than
one utilizing hydrazine.

Bill
Newsgroups: rec.pyrotechnics
From: schediwy@hplabsz.hpl.hp.com (Bic Schediwy)
Subject: Re: Flash Powder Problems
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 22:25:13 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Laboratories Palo Alto,CA
Keywords: flash powder

In article <BvK1yI.Cx9@ddsw1.mcs.com> karl@ddsw1.mcs.com (Karl Denninger) writes:
>In article <tayloe.717964469@geode9> tayloe@rtsg.mot.com (Dan Tayloe) writes:
>>The other night, I was trying to make up a bit of flash powder 
>>and was not having much sucess.
...
deleted
...
>I have a suspicion that someone else will post better procedure, but
>basically you need to have a much better intermix of particles, which means
>finer powders (the sulfer should be flowers of sulfer in a dust form, etc)
>and good combination technique.   The perchlorate is a problem, as getting
>it to a fine dust without having it "boom" on you can be a challenge.  A
>ball mill can be used for this, but I wouldn't use it inside anything I
>cared about (like a house, garage, etc).
>
>Flash is DAMN dangerous to make.  You risk having it go off >while< you're 
>mixing it up!   Make only VERY small quantities.
>
>--
>Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, <well-connected>!ddsw1!karl)
>Data Line: [+1 312 248-0900] Anon. arch. (nuucp) 00:00-06:00 C[SD]T
>Request file: /u/public/sources/DIRECTORY/README for instructions
>

Karl,

Your statement:

>                              The perchlorate is a problem, as getting
>it to a fine dust without having it "boom" on you can be a challenge.  A
>ball mill can be used for this, but I wouldn't use it inside anything I
>cared about (like a house, garage, etc).

Can you substantiate you claim that reducing KClO4 to dust is hazardous?
If what you say is true then it is the first I have heard of it. Do you
have a reference to where you learned milling/grinding KClO4 can cause
it to decompose? In the event that what you say is true then I believe
that many people are currently at risk.

As a side note, "flowers of sulfer(sp)" should not be used, especially
in combination with a _chlorate_. Sulfur flour is the correct type.
This error has been pointed out by someone else on the net but it's
worth repeating. Stay away from using sulfur in combination with
perchlorates, and especially chlorates, if you can. You can get
perfectly acceptable flash without the use of sulfur if you use
very fine KClO4 and a good aluminum. I have heard that a slow flash
mix can be improved with that addition of a small amount (~1%) of burn
rate catalyst such as iron oxide or copper chromite. This is second
hand information so take it as such (it does sound reasonable though).

cheers...bic
From: blu@cellar.org (Dan Reed)
Newsgroups: rec.pyrotechnics
Subject: Help Me!
Date: 14 Oct 92 18:35:12 GMT
Organization: The Cellar BBS and public access system

Ok, Ok, now then, Ive been known to play around with "stuff", so I know to 
take adqite precations and so on.  Im not stupid, however, today, my 
secratairy brought in for me, one M-80, and one 1/4 stick.  Ive blown up 
M-80's before, so I know what they can do (noise, damage, and shock).  
However, ive never blown up a 1/4 stick.  I live in a very remote area of 
South NJ, so chances are its going to be set off in a feild (we tossed out 
the idea of blowing it up in the backyard, about 500 ft from the house, in 
fear of losing windows).  Its got a 30 second (or what looks to be 30 second 
fuse) on it IMHO this is not enough...so....  

I was thinking of building a remote detenator, or a timer, or tossing it out 
a car at high speed.  How far should I be from "ground zero" when I set this 
sucker off?  

PS - I plan to video tape it.... :)


----- 
 Dan Reed (Blu-Max) blu@cellar.org - AutoCad Geek - VW Lover - InlineSkater 
68 Cougar XR-7, 89 VW Golf, 72 Honda CL360Twin, Ti/99/4a, Vextrex, Timex