*** Low Grade Explosives *** ***(and their various uses)*** Lady Isabel (And you thought only guys liked to blow things up.) Thanks to: +>Black Unicorn +>Uni (Dark) (Be aware, all of the formulas and methods listed herein involve class "A" explosives. They are dangerous and can result in injury or fatality or both. Use at your own risk. Safety first.) For ease of use, safety, stability, and versatility, you can't beat low grade explosives. If you're reading this file, chances are you're not satisfied with the mostly complex and dangerous processes documented in the assorted files floating around, most of which are based on something the author read from some other text file and who knows where the author of that text file got his information anyway. Not to say that there are not some extremely informative and well written files on high grade detonating explosives, but I'm sure you will agree that they are the exception rather than the rule. Most files try to cover too much ground and end up sacrificing important details in the long run. If you're still alive and have all your fingers, you know enough to avoid these vague files, and you've keyed in the right filename. All the practical information in this file is based on PERSONAL EXPERIENCE that I have had with these compounds and their use. Unlike High Grade (concussion) explosives which detonate, low grade explosives deflagrate (Burn extremely quickly). High grade explosives include RDX, C-4, and TNT. Low grade explosives include most ammonium nitrate mixtures, gunpowder and flashpowder and are usually two component compounds composed of a high oxidizer and a fine "fuel" powder. Technically what I refer to in this file as "Low Grade Explosives" are not explosives in the true sense of the word at all, but with knowledge, they often can be utilized in a way such to produce much the same effect. The uses of low grade explosives. Low grade explosives do not have the concussion ability of high grade explosives. Because of this they cannot be used for the following: 1. Demolition of re-enforced structures. (Steel, concrete, brick) 2. Shaped charges or dampening demolition. (Sandbag dampers, safe cracking) 3. Level one booby traps. (Rigged toys, lightbulbs, etc.) Low grade explosives release the majority of their non-heat energy in the form of sound and local overpressure. This makes them perfect for the following applications. 1. Demolition of pseudo-airtight structures. (Newspaper machines, mailboxes) 2. Demolition of glass or partial glass structures. (Cars, windows, small rooms) 3. Low level anti-personal devices. (Stun grenades, nail grenades.) Characteristics of low grade explosives manufacture. Low grade explosives are really only fast burning powders enclosed in an airtight or pseudo-airtight container. Firecrackers are a fine example. Removed from the paper wrapping, the powder used in typical firecrackers will do no more than burn. Enclosed, a degree of overpressure effect is created and the effect is noticeably more violent. The power of a low grade explosive is dependent in part on the strength of the container used. The stronger the container, the higher the pressure buildup before rupture and "detonation." It is easy to see that a cardboard container will produce less effect than a pipe like container. The amount of powder used yields a marginal return. That is to say, after a point increase in the amount of powder added will result in less increase in "yield." Generally, the amount of powder used should be about twice the minimum amount needed to rupture the container. After this point, additional powder will only result in increased light/burn effects, as most of the powder will be unburned as the container ruptures. Unfortunately, the subjective nature of container construction and powder formula makes determining the exact amount of powder more of an art than a science. Trial and error is the only tried and true method. Mixing the powder itself is also a rather subjective process. If you are expecting to just pour two chemicals together and light the result, read another file. Care must be taken to achieve the desired effect. Selecting powder formulas. The formula used is really a matter of personal choice. More or less the selection of formula is based on what is available and cheap, but there are important side effects to formula selections. Below is a partial list of workable oxidizers: Potassium Perchlorate Potassium Chlorate Potassium Nitrate Potassium Permanganate Sodium Chlorate Barium Nitrate and Fuels: Aluminum Powder Magnesium Powder Zinc Powder Sugar The combinations you choose are a matter of choice and availability but some mixtures can produce undesirable effects. Many of the Chlorate based mixtures can be highly friction sensitive. (Sodium Chlorate and Potassium Chlorate are examples in this category) As a rule, I prefer to use Potassium Perchlorate and Potassium Permanganate as oxidizers. Aluminum powder tends to be the cheapest and best burning fuel, but Magnesium produces by far the best light effects and is preferable when construction flash bombs or stun grenades. For a rundown on mixtures and their properties read the file "The Art of Making M-80's and M-100's" It has a wealth of accurate information on specific characteristics of several mixtures. The two mixtures I will emphasize are Potassium Perchlorate and Aluminum Powder and Potassium Permanganate with Aluminum Powder. The key to a powerful mix is surface area. Aluminum powder should be at least 400 mesh, but between 600 and 1000 mesh is preferable. The finer the metal powder, the faster the burn. If at all possible use 600+ mesh powder. You will be much better off with finer powder, believe me. Potassium Permanganate comes in crystals and will leave dark brown (but not painful) burns on skin. These burns disappear quickly, but gloves should always be worn. When using fine Aluminum, airborne particles will be a problem. Aluminum powder is not considered toxic but can lead to Aluminosis and should not be breathed. The combination of airborne crystals and Aluminum powder can do wonders for your hair too. Rubber gloves, eye protection and a filter mask would not be overkill and I highly recommend you use them. Grind the Potassium Permanganate crystals to a fine powder. Spare no effort in crushing the crystals. The grade of the oxidizer will be the limiting factor in your mixture and thus the finer the better. The purple crystals will begin to look brown as they get finer. Combine two parts oxidizer by volume and one part fuel by volume in a plastic bag (al la Zip Loc) and mix carefully but very thoroughly. Static is a real possibility here so caution is the key word. I don't advise you prepare more than you will need in the next week or so but I have on occasion left a bag of mixed powder laying around for up to a month with no ill effects. The Potassium Permanganate mix is very stable but take no chances. A good close view of 8 ounces of flash powder going up, enclosed or not (say in your face) I promise you will never forget. The Potassium Perchlorate is less stable and should be treated accordingly. Neither mix however is really volatile. Before using in devices, I suggest a test of powder quality. Six canisters of useless powder won't do you any good. When testing try using the same fuse you plan to construct your devices with. My favorite method is to pour the powder on loose leaf paper and then run a fuse to the pile. Do NOT use more than a couple of ounces this way. Flashpowder in large quantities will explode even unconfined. An ounce of the Potassium Permanganate mixture will pop loudly even uncontained. The powder burns so quickly, the air has no time to get out of the way and a shockwave builds up. No more than a teaspoon is needed for a test. When the powder catches it should burn INSTANTLY. "FOP!" The powder will burn VERY brightly, I don't advise you look right at it. All the powder should burn almost at the same time, not progressively. If ignition is not instantaneous, go back to square one and try grinding the oxidizers finer. DO NOT regrind mixed powder. Once you have tested your powder and are satisfied with the results, you should construct the containers you plan to use. Size is not real important here. Consider the size of the average M-80 when constructing your containers. Those black film containers with the gray top work well, and are quite powerful. For more of a bang try plastic prescription bottles or EXTRA STRENGTH BAYER bottles. I wouldn't recommend going much larger than a coke can. Drill a small fuse hole somewhere in the bottle but NOT in the cap. I suggest through the label, about in the middle. Run a long length of fuse into the bottle through the hole and out through the open top. Fray the end of the fuse that you threaded through the hole. This will assure the powder will catch. As the flame reaches the frayed end of the fuse it will spark a bit and ignite what might otherwise not have burned. After fraying the fuse, pull it back into the bottle until the frayed end hangs about in the middle of the bottle. Cut the fuse on the outside to the length you prefer. (I like to allow at least 7-10 seconds) It would be a good idea to test burning speed of your fuse first. Tape the fuse to the outside of the bottle so it won't move as you put the powder in. The amount of powder to use is again, subjective. I have usually filled only three quarters of the container, but experimentation with different amounts in different or like containers is a good idea. If you want more flash and burn, add more powder. Some air should be left in the container as a rule however. Do not pack the powder. Finally put the top on. Containers alone are not enough to kick quite the way I like, so you might try adding some duct tape. (The more the better) I find the best explosions are with almost half a roll of duct tape on the container. Black plastic electrical tape seems to work very well also. More is more with tape. Make sure to tape the top down very well. By the time you're done there should be a half inch of tape over the entire surface of the container. No white should be visible. Again, constructing these devices is a subjective process, and as long as you follow the theme you should get along just fine. Power A three quarter filled film canister with a roll of electrical tape on it will do an impressive amount of damage. Tossing one of these in a 55 gallon garbage can type drum will permanently disfigure the drum, and a large aspirin bottle will rupture it completely. Expect any car alarms in a 1 block radius to go off. Placed under an orange traffic cone will result in a literal disappearing act by the cone. After doing this I couldn't find a cone piece much larger than a cassette tape, and none of them within 50 ft. Tossed within 10 ft of a person the shock wave will often blow the individual off his / her feet. In alleys, most windows will go for about half a block. File cabinets are amusing as are bank deposit boxes (be careful with this one.) My personal favorite is newspaper machines. Under optimal conditions, one can occasionally see the shock wave take the moisture out of the air as these devices explode. For more powerful devices, try porta- potties. (Be a long way gone when these go, nitrogen/methane often builds up in them.) I'm sure you can think of some creative uses on your own. These devices are deafening. You and your car are in for it if one goes off while you're transporting it. Don't expect to hear much for a long time afterward if ever. Beware of using metal and or glass containers unless you plan you device for anti-personal purposes. These can easily kill or maim even though they are not quite as deadly as detonating high explosives. Reality check. If you kill someone with one of these, you're in it for murder. You have constructed a device with lethal potential and used it in such a way to have killed someone. Do yourself a favor and contain your activities to rural areas and the occasional prank. Enjoy. ''- LI X-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-X Another file downloaded from: NIRVANAnet(tm) & the Temple of the Screaming Electron Jeff Hunter 510-935-5845 The Salted Slug Strange 408-454-9368 Burn This Flag Zardoz 408-363-9766 realitycheck Poindexter Fortran 510-527-1662 Lies Unlimited Mick Freen 415-583-4102 Tomorrow's 0rder of Magnitude Finger_Man 415-961-9315 My Dog Bit Jesus Suzanne D'Fault 510-658-8078 New Dork Sublime Demented Pimiento 415-566-0126 Specializing in conversations, obscure information, high explosives, arcane knowledge, political extremism, diverse sexuality, insane speculation, and wild rumours. ALL-TEXT BBS SYSTEMS. Full access for first-time callers. We don't want to know who you are, where you live, or what your phone number is. We are not Big Brother. "Raw Data for Raw Nerves" X-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-X