Hi all, I work with Hi Performance and Experimental rockets and I am somewhat familiar with explosives and the handling thereof. I have a couple of comments to add to the pipe bomb building thread... Forwarded message:
Date: Thu, 01 Aug 1996 23:06:14 -0800 From: jim bell <jimbell@pacifier.com> Subject: Re: Southern Cracker Beer Bombs in Trucks
Buy a section of metal water pipe 1/2 by 6 inches long, threaded on both ends. Buy two metal caps to fit. These are standard items in hardware stores. Drill a 1/16th hole in the center of the pipe. This is easy with a good drill bit. Hanson is a good brand to use. Screw a metal cap tightly on one end. Fill the pipe to within 1/2 inch of the top with black powder. Do not pack the powder. Don't even tap the bottom of the pipe to make it settle. You want the powder loose. For maximum explosive effect, you need dry, fine powder sitting loose in a very rigid container.
For "safety" purposes (at least for the builder!) I would add that the threads on the pipe should be covered with a generous quantity of vaseline, grease, wax, or other similar material. Otherwise, the final tighten-up might cause an explosion if granules of powder get stuck in the threads and ignite due to friction.
Do this and you will get a reaction which can cause a spontaneous explosion. In short keep all greases and other such products away from explosives. If you must use threads on a pipe in such a situation make VERY shure they are clean and dry. I would use water to first wash the water solubles away and then would use alcholol to clean the threads of the remaining debree. Also, always use a cotten rag otherwise you run the risk of building up a static charge sufficient to set it off.
When tightening the pipe/cap, shield the work with a thick layer of folded-up paper towel or other material, so your Vice-Grips (or other such wrench, or vice) don't leave "tool marks" on the pipe. (Discard, by burning, such paper after use.)
If you must use metal tools in the constructio of your bomb make shure of two things. First, there is another person to call the ambulance. Also be shure to use a non-sparking tool (read that as expensive) do NOT use steel or iron tools. You would just be asking to blow yourself up from sparks. Most tool catalogs will have a small section of Beryllium based tools or something similar. Jim Choate