Anyone else into homemade Ballistics\Pyrotechnics?

This has Flaminpyro written ALL OVER IT!

Fun! I have a big bin full of fireworks, and other things like potato guns or fun unstable stuff but I've never done anything stupid, and never plan to.

Hey guys check this out !!!!!!!!!!11
StarWarz CO2 Power








Attempts to distract people from dangerous chemical reactions with a little dangerous laser action

OMG this thread has my name all over it!!!

I have designed and built my own pneumatic rifle/cannon, design and made my own combustible spud cannon, made my own rocket fuel from kno3 and black powder (bp was hard to get a hold of..), designed and made (as well as made a tut for) a homemade sparkler rocket, made sparkler flares, made sparkler bombs, build homemade model rockets, made many cremoras, sparkler rocket cars, designed and made a working pulse jet, designed and made a failed electronic ignition jet engine... etc the list goes on. I can embed my videos of some of my attempts, if you would like....

excuse the quality, frame captures from VHS camcorder tapes.

These tapes were filmed many years ago in my private dump on my property, never ask me any details, I will not answer you. No formulas given, no instructions, nothing.

Under no circumstances should anyone attempt to duplicate this, it is dangerous, you can get seriously injured or killed, you may get arrested. These actions were irresponsible, and done long before 9-11 and homeland security was ever even thought of.

A harmless old dish washing machine (look in front of it, destroyed chest freezer)






Another old fridge gets fried...

^you can do the same with tannerite, 100% legal.

Meh, nothing is legal when used for that purpose. With the current state of affairs in this wonderful rights infringed upon country of the USA, why the fascist commie bastards have actually made it illegal to actually blow anything up!!!! the horror! the horror! Lighting off an actual m-80 firecracker, or ANY explosive device in utah is a second degree felony, and possessing one is a 3rd. Attempting to possess one is a class A misdemeanor. This is normal for each state. Although certain states like S.C. and WY have somewhat more lax laws usually in allowing simple black cat firecrackers, but utah is hardly unique. It's laws tend to be on the lax side. And the laws do not make a distinction between a dry ice bomb, m-80 firecracker, a chemical bomb, or 100 lbs of ammonium nitrate prill soaked in oil.
As a side note, you can buy ammonium nitrate prill at your local grocery store, quite legally, with nobody regulating it. Despite the federal building bombing in Oklahoma city all that time ago, the substance is far from regulated. And no hints on how to buy it. Just stating it as a very very easily acquired explosive component, along side dry ice and household cleaning chemicals. All of which can be used to blow something things up quite nicely. The point is zero distinction by the law for the severity of the explosion, excepting only conditions that could be construed as terrorism, which then earn you a nice trip with no trial looming in the near future, to some nasty nasty federal prison wherever they can find a hole to forget about you in.

The real kicker, guess what the definition for what is a terrorist action is? There is no practical definition. All definitions of terrorism are bound up around the concept of an action to induce terror in others. Difference between someone blowing something up for fun, and someone blowing something up to induce terror? intent. As nobody can read minds to prove your actual intent, they are free to interpret your actions however they wish, and in whatever light they wish, innocent until proven guilty be damned. You probably won't get arrested for terrorism if you blow a few things up. You also probably won't die if you are smart about it. But some people DO die from DIY explosives and ballistics. Also some people DO go to jail. regardless of being smart about it, or being careful. etc.

And for those who will say "but I've seen M80 firecrackers! they aren't illegal" all currently sold firecrackers, even the ones that LOOK like the old M80s have MUCH MUCH less then 80mg of gunpowder in these days. they are simply a different package on a fairly weak firecracker, to make it louder and look bigger then a black cat. They do have a little more powder then a regular firecracker, but not enough to blow off a finger anymore.

^real m80s have 3 grams of powder, now they have a maximum of 30mg.

Wow... pleased this thread took off. I got some work to be doing atm and i spent far longer than i intended to reading all that, but I will reply in more depth as soon as i find time.

photonaholic said:

I will PM you my electric trigger, super safe and foolproof.

Any good with a soldering iron??

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I'm alright with a soldering iron. I'd be interested in building an electrical ignitor, so please do PM me instructions!

StridAst, check out War on Terror, the board game. Seems (from that last long post) like something you'd like. And it's an awsome game that serves as an awsome way to annoy people... well, at least, it is if you have a sense of humour like mine. And, i wouldn't detonate anything in public. That's another of my rules, one of the ones i didn't bother mentioning including "wear goggles, gloves, a dust-mask and tie back my long hair when doing anything new" and "make sure the door into the kitchen (where the fire extinguisher is kept) is unlocked and at easy access, and check it'll work for the kind of fire i'm making". The list goes on. Granted, it'll never be perfect and accidents do happen, but as far as i'm concerned it's a personal decision that i have made by weighing up the risks and benefits (including what i consider to be a very enjoyable hobby).

And, to the rest of you, it all sounds pretty awsome. I'm jealous of some of those things listed and it seems like it's going to be a lot of fun discussing it with you guys every time i do something cool.

Granted, it'll never be perfect and accidents do happen...

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Hahaha... this reminded me of the time I tried to make a homemade crossbow. Ok let me describe the design (prototype btw), It was basically 50mm thick and looked like a crucifix, with two large screws on either end of the cross member. I then got a hold of a industrual strength elastic band, the width of two fingers. I would estimate, relative to my 50lb draw long bow, it would of had about 20-25lb draw on it.

Now let me set the scene.... My friend and I were in my backyard and just finished making it, we set it down on the table, and both held it firmly while I drew the elastic back with my hands (at this time we had no trigger) so I pulled it back and latched it on to the back of the longer piece of wood. It was our first fire, so we had no idea of the power this thing had, so I loaded up one of the metal bolts I made and once it was ready to fire, I lifted the elastic, but it was stuck, so I lowered the crossbow, took the bolt off and lifted the elastic and as I did the cross bow slipped out of my hand and I still had a hold of the elastic, so it went flying backwards and hit me straight in the ...... and I was down for 15 mins.

Of course my friend couldn't stop laughing for 15 mins... and later that day I asked if he wanted a go at it.. and he ran. So saftey is now our #1 concern...

I have made homemade fireworks before, some very impressive compositions involving barium nitrate mixes (green and silver fire), potassium nitrate mixes, and thermite all in the same tube (layered). Unfortunately, fireworks are illegal where I live now and my friend moved (he was in unincorporated), so I'm out of luck. I think star mixes (for making colored fire) are very nice, there are no explosions to deal with and so no powder limits because they work unconfined. You can look up some good star mixes on the internet. Silver star mix is the best, but you need barium nitrate, which can be hard to obtain due to its toxicity.

-Mark

^I forgot thermite! I have about a pound I got on ebay, it's really dangerous stuff! However, when used safely it can also be a lot of fun.

I get an annual pyrotechnic permit from the town board for my motor sports park.

It's cool, I also exploit the "muzzle loading firearm" law, there is NO restrictions on bore diameter.

I can make a fist and put it down the barrel of my canon.(the ground shakes when it pops)

The neighbor called the cops on me more than once, and I always get to show the nice officer how my big gun works.

Pisses her off to no end that I don't get arrested, instead the deputy always asks me to demonstrate it.

photonaholic said:

The neighbor called the cops on me more than once, and I always get to show the nice officer how my big gun works.

Pisses her off to no end that I don't get arrested, instead the deputy always asks me to demonstrate it.

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:crackup: :crackup: :crackup:
Oh boy, I bet it does. Nothing like having fun with an officer whos been called in an attempt to have you arrested. Would be great for her to see you demonstrating it to him. Love to see her face at that.

@photonaholic I want to see your BIG gun work

@ ossumguywill Mr. Dannel Tanner is a close personal friend of mine we have lit many a fuse together


@ Don't Laze Me Bro well in my day (long befor I became licenced) I have concocked many things I probely shouldn't have, and some times gotten out of close calls by the skin on my teeth, so I won't promote it here in open forum, you should call 555-1234 :evil:
If people are truly interested in working with things that go boom and you are over 16 then you can do this: every state that has firworks displays use people to set them up and set them off, that means you can get training from the company in that state, firework companys train people every year all you have to do is look them up in the phone book where they are located and call and tell them you are intrested in becoming a PYROECHNICAN ! they will ask you a few questions and if all is well they will invite you to there next training sesion.

Have fun and be safe

Don't Laze Me Bro said:

This has Flaminpyro written ALL OVER IT!

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Flaminpyro said:

@photonaholic I want to see your BIG gun work

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excuse the tiny pic, it's from a video I will put up on youtube sometime. Pausing it the split second of ignition was tricky to show this flame rolling it demonstrates how volatile black powder really is.