Making gunpowder with potassium permanganate

[rkcstr]

Yeah, you're probably right :-/

Kinds sucks that you can get in big trouble for just wanting to have some fun on our independence day.

It may be best to discontinue any discussion of this stuff, considering the nature of the legality.

 

[HumanSymphony]

i may be wrong here but i'm pretty sure its illegal to make and/or modify lasers in any way without a license... hypocrites! lol

 

[daguin]

i may be wrong here but i'm pretty sure its illegal to make and/or modify lasers in any way without a license... hypocrites! lol

Lasers aren't part of the paranoia associated with the current world situation. It is perfectly legal to make and own high powered lasers. It is their use and transfer that gets sticky. We're just trying to help prevent you from getting a visit from Homeland Security.

Peace,
dave

 

[diachi]

America and Britain are all paranoid about the 'Terrorist threat' which is a lot of BS.

 

[HumanSymphony]

[quote author=HumanSymphony link=1216592593/0#17 date=1216663380]i may be wrong here but i'm pretty sure its illegal to make and/or modify lasers in any way without a license... hypocrites! lol

Lasers aren't part of the paranoia associated with the current world situation. It is perfectly legal to make and own high powered lasers. It is their use and transfer that gets sticky. We're just trying to help prevent you from getting a visit from Homeland Security.

Peace,
dave[/quote]

Even if caught (which i strongly doubt) i shouldn't get in any extreme terrorist-like trouble. They will be in firework tubes afterall. Nothing that could kill hundreds of people or break a building's foundation. On another note, i have seen directly on laser warning labels something like "any disassembly or modification of this laser is illegal" or something along those lines.

 

[diachi]

:-? I've never seen that, maybe a warning saying tampering will void the warranty but thats it.

 

[pullbangdead]

Making your own high powered laser is not illegal. I can go buy a DVD burner and turn it into a 3b laser in the US, and as long as I don't try to sell it to anyone else, the FDA has zero say over it. Also, that is provided that your locality (state, county, city) has no laws prohibiting ownership or possession). Owning a laser is not illegal, and it is perfectly legal to import, sell and buy high powered lasers if you follow the standard procedures set up by the FDA.

 

[heruursciences]

Don't use potassium permanganate for gunpowder or fireworks! It is not safe! It will react with sulfur to form a chemical called manganese heptoxide in small amounts or slowly oxidize other compounds in the presence of humidity and either spontaneously combust or explode.

It can however be used safely for outdoor slow speed flash pots for theatrical pyro when mixed with mid grade flake aluminum, but mixing with dark aluminum or magnesium powders, especially with sulfur added borders on suicidal.

As for the guy making a pound of flash, if you get caught they may try you under the terrorism laws since you do not have a batf license. Assuming you get away with getting the chemicals-it goes off you'll be missing all 10 fingers, blinded and deaf, but are likely not to be killed outright unless your head is over the pile. Think very VERY hard before doing this! :-/

 

[HumanSymphony]

sulfur was never in the equation...

 

[styropyro]

sulfur was never in the equation...

Sulfur isn't the only thing that makes permanganate mixtures unstable. Some of those flash mixtures are also water sensitive. They will literally light on fire by liquid water of water in the air. Like Herrur said permanganate mixtures are borderline suicide, you just can't risk messing with something so sensitive to nearly everything.

Go to apcforum.net (a forum on making fireworks the right way) and start a topic about permanganate flash, watch how fast they will ban you.

 

[rkcstr]

Assuming you get away with getting the chemicals-it goes off you'll be missing all 10 fingers, blinded and deaf, but are likely not to be killed outright unless your head is over the pile. Think very VERY hard before doing this! :-/

I'm guessing the US gov't keeps tabs on the various sources of these chemicals.

If you're really worried, you could always go the route of this guy:

http://www.pyropage.com/GettingLegal/GettingLegal.html

Not sure how hard it is anymore to get a BATF license, though.

 

[HumanSymphony]

[quote author=heruursciences link=1216592593/20#23 date=1216768811]Assuming you get away with getting the chemicals-it goes off you'll be missing all 10 fingers, blinded and deaf, but are likely not to be killed outright unless your head is over the pile. Think very VERY hard before doing this!  :-/

I'm guessing the US gov't keeps tabs on the various sources of these chemicals.

If you're really worried, you could always go the route of this guy:

http://www.pyropage.com/GettingLegal/GettingLegal.html

Not sure how hard it is anymore to get a BATF license, though.[/quote]
Considering i have 4 years to go before i could even apply   i won't be trying to get legal just yet. Something i'll definitely consider though. I don't think anything will go wrong as even licensed people would be mixing and making it all the same way i will. I'm well aware of the potential dangers and if something goes wrong and i blow my hands off, that will suck very bad. But knowing me, once i've healed i'll be right back where i left off, making silver salutes with my arm stubs!   ANYWAYS let's just hope for the best. Let this just be a nice, fun experience that i can do again and again. Though it's nothing like building a laser. The cost of error in this project isn't a $20 diode...

EDIT: also i have already stated that i will be using potassium PERCHLORATE and aluminum powder. Thanks to you guys for telling me the dangers of permanganate. ;D Though it's all potentially dangerous (some more dangerous than others obviously).

 

[styropyro]

as even licensed people would be mixing and making it all the same way i will.

So you'll have a blast suit/face shield on when mixing up this stuff? And you will be well away from any building? I really don't think you should be messing with flash, it is so dangerous, we're not kidding when we are telling you the dangers of the stuff. I used to mess with flash and I am GLAD I don't any more. It is just way too risky.

But knowing me, once i've healed i'll be right back where i left off, making silver salutes with my arm stubs!

You wouldn't be making silver salutes after you have an accident when your in jail or paying off $100,000 in fines. They will hit you so hard legally you will wish you were dead if you got caught unlicensed.

 

[HumanSymphony]

[quote author=HumanSymphony link=1216592593/20#27 date=1216783247]as even licensed people would be mixing and making it all the same way i will.

So you'll have a blast suit/face shield on when mixing up this stuff? And you will be well away from any building? I really don't think you should be messing with flash, it is so dangerous, we're not kidding when we are telling you the dangers of the stuff. I used to mess with flash and I am GLAD I don't any more. It is just way too risky.

But knowing me, once i've healed i'll be right back where i left off, making silver salutes with my arm stubs!  

You wouldn't be making silver salutes after you have an accident when your in jail or paying off $100,000 in fines. They will hit you so hard legally you will wish you were dead if you got caught unlicensed.[/quote]
Blast suit for 30g? More like safety goggles : it would only be THAT dangerous after compressed and built. More concerned about bad burns if it ignited as bare powder. I HAVE made it before. I was asking about permanganate originally because i had never used it before and it was a cheap alternative.

 

[styropyro]

I was saying if you mixed it just like the licensed guys you would be wearing a blast suit.

 

[HumanSymphony]

im saying they probably wouldnt take such precautions with such small amounts. im talking about average joes not chemists.