241 lines
14 KiB
Plaintext
241 lines
14 KiB
Plaintext
PrimoPyro1990
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.... Detonators ....
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DISCLAIMER: The following file contains information of harmful or illegal
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nature. Neither the BBS or author providing this information
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can be considered responsible for the use of this file.
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The person using this knowledge is solely responsible for
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it's use or misuse. This file is intended to educate only.
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Modern high explosives require a shock to explode.
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The detonator provides this shock. Detonators are powerful enough to take off
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your fingers completely and shatter your hand so care must be used in the
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making and handling of them.
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The standard nonelectric detonator consists of a brass tube about 1/4" I.D.
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with thin walls and a length of about 2 1/2" to 3". This tube is sealed at
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one end and open at the other. The tube contains two explosives, one layer
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upon the other. The bottom layer is called the base charge and is usually
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an insensitive high explosive. The top layer is the initiating charge and is
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a sensitive explosive. At one time the usual blasting cap contained 2 gms.
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of mercury fulminate and was called a #8 cap. A #6 cap contained 1 gm. of
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fulminate. Other caps with less strength were numbered lower. Since fulminate
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is a sensitive explosive, detonators with less of it were safer to handle.
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To use this type of detonator, a fuse is inserted into the tube and pushed
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against the fulminate. The tube is then crimped around a blasting fuse with
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a special tool for this purpose.
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An electric detonator consists of the same detonator as above but now an
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electric match is inserted in place of the fuse and sealed in with a water-
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proof seal. The wires for the detonator are twisted together or somehow
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shorted together to keep stray radio signals from causing premature deton-
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ation. If the wires are not twisted together, one lead may act as an antenna
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while the other acts as a ground. If the wires intercept a radio signal, the
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induced current may be enough to heat up the detonator's filament and cause
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an explosion. Old detonators were made with a spark gap instead of a filament
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and were set off when a high voltage spark jumped the gap. This type of det-
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onator can be set off by static electricity generated by walking across a
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carpet.
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Another type of detonator is the exploding brigewire detonator. This uses no
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primary explosive such as fulminate. Instead, a small diameter wire is used
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in place of a filament. A capacitor is charged up to say 300 v. and 200 uFD.
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The capacitor is then discharged through the detonator causing the bridge-
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wire to explode. This microexplosion is enough to cause the initiaton of the
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secondary explosive. If a battery is connected to the detonator, the bridge-
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wire burns through without detonating the explosive. These detonators are
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very safe to handle and use but the firing circuit is complex.
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Still another type of detonator is a percussion detonator. This is a mechan-
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ically initiated device. It consists of a nonelectric detonator with a primer
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sealed in one end. When a firing pin hits the primer the resulting flash
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fires the detonator. Sometimes a stab detonator is used. This is very much
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like the percussion detonator but instead of the firing pin, a needle is used
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to pierce the sensitive end of the cap.
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The most modern detonators include a built in electronic timer that causes
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detonation at some precise time after the detonation pulse is received. This
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delay is programmable and is used to tailor the explosion to suit individual
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needs. The explosive is also configured as a small shaped charge to cause a
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more perfect detonation of the main charge.
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Primary Explosives Used in Detonators
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Primary explosives are chemicals that do not burn but explode directly
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from a flame or spark. They are also usually very sensitive to shock.
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Mercury fulminate can be found in toy paper caps for use in a cap pistol. The
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quantity in a paper cap is about 1/10 of a grain. There are 15.4 grains in a
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gram so approximately 154 of them contain one gram. If you have heard one cap
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exploding, imagine 154 of them going at once. The following are manufacturing
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processes for small laboratory amounts of primary explosives. Follow safety
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rules if you decide to manufacture them.
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Mercury Fulminate: This is one of the oldest explosives used for making deto-
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nators. It is one of the easiest explosives to make.
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In a glass container put 40 ml. of 90% nitric acid. If you have red fuming
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nitric acid, put in 10 ml. of water then add 30 ml. of acid one drop at a
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time until all the acid is added. Water should never be added to acid.
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The reaction can cause splattering of the acid. Acid to water is what you
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oughta. Water to acid is not very placid.
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Now, add 5 gms. of mercury metal. As the metal dissolves in the acid, some
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red fumes of nitric oxides may be released. Avoid breathing them. Allow the
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mixture to stand until the mercury is dissolved. You may want to stir the
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acid to help the mercury dissolve. The mercury may take some time to dissolve
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so have patience. When the metal is dissolved, add the acid to 75 ml. of warm
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90% ethyl alcohol.in a 500 ml. glass container. In a few minutes a reaction
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will start. The mixture will start bubbling and frothing so the reaction must
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take place in a large container. White fumes will start coming out of the
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reaction and must not be inhaled. The white fumes will give way to red fumes
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then change back to white again. A precipitate will be seen to form in the
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liquid. This is mercury fulminate. When the reaction stops bubbling, pour the
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liquid into about 12 oz. of water. Wash the precipitate out of the reaction
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container and into the water. Filter the fulminate out of the water and wash
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it with a few ounces of ethyl alcohol and a final wash of a few ounces of
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distilled water. The fulminate should be a grayish to a white powder. It is
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best stored under water until use.
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Mercury fulminate can be exploded by a 4 cm. drop of a 1 kilo weight. It will
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become "dead pressed" if subjected to pressures of 25,000 - 30,000 psi and
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will no longer explode but just burn.
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DDNP: Diazodinitrophenol is a greenish yellow to a brown crystal and is
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superior to fulminate as a detonating agent. To make it, dissolve 1 gm. of
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sodium hydroxide in 65 mls. of distilled water then add 6 gms of picric
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acid to the lye solution. In another container put 10 ml. of distilled water
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and add 5 gms. of sulfur to the water. Now add 5 gms. of sodium hydoxide to
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the sulfur/water. Boil this mixture until it turns bright red. Let the
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solution cool off. Add the sulfur/lye to picric acid solution in four
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portions letting the picric solution cool down in between additions. Stir the
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solution while adding the sulfur/lye. Let the mixture cool off then filter
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out the red particles. Dissolve the red particles in 130 mls. of boiling
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water. Filter the solution and discard any precipitate, save the solution.
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Add 80% sulfuric acid to the solution drop by drop until it turns an orange-
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brown color then add 15 mls. more sulfuric acid. Let the solution cool down
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to room temperature. Dissolve 3.75 gms of sodium nitrite (not nitrate) in 150
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mls. of distilled water. Add the nitrite solution to the orange-brown solu-
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tion all at once while stirring. Let the solution stand for 10 - 15 mins.
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The solution should be a brown color. Filter out the particles of DDNP and
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wash them with 100 mls. of distilled ice water. Store the DDNP under a small
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amount of water until use.
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Lead Picrate: When picric acid reacts with a metal a picrate is formed. The
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heavier the metal the more sensitive an explosive is formed. Lead picrate is
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a useful explosive for making improvised detonators. The picrate will explode
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from heat, sparks, or shock. In a small glass container put 5 gms. of picric
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acid. Add to this 25 mls. of ethyl alcohol and stir the two to make a paste.
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Add 5 gms. of lead monoxide to the paste and gently stir the mixture. This is
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now an explosive. Store the paste still wet with alcohol in a sealed glass
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container until needed.
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Lead Azide: Lead azide is probably the most commonly used explosive in modern
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detonators. It is not as shock sensitive as mercury fulminate. It must be
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precipitated in the presence of dextrin to keep the particles of azide small.
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Failure to do this will result in an explosion as the large crystals of azide
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explode from inner stresses. Dissolve 17 gms. of lead nitrate and 1.5 gms. of
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dextrin in 250 ml. of distilled water. Adjust the pH of the solution to 5.4
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with sodium hydroxide then heat the water to 70 deg. C. While stirring the
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solution strongly add a solution of 6.5 gms. of sodium azide and 1.5 gms of
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sodium hydroxide in 250 mls. of distilled water. Continue stirring for 5 min.
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Filter out the lead azide and wash with about 500 mls. of distilled water.
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Store the lead azide under water until needed.
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Secondary Explosives Used in Detonators
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These explosives are relatively insensitive and are used to strengthen the
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explosion of the detonator. These explosives are classified as a high
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explosive.
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Picric Acid: This process was taught by the CIA for their improvised explo-
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sives course. It produces an explosive from aspirin.
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Crush 20, 5 grain aspirin tablets and add 1 tsp. of water to it to make a
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paste. Stir in 1/2 cup of ethyl alcohol to the aspirin paste and then filter
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the solution to remove any solid particles. Evaporate the alcohol and recover
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the crystals that are left. Pour 1/3 cup of concentrated sulfuric acid into
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a large jar and add the crystals from the alcohol solution. Heat the acid in
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a simmering hot water bath for 15 mins. The acid should turn a reddish color.
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Now add 15 gms. of potassium nitrate to the acid 5 gms. at a time while
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stirring. Let the acid cool to room temperature then pour the acid slowly
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into 1 1/2 cups of water and let it cool down again. Filter off the particles
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of picric acid and wash them with 1 cup of ice water. Dry these crystals
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before using them. Picric acid is a very strong dye. Contact with it will
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stain just about anything. Picric acid also reacts with metal to form picrate
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salts that are a hazard. Any metal in contact with picric acid should be
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coated with an acid proof paint or an epoxy coat.
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Guncotton: This is not very commonly used especially for detonators but for
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improvised work it is perfect. Make an acid mixture composed of 3 parts by
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volume concentrated nitric acid and 1 part concentrated sulfuric acid. Take
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a small piece of cotton and quickly push it under the acid with a glass rod.
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Leave it under the acid for 5 mins. then pull out the cotton and squeeze
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out the excess acid. Quickly push it under water to wash out any acid rem-
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aining in the cotton. Now wash the cotton in fresh water containing a few
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percent of sodium bicarbonate. Pull the cotton apart to help the water get to
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all the fibers. Now wash the cotton in warm water for 15 mins. If you want
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to remove all the acid trapped in the fibers, expose the cotton to strong
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sunlight for one or two days then wash it in a 3% sodium bicarbonate solution
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for 1/2 hour followed by a wash with distilled water. If all this washing
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sounds redundant it isn't. The acid gets trapped inside the fibers of the
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cotton and causes the explosive to deteriorate after a while. Guncotton is
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very spark sensitive and should be stored wet with water until used.
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Cyclonite: Also known as cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine or simply RDX, this
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is one of the most powerful explosives known. It is not too sensitive but as
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with all explosives handle with care and common sense. RDX is produced by
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nitrating hexamethylenetetramine (HMT). HMT is used to make fuel sticks for
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use in small survival or camping stoves. It can be made by treating an
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ammonia solution with formaldehyde and evaporating the liquid to obtain the
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HMT. If you have problems getting formaldehyde, check out a boating supply
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or paint store for resorcinal glue. It is a two part glue, one part which is
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paraformaldehyde. This is a powder and is simply a polymer of formaldehyde
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which you can use. Cool 60 gms of 100% nitric acid to 0 deg. C. and add 5
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gms. of HMT to the acid in several small portions while not letting the
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temperature go above 30 deg. C. When all the HMT is added, let the acid cool
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down to 0 deg. C. then let it stand for 20 mins. At that time, dump the acid
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into two pints of cold water. The RDX will precipitate and should be filtered
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out and then washed with water until it is free of acid. The RDX can be
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stored dry in a cool place until needed.
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Making a Detonator
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Obtain a small brass tube with a 1/4" I.D. and seal one end with an epoxy
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plug. The length of the tube should be about 3". Weigh out 1 gm. of one
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of the secondary explosives and press it into the bottom of the tube .25 gm.
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at a time. Do not subject the explosive to shock but press it in the tube
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with a wooden dowel to avoid all sparks. Press a small paper disk down onto
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the explosive. Weigh out .75 gm. of a primary explosive and press this into
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the tube .25 gm. at a time. If you are using an electric ignitor, insert it
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into the tube up against the primary explosive and seal the ignitor into the
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tube with a little epoxy. These detonators are much more powerful than the
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standard commercial or military detonator and should be able to detonate any
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explosive you are using.
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An electric ignitor for a detonator can be made as follows.
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Take a small (3/8" long) section of tube that you are using for the detonator
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and coat the inside with silicone or wax. Put the tube onto a piece of wax-
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paper. Fold a length of 27 ga. solid wire into a hairpin loop and hold the
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loop in the tube up against the waxpaper. Put a few drops of 5 min. epoxy in
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the tube and let it harden. Now fill up the rest of the tube with the epoxy.
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Peel the waxpaper away from the tube and push the epoxy plug out of the tube.
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Take a file and file the end of the plug until the wire diameter at the loop
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is reduced to 1/4 the original diameter. Mix a small amount of black powder
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with dextrin and water to make a paste then coat the wire loop. When 6 - 12
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volts are connected to the wire leads the black powder will flash. This can
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be sealed into a detonator if you want to make it an electric detonator.
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You can take a shotgun primer and make up a brass collar to hold it tightly
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in a detonator tube. A little bit of epoxy will seal it into the end of the
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detonator if you want to make a percussion initiated detonator.
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Be careful when making, storing, and using detonators. Too many accidents
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have been attributed to the careless handling of them.
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*** Kilroy was here ***
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