Australian Novice interested in blasting.

[SolKathos]

First post guys,

Basically I live in the country and am bored a lot. I am interested in learning the basics of explosives because lets face it, explosives are not only interesting but cool as well.

What would be best to start off with in terms of bang and more importantly safety? I am mainly concerned with working with substances that won't ignite at right temperature, go off in my face, etc. We have a fair amount of acreage with many trees, the main thing I am wanting to learn is how to make something that can feel a decent size tree in one blast.

After reading around another concern is where to get most of the materials, Australia being fairly strict about what you can and can't have. Also most threads are based around Canada and the US.

Any help would be great, thanks.

[.VX]

What state do you live in?

[SolKathos]

QLD

[Th0r]

First post guys,

Basically I live in the country and am bored a lot. I am interested in learning the basics of explosives because lets face it, explosives are not only interesting but cool as well.

What would be best to start off with in terms of bang and more importantly safety? I am mainly concerned with working with substances that won't ignite at right temperature, go off in my face, etc. We have a fair amount of acreage with many trees, the main thing I am wanting to learn is how to make something that can feel a decent size tree in one blast.

After reading around another concern is where to get most of the materials, Australia being fairly strict about what you can and can't have. Also most threads are based around Canada and the US.

Any help would be great, thanks.

I don't reccomend felling a tree regardless of whether you the tree is on public or private property since it could alert authorities of your interest in explosives, which in Nanny-State Australia is not a good thing. Especially given Kevin Ruddkipz has vowed to 'bring the arsonists of Victoria's bushfires to justice'.

Aside with the disclaimer I feel AP [AKA] Acetone Peroxide would suffice in terms of having the capacity to fell a tree. However it's sensitive and dangerous and common sense won't make up for the essential knowledge on AP you'll need to know in order to stay safe.

However if you're truly interested in explosives you'll want to put the theoretical side and knowledge before 'bangs and explosions'. This is why I recommend you start off learning about Pyrotechnics, then produce some Pyrotechnic compositions before producing explosives that could easily fell a tree.

Peace out.

[REL0AD]

Sound advice Th0r.

SolKathos, why not start off with Black Powder or Flash, Krimzon Pyro (link in world wide web) is a good place to gain knowledge?

[Th0r]

Or give the Rorta C&E section a thorough read through...

[death11284]

I would hesitate to recommend AP in amounts, the chances of one of the crystal lattices being broken is extremely high in amounts sufficient to cause that kind of damage. Further, the amount of dimer increases in large batches such as that, thus it will be even more sensitive. If you're going to make enough to fell a tree (don't mean to sound redundant, but bad idea!) I would suggest Ammoniun Nitrate or Erythritol tetranitrate (ETN). I have posted a decent tutorial for ETN in one thread or another, and ammoniun nitrate mixtures can be found elsewhere, however I'll give you an overview.

The ammoniun nitrate is rather easy to rig up. Essentially what you need to know is: First, you need a cap (1.5g Acetone peroxide lightly pressed in a closed straw), then you need a booster (~30-40g Acetone peroxide mixed 70:30 AP:AN with ammoniun nitrate). There are instructions on here for creating both boosters and caps.

The ETN is my strongest suggestion though, you only need a cap to detonate it. Boosters can be...dangerous.

if you need help finding materials a great place to start is a thread called "The Great OTC Thread" found on roguesci.org.

As far as safety equipment goes I would suggest thick leather gloves (Gauntlets :)) along with a paintball mask (they are actually VERY good protective devices). Further, wear heavy jeans (work jeans not american eagle shit) and a long sleeve shirt with a thick jacket.

If you end up getting really into explosives, a blasting chamber is something great to have, for pressing caps especially.

[.VX]

Learn the chemistry behind what you're doing first.

[SolKathos]

Cheers for the advice guys, I am currently reading up on sites like pyroguide and roguesci.org to get a better understanding of this stuff.

In regard to the tree example, that was just a scenario I thought up not really the overall goal, although I have a fair amount of acreage so I could probably do it without alerting anyone, still better to walk before you can run.

As for a 'blasting chamber', I was thinking of just erecting small shed to do this in, just so long as I could keep the materials protected from the elements etc and away from my house.

Are there any compounds you guys could recommend that are relatively safe to transport once made? Mainly because I would be taking them on either a bush basher or a quad bike, neither of which have fantastic suspension and getting blown up while driving doesn't really appeal to me. I was reading on roguesci how to make RDX (blasting clay would be the safest to transport I am assuming) but I am guessing that is in the 'way too advanced' section of this hobby. Also does anyone know how to get an beginners materials in Queensland without raising too many alarm bells? AN seems to be the most crucial ingredient I will need to get my hands on?

Once again thanks for the help guys.

[death11284]

As I've said quite a few times, you can get pure AN from cold packs. Sulfuric acid from battery acid (read about boiling it down and using density tables to calculate the conc). Nitric acid from sulfuric acid and AN in a distillation setup.

When I said a blasting chamber, I meant a plexiglass or otherwise protective material in a "chamber" type design. You would have the tools to press caps on swivels going into the inside...it's something nice to have not really necessary.

I would NOT suggest RDX for a beginner, because the nitric is awful, awful to get on your skin. Further, getting 99% nitric and 98% sulfuric is not an easy task, at all. Even for me, someone who knows their way around a lab it's tough.
I would look into my original suggestion of ETN, it's very stable, but not so stable that it's hard to detonate. The erythritol can be ordered online without raising any flags at 100s of websites...for the sulfuric there are tons and tons of ways to get it. The AN you can just get from cold packs (you really don't need that much), the cold packs you put on injuries.

Hope I helped, glad to hear that your not a moron and your at least referencing roguesci.