I haven't posted this idea because I've already baked it. Well I, my brother and a cousin did when we were kids but as far as I know we are the only ones to have done so.
Take an ordinary pack of matches and fold one of the middle matches back under the pack so that the head rests on the striker. Now fold the cover backwards so that it covers the folded match head and masking tape the entire pack until it is completely sealed.
The more tape the more compression.
The more compression the bigger the bang.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Aug 19 2006

Exploding throwing Compression Vestas.(UK styly)Always wanted a ignited bouncing parcel of Bryant & May, not sure about the masking tape though, might get a bit too hot to juggle.
-- skinflaps, Aug 19 2006


This sort of thing is fun. We used to scrape the heads off Swan matches and put them between two bolts into a single nut. Throw on ground, BLAMMO! Loud noise, flying threaded fasteners...
-- Azazello, Aug 19 2006


Oh! I saw these in a comic book once... it was Killraven... They've made an essential Killraven edition now, mainly to capitalize on all the other War of the Worlds merchandizing that was going on recently.
-- ye_river_xiv, Aug 19 2006


[Azazello] - I'd forgotten all about that! We used to do exactly the same thing!
-- zen_tom, Aug 21 2006


You are using a book of paper matches, (rather than a box of wooden ones), right? We used to tear off a piece of striker and put it into a box of matches at one end, against the heads, then wrap the whole thing in tape, and proceed as above. I wonder if there are any halfbakers who haven't blown anything up, or at least tried :-).
-- spidermother, Aug 21 2006


Yep, paper matches. We used the wooden match heads to fill empty CO2 cartridges. Stuff a sparkler in there when you’re done and it makes one heck of a rocket.
I don't know how high they used to go but we put one through the boards of an outdoor skating rink one time.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Aug 21 2006


I once filled a CO2 cartridge with smokeless powder and lit it directly with a match. It burned beautifully like a rocket engine for a few seconds, just time for me to get a couple of metres away, then exploded into scary pointy shrapnel, most of which I never found. I sometimes count my fingers (10) in amazement.
-- spidermother, Aug 21 2006


When attempting to make a sparkler bomb (same idea, but wrap a dozen or so sparklers in electrical tape with one sticking out as a fuse), a friend and I forgot that if you remove the tape from one end, it makes a rocket, not a bomb, and nearly hit my father in the head. Scary moment, right there...
-- Hunter79764, Aug 21 2006


we used to mix fertiliser and sugar and put it into toy cars to blow them, when I was in my early teens. As I grew up (?) some of my friends just scaled up their activities. I went to art college. They went to prison, or the cemetery.
-- xenzag, Aug 22 2006


When I was a kid my mom caught me playing with fire and took my lighter away from me. Knowing me as well as she did and having a flair for the dramatic (something I did not get from her, I'll have you know) she decided that just throwing it away wouldn't be good enough.

So she put the lighter in the sink and proceeded to smack at it with a hammer. That lighter must 've shot around the room ten times from repeated hammer blows before she finally gave up. I learned two somethings that day:
1)Lighters are safe because they can't be destroyed by mortal men
2)My mother is a crazy
-- NotTheSharpestSpoon, Aug 22 2006


Perhaps I should delete this one. I should have burnt a lot more than just my eyebrows a few times.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Aug 22 2006


This idea is no where near as dangerous as the anotations.
-- jellydoughnut, Aug 22 2006


"But dear, if we don't exercise our freedom of speech to talk about mini-explosives exactly how we might have done so before the world changed, then the terrorists win!"
-- RayfordSteele, Aug 23 2006


As per [spidermother]'s recipe but with a sparkler as a fuse and attached, using duct tape, to offending "things".

Now children, gather round to see what we can make with the two mischievous sisters glycerine and gasoline.
-- methinksnot, Aug 23 2006


For safety's sake I need to mention the humble dry ice bomb: dry ice and warm water in a tight-capped 2L pop bottle. No metal shrapnel, no risk of fire or flame. But the humble dry ice bomb stands shoulder to shoulder with any homemade device as regards extreme loudness of detonation and cop-summoning power.
-- bungston, Aug 23 2006


Ooh, I could get into all sorts of trouble here. I have a book with a wonderful section on making contact explosives. Being a rocketry geek, these concoctions of course found their way on to rockets between the nose cone and a weight. The usual DIY fireworks in a rocket are fun, but there's something so much more satisfying about making them explode on impact.

//Lighters are safe because they can't be destroyed by mortal men// Sure they can; Throw them against a rock and they explode, well, not a fiery explosion, but the contents are pressurized enough to be liquid. Your Mom is lucky she didn't break it. To make a nice fiery explosion grab some magnesium fuse, usually called 'hobby wick'; Wrap it around the lighter and tape it. The fuse will burn through the casing and ignite the expanding gas. To add a time delay and make it a 'plantable' bomb, wrap the open end of the fuse around... Yeah, I'll shut up now.

//Perhaps I should delete this one// If you feel you should, but consider waiting a bit. This might lure [8th of 7] back. :)
-- Shz, Aug 23 2006


Agreed.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Aug 24 2006


As to safety of children... Kids who can read and use the internet (without thier parents monitering it) are going to find much worse than this.
-- James Newton, Aug 25 2006


Heh. I already recieved an e-mail from someone looking for contact explosive recipes. Ya can't have 'em! Actually, there are several things I get asked for that I wont give. Time for an exclusion list accompanying my e-mail address, I think.
-- Shz, Aug 25 2006


/there are several things I get asked for that I wont give/

When I asked, I had no idea that you had several! I may have to ask again. This time I will bring flowers.
-- bungston, Aug 25 2006


So long as it's not listed in my profile, flowers will be graciously accepted.
-- Shz, Aug 25 2006



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