The Anarchist Cookbook (66 page)

190.Starter Explosives by Exodus

There are nearly an infinite number of fuel-oxidizer mixtures that can be produced by a

misguided individual in his own home. Some are very effective and dangerous, while others

are safer and less effective. A list of working fuel- oxidizer mixtures will be presented,

but the exact measurements of each compound are debatable for maximum effectiveness.

A rough estimate will be given of the percentages of each fuel and oxidizer:

Oxidizer% by weightFuel% by weightSpeed Notes

Potassium Chlorate67%Sulfur33%5Friction or Impact Sensitive & UnstablePotassium

Chlorate50%Sugar35%5Fairly

Slow

BurningCharcoal15%UnstablePotassium

Chlorate50%Sulfur25%8Extremely Unstable! Magnesium or25%Aluminum

Dust25%Potassium Chlorate67%Magnesium33%8Unstable Aluminum Dust33%Sodium

Nitrate65%Magnesium Dust30%?Unpredictable Sulfur5% Potassium

Permanganate60%Glycerin40%4Delay Before Ignition depends upon Grain SizePotassium

Permanganate67%Sulfur33%5UnstablePotassium Permanganate60%Sulfur20%5Unstable

Magnesium or20% Aluminum Dust20%Potassium Permanganate50%Sugar50%3?Potassium

Nitrate75%Charcoal15%7This is Black Powder! Sulfur10% Potassium

Nitrate60%Powdered Iron or40%1Burns Very Hot Magnesium40%Potassium

Chlorate75%Phosphorus Sesquisulfide25%8Used to make strike-anywhere

matchesAmmonium Perchlorate70%Aluminum Dust30%6Solid Fuel for Space Shuttle

Small amount of Iron OxidePotassium Perchlorate67%Magnesium or33%10Flash

Powder(Sodium Perchlorate) Aluminum Dust33%Potassium Perchlorate60%Magnesium

or20%8Alternate(Sodium Perchlorate) Aluminum Dust20% Flash Powder Sulfur20%Barium

Nitrate30%Aluminum Dust30%9Alternate Potassium Perchlorate30% Flash PowderBarium

Peroxide90%Magnesium Dust5%10Alternate Aluminum Dust5% Flash

PowderPotassium Perchlorate50%Sulfur25%8Slightly Unstable Magnesium or25%

Aluminum Dust25%Potassium Chlorate67%Red Phosphorus27%7Very Unstable Impact

Sensitive Calcium Carbonate3% Sulfur3%Potassium Permanganate50%powdered

sugar25%7Unstable Aluminum or25% Ignites if it gets wet! Magnesium

Dust25%Potassium Chlorate75%Charcoal Dust15%6Unstable Sulfur10%

WARNING: POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE IGNITES SPONTANEOUSLY WITH

GLYCERIN! !

NOTE: Mixtures that uses substitutions of sodium perchlorate for potassium perchlorate

become moisture-absorbent and less stable.

The higher the speed number, the faster the fuel-oxidizer mixture burns AFTER ignition.

Also, as a rule, the finer the powder, the faster the rate of burning.

As one can easily see, there is a wide variety of fuel-oxidizer mixtures that can be made

at home. By altering the amounts of fuel and oxidizer(s), different burn rates can be

achieved, but this also can change the sensitivity of the mixture.

191.Flash Powder By Dr. Tiel

Here are a few basic precautions to take if you're crazy enough to produce your own flash

powder:

Grind the oxidizer (KNO3, KClO3, KMnO4, KClO4 etc.) separately in a clean vessel.

NEVER grind or sift the mixed composition.

Mix the composition on a large paper sheet, by rolling the composition back and forth.

Do not store flash compositions, especially any containing Mg.

Make very small quantities at first, so you can appreciate the power of such mixtures.

KNO3 50% (by weight)

Mg 50%

It is very important to have the KNO3 very dry, if evolution of ammonia is observed then

the KNO3 has water in it. Very pure and dry KNO3 is needed. KClO3 with Mg or Al metal

powders works very well. Many hands, faces and lives have been lost with such

compositions. KMnO4 with Mg or Al is also an extremely powerful flash composition. KClO4

with Al is generally found in commercial fireworks, this does not mean that it is safe, it is

a little safer than KClO3 above. KýCrýO7 can also be used as an oxidizer for flash powder.

The finer the oxidizer and the finer the metal powder the more powerful the explosive.

This of course will also increase the sensitivity of the flash powder.

For a quick flash small quantities can be burnt in the open. Larger quantities (50g or more)

ignited in the open can detonate, they do not need a container to do so.

NOTE: Flash powder in any container will detonate.

Balanced equations of some oxidizer/metal reactions. Only major products are considered.

Excess metal powders are generally used. This excess burns with atmospheric oxygen.



4 KNO3 + 10 Mg --> 2 KýO + 2 Ný + 10 MgO + Energy



KClO3 + 2 Al --> KCl + AlýO3 + Energy



3 KClO4 + 8 Al --> 3 KCl + 4 AlýO3 + Energy



6 KMnO4 + 14 Al --> 3 KýO + 7 AlýO3 + 6 Mn + Energy

Make Black Powder first if you have never worked with pyrotechnic materials, then think

about this stuff.

Dr. Van Tiel - Ph.D. Chemistry

Potassium perchlorate is a lot safer than sodium/potassium chlorate.

1 92.The Explosive Pen by Blue Max

Here's a GREAT little trick to play on your best fiend (no that's not a typo) at school, or

maybe as a practical joke on a friend!

Materials Needed:

One Ball Point "Click" pen

Gun Powder

8 or 10 match heads

1 Match stick

a sheet of sand paper (1 «" X 2")

Directions:

Unscrew pen and remove all parts but leave the button in the top.

Stick the match stick in the part of the pen clicker where the other little parts and the

ink fill was.

Roll sand paper up and put around the match stick that is in the clicker.

Put the remaining Match Heads inside the pen, make sure that they are on the inside on

the sand paper.

Put a small piece of paper or something in the other end of the pen where the ball point

comes out.

Fill the end with the piece of paper in it with gun powder. The paper is to keep the powder

from spilling.

The Finished pen should look like this:

Small Paper Clog Gun Powder Matches & Sandpaper \

| |

\ | |

\ _________________|____________________|________

<_______________________________|_______________|===

193.Revised Pipe Bombs by Exodus

First, one flattens one end of a copper or aluminum pipe carefully, making sure not to tear

or rip the piping. Then, the flat end of the pipe should be folded over at least once, if this

does not rip the pipe. A fuse hole should be drilled in the pipe near the now closed end, and

the fuse should be inserted.

Next, the bomb-builder would partially fill the casing with a low order explosive, and pack

it with a large wad of tissue paper. He would then flatten and fold the other end of the

pipe with a pair of pliers. If he was not too dumb, he would do this slowly, since the

process of folding and bending metal gives off heat, which could set off the explosive. A

diagram is presented below:

(Ill. #1)

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Fig. 1 - Pipe with one end flattened and fuse hole drilled. [Top view]

(Ill. #2)

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Fig. 2 - Pipe with one end flattened and folded up. [Top view]

(Ill. #3)

ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Fuse Hole

³

ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄoÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄ¿

³ À¿ ÀÄÄ¿ ³

³ ÀÄÄÄÄÙ ³

³ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ

³ ÚÙ

ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ

Fig. 3 - Pipe with flattened and folded end. [Side view]

194.SAFETY TIPS -- HOW NOT TO GET KILLED by Exodus

An "own goal" is the death of a person on your side from one of your own devices. It is

obvious that these should be avoided at all costs. While no safety device is 100% reliable,

it is usually better to err on the side of caution.

BASIC SAFETY RULES

DON'T SMOKE! (Don't laugh - an errant cigarette wiped out the Weathermen)

GRIND ALL INGREDIENTS SEPARATELY. It's surprising how friction sensitive some

supposedly "safe" explosives really are.

ALLOW for a 20% margin of error - Just because the AVERAGE burning rate of a fuse is

30 secs/foot, don't depend on the 5 inches sticking out of your pipe bomb to take

exactly 2« minutes.

OVERESTIMATE THE RANGE OF YOUR SHRAPNEL. The cap from a pipe bomb can often

travel a block or more at high velocities before coming to rest - If you have to stay

nearby, remember that if you can see it, it can kill you.

When mixing sensitive compounds (such as flash powder) avoid all sources of static

electricity. Mix the ingredients by the method below:

HOW TO MIX INGREDIENTS

The best way to mix two dry chemicals to form an explosive is to do as the small-scale

fireworks manufacturer's do:

Ingredients:



1 large sheet of smooth paper (for example a page from a newspaper that does not use

staples)



The dry chemicals needed for the desired compound.

Measure out the appropriate amounts of the two chemicals, and pour them in two small

heaps near opposite corners of the sheet.

Pick up the sheet by the two corners near the powders, allowing the powders to roll

towards the middle of the sheet.

By raising one corner and then the other, roll the powders back and forth in the middle of

the open sheet, taking care not to let the mixture spill from either of the loose ends.

Pour the powder off from the middle of the sheet, and use immediately. If it must be

stored use airtight containers (35mm film canisters work nicely) and store away from

people, houses, and valuable items.

1 95.Ammonium TriIodide Crystals by Exodus

Ammonium triiodide crystals are foul-smelling purple colored crystals that decompose

under the slightest amount of heat, friction, or shock, if they are made with the purest

ammonia (ammonium hydroxide) and iodine. Such crystals are said to detonate when a fly

lands on them, or when an ant walks across them. Household ammonia, however, has enough

impurities, such as soaps and abrasive agents, so that the crystals will detonate when

thrown, crushed, or heated. Ammonia, when bought in stores comes in a variety of forms.

The pine and cloudy ammonias should not be bought; only the clear ammonia should be used

to make ammonium triiodide crystals. Upon detonation, a loud report is heard, and a cloud

of purple iodine gas appears about the detonation site. Whatever the unfortunate surface

that the crystal was detonated upon will usually be ruined, as some of the iodine in the

crystal is thrown about in a solid form, and iodine is corrosive. It leaves nasty, ugly,

permanent brownish-purple stains on whatever it contacts. Iodine gas is also bad news,

since it can damage lungs, and it settles to the ground and stains things there also.

Touching iodine leaves brown stains on the skin that last for about a week, unless they are

immediately and vigorously washed off. While such a compound would have little use to a

serious terrorist, a vandal could utilize them in damaging property. Or, a terrorist could

throw several of them into a crowd as a distraction, an action which would possibly injure a

few people, but frighten almost anyone, since a small crystal that may not be seen when

thrown produces a rather loud explosion.

Ammonium triiodide crystals could be produced in the following manner:

Materials:



Iodine crystals



Clear ammonia (ammonium hydroxide, for the suicidal)

Equipment:



Funnel and filter paper



Paper towels



Two throw-away glass jars

Place about two teaspoons of iodine into one of the glass jars. The jars must both be throw

away because they will never be clean again.

Add enough ammonia to completely cover the iodine.

Place the funnel into the other jar, and put the filter paper in the funnel. The technique

for putting filter paper in a funnel is taught in every basic chemistry lab class: fold the

circular paper in half, so that a semi-circle is formed. Then, fold it in half again to

form a triangle with one curved side. Pull one thickness of paper out to form a cone,

and place the cone into the funnel.