kids making toy explosions in tincan

tommeyers

On Vacation!
Jan 2, 2012
1,599
0
36
I live in Santiago
Twice this week I have seen kids making explosions (small) using small pea sized rocks in a tin can. What is that stuff?

Rock in can with a little water, shake, ignite ===> pow. They were having great fun.
 

donluis99

Bronze
Jul 12, 2004
721
16
0
it's CaC2, they are amaking acetylene, which at 15 psi becomes vary unstable and can self ignite.

it is unlikly that the cans can withstand even 5 psi, so most likly the explosion is the rupture of the can.

The explosion that acetylene with 02 at atmoshere in a 16 oz coffee cup ignited is well akin to that of an M100 at minumum.

inside a can that may withstand to beyond 15 psi, may or may not stop the proccess and thus not reach the critical 15 psi for possible self iginition.

g'luk
 

HUG

Silver
Feb 3, 2009
3,940
1
0
A tin can? Using foil and bog cleaner you can make airtight containers blow as big as you like and is the norm in DR as it is very very cheap. 5pesos of bog cleaner from thecolmado and any bit of foil from the street makes for anentire evening of explosive fun. Tin cans though? Not airtight enough tocontain the gas from thechemical reaction and so probably won't work, but if the bogcleaner also reacts with the aluminium can then maybe it is something I havent seen. 20 scrunched up foil pellets in a 1ltr coke bottle will blow your hand off though.
 

tommeyers

On Vacation!
Jan 2, 2012
1,599
0
36
I live in Santiago
Two ways to hurt myself! I made bog cleaner bombs in 1960. I had no understanding of the chemicals and the possible bad consequences. But the other one looks like safe fun! The other bombs were co2 bombs- very big non pyro explosion!
 

chic

Silver
Nov 20, 2013
4,305
1
0
we used to get a empty thread spool, put elastic on one side and shoot wooden matches(strike anywhere). when the match came down and hit the concrete small fire (like a bomb...) but you had to have a helpful mom... was entertaining...
 

Mauricio

Gold
Nov 18, 2002
5,607
7
38
Every New Years eve in my hometown:

[video]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-HwsxYMA2Gs[/video]
 

ramesses

Gold
Jun 17, 2005
6,672
809
113
We used to make gunpowder out of the chemistry kit and charcoal from the fireplace. Got the recipe out of the World Book encyclopedia. Take 2 bolts and a nut, screw the nut on one bolt one turn, fill the hole with powder, screw the other bolt in on top of the powder until finger tight....throw up in the air over a hard surface....and run like hell!!!

I am surprised we survived, it was a game....we thought.
 
Aug 21, 2007
3,043
1,970
113
Please warn these kids. I was teaching middle school years ago. I had a boy in my class who lived in the country. He would come to school and tell the class about the bombs he was setting off in the field. While doing this, not a month later, an accident happended, and while setting off his device, he was killed.

I never forgave myself for not giving him a harsh warning. My heart aches to this very day. Please, in honor of that smart, spunky red haired kid I taught so many years ago and failed to warn, tell the kids you see doing this to stop.

Lindsey
 

jstarebel

Silver
Oct 4, 2013
3,330
333
83
Twice this week I have seen kids making explosions (small) using small pea sized rocks in a tin can. What is that stuff?

Rock in can with a little water, shake, ignite ===> pow. They were having great fun.

The little peas are "carburro". The device (tin cans taped together with little holes in them) is believe it or not, a bazooka. Ever see the little paper wrapping fire crackers that come in a box and you throw them down on the ground, and they pop. Same thing, but the bang of the bazooka is huge. Kids in our barrio had one too. As far as I could tell, put in the caburros in one side, add some water on the other, shake, roll, and rub till it gets warm, set it down, step away, and big boom.
 

Mauricio

Gold
Nov 18, 2002
5,607
7
38
The little peas are "carburro". The device (tin cans taped together with little holes in them) is believe it or not, a bazooka. Ever see the little paper wrapping fire crackers that come in a box and you throw them down on the ground, and they pop. Same thing, but the bang of the bazooka is huge. Kids in our barrio had one too. As far as I could tell, put in the caburros in one side, add some water on the other, shake, roll, and rub till it gets warm, set it down, step away, and big boom.

That's not how we would 'play' when I was young(er):

One can, could be a paint can, milk powder can up to a 60 liter milk churn, a hole in the back of the can. Carbide in the can, little water, cover the hole with your finger and shake. Place the can on the ground holding it with your foot, use a lighter tonignite at the hole and "boom".

I don't see how this is really dangerous. I'm sure accidents can happen and have happened, but that is also the case when playing soccer or riding your bike around the block. I wouldn't prefer to live in a rubber tile society.
 

jstarebel

Silver
Oct 4, 2013
3,330
333
83
That's not how we would 'play' when I was young(er):

One can, could be a paint can, milk powder can up to a 60 liter milk churn, a hole in the back of the can. Carbide in the can, little water, cover the hole with your finger and shake. Place the can on the ground holding it with your foot, use a lighter tonignite at the hole and "boom".

I don't see how this is really dangerous. I'm sure accidents can happen and have happened, but that is also the case when playing soccer or riding your bike around the block. I wouldn't prefer to live in a rubber tile society.

I wish I would have taken a picture of it. This bazooka was 4 or 5 cans taped together. Yovanni the father of the kids made it, and did the first bang to check it befor giving everything to the kids to run off to the street with. This sucker was really loud when it went off. I guess it would be no more dange4ous than throwing m80's like we did as kids.

The homemade sparklers (brillo pads) lit and swirrled around by the kids seemed to be more dangerous than the bazooka.
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,211
5,966
113
We used Henley's Book of Formulas back in the day. Made gunpowder, zinc/sulfur fuel for rockets, and nitrogen triiodide among other things. We didn't try the home made nitroglycerin formula.

I had to look up what a bog was.
 

Mauricio

Gold
Nov 18, 2002
5,607
7
38
I wish I would have taken a picture of it. This bazooka was 4 or 5 cans taped together. Yovanni the father of the kids made it, and did the first bang to check it befor giving everything to the kids to run off to the street with. This sucker was really loud when it went off. I guess it would be no more dange4ous than throwing m80's like we did as kids.

The homemade sparklers (brillo pads) lit and swirrled around by the kids seemed to be more dangerous than the bazooka.
Yes, now I know what you mean. The more daring boys in the neighborhood would make a tower of churns and ignite one, by the pressure the others would explode also.
 
May 29, 2006
10,265
200
0
What I've seen was kids taking some alum foil and put it into a soda bottle with a splash of muriatic acid in it. They seal it with the cap and stand back. The pressure builds up and BANG!. Obviously dangerous because of the exploding acid, but try to explain that to them~ and it is great cheap thrills. Like they say, it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye.
 

dropshort

Member
May 18, 2008
281
2
18
Once I was playing with an oxy-acetylene torch and an empty 128 US FL OZ vegetable can.
I burned a hole in the bottom, then filled the can with acetylene and touch the top of the can with torch.
There was a pop and the can went about 70 ft in the air.

The last time I added some oxygen. The can went a 2 inches in the air and went ............. BANG

DS