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Flash PowderFlash powder is a relatively strong low explosive,
if confined, it can do descent
damage in smaller amounts (such as a gram) and when not
confined, it burnsincredibly fast and can self confine in amounts
excess of 40 grams. In thistutorial I will prepare magnesium:
potassium nitrate flash (Mg: Kno3). Thereare many other flash
powders, so if your using them (such as 70:30 kclo4: Al)just
measure them accordingly and then follow the same steps.
First you will need some materials.
- Magnesium powder (about 300 to 400 mesh will do) If using
finer Mg, yourflash powder becomes much more sensitive
- Potassium nitrate (make sure you use a coffee grinder or
mortar and pestleto make it very finely powdered).- Paper-
scale
Now that you have your materials, weigh out Mg and Kno3 in an
evenamount, 50:50 seems to work quite well for me, although there
are others withsulphur. Once measured out, make sure, if your
grinding your own Mg, thatyour roll over it with a mortar, dont use
the pestle dish, just use the back endof the mortar to crush down
the Mg to make it as flake like as possible. Nexttake your two
chemicals and pour them together.
Now get a little meal black powder, and put a small amount with
the otherchemicals, this will help you see that it's mixed well,
and make it easier toignite (Mg flash is hard to ignite).
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Now mix your chemicals together very well by stirring them
around on a flatsurface with a popsicle stick, or a razor blade on
some glass (best way). Dothis until they are very well mixed, and
then test out a very tiny amount on thetip of a metal object, this
may take a couple seconds to ignite. With other flash
powders, only mix by rolling the chemicals around on some paper
so that theydont scrape off of anything and accidentally ignite.
Now your flash powder iscomplete, this can be used for breaking
aerial shells, m-80's, and a lot of otherstuff
