Lets have a blast

I remember seeing a safety filmlet about not putting gasoline in your washing machine. not the same one, though. it didn't make comparisons to dynamite, but it did say it might catch fire.

all my life I have heard Dynamite referred to as a universal standard of measurement for explosives. (I.E. X is as powerful as this fraction of a stick of dynamite) they could run a series of tests to determine how accurate the scale is. (I think one was an M-80 firecracker was as powerful as a quarter stick)

another story I have repeatedly heard was "trenching charges" where a person used either specific explosives or simple dynamite to skip the laborious part of digging a ditch.

(edit: to be clear, this is not about blasting rock for a trench - this is about moving dirt)

How would you test that Loki? They are not going to want to flatten trees or vegetation for the show, none of the places they would be allowed to conduct such a test have vegetation/trees (for obvious reasons) and no forest or timber company would let them turn a large number of their trees into splinters.

If you can think of a viable way to test the idea I'm sure MB might consider it - the risk to the helicopter could be judged simply by having a stand in (or even an old scrapped 'copter body) above/near the blast site. Its the trees that pose the problem.

First thought would be old wooden telegraph poles. But these would lack the root system of real trees and the branches that would make them top heavy and catch some of the blast.

What about running away from an explosion? It is a Hollywood staple where the good guys find the planted explosives with only a few seconds left on the thoughtfully brightly lit countdown timer. They shout, then run away and manage to get just far enough away that the resulting blast only sends them flying. But how much time would you need to get out of the range of a bomb? (Yes, I know it would depend on how powerful it was. Lets assume around a pound of C4, which is what bad guys seem to be able to buy in bulk from corner stores in Hollywood films.)

Artificial trees are a possibility. It would be one heck of a build.

Remember, we're also looking at jungle vegetation more than just trees, and such vegetation usually grows back pretty quickly. Trying it in a redwood forest wouldn't be a good simulation. I wonder if the military could help? Maybe they have a few areas for testing explosives, and if this is a real thing, they'd have to train for it somewhere.

Hollywood has to shoot those action scenes somewhere. Go there and use their jungle.

Yes, I know. Budget limitations. Maybe they could make it part of several jungle myths, and do it all in one trip (like the shark show).

Possible jungle myths:

Can you swing from the trees like Tarzan, leaping from vine to vine?

Can you build a treehouse like Swiss Family Robinson?

Yes, I know I'm going OT from this thread, but I'm trying to beat the budgetary problems.

I do like the idea of a 'Jungle' show - it would in some respects be a good sequel to the Duct Tape Island episode, if without the Duct Tape.

The Swizz Family Robinson is not a good example. First of all they were shipwrecked on a tropical island. Second they were able to salvage a LOT of supplies and equipment from the ship - which at this date would have included nails, rope, canvas, wood ect.

I don't mind some topic drift if the drift raises what could be valid show ideas. If you want to run with the idea create a new thread and see what ideas for such an episode we could come up with. Who knows, they might decide it is interesting enough to consider looking at....

Any more explosive myths/stories? I've been informed that they are quite interested in this, either for a special episode or so they have a nice long list they can look at from time to time. It seems that they might not have as many explosive related myths as you'd think they would (probably because they've tested so many).

*Edit*

Not sure if this classifies as an 'explosive' myth but I did run across this;



Does make you wonder how large you could make one of those...?

I started a thread called 'Rhubarb Destruction' a while back about an elderly woman in the UK who had her fridge blown up by a jar of fermenting rhubarb chutney. Does that qualify?

Full thread here: The Citadel\Random Ideas Thread\Rhubarb Destruction

First off: Eeeww! If that's the same GF you've been mentioning on and off over the months we've been here, I'm not really surprised she became an ex at this point.

Second: The rhubarb thing should lead to some great exploding fridge shots, whether the myth proves true or not. The only problem I see with that particular myth in terms of testing is that the news story did say the chutney was homemade. In other words, they don't have a chance in hades of knowing what was put into it other than rhubarb. It may even have been contaminated by some unknown substance that led to the unfortunate event.

However, the story is well documented and I believe the woman is named in the article. As we discussed in the thread, the question isn't whether or not the explosion happened (there are pics to prove it in the article), but if the chutney was really to blame or if something else was going on. The research team could attempt to contact the woman and see if they could get the original recipe from her friend and some more details about what was done with it (did it sit in the open for long before going in the fridge, for instance?) to get the best possible circumstances for replicating the myth. Who knows? They might even be able to get the make and model of the fridge.

This is something I hear from time to time, but I doubt is true.

Gunpowder Overdose.

Now I think it has origins in Cartridge for 12bore, shotgun, but I dont know how far upscale you can get, and goes along the same lines as the suggested replacing of gunpowder for explosives from the almighty Adim above (Cyber)

The suggestion is that the gunpowder in the cartridge is not taken out, but added to, they creating a BIGGER bang in the gun....
It can destroy the barrel?....


Now as the only 12bore/13guage I have ever had the opportunity to fire on a clay pigeon range are family heirloom, belonging to my Uncle, approx 70 to 80 yrs old, in fine working condition well maintained and absolutely fantastic to handle, I have no intention in firing anything else but what is supplied to be fired with..... I am not a vandal?....

And no, as the only ranges I have ever been on are either Military of Police, I have never ever even thought about testing this on anything else either.
I dont even know if there is even room in say a .303 round to add extra gunpowder....
I was only ever there for proficiency, 10 rounds at the target in front of you in your own time commence firing....