This was prompted by ARW's query about small blue LEDs.
I didn't want to hijack his thread so this is under a new heading.

Does anyone remember about 40-45 years ago there was a 'toy' : a small
wrap of paper which you would hurl at your friends and it would
explode on contact with them or any other hardish surface. They
weren't around long. I expect Thatcher banned them pretty quick, being
the killjoy bitch she was. WTF were they?

CD.

On 19/11/2022 21:48, Cursitor Doom wrote:
> This was prompted by ARW's query about small blue LEDs.
> I didn't want to hijack his thread so this is under a new heading.
>
> Does anyone remember about 40-45 years ago there was a 'toy' : a small
> wrap of paper which you would hurl at your friends and it would
> explode on contact with them or any other hardish surface. They
> weren't around long. I expect Thatcher banned them pretty quick, being
> the killjoy bitch she was. WTF were they?
>
> CD.
Do you mean these Bang Snaps?

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bang_snaps>

Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com> wrote:
> This was prompted by ARW's query about small blue LEDs.
> I didn't want to hijack his thread so this is under a new heading.
>
> Does anyone remember about 40-45 years ago there was a 'toy' : a small
> wrap of paper which you would hurl at your friends and it would
> explode on contact with them or any other hardish surface. They
> weren't around long. I expect Thatcher banned them pretty quick, being
> the killjoy bitch she was. WTF were they?

'Bangers'

They weren't banned, we had them in the 90s.
They're basically just the same thing as the noise in a Christmas cracker.

1.5mg of explosive in each one:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/500-Snaps-Throw-Bangers-boxes/dp/B004P8BBY2
Not for sale to under 16s now.

Theo

Pancho <Pancho.Jones@proton.me> writes:

>> Does anyone remember about 40-45 years ago there was a 'toy' : a
>> small wrap of paper which you would hurl at your friends and it would
>> explode on contact with them or any other hardish surface.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Rupert%27s_drop

--
Alan J. Wylie https://www.wylie.me.uk/

Dance like no-one's watching. / Encrypt like everyone is.
Security is inversely proportional to convenience

On Sat, 19 Nov 2022 21:56:29 +0000, Pancho <Pancho.Jones@proton.me>
wrote:

>On 19/11/2022 21:48, Cursitor Doom wrote:
>> This was prompted by ARW's query about small blue LEDs.
>> I didn't want to hijack his thread so this is under a new heading.
>>
>> Does anyone remember about 40-45 years ago there was a 'toy' : a small
>> wrap of paper which you would hurl at your friends and it would
>> explode on contact with them or any other hardish surface. They
>> weren't around long. I expect Thatcher banned them pretty quick, being
>> the killjoy bitch she was. WTF were they?
>>
>> CD.
>Do you mean these Bang Snaps?
>
><https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bang_snaps>

Yes, that's them. Was beginning to think I'd imagined the whole craze.
Thanks!

On Saturday, November 19, 2022 at 10:00:55 PM UTC, Theo wrote:
> Cursitor Doom <c...@notformail.com> wrote:
> > This was prompted by ARW's query about small blue LEDs.
> > I didn't want to hijack his thread so this is under a new heading.
> >
> > Does anyone remember about 40-45 years ago there was a 'toy' : a small
> > wrap of paper which you would hurl at your friends and it would
> > explode on contact with them or any other hardish surface. They
> > weren't around long. I expect Thatcher banned them pretty quick, being
> > the killjoy bitch she was. WTF were they?
> 'Bangers'
>
> They weren't banned, we had them in the 90s.
> They're basically just the same thing as the noise in a Christmas cracker.
>
> 1.5mg of explosive in each one:
> https://www.amazon.co.uk/500-Snaps-Throw-Bangers-boxes/dp/B004P8BBY2
> Not for sale to under 16s now.
>
> Theo

They are still around today - I occasionally hear a spate of them going off, usually
around schools. Not sure where they are being bought from.

Personally I made my own nitrogen tri-iodide, which was at least as much fun...

On 19/11/2022 23:12, jkn wrote:
> On Saturday, November 19, 2022 at 10:00:55 PM UTC, Theo wrote:
>> Cursitor Doom <c...@notformail.com> wrote:
>>> This was prompted by ARW's query about small blue LEDs.
>>> I didn't want to hijack his thread so this is under a new heading.
>>>
>>> Does anyone remember about 40-45 years ago there was a 'toy' : a small
>>> wrap of paper which you would hurl at your friends and it would
>>> explode on contact with them or any other hardish surface. They
>>> weren't around long. I expect Thatcher banned them pretty quick, being
>>> the killjoy bitch she was. WTF were they?
>> 'Bangers'
>>
>> They weren't banned, we had them in the 90s.
>> They're basically just the same thing as the noise in a Christmas cracker.
>>
>> 1.5mg of explosive in each one:
>> https://www.amazon.co.uk/500-Snaps-Throw-Bangers-boxes/dp/B004P8BBY2
>> Not for sale to under 16s now.
>>
>> Theo
>
> They are still around today - I occasionally hear a spate of them going off, usually
> around schools. Not sure where they are being bought from.
>
> Personally I made my own nitrogen tri-iodide, which was at least as much fun...

Nitrogen or Ammonium?

Wew made the latter at school. Our chemistry teacher took a year out and
was temporarily replaced by a newly qualified teacher (he'd been in our
sixth form while I was in the first form and was notorious for painting
the stuff on radiators, the bottom of seats and the cleaners' brushes -
the former went off if the teacher shouted loud enough, the next when
someone sat down and flexed the seat and the last when the cleaners
started to sweep up).

In class, it was placed in a corner and hit with a window pole - I was
about 10' away and was deaf for about 5 minutes and deaf in one ear for
about 5 hours!

On 19/11/2022 21:48, Cursitor Doom wrote:
> This was prompted by ARW's query about small blue LEDs.
> I didn't want to hijack his thread so this is under a new heading.
>
> Does anyone remember about 40-45 years ago there was a 'toy' : a small
> wrap of paper which you would hurl at your friends and it would
> explode on contact with them or any other hardish surface. They
> weren't around long. I expect Thatcher banned them pretty quick, being
> the killjoy bitch she was. WTF were they?
>
> CD.
.... and what happened to stink bombs? Do kids still skilfully drop one
(as it were!) and then walk on it?

On 19/11/2022 23:06, Cursitor Doom wrote:
> On Sat, 19 Nov 2022 21:56:29 +0000, Pancho <Pancho.Jones@proton.me>
> wrote:
>
>> On 19/11/2022 21:48, Cursitor Doom wrote:
>>> This was prompted by ARW's query about small blue LEDs.
>>> I didn't want to hijack his thread so this is under a new heading.
>>>
>>> Does anyone remember about 40-45 years ago there was a 'toy' : a small
>>> wrap of paper which you would hurl at your friends and it would
>>> explode on contact with them or any other hardish surface. They
>>> weren't around long. I expect Thatcher banned them pretty quick, being
>>> the killjoy bitch she was. WTF were they?
>>>
>>> CD.
>> Do you mean these Bang Snaps?
>>
>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bang_snaps>
>
> Yes, that's them. Was beginning to think I'd imagined the whole craze.
> Thanks!
better with a lone star cap gun

On 20 Nov 2022 at 00:27:39 GMT, "nothanks@aolbin.com" <nothanks@aolbin.com>
wrote:

> On 19/11/2022 21:48, Cursitor Doom wrote:
>> This was prompted by ARW's query about small blue LEDs.
>> I didn't want to hijack his thread so this is under a new heading.
>>
>> Does anyone remember about 40-45 years ago there was a 'toy' : a small
>> wrap of paper which you would hurl at your friends and it would
>> explode on contact with them or any other hardish surface. They
>> weren't around long. I expect Thatcher banned them pretty quick, being
>> the killjoy bitch she was. WTF were they?
>>
>> CD.
> ... and what happened to stink bombs? Do kids still skilfully drop one
> (as it were!) and then walk on it?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=stink+bombe&adgrpid=1177577855194133&hvadid=73598817283707&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=40967&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-73598757884319%3Aloc-188&hydadcr=13682_2231193&tag=mh0a9-21&ref=pd_sl_4du45hz1zx_e
--
The email shown is false. If you need to contact me then try peterATpfjamesDOTcoDOTuk

Addresses are given to us to conceal our whereabouts.
Saki (H.H.Munro) 1870 - 1916

On Sat, 19 Nov 2022 21:48:45 +0000, Cursitor Doom wrote:

> This was prompted by ARW's query about small blue LEDs.
> I didn't want to hijack his thread so this is under a new heading.
>
> Does anyone remember about 40-45 years ago there was a 'toy' : a small
> wrap of paper which you would hurl at your friends and it would explode
> on contact with them or any other hardish surface. They weren't around
> long. I expect Thatcher banned them pretty quick, being the killjoy
> bitch she was. WTF were they?
>
> CD.

Very much more dangerous in my day, was firing fence staples around using
a rubber band.

On Sun, 20 Nov 2022 00:25:56 +0000, SteveW wrote:

> On 19/11/2022 23:12, jkn wrote:
>> On Saturday, November 19, 2022 at 10:00:55 PM UTC, Theo wrote:
>>> Cursitor Doom <c...@notformail.com> wrote:
>>>> This was prompted by ARW's query about small blue LEDs.
>>>> I didn't want to hijack his thread so this is under a new heading.
>>>>
>>>> Does anyone remember about 40-45 years ago there was a 'toy' : a
>>>> small wrap of paper which you would hurl at your friends and it would
>>>> explode on contact with them or any other hardish surface. They
>>>> weren't around long. I expect Thatcher banned them pretty quick,
>>>> being the killjoy bitch she was. WTF were they?
>>> 'Bangers'
>>>
>>> They weren't banned, we had them in the 90s.
>>> They're basically just the same thing as the noise in a Christmas
>>> cracker.
>>>
>>> 1.5mg of explosive in each one:
>>> https://www.amazon.co.uk/500-Snaps-Throw-Bangers-boxes/dp/B004P8BBY2
>>> Not for sale to under 16s now.
>>>
>>> Theo
>>
>> They are still around today - I occasionally hear a spate of them going
>> off, usually around schools. Not sure where they are being bought from.
>>
>> Personally I made my own nitrogen tri-iodide, which was at least as
>> much fun...
>
> Nitrogen or Ammonium?
>
> Wew made the latter at school. Our chemistry teacher took a year out and
> was temporarily replaced by a newly qualified teacher (he'd been in our
> sixth form while I was in the first form and was notorious for painting
> the stuff on radiators, the bottom of seats and the cleaners' brushes -
> the former went off if the teacher shouted loud enough, the next when
> someone sat down and flexed the seat and the last when the cleaners
> started to sweep up).
>
> In class, it was placed in a corner and hit with a window pole - I was
> about 10' away and was deaf for about 5 minutes and deaf in one ear for
> about 5 hours!

We plashed some in the middle of engineering drawings, so when dried and
the drawing was opened up it would flash and crack.

On Sun, 20 Nov 2022 08:24:00 +0000, Peter James wrote:

> On 20 Nov 2022 at 00:27:39 GMT, "nothanks@aolbin.com"
> <nothanks@aolbin.com>
> wrote:
>
>> On 19/11/2022 21:48, Cursitor Doom wrote:
>>> This was prompted by ARW's query about small blue LEDs.
>>> I didn't want to hijack his thread so this is under a new heading.
>>>
>>> Does anyone remember about 40-45 years ago there was a 'toy' : a small
>>> wrap of paper which you would hurl at your friends and it would
>>> explode on contact with them or any other hardish surface. They
>>> weren't around long. I expect Thatcher banned them pretty quick, being
>>> the killjoy bitch she was. WTF were they?
>>>
>>> CD.
>> ... and what happened to stink bombs? Do kids still skilfully drop one
>> (as it were!) and then walk on it?
>
> https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=stink
+bombe&adgrpid=1177577855194133&hvadid=73598817283707&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=40967&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-73598757884319%
3Aloc-188&hydadcr=13682_2231193&tag=mh0a9-21&ref=pd_sl_4du45hz1zx_e

Some GPO telephone boxes had open cable entries at the back, so poking a
stink bomb in was great fun when occupied.

On Sun, 20 Nov 2022 00:27:39 +0000, nothanks@aolbin.com wrote:

>On 19/11/2022 21:48, Cursitor Doom wrote:
>> This was prompted by ARW's query about small blue LEDs.
>> I didn't want to hijack his thread so this is under a new heading.
>>
>> Does anyone remember about 40-45 years ago there was a 'toy' : a small
>> wrap of paper which you would hurl at your friends and it would
>> explode on contact with them or any other hardish surface. They
>> weren't around long. I expect Thatcher banned them pretty quick, being
>> the killjoy bitch she was. WTF were they?
>>
>> CD.
>... and what happened to stink bombs? Do kids still skilfully drop one
>(as it were!) and then walk on it?

Thatcher banned 'em in the early 80s, as I recall. It was one of the
things she cracked down on. She liked a good crackdown, did Thatch.

On Sun, 20 Nov 2022 13:35:41 -0000 (UTC), jon <jon@nospam.cn> wrote:

>On Sat, 19 Nov 2022 21:48:45 +0000, Cursitor Doom wrote:
>
>> This was prompted by ARW's query about small blue LEDs.
>> I didn't want to hijack his thread so this is under a new heading.
>>
>> Does anyone remember about 40-45 years ago there was a 'toy' : a small
>> wrap of paper which you would hurl at your friends and it would explode
>> on contact with them or any other hardish surface. They weren't around
>> long. I expect Thatcher banned them pretty quick, being the killjoy
>> bitch she was. WTF were they?
>>
>> CD.
>
>Very much more dangerous in my day, was firing fence staples around using
>a rubber band.

Still safer than using a catapult I guess.

On 20/11/2022 13:49, Cursitor Doom wrote:
> On Sun, 20 Nov 2022 00:27:39 +0000, nothanks@aolbin.com wrote:
>
>> On 19/11/2022 21:48, Cursitor Doom wrote:
>>> This was prompted by ARW's query about small blue LEDs.
>>> I didn't want to hijack his thread so this is under a new heading.
>>>
>>> Does anyone remember about 40-45 years ago there was a 'toy' : a small
>>> wrap of paper which you would hurl at your friends and it would
>>> explode on contact with them or any other hardish surface. They
>>> weren't around long. I expect Thatcher banned them pretty quick, being
>>> the killjoy bitch she was. WTF were they?
>>>
>>> CD.
>> ... and what happened to stink bombs? Do kids still skilfully drop one
>> (as it were!) and then walk on it?
>
> Thatcher banned 'em in the early 80s, as I recall. It was one of the
> things she cracked down on. She liked a good crackdown, did Thatch.

Stink bombs are still around. My own kids confirm that they are set off
in school from time to time.

On Sun, 20 Nov 2022 19:52:40 +0000, SteveW <steve@walker-family.me.uk>
wrote:

>On 20/11/2022 13:49, Cursitor Doom wrote:
>> On Sun, 20 Nov 2022 00:27:39 +0000, nothanks@aolbin.com wrote:
>>
>>> On 19/11/2022 21:48, Cursitor Doom wrote:
>>>> This was prompted by ARW's query about small blue LEDs.
>>>> I didn't want to hijack his thread so this is under a new heading.
>>>>
>>>> Does anyone remember about 40-45 years ago there was a 'toy' : a small
>>>> wrap of paper which you would hurl at your friends and it would
>>>> explode on contact with them or any other hardish surface. They
>>>> weren't around long. I expect Thatcher banned them pretty quick, being
>>>> the killjoy bitch she was. WTF were they?
>>>>
>>>> CD.
>>> ... and what happened to stink bombs? Do kids still skilfully drop one
>>> (as it were!) and then walk on it?
>>
>> Thatcher banned 'em in the early 80s, as I recall. It was one of the
>> things she cracked down on. She liked a good crackdown, did Thatch.
>
>Stink bombs are still around. My own kids confirm that they are set off
>in school from time to time.

Probably imported by kiddies on day trips to France I'd imagine.

On 19/11/2022 21:48, Cursitor Doom wrote:
> This was prompted by ARW's query about small blue LEDs.
> I didn't want to hijack his thread so this is under a new heading.
>
> Does anyone remember about 40-45 years ago there was a 'toy' : a small
> wrap of paper which you would hurl at your friends and it would
> explode on contact with them or any other hardish surface. They
> weren't around long. I expect Thatcher banned them pretty quick, being
> the killjoy bitch she was. WTF were they?

Still available if you frequent the right sort of shops and/or
understand the relevant chemistry. I haven't seen them on sale for ages.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bang_snaps

One prominent pyrotechnician I knew made his views about such volatile
explosive compositions very clear. All of the worlds best fireworks
makers are missing *precisely* one finger.

If you get the chemistry wrong you can sometimes end up inadvertently
making it when trying to silver a telescope mirror.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_fulminate

Mistakes can easily result in loss of digits or worse. YMMV

Way back pre WWII there used to be an even more evil bang mix sold by
high street chemists that is now fundamentally banned.

The two main sorts of pyrotechnics are kept very carefully separated in
fireworks factories to avoid catastrophic trouble. It doesn't always
work :( Barrier layers are put between them when finally assembled.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On Mon, 21 Nov 2022 09:06:49 +0000, Martin Brown
<'''newspam'''@nonad.co.uk> wrote:

>On 19/11/2022 21:48, Cursitor Doom wrote:
>> This was prompted by ARW's query about small blue LEDs.
>> I didn't want to hijack his thread so this is under a new heading.
>>
>> Does anyone remember about 40-45 years ago there was a 'toy' : a small
>> wrap of paper which you would hurl at your friends and it would
>> explode on contact with them or any other hardish surface. They
>> weren't around long. I expect Thatcher banned them pretty quick, being
>> the killjoy bitch she was. WTF were they?
>
>Still available if you frequent the right sort of shops and/or
>understand the relevant chemistry. I haven't seen them on sale for ages.
>
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bang_snaps
>
>One prominent pyrotechnician I knew made his views about such volatile
>explosive compositions very clear. All of the worlds best fireworks
>makers are missing *precisely* one finger.
>
>If you get the chemistry wrong you can sometimes end up inadvertently
>making it when trying to silver a telescope mirror.
>
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_fulminate
>
>Mistakes can easily result in loss of digits or worse. YMMV

Likewise mercury fulminate. The tiniest drop on a sheet of blotting
paper hit with a hammer will shatter nearby windows. You need to be so
fucking careful handling shock-sensitive high explosive compounds.

>Way back pre WWII there used to be an even more evil bang mix sold by
>high street chemists that is now fundamentally banned.

I remember the fireworks we had back in the early post-war period. An
ordinary 1d banger had enough grunt to blow a galvanised bucket clean
over the house's roof ridge. Younger people these days have no clue as
to the freedoms we had back then; they couldn't even imagine it, poor
fuckers.

On Tuesday, 22 November 2022 at 18:09:16 UTC, Cursitor Doom wrote:
> On Mon, 21 Nov 2022 09:06:49 +0000, Martin Brown
> <'''newspam'''@nonad.co.uk> wrote:
>
> >On 19/11/2022 21:48, Cursitor Doom wrote:
> >> This was prompted by ARW's query about small blue LEDs.
> >> I didn't want to hijack his thread so this is under a new heading.
> >>
> >> Does anyone remember about 40-45 years ago there was a 'toy' : a small
> >> wrap of paper which you would hurl at your friends and it would
> >> explode on contact with them or any other hardish surface. They
> >> weren't around long. I expect Thatcher banned them pretty quick, being
> >> the killjoy bitch she was. WTF were they?
> >
> >Still available if you frequent the right sort of shops and/or
> >understand the relevant chemistry. I haven't seen them on sale for ages.
> >
> >https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bang_snaps
> >
> >One prominent pyrotechnician I knew made his views about such volatile
> >explosive compositions very clear. All of the worlds best fireworks
> >makers are missing *precisely* one finger.
> >
> >If you get the chemistry wrong you can sometimes end up inadvertently
> >making it when trying to silver a telescope mirror.
> >
> >https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_fulminate
> >
> >Mistakes can easily result in loss of digits or worse. YMMV
> Likewise mercury fulminate. The tiniest drop on a sheet of blotting
> paper hit with a hammer will shatter nearby windows. You need to be so
> fucking careful handling shock-sensitive high explosive compounds.

Are you really sure about that? (Blowing out the windows with a tiny drop
I mean, not the part about being careful.)

> >Way back pre WWII there used to be an even more evil bang mix sold by
> >high street chemists that is now fundamentally banned.
> I remember the fireworks we had back in the early post-war period. An
> ordinary 1d banger had enough grunt to blow a galvanised bucket clean
> over the house's roof ridge. Younger people these days have no clue as
> to the freedoms we had back then; they couldn't even imagine it, poor
> fuckers.

Cursitor Doom <cd@notformail.com> wrote:
>
>
> I remember the fireworks we had back in the early post-war period. An
> ordinary 1d banger had enough grunt to blow a galvanised bucket clean
> over the house's roof ridge.

Um, that sounds improbable. Can anyone corroborate?

Tim

--
Please don't feed the trolls

On Tue, 22 Nov 2022 11:26:15 -0800 (PST), John Walliker
<jrwalliker@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Tuesday, 22 November 2022 at 18:09:16 UTC, Cursitor Doom wrote:
>> On Mon, 21 Nov 2022 09:06:49 +0000, Martin Brown
>> <'''newspam'''@nonad.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>> >On 19/11/2022 21:48, Cursitor Doom wrote:
>> >> This was prompted by ARW's query about small blue LEDs.
>> >> I didn't want to hijack his thread so this is under a new heading.
>> >>
>> >> Does anyone remember about 40-45 years ago there was a 'toy' : a small
>> >> wrap of paper which you would hurl at your friends and it would
>> >> explode on contact with them or any other hardish surface. They
>> >> weren't around long. I expect Thatcher banned them pretty quick, being
>> >> the killjoy bitch she was. WTF were they?
>> >
>> >Still available if you frequent the right sort of shops and/or
>> >understand the relevant chemistry. I haven't seen them on sale for ages.
>> >
>> >https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bang_snaps
>> >
>> >One prominent pyrotechnician I knew made his views about such volatile
>> >explosive compositions very clear. All of the worlds best fireworks
>> >makers are missing *precisely* one finger.
>> >
>> >If you get the chemistry wrong you can sometimes end up inadvertently
>> >making it when trying to silver a telescope mirror.
>> >
>> >https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_fulminate
>> >
>> >Mistakes can easily result in loss of digits or worse. YMMV
>> Likewise mercury fulminate. The tiniest drop on a sheet of blotting
>> paper hit with a hammer will shatter nearby windows. You need to be so
>> fucking careful handling shock-sensitive high explosive compounds.
>
>Are you really sure about that? (Blowing out the windows with a tiny drop
>I mean, not the part about being careful.)

Not blowing them out, but certainly shattering them, yes, 100% sure
about that. And "nearby" meaning within a few meters.

>> >Way back pre WWII there used to be an even more evil bang mix sold by
>> >high street chemists that is now fundamentally banned.
>> I remember the fireworks we had back in the early post-war period. An
>> ordinary 1d banger had enough grunt to blow a galvanised bucket clean
>> over the house's roof ridge. Younger people these days have no clue as
>> to the freedoms we had back then; they couldn't even imagine it, poor
>> fuckers.

On Tuesday, 22 November 2022 at 20:01:34 UTC, Tim+ wrote:
> Cursitor Doom <c...@notformail.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> > I remember the fireworks we had back in the early post-war period. An
> > ordinary 1d banger had enough grunt to blow a galvanised bucket clean
> > over the house's roof ridge.
> Um, that sounds improbable. Can anyone corroborate?

Not a galvanised bucket, but yes for a tin can. In order to get a tin can
to go high enough to clear a two-story house the process was:
Place large banger in slightly moist sand (to get a good seal).
Light blue touch paper.
Push can (normal size soup or baked beans tin) firmly down onto banger.
Run

A galvanised bucket would hardly have moved.

John

On 22/11/2022 18:09, Cursitor Doom wrote:
> On Mon, 21 Nov 2022 09:06:49 +0000, Martin Brown
> <'''newspam'''@nonad.co.uk> wrote:
>
>> On 19/11/2022 21:48, Cursitor Doom wrote:
>>> This was prompted by ARW's query about small blue LEDs.
>>> I didn't want to hijack his thread so this is under a new heading.
>>>
>>> Does anyone remember about 40-45 years ago there was a 'toy' : a small
>>> wrap of paper which you would hurl at your friends and it would
>>> explode on contact with them or any other hardish surface. They
>>> weren't around long. I expect Thatcher banned them pretty quick, being
>>> the killjoy bitch she was. WTF were they?
>>
>> Still available if you frequent the right sort of shops and/or
>> understand the relevant chemistry. I haven't seen them on sale for ages.
>>
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bang_snaps
>>
>> One prominent pyrotechnician I knew made his views about such volatile
>> explosive compositions very clear. All of the worlds best fireworks
>> makers are missing *precisely* one finger.
>>
>> If you get the chemistry wrong you can sometimes end up inadvertently
>> making it when trying to silver a telescope mirror.
>>
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_fulminate
>>
>> Mistakes can easily result in loss of digits or worse. YMMV
>
> Likewise mercury fulminate. The tiniest drop on a sheet of blotting
> paper hit with a hammer will shatter nearby windows. You need to be so
> fucking careful handling shock-sensitive high explosive compounds.
Yes, it's necessary to be careful but we played with it at school (quite
a while ago!) and no damaged windows resulted - so what's the evidence
for that assertion?
>
>> Way back pre WWII there used to be an even more evil bang mix sold by
>> high street chemists that is now fundamentally banned.
>
> I remember the fireworks we had back in the early post-war period. An
> ordinary 1d banger had enough grunt to blow a galvanised bucket clean
> over the house's roof ridge. Younger people these days have no clue as
> to the freedoms we had back then; they couldn't even imagine it, poor
> fuckers.

On 22/11/2022 19:26, John Walliker wrote:
> On Tuesday, 22 November 2022 at 18:09:16 UTC, Cursitor Doom wrote:
>> On Mon, 21 Nov 2022 09:06:49 +0000, Martin Brown
>> <'''newspam'''@nonad.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>>> On 19/11/2022 21:48, Cursitor Doom wrote:
>>>> This was prompted by ARW's query about small blue LEDs.
>>>> I didn't want to hijack his thread so this is under a new heading.
>>>>
>>>> Does anyone remember about 40-45 years ago there was a 'toy' : a small
>>>> wrap of paper which you would hurl at your friends and it would
>>>> explode on contact with them or any other hardish surface. They
>>>> weren't around long. I expect Thatcher banned them pretty quick, being
>>>> the killjoy bitch she was. WTF were they?
>>>
>>> Still available if you frequent the right sort of shops and/or
>>> understand the relevant chemistry. I haven't seen them on sale for ages.
>>>
>>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bang_snaps
>>>
>>> One prominent pyrotechnician I knew made his views about such volatile
>>> explosive compositions very clear. All of the worlds best fireworks
>>> makers are missing *precisely* one finger.
>>>
>>> If you get the chemistry wrong you can sometimes end up inadvertently
>>> making it when trying to silver a telescope mirror.
>>>
>>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_fulminate
>>>
>>> Mistakes can easily result in loss of digits or worse. YMMV
>> Likewise mercury fulminate. The tiniest drop on a sheet of blotting
>> paper hit with a hammer will shatter nearby windows. You need to be so
>> fucking careful handling shock-sensitive high explosive compounds.
>
> Are you really sure about that? (Blowing out the windows with a tiny drop
> I mean, not the part about being careful.)

No. He is overstating it a little. About half a gramme will turn a brick
into dust though. Not near habitation. *DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME FOLKS*.

One theoretician I know calculated the explosive energy content of a
particular novel highly strained cubane molecule that had become within
reach of synthetic chemistry in the 1980's.

Some American's made the damn stuff without paying any attention to how
volatile it might be. Fortunately they didn't make very much and the
test tube after it had been turned to dust gave them a very bad case of
sunburn. ISTR they were deaf for a week. There is more in the open
literature on this stuff than I had supposed (very definitely not DIY).

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667134421000444

Moral of story be careful what you wish for...
>
>>> Way back pre WWII there used to be an even more evil bang mix sold by
>>> high street chemists that is now fundamentally banned.

>> I remember the fireworks we had back in the early post-war period. An
>> ordinary 1d banger had enough grunt to blow a galvanised bucket clean
>> over the house's roof ridge. Younger people these days have no clue as
>> to the freedoms we had back then; they couldn't even imagine it, poor
>> fuckers.

In my time I knew some very interesting pyrotechnicians.

Including one who ended up staggering around after a detonation of a
largish firework composition that went disastrously wrong. Again nothing
permanent that time wouldn't heal but he was unable to hear anything we
said to him for hours afterwards. I expect he is quite deaf by now...

--
Regards,
Martin Brown