Old Buck aka Jim Dobbs

[Demosthenes]

Friday, December 14, 2007
HAS ANOTHER BROWNS SUPPORTER BEEN ARRESTED?
repost from nhunderground

HAS ANOTHER ONE OF THE BROWNS SUPPORTERS BEEN TAKEN DOWN??

some of you may remember a few days back i posted about a guy that went by the name "old buck" who camped out on the browns property in his camper for about 6 weeks this summer. he informed the marshalls and police he was there but was unarmed and would stay that way. he last posted through his myspace saying that the federal prosecutors had contacted his lawyer to have him come in and speak to them. he asked if they were offering "immunity" they said no the lawyer said no back. jim aka:old buck said he wouldnt speak even with immunity because he didnt do anything wrong! they told his lawyer , who wrote a book that ron paul wrote the forward to, that if he didnt speak to them they are going to do everything they can to indict him. he said so indict me! \

today i try to contact jim through his myspace page and it has been hijacked by the same thugs that hijacked ed and elaines time2makeastand website. it looks identical and the only "friend" is ed and elaines old page now labeled as "showing ed and elaine brown supporters the law" jims old myspace is http://www.myspace.com/twostraws see for yourself. he is now unreachable. if anyone has seen or heard from jim please let us know. if he has been arrested we would like to verify his safety.

we do not know if he has been arrested or how long the page has been taken over for but if history is a guide ed and elaines page wasnt hijacked until several days after their arrest.
thanks
keith

[ElfNinosMom]

I think it's amusing that these folks always assume the MySpace page has been hijacked. The truth is, once someone deletes their myspace page (or it is deleted by myspace) anyone can get that custom url and use it for their own.

Myspace pages are actually identified by a numeric url, not by the custom url chosen by the user.

In this case, it is clearly a new user who just started to use Ol' Buck's old profile name, because the signup date (seen only on the blog section) is December 10, 2007. However, there is more proof that it is a brand-new page

The unique url for that new page is myspace.com/295791469, which means that it was made AFTER the allegedly hijacked Ed and Elaine page, since the url for the "hijacked" Buck page is a higher numeric number than that of the "hijacked" E&E page. Buck's real page was made prior to Ed and Elaine's arrest, so his unique url would have been a lower number, and it would show an older creation date.

The same is true of the allegedly hijacked Ed and Elaine page, since it was created on October 11, 2007 and its unique url is myspace.com/262236123. Clearly, someone picked up the custom name after E&E's page was deleted. They reused the custom name, but they cannot reuse the unique numeric url.

There is therefore no question that "Showing E&E supporters the Law" picked up those user names after they were deleted, since in the process they also picked up a new numeric url.

Of course, I wouldn't even try to explain this to the paranoids, because they (a) couldn't understand it; and (b) wouldn't believe it anyway.

[VanMeters Revenge]

its because this is his second deleted or highjacked profile.

[ElfNinosMom]

its because this is his second deleted or highjacked profile.

What is because this is whose second deleted or hijacked profile?

[VanMeters Revenge]

Its Old Bucks second myspace account since Ed and Elaines incarceration.

[Demosthenes]

Its Old Bucks second myspace account since Ed and Elaines incarceration.

So?

[Demosthenes]

Let's take a look at why MySpace closed Old Buck's account last time, shall we?

(And Old Buck wonders why they want his DNA and prints to compare to the dozens of bombs and explosives found at the Brown house...)


[quote]Wednesday, August 08, 2007
My Uncle Fester’s Home Workshop Part 1
Current mood: cynical
Old Bucks Disclaimer
Uncle fester is now part of space because he tried what he writes in this book, I post this book.Both part one and two as entertaiment and information only. enjoy the mental stimulation but please use commonsense ,don't try these thing at home.
Home Workshop Explosives
by Uncle Fester
Published by Loompanics Unlimited 1990
Digital transformation by Swedish Infomania 1996

PREFACE
To many people, it seems only natural that their Big Brother deems them unfit or untrustworthy to possess whole
classes of substances. After all, they are only lowly serfs, and are not intelligent enough or stable enough to handle
explosives or the modem scourge of "killer dope." If this is the way you think, don't bother to continue reading this
book, as it will only upset you.
If this stunted mode of thinking is as repugnant to you as it is to me, the next question to be dealt with is: How, in an
unfree, heavily surveilled country, where the citizens are trained from infancy to be informers for the state, does one
obtain explosive materials without being arrested or killed? For the vast majority of us who do not have access to the
"legitimate" explosives supply pipeline, there are only two possible routes to take to obtain explosives. The first and
most obvious possibility is to steal the explosive from some outfit that has a large, unguarded legitimately obtained
supply, most likely a quarry. This is not such a good method for reasons I will outline. First of all, a theft of explosives
never fails to catch the attention of the authorities in a particular area. There is just something about explosives that
makes such people nervous, especially if there is a chance they have fallen into the "wrong hands." The intense
scrutiny that is likely to follow such a theft is almost certainly unwelcome, and is bound to take away most of the
pleasure and fun of owning explosives. Secondly, the performance of heisted explosives is most probably going to be
disappointing. This is because the most easily stolen dynamites, those ripped off from quarries, are in all probability
going to be low-powered rubbish. This kind of trash works fine for blasting loose rock, but is next to useless for
demolition purposes. Finally, ever since the days of the Weathermen bombing campaign of the early '70's, all
dynamites manufactured in the US have been laced with unique mixtures of trace elements to identify the
manufacturer and batch number of the dynamite, even after it has been exploded. (This is done by scraping up some
of the residue and analysing it.) As you can imagine, this identification system makes it much easier to prove whose
stick of dynamite did what, or from whence a particular stick of dynamite came. For the above reasons, a second
alternative will be covered in detail in this book. That alternative is the home manufacture of explosive mixtures
suitable for demolition. The emphasis in this book will be to cover the techniques and equipment suitable for home
manufacture of a limited number of very powerful explosives using as starting materials easily obtained chemicals.
Here, the long suit is going to be detail of presentation, making the reader aware of the little things that can go wrong
in production of explosives and how to avoid these little pitfalls. It is my opinion that this course of action is much
preferable to the presentation given in other so called "explosives" books, where the authors attempt to cover up
their own lack of detailed knowledge of the field by going through superficial litanies of a plethora of formulas for
making various explosives. I find such a treatment of the topic insulting.
The material in this book is largely the result of numerous experiments I did in the field in my dorm room back when I
was in college. I know from experience that these procedures will work for anybody so long as reasonable care is
taken. You can believe it because I've been there, and wouldn't tell you so if it were not true.
Have fun!
Uncle Fester


THINGS THAT GO BOOM IN THE NIGHT
The first step towards gaining an understanding of explosives is to understand how they work. From this piece of
knowledge, an appreciation for inany of the finer points of explosive technology will naturally flow.
An explosive is a substance or a mixture (usually a solid or a jelly in form) that is unstable. This unstable substance
undergoes a very rapid chemical reaction after being set off in the proper manner. The result is that the originally
rather small amount of explosive is almost instantly converted into a very large amount of hot gases. These hot gases
are at first trapped into the amount of space that the explosive charge originally occupied, but they expand very
rapidly and violently. The result is the familiar sight of an explosive fireball and its accompanying shock wave.
As we all know, not all explosives are created equal. Some explode so fiercely that they destroy everything within
range, while others are useful for fireworks, but not much more. Why the wide variance in power? The
answer to that lies in the three main factors contributing to an explosives performance.
The first and generally the most important factor in determining the performance of an explosive is its detonation
rate. To understand what is meant by the term detonation rate, see the drawing below.
The drawing shows a charge of explosive in which a blasting cap has just gone off, triggering a detonation. Pay close
attention to the detonation wave spreading outward in all directions from its source at the blasting cap. On the
outward side of this front, the explosive is unchanged, but on the inward side, it has been detonated and converted to
hot gases. The rate that this detonation wave travels through the explosive is called the detonation rate. This number
is usually expressed in the form of meters travelled per second (m/s). It is not bard to imagine why a more powerful
explosive will have the higher detonation rate. The more instantly the mass of explosive is converted into hot gases,
the less chance these gases will have to fritter away without doing any damage. Typical detonation rates range from
over 8000 m/s for cyclonite (RDX) down to a couple thousand for black powder.

Just as different explosives have different detonation rates, the same explosive under varying conditions will have a
range of detonation rates. For a solid explosive such as RDX or PETN, this rate depends largely upon how dense the
mass of explosive is. For example, if the charge consists of finely crystalline material, its detonation rate will be quite
a bit less than if it has been melted together into one solid rock. This is because the finely powdered material is less
dense than the rock form. Those readers familiar with cocaine will grasp this immediately because cocaine, like these
solid explosives, fluffs up quite a bit in the process of being powdered up from rock form.
A liquid explosive like nitro is always going to have the same density, so it does not exhibit this effect. This, however,
does not mean that the liquid explosive will always have the same detonation rate. When the pure liquid explosive is
mixed with binders to make a safer explosive, its detonation rate goes down quite a bit. In the case of nitro, when it
is mixed with binders to make dynamite, its detonation rate can be cut in half. The solid explosives like PETN or RDX
also show this effect when they are mixed with binders to make plastique. The general rule is that the pure substance
will be a good deal more powerful (although less safe and convenient to handle) than the resulting plastique or
dynamite.
The second factor determining the performance of an explosive is how much hot gas a given amount of explosive will
be converted to when it detonates. This factor is just as important as the detonation rate in determining how violent
the resulting explosion will be. Unlike the detonation rate, this factor is not influenced by the density of the explosive
or what binders it may be mixed with. One gram of black powder will only produce 270 c.c. of gas (volume of gas
adjusted back to room temperature and normal pressure by use of the ideal gas law) while the same amount of RDX
will make over 1000 c.c. of gas. Since it is this conversion of the explosive to gases that makes the blast, the extreme
importance of this factor is easy to understand.

The final main factor determining how powerful an explosive is, is how much heat is produced in the blast (i.e., how
hot the resulting gases are). This is because gases expand when they are heated, so the same amount of gas when
reduced to standard pressure and room temperature can be a good deal greater when hot. Black powder produces
about 700 calories of heat per gram, while nitro and PETN make in the neighbourhood of 1500 calories per gram.
If one takes these three factors together, you can get a good measure of the relative power of the explosives. A
convenient way to do this is just to multiply the three factors together to get a number with which to compare the
various explosives. A list of explosives compiled in this manner according to power would have RDX, PETN, nitro and a
few of its close cousins crowded at the top, and then a middle group of which TNT is a typical example, and then a
lower group including black powder and mercury fulminate.
Most members of this lower group do not detonate like the high explosives do. They explode in a different manner
called deflagration. Deflagration can be most closely compared to a rapid burning. The outer surfaces of the
individual particles catch fire and burn their way into the centres of the particles. With these explosives, maximum
power is obtained by very finely granulating the material. This is in contrast to the high explosives where the greatest
power is obtained when the pure material, if it is a solid, is in the form of a large solid rock. These lower explosives
find most of their use in blasting caps to provide the initial shock that sets off the high explosive and as propellants or
primers for bullets.
As you probably already know, the high explosives require a fairly violent blow to set them off. The forcefulness of
the shock needed to cause detonation varies from explosive to explosive. TNT is very hard to set off, while on the
other extreme, nitro and PETN are pretty easy to bring to detonation. To meet these varying needs, a range of
blasting caps with increasing power, labelled numbers 1 through 8 are available. With almost all the explosives
detailed in this book, I will note which number blasting cap is required to set it off. A larger blasting cap than needed
to set the material off is generally not recommended, but may sometimes be advantageous by causing a condition
called "overdriving" in which a more powerful blast is obtained.
Some of the high explosives covered in this work can also be set off by exposure to heat or a strong electric shock.
Where this is applicable, it will be noted, along with some suggestions for taking advantage of this property.
Finally, I must warn the reader that only the most powerful of explosives are covered in this book. A small amount of
them could easily make the careless experimenter a memory. These materials become most dangerous when the
handler ceases to be afraid of them! For this reason they are not recommended as an adjunct to drunken revelry or
other tomfoolery. Be warned!

THE NITRIC ESTERS
Since all of the compounds dealt with in this book, with the exception of RDX (cyclonite) belong to a class of
chemicals called nitric esters, this discussion will begin by explaining exactly what are nitric esters, how they are
made, what precautions can be followed by the home experimenter to get maximum yields of product, and some of
the pitfalls likely to ensnare the unwary experimenter during the stages of production, purification and use of this
most powerful class of explosives.
The layman who goes to the library and brings home an armful of good explosive books is sure to see the term "nitric
ester" used repeatedly, with the predictable response of "Huh?" being the result. Since this class of explosives is so
important, and forms the heart of Home Workshop Explosives, this term must be explained. An ester is a member of
a family of related chemicals, all of whom can be made by reacting together an alcohol and an acid (or its derivatives,
for those organic chemistry purists out there). The acid and the alcohol link together by splitting off a water molecule,
and form the new compound, an ester. A nitric ester is an ester formed when the acid is nitric acid. A very large
variety of nitric esters can be made from nitric acid, just by using a variety of alcohols. It is likely that all of them are
explosive. The simplest nitric ester, methyl nitrate, is made by reacting together methyl alcohol (wood alcohol easily
found at the local hardware store) and nitric acid. The following shows how these two react together to form an ester.
All nitric esters in this book are formed by the same mechanism:
CH3OH + HNO3 => CH3ONO2 + H2O
Methyl Alcohol + Nitric Acid => Methyl Nitrate
At the end of this chapter, the details of how to prepare methyl nitrate will be covered to illustrate the points made in
this chapter.
Similarly, ethyl nitrate is made from ethyl alcohol (grain alcohol, the drinking variety) and nitric acid. The infamous
nitroglycerin is the product of nitric acid and glycerin (glycerol). This same analogy can be carried throughout the
entire class of chemicals called the nitric esters.
For the person interested in producing these chemicals, a main area of concern is naturally going to be how to get the
maximum yield product from each batch. For the industrial-scale manufacturer, the emphasis may shift to how to get
the cheapest product in the least amount of time. To answer these questions, the process of forming the nitric esters
must be looked at more closely.
The process of forming a nitric ester belongs to a class of reactions called equilibrium reactions. What is meant by this
is that all of the starting materials do not automatically and rapidly get converted into products. A good percentage of
the starting materials (in the case of nitro, glycerin and nitric acid) are likely to just lay around in the mixture and
refuse to react together.
This frustrating course of events can be avoided for the most part by a knowledge of what's going on, and using
strategy to shape events to our liking.
Just how much of the starting materials are going to be turned into products can be figured out using a little algebra
and what is called the equilibrium equation. Let's take the case of nitro production since nitro is such an effective
explosive, and making it is required for the creation of gelatin dynamite. This is the reaction that forms nitro:
1 Glycerin + 3 Nitric Acid => 1 Nitroglycerin + 3 Water
Here we see that one molecule of glycerin and three molecules of nitric acid are required to make one molecule of
nitroglycerin and three molecules of water. The equilibrium formula for this reaction looks like this:
(nitro)*(water)^3
C.. --------------------------
(glycerin)*(nitric acid)^3

Here the constant is in the neighbourhood of 50, but depends upon the temperature that the reaction is being done
at. What this equation means is that the reaction goes forward making nitro until the concentration of nitro in the
mixture times the concentration of water to the third power, divided by the concentration of nitric acid times the
concentration of glycerin to the third power reaches the value of the constant.
Now for the point of all this. In order for good yields of product to be obtained, it is crucial that there be as little water
as possible in the mixture, and that the concentration of nitric acid be as high as possible. With a little bit of high
school level algebra, you can easily prove to yourself that a little bit of water in the mix, since its concentration is
raised to the third power, will wreak havoc on the amount of nitro allowed to be produced before the constant number
is reached.
There are several methods for keeping the amount of water in the mix to a minimum. First of all, glycerin used in the
reaction should not have any water in it. This can present a problem because the best source of glycerin is the local
pharmacy, and the bottle it comes in is not likely to say how much water it contains. I have found a wide variety of
quality in drug store glycerin. Some, like the Gull Pharmacy brand which was my favourite, was virtually pure glycerin

with no added water. Other rubbish brands which will not be named here had unacceptably high amounts of water in
them. How to deal with this will be covered in more detail in the nitro section, but let me say right here that the more
runny the glycerin is, the more water it contains.
Another very common method to keep the amount of water in the mix to a minimum is to add a substance which will
soak up water in the reaction mixture. The most favoured chemical for this purpose is concentrated sulfuric acid. This
material has a great thirst for water, and performs its task admirably. It is usually added to a batch of nitro to the
extent of one part nitric acid, two parts sulfuric acid. Fuming sulfuric acid works even better, but is expensive. This
topic will be covered in more detail in the sulfuric acid section.
Other chemicals have been used to soak up water in these batches, but they are not so favoured as concentrated
sulfuric acid, because they cost too much. An example of such a substance is phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) which
reacts with water to make phosphoric acid (H3PO4).
The last easy method to control the amount of water in the reaction brew is to use as concentrated a sample of nitric
acid as possible. This is because in nitric acid, whatever isn't pure nitric acid is water. For example, the usual
concentrated nitric acid is 70% nitric acid and 30% water. Nitric acid called fuming nitric acid is 90% nitric acid and
10% water. The drawback to using the more concentrated forms of nitric acid is their cost, and their ease of
availability. These last two factors are often enough to rule out their use. More on nitric acid in the nitric acid section.
The temperature at which the reaction is done is the next vitally important area of concern for the explosives
manufacturer. There is great danger of not only losing the batch if the temperature of the batch is allowed to climb
too high, but also of a disastrous explosion being the result.
At first glance, it may seem simple to keep the temperature of the reacting mix within the proper range. This
impression can be of great danger to the novice experimenter. This is because the reaction producing the product
makes a good deal of heat as it is progressing. If this heat does not have a chance to escape, regrettable
consequences will ensue. There are some very simple tactics to follow to conquer this difficulty.
The first step in keeping reaction temperatures under control is to keep the acids used in the reaction in a freezer
before use. This will cool them down well below the temperature required for any explosives production, and will
make for quicker production because it will not be necessary to sit around and wait for the acids to cool down in an
ice bath, because they will already be cold when they go into the ice bath. Some heat will be made by mixing the
acids prior to use, especially if fuming sulfuric acid is used, but the experimenter will still be miles ahead by keeping
his acids in a freezer. He will get the added benefit of helping his nitric acid to keep better than it would sitting
around. Cooling glycerin and ethylene glycol down in a freezer before use is also good if nitro or ethylene glycol
dinitrate is to be made.
Another important technique used to keep the temperature of the reaction cool enough is to add the alcohol to the
acids slowly in order for the heat produced in the reaction to be given off gradually. For example, in the production of
nitro, the glycerin is added slowly to the acid, taking a break between each addition of the glycerin. In this way the
heat produced can be given off to the ice bath surrounding the flask with no problem. Exactly how fast the alcohol can
be added depends on how large the batch is. I recommend mentally dividing the alcohol up into ten parts and adding
one tenth at a time.
Good stirring is a crucial part of the temperature control strategy. This is because if there is not stirring while the
ingredients are being added; local areas where the temperature is too hot will develop in the mix. With stirring, the
heat made in the center of the mix will be able to find its way to the walls of the flask and from there to the ice
surrounding it. Good stirring has the added benefit of bringing all the ingredients into contact so they can react. This
is crucial to getting good results.
Choosing a good vessel to make the explosive in is another aspect to the temperature control problem. The walls of
the vessel should not be so thick that they act as an insulator to the flow of heat from the batch into the surrounding
ice bath. For this reason, many heavy glass measuring cups are not suitable for use as reaction vessels. This
insulation problem becomes more intense the larger the batch of explosive that is being cooked, because of the
greater amount of heat given off.
On the other hand, measuring cups have a lip on their rims for pouring that comes in very handy in the production of
explosives because the usual procedure for making nitric esters calls for the batch to be poured into water or through
a filter when the reaction time is up. This little spout on the rim makes this part of the operation much safer and less
messy than using a mason jar, for example.
An ideal reaction vessel, therefore, would be made of reasonably thin glass (about as thick as the usual drinking
glass) and have a lip on the rim for good pouring. When making a batch, it should be no more than half full. This is so
that good stirring can be done on the contents, and so that the top of the batch can be below the level of the
surrounding ice bath. Glasses of this type can be found at fancy bars or in some stores.
Choosing a good thermometer to monitor the temperature of the batches is an area which cannot be ignored. A
laboratory type thermometer, of course, will work just fne, but many kitchen thermometers will not. Any portion of
the thermometer which comes into contact with the batch must be completely covered with glass. Metal probes will
not do because of the strong acids used in the production of the nitric esters.

In a pinch, the typical, cheap, outdoors type thermometer can be used. Here's how: This cheap type of thermometer
is just a glass tube filled with mercury attached to a metal backing that has the temperatures printed on it. Generally,
one side has øF and the other side has øC. One just takes such a thermometer, and with a three sided file, nicks the
glass thermometer body at the maximum-temperature allowed for the reaction it is going to be used in. The glass
thermometer body is then removed from its metal backing. It can be used as a stirrer, so long as care is taken not to
bang it around the inside of the glass reaction vessel when a batch is being made. As long as the mercury stays below
the level of the nick, one knows that the maximum temperature is not being exceeded.
One last major area of potential trouble for the production of the nitric esters must be warned about this is nitric acid
that has gone bad, and developed a reddish tint. This is bad news because it means that the nitric acid has broken
down into nitric oxide (NO2) fumes. This acid will not work well for the production of explosives, and may very well
cause a disaster. In the production of nitro, for example, it makes the reaction very difficult to control. Bubbling
geysers of nitric fumes and detonation can result. How to prevent this and how to treat the problem in progress will
be covered in the nitric acid section and the nitro chapter.
Once the ingredients have been mixed and the required amount of reaction time has passed, the most difficult and
important part of explosive production must be tackled. This is the purification of the reaction mixture into a pure,
refined product. The casual observer may be surprised that the purification of these materials is of such importance.
However, it is an accurate assessment to say that the mixing and reacting of the chemicals to make the nitric ester
explosives is pretty easy. It is in the purification of the product that the batch is made or broken.
There are two routes to disaster for improperly purified explosives. Route number one, often taken by improperly
purified nitro and its close relatives is the least dangerous. With nitro, at least in small quantities, if all the acid used
in its manufacture is not removed from the product, then it begins to break down. Within a day or two, it is no longer
explosive. In all probability, it reverts back to glycerin.
Route number two, taken by nitromannite and nitrocellulose, to name a couple, is much more dangerous. In these
explosives, if all the acid is not removed from the product, the explosive becomes very sensitive and liable to explode
unprovoked. At higher temperatures, they become wildly unpredictable. For these reasons, great care must be taken
in the purification stage of explosive processing. The directions given in this book will result in pure, stable substances
so long as reasonable care is taken. The point is to make the reader aware of the great danger involved in cutting
corners on the purification of these materials.
With the major aspects of explosive manufacture discussed in a fairly general way, it is now time to move on to a
specific example to illustrate the points that have been made. The example that will be used is methyl nitrate. This
choice is not to be construed as an endorsement for methyl nitrate. On the contrary, methyl nitrate is an inferior
explosive. While it is very powerful and made from very simple materials, it suffers from twin liabilities that make it
unsuitable for most uses. Strike number one is that it is difficult to purify. It must be distilled to reach a good state of
purity. This is definitely not recommended. In fact, it is a good recipe for a devastating explosion.
Strike number two is that the stuff evaporates away too easily. This will ruin any gelatin or plastique that it is <BR>INCORPORATED up
leaving nothing but the binders and fillers. The only way to stop this is to keep it in a freezer until use (thereby
cutting evaporation to almost nothing because it is too cold to evaporate) or to seal the explosive in a container that
will hold in the vapours against the pressure they will generate at normal temperature. A good choice for such a
container is a champagne bottle with the cheap plastic stopper.
Strike number three, as if any more were needed, is that this explosive is very sensitive. In many respects, it is more
sensitive than nitro, without the many redeeming graces of nitro. The one good point about this material is that the
crude stuff before it is distilled (danger!) is very sensitive to heat, and can be used as a heat detonated explosive.

PREPARATION OF METHYL NITRATE
This is about the most complicated procedure used in making any of the nitric esters. If you feel confused when
reading this, do not be discouraged. Many of the better explosives are made much more simply. The only special
piece of chemical glassware that would come in handy for this preparation is a separatory funnel (unless distillation of
the crude product is attempted explosion DANGER!). A good eyedropper can replace the separatory funnel in this
procedure. I'll explain how in the text.
Methyl nitrate is made by reacting methyl alcohol (methanol, available very cheaply at the local hardware store) with
concentrated nitric acid (70% nitric acid, density or specific gravity 1.42). The water absorbing chemical in this
reaction is concentrated sulfuric acid.
H2SO4
CH3OH + HNO3 ==> CH3ONO2 + H2O
To begin preparation of methyl nitrate, all three ingredients, methyl alcohol, sulfuric acid, and nitric acid are cooled
down in a freezer. Then a plastic or styrofoam tub is filled half full of ice. This is the ice bath which will be used to
keep the reaction cold while it is being done. Next a 5 gallon plastic pail is filled 2/3 full of cold water, and placed next
to the tub of ice. This pail is the preliminary disposal site for the used acids after the reaction is done, and also serves
as the emergency safety dump to toss in runaway reactions before any serious damage is done. Finally, the ice is
wetted with some water to make it work better at cooling down the reaction vessels.
Now the cold ingredients are measured out. With a glass measuring cup, measure out 300c.c. of nitric acid, and
300c.c. of concentrated sulfuric acid. (Note: I c.c. = 1 ml. It is also important that the nitric acid not have a reddish
tint to it.) The nitric acid and sulfuric acid are then mixed together in a measuring cup. The cup filled with the mixed
acids is then placed in the ice bath to keep it cold. In a second measuring cup nestled well within the ice bath, put
150 ml of methyl alcohol. Then to the alcohol, add 50 ml of concentrated sulfuric acid. This must be done slowly, with
good stirring so that the temperature of the mix does not go above 10ø C (50ø F).
Next three glass reaction vessels are put into the ice bath. They should be about one pint in size (500 ml) have a
pouring spout on them and preferably be tall and thin like a drinking glass. Into each of these glass reaction vessels is
put one third of the nitric acid-sulfuric acid mix.
With all in readiness, the methyl nitrate can be made. The most conveniently located reaction vessel is picked out,
and to it is added 1/3 of the methyl alcohol-sulfuric acid mix. One third amounts to about 60 ml because of
contraction of the solution during mixing. This addition must be done slowly with good stirring. Care should be taken
not to bang the glass stirring rod against the side of the reaction vessel during stirring. The temperature of the mix is
allowed to go up to 40ø C (104ø F) fairly quickly, and then kept at this temperature by cooling in the ice bath. The
rate at which the temperature rises can be controlled by how fast the ingredients are added.
When the full 60 ml has been added, the stirring is continued for another minute or two, then stopped. The product,
methyl nitrate, rises to the top of the liquid as a clear oil. If one has a separatory funnel, one can wait for another ten
minutes or so for the reaction to finish, then pour the reaction mixture into the separatory funnel, let it sit for a
minute or two for the methyl nitrate layer to float up again, then drain off the acids into the 5 gallon pail and pour the
methyl nitrate product into a small glass container that already has 20 ml of cold water and 5 grams of table salt in it.
This salt water is the first step in the purification of the product.
I must warn here against touching methyl nitrate or tasting it, because it will cause terrible headaches. Too much
smelling of the product will cause the same effect.
If one does not have a separatory funnel, one can improvise. Once the mixing of the ingredients is done, and the
product comes to the top, it can be sucked up in an eyedropper and squirted into the salt water. This must be finished
before the ten to 15 minute time limit is up, because after that time great geysers of nitric oxide fumes are gushed up
by the acids. They must be dumped into the pail of water by that time. Once the water dilutes them, the danger is
past.
Nitric oxide is a pretty good poison. Breathing its fumes can easily lead to a delayed death. It burns the insides of the
lungs, which then fill up with fluids leading to death. Symptoms often do not come on for a day or two. Whenever a
batch starts to bubble up red fumes, it must be drowned in the pail of water to avoid severe danger!
With the first reaction vessel finished, one can then move on to the second one, and then the third one. The product
layers from the second and third vessels are put in with the salt water wash that the product from the first vessel is
sitting in. This salt water wash should be swirled around from time to time as the production is continuing to aid in
getting traces of acid dissolved in the water. Since traces of acid are the enemy here, it is important that only the
methyl nitrate layer be put into the salt water, not the acid it is floating on. One must take some care in separating
the layers, or in sucking up the product layer with an eyedropper.
The salt water wash bottle has about 175 ml (a little over 200 grams) of methyl nitrate in it. It should be swirled
around some more, then allowed to sit for a few minutes. If one has a sep. funnel, it should be poured into it, and
then the water layer (the bottom one) is drained off. If an eyedropper is being used, the water layer should be
removed with it.

Now the remaining acid in the crude product must be removed. To do this, some lye (a volume amounting to about 5
match heads) is dissolved in about 50 ml of water. This lye water is then mixed in with the crude methyl nitrate and
allowed to react for about 10 minutes with some more swirling. At the end of this treatment, a drop from the water
layer should still be basic (it should turn red litmus paper blue). Litmus can be obtained at the local drug store, or at
any lab or chemical supply outlet, with no suspicion.
I cannot overemphasize the importance of removing the acid from the crude product. Traces of acid left in it will
cause it to break down and become so unstable that it becomes too dangerous to be of any use. If one has a sep
funnel, gentle shaking can be done for a few minutes to make sure that the methyl nitrate gets into good contact with
the lye water. If one is not at hand, the stirring with the lye water must not be a slipshod job. Again I must
emphasize that at the end of the lye water treatment, the lye water should still be somewhat basic. If the water is
acidic (turns blue litmus red) a few more match heads worth of lye must be added, and the treatment continued.
When the lye water treatment is completed, the final purification of the product is next. The lye water is drained off
by use of a sep funnel or eyedropper, and then 30 ml of ice cold salt water (5 grams of salt) is mixed in with the
methyl nitrate. After a few minutes of gentle shaking in the sep. funnel, or good stirring, the mix is allowed to sit. The
salt water will contain most of the unused lye that happened to find its way into the methyl nitrate. The salt water
layer is separated, and thrown away.
Finally 30 ml of ice cold water is added to the methyl nitrate, and once again, stirring or shaking is done. The methyl
nitrate is now practically pure, except for some water dissolved in it. The water layer is separated off of the methyl
nitrate, and the product is ready for immediate use. The small amount of water dissolved in it will cause no real
problems so long as the product is used soon after making it. A more stable product results if it is distilled, but the
great danger in doing this can't be underestimated, especially for the unskilled. The product distills at 65ø C. Heating
must be gradual, and an oil bath must be used to heat the flask. The temperature of the oil bath must not get much
above 65ø C, or the contents of the distilling flask will superheat, leading to an explosion.
With the product at hand, storage can be done by pouring it into a tightly stoppered bottle and placing it in a freezer.
This material should not be stored for more than a few days before use. Methyl nitrate is a use-it-as-you-make-it
explosive. The great friction sensitivity of this substance means screw type bottles can't be used. All stoppers should
be well greased with vaseline to reduce the danger from this source of friction.
Methyl nitrate becomes increasingly sensitive as its temperature is raised. It also does not age well. These facts are
especially important for a product which has not been purified by distillation. One can take advantage of these facts
by using methyl nitrate as a heat and vibration detonated explosive. For example, a half pint bottle (like a used liquor
bottle) loosely attached with heat resistant tape to the exhaust manifold of an automobile is very likely to destroy the
offending vehicle after a short warm up period. Similarly, a bottle which finds its way into an incinerator is very likely
to destroy the incinerator.
More certain detonation can be obtained by leading a section of nichrome wire (toaster heating element) into the
liquid. When current flows through the wire, the red hot heat of it will cause detonation. The variety of diabolical
booby traps which can be constructed around this principle is limited only by the imagination.
A more convenient and safer form of methyl nitrate is gelatin. Gelatin is very easy to make from methyl nitrate, and
is almost as powerful as the pure explosive. To make gelatin, a little bit of guncotton (aka nitrocellulose or smokeless
powder) is mixed in with the methyl nitrate. A stiff jelly quickly forms which can be used as a plastic explosive. The
resulting jelly is even more powerful than C-4. The keeping properties of this gelatin, however, are no better than the
pure methyl nitrate. It must be used soon after production.
Since the production of gelatins by mixing a liquid explosive with guncotton will be seen repeatedly in this book,
something must be said about guncotton. There are a wide variety of sources one can go to, to get guncotton. For
example, cans of guncotton can be obtained at sporting goods stores. This material is stocked because some people
"reload" their own ammunition for higher performance or to save money, or just to have fun. Large drums of
guncotton (labelled nitrocellulose, with a second rating which tells how finely divided it is) can be found at any factory
which makes varnishes. Nitrocellulose is a key ingredient of varnish. This material works great, but it comes packaged
in the drum soaking wet with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol because it is safer in this state. The alcohol must be allowed
to evaporate off before it can be used to make gelatin. Guncotton can also be obtained by taking apart bullets or
shotgun shells. In this source, however, as with the "reloading" supply route, one must avoid buying what is called
"double based" guncotton. Double based guncotton has a few percent nitroglycerin added to it to give it an added
punch. This material should be avoided unless one is prepared to do the necessary calculations to compensate for the
nitro already in the product. 12 gauge shotgun shells almost always have a double based propellant.
To make the gelatin, one first measures out how much methyl nitrate is going to be jelled. This can be done by
weighing it on a scale, or measuring its volume in ml and multiplying by 1.2. The result will be its weight in grams.
The methyl nitrate is then poured into a plastic dish. Then a quantity of guncotton amounting to one tenth the weight
of methyl nitrate is weighed out. For example, with 250 grams of methyl nitrate, one weighs out 25 grams of
guncotton. The guncotton is then added slowly to the methyl nitrate with gentle stirring with a glass or wooden rod
until a uniform mixture results. Alternative mixing bowl-mixer combinations would be; stainless steel bowl with plastic
or rubber stirrer, or glass bowl with wooden stirrer. Avoid the plastic bowl-rubber stirrer combination as this
could generate static electricity, and a tiny spark could set the guncotton off.

The resulting fairly stiff jelly has 9% guncotton, and will be set off with a number 4 blasting cap when it is fresh. The
use of a little bit less guncotton produces a much more sensitive jell which can be set off with the weakest of all caps,
a number 1. A good firecracker will set off the pure methyl nitrate.
This gelatin has a severe drawback that the other gelatins do not have. The methyl nitrate will evaporate out of it on
storage. This can be slowed up by keeping it in a freezer until use. Storage must be very short-term because of the
bad keeping qualities of the methyl nitrate. It should be noted that frozen gelatin is more sensitive than gelatin at
normal temperatures. Avoid screw type lids. I recommend a zip lock baggie.
Before moving on to the good explosives, some discussion is called for here on an alternative process for making
methyl nitrate, and on the general topic of distilling methyl nitrate. As you saw repeatedly pointed out in the above
text, one of the big drawbacks of methyl nitrate is that it does not store well unless it has been distilled. An
alternative process for making methyl nitrate centers around distilling the product directly out of the reaction mixture
(i.e. the methyl alcohol-nitric acid-sulfuric acid mix), thereby avoiding a lot of the washing hassles that are the main
sticking point of the production method given here.
This method has obvious advantages for industrial-scale production because it is faster and simpler. For this reason, it
was adopted by the Nazis in the closing days of WW II to make methyl nitrate. Before rushing off and following their
lead, keep in mind that life was cheap in Nazi Germany, especially the lives of industrial slave labourers. Even in
skilled hands, the distillation of this material is not to be taken lightly.
The foremost precaution which must be taken in distilling methyl nitrate is to have all traces of nitrous acid removed
from the mixture. This is done by adding urea to it. The fertilizer grade of urea will do for this purpose, but before
rushing off and tossing any nitrogen fertilizer into the brew, make sure that the nitrogen fertilizer is made of urea,
and not the much more common ammonium nitrate.
The second precaution is to prevent overheating of the mixture while distilling it. There are a couple of angles to
approach this problem from. Step number one is to heat the distilling flask using an oil or hot water bath. Direct
exposure to the source of heat is a no-no because that will cause local overheating and result in an explosion. The
temperature of the bath should be just a few degrees higher than the boiling point of the product. At normal
atmospheric pressure, the boiling point is 65ø C.
A more effective method for keeping the temperatures safe during a distillation is to distill under a vacuum. There is a
problem with this approach because the normal boiling point of methyl nitrate is not very high to begin with. If it is
lowered very much by applying a strong vacuum, a condenser, or even a collecting flask packed in ice will not suffice
to turn it back into a liquid. With the strong vacuum that an aspirator or laboratory vacuum pump produces, dry ice
would be required to condense the product. For those not intimately familiar with vacuum distillation, I must explain
that the boiling point of a substance rapidly falls off as the vacuum becomes stronger.
The vacuum distillation problem can be solved if the source of vacuum is not very strong. One wants to reduce the
pressure inside the flask to about half normal pressure (a vacuum of 15 inches of Mercury). This will lower the boiling
point of the substance 15 or 20ø C, making it about as hard to condense as ether.
A good source of such a weak vacuum is a water bed drainage pump. This T-shaped plastic vacuum source produces
just the right vacuum for the job when cold water is flowing through it. Alternatively, cheap workshop pumps will do,
although one must be wary of the fumes of methyl nitrate they will exhaust into the air. The water bed pump is far
superior for the job.
The condenser must also be efficient. My recommendation is a Graham condenser which has ice water siphoned
through it as a coolant.
The Graham condenser has a spiralled central tube for maximum efficiency. Again, I must warn that this method is
dangerous and should only be attempted by skilled professionals.

NITRIC AND SULFURIC ACIDS
Before moving on into the manufacture of some of the really good explosives, it would be best to make the reader
familiar with the two ingredients which will be used over and over in the processes described here. They are nitric and
sulfuric acid. A familiarity with these two substances will take much of the mystery out of explosive manufacture.
NITRIC ACID
Nitric acid is the key, indispensable ingredient in the manufacture of the explosives found in this book. The sulfuric
acid can often be made do without, if one is willing to use a greater amount of the most concentrated nitric acid, and
accept a lower yield of product in the process. Not so with the nitric acid. Only nitric acid in the specified or higher
strengths will give that desired product.
With the premium thereby placed on nitric acid, it is a fortuitous circumstance that nitric acid is such an important
industrial material with a wide variety of uses ranging from the exotic to the mundane. It can be found in the pint to
quart range in any chemical laboratory (most abundantly in those labs doing metal analysis) and in the 55 gallon
drum volume in plants involved in the manufacture of explosives(!), fertilizers, dyes and fabrics. Jewellers and others
involved in trading or handling precious metals often have some on hand, too, because the best test for determining
whether something is made of the "noble metals" (i.e., gold or platinum) is to apply some nitric acid to the metal and
see if there is any reaction. Only the noble metals stand up to nitric acid. A further test mixture such as a jeweller is
likely to need is aqua regia. This is a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acid (mixed on the spot, not purchased mixed)
and is the only liquid which dissolves gold or platinum.
Nitric acid can be obtained in reasonably large amounts, by anyone who does not look like a refugee from the local
insane asylum or drunk tank, at drug stores or chemical supply outlets. In most cases, a drug store will have to send
out for it, and small chemical suppliers may have to also. Fuming nitric acid is less likely to be on the shelves than the
standard concentrated nitric acid.
Mail order outfits are another useful source for nitric acid, and for that matter, sulfuric acid. These two acids, along
with hydrochloric acid, are so widely used that no serious suspicion can be put upon the buyers of just these
materials. There was a scandal a few years back concerning mail order chemical outfits being set up by the DEA to
entrap wanna-be drug chemists, but to the best of my knowledge, their games did not extend to the explosives field.
A possible exception to this is a chemical supplier I saw advertise in Soldier of Fortune magazine a few years ago
offering "explosives manufacture chemicals." Such brazen advertising is cause for suspicion. My judgement on the
matter is that since neither nitric nor sulfuric acid play a central role in "controlled substance" manufacture, orders for
these materials should raise no eyebrows in these dope-crazed times.
Nitric acid is a liquid that should be clear if it is the 70% grade, and yellow colored if it is the 90% grade. The color in
the higher strength acid is caused by the acid breaking down to NO2. This small amount of breakdown can be
tolerated in most instances. The condition that cannot be tolerated in either strength of acid is when the acid takes on
a pink or reddish brown color, and a cloud of reddish gas can be seen inside the bottle of acid. In this case, it has
broken down so much that it can't be used for manufacturing explosives. This breakdown process can be largely
stopped by keeping the acid cold and in the dark. A freezer meets these conditions nicely. Being careful to keep
traces of dirt out of the acid bottle or jug is another big step towards keeping the contents in a usable condition.
Occasionally, directions will call for what is called "white fuming nitric acid." This is the 90% fuming nitric acid which
has been treated with urea to remove the traces of NO2 and the yellow color that comes with small amounts of it.
Urea can also be used to clean up nitric acid that has a darker color to it, but a point comes where this should be
considered futile. When the red cloud shows up above the surface of the acid, it should be considered ready for
flushing down the toilet. The procedure used to knock out the NO2 contaminants calls for adding a little bit of urea to
the nitric and, stirring it in and warming the mixture gently. If the color persists, dry air is blown through the liquid,
and if there is still color, some more urea is added.
As was hinted at before, the 90% (or higher) strength fuming nitric acid is not so easy to casually pick up as the
standard 70% concentrated nitric acid. It is also much more expensive to get the fuming acid instead of the 70% acid
($7 per pint vs. $35 per pint). For these reasons, it is sometimes advantageous or necessary to make the high
strength acid oneself.
The procedure for making high strength nitric acid is pretty simple, but some chemical glassware is called for to do a
good job. Various pamphleteers have included directions for making high strength nitric acid in their books, leaving
out a crucial aspect of the process. This crucial aspect is that the nitric acid formed must be distilled under a vacuum.
Without the vacuum, a reddish colored product is made that is not very suitable for use in making explosives.
To make this good quality high strength acid, the following materials are needed: concentrated sulfuric acid, sodium
nitrate, and dry ice. Also required is a distilling kit with ground glass joints and a vacuum adapter so the product can
be distilled under a vacuum. The best vacuum source is an aspirator (cost: $10) because the acid fumes will not harm
it, and the water flow will flush them down the drain.
The distilling kit is a substantial investment at a few hundred dollars, so one should not be purchased unless it is
going to get enough work to make the investment worthwhile. Laboratory supply companies will either carry the
equipment or can get it in a few days. Check the Yellow Pages. The ground glass joints must be greased up with stop


cock grease before assembling the glassware to keep the joints from getting frozen together, and to make for a good
vacuum seal, free from leaks. No parts may be made of cork or rubber, because the nitric acid will destroy them, and
become polluted in the process. Only glass or Teflon parts are allowed.
Now to begin. Into the 2000 ml distilling flask is put 685 grams (365 ml) of concentrated sulfuric acid. Then 600
grams of sodium nitrate is mixed in with the sulfuric acid. Simply swirling the flask as the sodium nitrate is being
added will do an acceptable job of mixing. Sodium nitrate is pretty easily available. I always used to find it on the
shelves of my local Walgreens store, labelled saltpeter (technically this is the wrong name because saltpeter is
potassium nitrate). It sat on the shelf right next to sublimed sulfur. Very interesting combination.
There will be no obvious reaction as the two ingredients are mixed. The glassware is assembled as shown in the
diagram, and the 1000 ml receiving flask is packed in dry ice (styrofoam tub suggested) and the dry ice is wetted
with rubbing alcohol. Now water is turned on to the aspirator. (See a college level organic chemistry lab manual for
more on aspirators, but they work just like water bed drain pumps, only better. The threaded end is the water inlet,
the water comes out the opposite end, and the vacuum is produced at the side arm of this T-shaped device.) The
water must be cold for good results. An automotive type vacuum hose is led from the side arm to the vacuum nipple
on the vacuum adapter, and within seconds a strong vacuum develops inside the glassware. It should be strong
enough that the glassware can't easily be disassembled. Eye protection is required as always when dealing with
caustic chemicals.
Some bubbling will begin in the 2000 ml flask as nitric acid begins to boil out of it. Heat should be applied from the
hot plate to keep the process going. A good, but not violent rate of boiling is what the doctor ordered. In about 20
minutes, close to 300 ml of pure nitric acid will collect in the dry ice cooled flask. It will freeze shortly after its
arrival there. Since nitric acid contracts on freezing, this poses no danger of breaking the glass. The heat applied to
the distilling flask should be gentle. There is no need to make everything red hot. When the bubbling of the distilling
flask slows, and the expected amount of product appears in the receiving flask, the heat is turned off, and the
vacuum hose removed.
As soon as the distilling flask cools off, it is advisable to rinse out the distilling flask (it contains sodium hydrogen
sulfate, a solid often used as a drain opener) and fill it with a fresh load of sodium nitrate and sulfuric acid. By
repeating the vacuum and heating on this load, another 300 ml of product will come over to the 1000 ml receiving
flask. Repeating the process yet one more time will leave the receiving flask nearly full. This is a good time to break.
A quart of fuming nitric acid is enough to produce a very useful amount of explosive. Store the product in the freezer
until use.
Before leaving this topic, I should mention one more thing about the cheap drug store grade of sodium nitrate
("saltpeter"). The product I always found at Walgreens was nearly soaking wet. In this state; it was useless for
making gunpowder and not so good for making nitric acid either. Before using a wet material in this process, spread it
out on a Teflon coated cookie sheet or a glass pan and bake it in the sun on a hot dry day. Do not bake it in the oven
because too much raw heat will break it down into the red poisonous gas, NO2. A microwave oven may be OK for
drying this material. I suggest this for serious experimenters.
One more tip is called for on the nitric acid production process. The best type of vacuum adapter for use in the
distilling set-up shown is one that has a drip tip that extends past the ground glass joint. This will ensure that the
nitric acid fumes make it down into the flask and are condensed and frozen there. Too short a drip tip can lead to the
acid getting condensed in the area of the ground glass joint, and if it freezes there it could plug up that part of the
apparatus. This will choke off the source of vacuum to the glassware, and may even block the flow of nitric acid into
the receiving flask.
SULFURIC ACID
Like nitric acid, sulfuric acid is an extremely common chemical, both in laboratories and in industry. Its wide variety of
uses makes obtaining sulfuric acid a very easy task. For example, any shop doing electroplating (especially plating
chrome) will go through large amounts of sulfuric acid. Plating shops also use a lot of nitric acid, especially if they are
plating aluminium objects. It is easy then to see how a plating shop can be a one-stop shopping center for all one's
acid needs.
Home hobbyist electroplaters need these acids as well, so this can be a good and believable cover story for anyone
who runs into the embarrassing situation of being asked what the materials are needed for by a nosey druggist or
other small-time chemical supplier. Mail order outfits may also be considered safe for ordering sulfuric acid from
because of the commonness of the chemical and because it plays no central role in drug manufacture.
This is by no means a complete list of all the places that use sulfuric acid and are likely to have it on hand. Virtually
every large-scale manufacturing process uses sulfuric acid at some point or another. A much more important question
is: Will the material at hand be good enough for use in explosives manufacture? Here let the reader recall the great
importance of keeping the amount of water present in the reaction mixtures to an absolute minimum, lest the yield of
product be reduced to nearly zero. With this in mind, it should then be obvious that battery electrolyte sulfuric acid is
not acceptable because it is half water. In theory, the water can be cooked away, but this produces dangerous fumes
and results in an inferior product.

Similarly, a lot of industrial sulfuric acid has a strength of around 80%, with the other 20% being water. This grade
will not do, either. The materials that are acceptable are concentrated sulfuric acid, or fuming sulfuric acid. Fuming
sulfuric acid will be clearly labelled as such and may list what percent by weight SO3 (aka oleum) it contains. More on
this later. Concentrated sulfuric acid may only be recognizable as such by a density (or specific gravity: sp. gr.)
reading printed on it. Concentrated sulfuric acid has a density of 1.85 to 1.91, whether this value is given in pounds
per pint or grams per ml.
Both the fuming and concentrated acids are likely to be kept in glass bottles, jugs or carbouys because these
corrosive acids have bad effects upon metal. Plastic containers are another possibility.
As was mentioned earlier, there are two useful types or grades of sulfuric acid. They are concentrated sulfuric acid
(H2SO4 and fuming sulfuric acid (H2SO4 SO3). To get an understanding of the difference between the two, one should
look to how sulfuric acid is made. Huge plants produce the gas SO3 (sulfur trioxide) by burning sulfur to SO2, and
then inducing it to pick up another oxygen atom by high heat and catalysts to form SO3. SO3 reacts with one molecule
of water to form pure sulfuric acid. So these plants just mix the SO3 they make with water and turn out pure
concentrated sulfuric acid.
If they leave in a little extra SO3, (i.e., they don't add enough water to completely turn the SO3 to sulfuric acid),
fuming sulfuric acid results. This fuming sulfuric acid is even better at soaking up water from one's explosive batches.
First it scavenges furiously for enough water to turn its SO3 to sulfuric acid, and then when this is accomplished, the
resulting concentrated sulfuric acid picks up from there. So fuming sulfuric acid is a dehydrated sulfuric acid that is
even better at soaking up unwanted water than concentrated sulfuric acid.
Fuming sulfuric acid, like fuming nitric acid, is aptly named. The stuff actually does fume. These fumes are very
dangerous to breathe in because they form sulfuric acid with the moisture in the lungs and throat, producing acid
burns. For the same reason, rubber gloves must be worn when handling fuming sulfuric (or nitric acid) acid because
the fumes will likewise burn any skin they come in contact with.
Whenever a fuming acid is to be used in a reaction, it is very important that good ventilation be provided. The
experimenter should be upwind from the chemicals to ensure safety. This is most important when measuring out the
chemicals, and during the early stages of the reaction. Once the chemicals have had a chance to react together for a
while, and the acid loses some of its strength, the danger from acid fumes decreases.
There is no really good or practical method for the home experimenter to make his own sulfuric or fuming sulfuric
acid. It would be way more bother than it is worth, and the product is more than likely going to be of an unacceptably
low grade. Sulfuric acid should either be purchased through the previously mentioned commercial sources, or
obtained from labs or industries. Good sulfuric acid is clear as water and is almost as thick as lightweight motor oil.
Prices vary with the outlet, but one can expect to pay in the neighbourhood of $15 per gallon for concentrated sulfuric
acid, and $35 per pint for fuming sulfuric acid.
Sulfuric acid keeps really well, so it needn't be treated so gently as nitric acid. Light and heat have no real effect on it.
It is advisable to cool it down in the freezer before use to cut down on the amount of time which would otherwise
have to be spent cooling the ingredients before they are mixed to react. The only important storage tip is for the caps
to be kept tightly closed on fuming sulfuric acid so the SO3 fumes do not escape into the air.

NITROGLYCERIN
If one was for some reason forced to choose a single all-purpose explosive or if one were to wish away all the
explosive substances save one, nitroglycerin is the chemical to clutch close to one's heart. This popularly, and for the
most part unjustly, maligned explosive is so powerful, versatile, and easy to make that it is far and away the number
one choice for a Home Workshop Explosive manufacturer.
We've all seen the Hollywood hogwash a million times where the hero thrusts himself into "mortal danger" with nitro.
Small droplets of nitro oozing from old sticks of dynamite fall to the ground and explode on landing, like souped up
firecrackers. Let me tell you right up front that this is the purest form of bull. Some of my fondest adventures
centered around nitro, and it is nowhere near that easy to set off. There is no reason why anyone who takes
reasonable care and does not suffer from at terminal case of the shakes cannot handle nitro safely. I have had
occasion to fall in a drunken stupor on broken sidewalks, and my vial of nitro land on the sidewalk next to me. No
explosion. I have dropped quantities of nitro from a height of several stories and had it land in a couple inches of
snow with no detonation. It has been my experience that so long as one works with fairly limited quantities of nitro at
a time, and then processes the product into gelatin or plastique, the dangers one faces are minimal and manageable.
The need for small batches may at first seem discouraging for those special applications where a large amount of
blasting power is required. It should not be. This drawback can be conquered by running one's batches serially. A
large part of the nitro manufacturing process is sitting around waiting while the various cleansing operations work.
This dead time can be profitably filled by starting another batch to feed into the clean-up section of the operation. It
has been my experience that a couple ounces of product can be routinely run with none of the complications that can
arise from runaway reactions with larger loads. Since only about 45 minutes is needed to do a batch, a healthy rate of
production can be maintained. With a competent and trustworthy helper at hand, these serial production techniques
are vastly simplified. In the production section of this chapter, I'll provide my suggestions on how to organize this
serial batch production effort.
Now it is time to delve more deeply into exactly how nitro production is set up and why one should regard nitro as the
explosive of choice.
To answer the last question first, one only has to consider the extreme simplicity of making and purifying nitro. It was
first made in the middle 1800s. This speaks volumes when you consider the crude materials and equipment available
at the time. It has been my experience that anyone who is not brain damaged or terminally stoned can easily master
the process. So long as attention is paid to following the directions, there is virtually nothing that can go wrong.
Nitro is a member of the nitric ester family, and is made the same way as the rest of the family. Nitric acid is reacted
with an alcohol (in this case glycerin) to form the ester nitroglycerin.
Sulfuric acid is added to the mixture to soak up water, and there by increase the

[Demosthenes]

[quote]Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Part 2 Uncle fester work shop
Current mood: cynical
This means that it is crucial in making nitromannite that the strongest possible nitric acid
is used, and as a natural consequence (since the diluent for nitric acid is water) that the amount of water in the
mixture be held to an absolute minimum. For this reason, only fuming nitric acid (at least 90% strength, density 1.5)
can be used to make nitromannite. This fuming nitric acid must either be obtained through commercial sources, or
made according to the directions in the nitric acid section. The absolute need for the high strength acid is one of the
roadblocks to putting nitromannite into production in the workshop.

To set up for making nitromannite, one begins with the same equipment as used earlier. The glass reaction vessel,
pail of water and tub filled with ice are all needed. The important difference is that the temperature of the reaction
must be held to 0øC (32øF) or below, so the ice must be a good deal colder than usual to keep the reaction at such a
cold temperature. The way this is done is to mix the ice with about half its volume of table salt. This will drive its
temperature down to around -20øC (0øF) which is cold enough to do the job against the heat given off in the
reaction. An alternative is to pour a bottle of rubbing alcohol onto the ice and mix it around. This will also lower the
temperature of the ice greatly.
Then into the reaction vessel, nestled deeply into the ice bath, 100 grams of fuming nitric acid (66 ml) is poured into
the reaction vessel. Of course, the nitric acid should come directly from the freezer so that the ice does not waste
itself cooling down the nitric acid. To this nitric acid, 20 grams of mannitol is added a little bit at a time. Between each
addition of mannitol, the contents of the reaction vessel should be mixed by swirling. It is best to move the whole tub
when swirling the reaction so that close contact of the reaction vessel with the ice bath is not broken. A thermometer
should be in the reaction at all times, and it should be watched so that the temperature does not go above 0øC. If it
does, the reddish brown fumes of NO2 are likely to follow. In that event, the batch gets dumped into the pail of water.
So long as the addition of mannitol is slow, and the temperature is watched, this event is unlikely. The addition of the
mannite should take 20 or 25 minutes.
The mannite should dissolve quickly as it is added to the nitric and mixed in. To ensure rapid dissolving and quick
reaction, the mannitol should be finely powdered before it is used. Oftentimes, mannite is sold in head shops in
quarter-ounce pressed blocks. These blocks will have to be mashed with a fork to break them up.
After all the mannitol has been added, and the last of it has dissolved into the nitric acid, it is time to finish up the
reaction. This is done by adding concentrated sulfuric acid to the reaction mixture. This has the effect of sucking up
whatever water is present in the mixture, thereby forcing the reaction to completion, and also causing the
nitromannitol which has been produced to come out of solution and form crystals which can then be filtered out.
To finish off the reaction, 200 grams (110 ml) of concentrated sulfuric acid is measured out. The sulfuric acid should
be ice cold, fresh from the freezer. It is then added a drop or two at a time with an eyedropper (glass stem!) to the
reaction mixture. Between each drop or two, the acid should be mixed in by mixing with the eyedropper or the
thermometer. The temperature should be watched closely during the addition of the sulfuric acid to make sure the
temperature does not go above 0ø C. As the temperature nears 0ø C, the addition of sulfuric acid should be stopped
until the mixture cools off again.
As the sulfuric acid is added, crystals of nitromannite will appear, slowly at first, and then quite rapidly. By the time
half of the acid is added, the mixture will be getting pretty thick from the large mass of crystals formed. As the
mixture gets thicker, it will be harder to mix in completely the added acid, so extra effort must be put into ensuring
an even mix as the last of the acid is added. Care must be exercised in using the thermometer as a mixer here so
that it is not banging the sides of the glass reaction vessel, or grinding the bottom. This grinding could provide the
friction to set the whole batch off.
Finally, when all the acid is added, a mixture with the appearance of a good heavy slush will be formed. Now the
challenging part of the operation begins. The crystals of nitromannite must be filtered out of the highly corrosive nitric
and sulfuric acid mixture in which they are floating, quickly enough that they do not rise above the red gas-forming
temperature before they are rinsed with water and thereby rendered more stable. This operation is complicated by
the fact that the nitric and sulfuric acid mixture in which they are floating will fairly quickly react with filter paper to
form guncotton. This will cause most of the filter paper to dissolve, and ruin its effectiveness at catching the crystals.
There are a few ways around this problem. The most important part of the solution is to get the filtering done as
quickly as possible. At least the first part of the filtering must be done very quickly, the filtering out of the crystals
from the acid reaction mixture. Later, when it is rinsed with water and rendered less corrosive, a more leisurely pace
can be taken. To make this filtration a quick process, there is only one way to go. That is to have a vacuum pulling
from the underside of the filter, dragging the liquids through as fast as possible. Actually, this would be the only way
to go even if the acids didn't eat filter papers. Packing the stuff inside a large coffee filter and wringing it out by hand
is madness. Allowing it to sit in a funnel and drip through a filter is silly as well because the combination of fluffy
crystals and viscous acids (concentrated sulfuric acid is about as thick as light motor oil) will make this take so long
that it is unreasonable, even if one did not have to worry about the temperature of the mixture rising above 0øC.
Genuine chem lab experience is what separates this book from many pretenders out there, most of which merely
feature reprints from scholarly works which assume the reader has a high level of chemical skills and can solve these
problems for himself without giving all the details. Place your wild-eyed trust in Uncle Fester. You won't be
disappointed.
Let us first see how this rapid filtration problem would be handled using chem lab equipment before looking at ways
to improvise for the same effect. To begin with, a source of vacuum would be dose at hand on the lab bench, such as
an aspirator. A water bed pump would serve the same purpose just as well since a really good vacuum isn't needed.
From this vacuum source, a vacuum hose similar to an automotive vacuum hose would be led to the glassware setup.

The filtering flask has a side tube to which a vacuum hose attaches, producing a vacuum inside the flask. This vacuum
serves to rapidly pull fluids that are poured into the Buchner funnel down into the flask. This Buchner funnel normally
has a flat bottom inside it at about the level shown by the dotted line in the drawing. The flat bottom is perforated

with many holes, and this is the place where a filter paper is laid, so crystals are stopped at the filter paper. The fluid
proceeds through down into the filtering flask, and the crystals pile up in the Buchner funnel above the filter paper.
Now using this chem lab equipment, the problem of filtering would either be handled by piling up several filter papers,
soaking them wet and hoping that the wetness would protect them through a rapid filtering (bad solution), or by
using something other than filter paper to catch the crystals, something which would stand up to the acids without
being eaten away.
A great alternative to ordinary filter paper for this job is asbestos paper. This useful material used to be very easy to
get at hardware stores, but has since been outlawed, along with virtually anything else made of asbestos, in the U.S.
It has since been replaced with a woven glass sheet like material which works almost as well as asbestos paper. Its
only drawback is that it tends to be thick and stiff, and so is not so easy to work with. To use this woven glass sheet
as a filter, one would only have to carefully cut a piece out of it with a scissors that exactly fits the bottom of the
Buchner funnel. Once in place, the slush like nitromannite could simply be poured through it with the vacuum applied
to the filtering flask, and all the acids would rapidly be pulled through to the filtering flask and the crystals of
nitromannite would pile up in the Buchner funnel.
To modify this process for using common household materials, one should first look for a replacement for the Buchner
funnel. This is easily enough done by heading to the hardware store and getting a plastic funnel with a long narrow
stem and a plastic screen in the bottom. This funnel very closely approximates a Buchner funnel. Cost: about $2.
Next, to replace the filtering flask, one can use a Mickey's Big Mouth malt liquor bottle. This rather sharp-tasting brew
is made by the Old Style Brewery. Cost: nothing, if you like beer.
Finally, to replace the one-hole stopper, a two-hole stopper of the correct size is needed to fit in the top of a Mickey's
Big Mouth bottle. If easy access is not available to an assortment of different size stoppers so that you can choose the
right one, the Edmund Scientific catalogue usually has quite a variety to choose from with no suspicion involved. This
improvised equipment can be set up as shown on following page.
This is basically the same set-up as with the chem lab glassware except that the vacuum hose does not attach to the
Mickey's Big Mouth bottle since it has no side tube to put a vacuum hose on. Instead the vacuum hose attaches to a
stiff plastic or wooden tube (no copper allowed! improvise!!) inserted through one of the holes in the two hole
stopper.
This is the source of the vacuum inside the Mickey's Big Mouth bottle. The stem of the plastic funnel goes through the
other hole in the two hole stopper. Greasing the stem of the funnel with vaseline will greatly ease its passage through
the two hole stopper.
Next a section of the woven glass material mentioned earlier must be picked up at the hardware store. A section
should be carefully cut out of it so that it exactly covers the plastic screen in the bottom of the funnel. Good fit is
essential here as any loose spots or uncovered areas or points of buckling of the filter will be places where
nitromannite crystals can escape being caught, and end up going through with the acids. It may help to wet the filter
and push it into place just prior to filtering the slush.
The procedure to use in filtering the material is this: First of all, the filtering apparatus is set up as shown in the
pictures. Then the filter is put into place and wetted, then pushed down securely into place, making sure that the
filter lays flat with no buckles or loose edges. Now the vacuum source is turned on, and the vacuum hose attached to
the glassware.
Next, the slush like nitromannite mixture is poured into the funnel. Not all of it should be poured in at once, of course,
because this is likely to overflow the funnel unless the funnel is very large. At first, the acids will quickly rush through
the filter, but as a bed of nitromannite builds up in the funnel, it will slow up, and a greater vacuum will accumulate in
the glassware to pull it through. The first rush of liquid through the filter should be watched closely to make sure that
no significant amount of nitromannite crystals is coming through. If there is, this indicates that the filter is poorly cut
or placed. It should get better as a bed of nitromannite builds up above it, but in any case the material which passed
through will have to be refiltered separately at the end of the process.
The filtration will proceed rapidly if a reasonable vacuum is applied to pull the liquids through. The bed of
nitromannite in the funnel (generic term: filter cake) will rapidly shrink as the acids are filtered out. If the right size
funnel is chosen, all of the batch of nitromannite will fit in the funnel. As the last of the acids in the slush are filtered
out, cracks will appear in the filter cake. Now it is time to move on to the next step, rinsing off the crystals.
The aim of all the purification steps in nitromannitol processing is to remove the residual traces of acids from its
manufacture. The first step in this process is to rinse the crystals with water. To do this, simply pour cold water into
the funnel on top of the nitromannite. It is convenient to rinse out the crystals clinging to the walls of the reaction
vessel at the same time as the first rinse. This gets them in with the rest of the product with a minimum of hassles.
This first rinse of cold water should be followed with a couple more, each one amounting to a couple hundred mls of
water. For these last couple of rinses, it is good to turn off the vacuum (remove vacuum hose first to avoid water
backup into acids) and just let the water move through the crystals slowly. Stir around the bed with a toothpick to
avoid channel formation.

The next rinse for the crystals is a weak bicarb solution. This will get most of the remaining acids. A few grams of Arm
& Hammer in a couple hundred ml of water will serve the purpose nicely. It is poured through the filter cake in the
same manner as the water rinses were. Finally, another rinse of cold water is poured through the crystals. When the
vacuum pulls most of the water out of the filter cake, it is time to move on to the recrystallization of the product.
A glass, china, or plastic plate is a convenient place to dump the product out of the funnel onto. The best way to do
this is to carefully (after the vacuum is removed) pull the funnel and the stopper out of the glassware, and then tip
the funnel upside down an inch or so above the surface of the plate. Some gentle tapping with the hand on the side of
the funnel should be enough to make the filter cake fall out of the funnel. Avoid the temptation to bang the funnel on
the surface of the plate to dislodge the filter cake. When it falls out, a plastic spoon can be used to scrape out
whatever dings to the funnel. The filter should be picked out of the cake by hand.
To recrystallize, a heat resistant glass container must be obtained. A good choice is a one-cup size pyrex measuring
cup. The crystals are put into the cup. Next some alcohol is added to the cup to dissolve the crystals. The best choice
for alcohol is 190 proof grain alcohol. The next best choice is 91% isopropyl alcohol, available at the corner drug store
right off the shelf. Unsuitable for use are denatured ethyl alcohol (because acid may have been used to denature it)
and 70% isopropyl alcohol (because of too much water in the alcohol). Methyl alcohol (wood alcohol) is not a good
choice because it dissolves the crystals too well, and so causes loss of product, and a poorer job of removing the last
traces of acids.
The procedure used to dissolve the crystals is as follows: First, 100 ml of alcohol is added to the crystals. They will
not dissolve noticeably in the alcohol because it is cold. A pan of water is boiled, and when it boils it is brought over to
the table in the workshop and the measuring cup is put into the pan of hot water. This work should not be done on
the stove because when the alcohol heats up, it will give off fumes which could be ignited on the stove. The hot water
will quickly warm up the alcohol in the measuring cup, and it will start to dissolve the crystals of nitromannitol.
The alcohol should be stirred to help with the dissolving of the nitromannitol. A perfect tool for this job is a plastic
coffee stirrer from McDonald's. After a few minutes, the water will have cooled off to the point where a fresh pan of
boiling water should be used for the heating of the alcohol. Soon after putting the measuring cup in the second pan of
hot water, all the crystals of nitromannitol should be dissolved. If they have not all gone into solution, then some
more alcohol should be added to the measuring cup to dissolve them. Since the added alcohol is cold, a third pan of
hot water will then also be needed to bring the temperature of the alcohol up to the required level to dissolve the
nitromannite.
When all the crystals have dissolved, the cup should then be removed from the pan of hot water and allowed to cool.
As the alcohol cools, crystals of nitromannite will reappear. This is because cold alcohol does not dissolve
nitromannite very well, so they are forced to come out of solution. These recrystallized crystals of nitromannitol are
much purer than the crude material that was started with because the acids that were formerly locked inside the
crude crystals remain in the alcohol.
The colder the alcohol gets the less nitromannite it will dissolve so the measuring cup should find its way to a freezer,
or be packed in ice. This will get the largest amount of product out in this step. The nitromannitol should be white and
the crystals should be long and needle shaped.
Now the pure product can be collected. To do this, the same filtering setup described earlier is used, except that a
regular coffee filter can now be used, since there are no strong acids left for it to be dissolved by. All pieces, of
course, must be clean and dry to avoid contaminating the product.
The alcohol which filters through contains some more nitromannite in it. To get this second crop of crystals out of it,
the alcohol is simply poured back in the measuring cup (or beaker, which could easily be ordered from the Edmund
Scientific catalogue) and heating is recommenced. The heating must be stronger this time. If grain alcohol (190 proof
ethyl alcohol) was used, the mixture should be brought to a boil. This can be done safely for small batches like this
one on an electric stove top by setting the cup in a pan of hot water and bringing the water to a boil with the
overhead fan running to suck up the alcohol fumes. If isopropyl alcohol was used, no attempt to bring the alcohol to
boiling should be made because isopropyl alcohol boils at the same temperature that the crystals melt at. This high
temperature will prevent their formation during the crucial water-adding step to follow. For the isopropyl alcohol, just
heat the alcohol up in the boiling water.
When the grain alcohol starts to boil, or when the isopropyl alcohol gets hot, water should be dripped into the alcohol.
In the case of isopropyl alcohol, it will also be necessary to stir the water into the mix. The mixture should be watched
closely during this addition. When the mixture starts taking on a milky color, stop adding water. This means when the
whole solution gets milky, not just little areas, because local milkiness in the area where the drops of water land will
be seen soon after starting the water addition. This milkiness is termed "turbidity."
Other publications have erred seriously on this point. They defined turbidity as a churning, as if it was going to get up
and do a dance for them. It makes one wonder.
When this milkiness is seen, the heat should be removed, and the mix allowed to cool. Crystals of nitromannite will
soon be evident. The milkiness was caused by small crystals of nitromannite forming in the solution. They formed
because water is an even worse solvent for nitromannite than is cold alcohol. As the alcohol became progressively
more watery, its ability to dissolve nitromannite went from bad to worse.

When this mix gets cold in the freezer or by packing in ice, the last of the nitromannitol crystals will have formed.
They should be filtered out like the rest, and the alcohol which filters through should be thrown away.
The combined yield from the two crops of crystals is close to 50 grams. This packs the explosive punch of a
comparable amount of nitro. For long term storage, the crystals should be soaked with water to absorb any acids they
might generate during storage. It can then be filtered before uce
USE OF NITROMANNITE
In many respects the use of nitromannite is similar to the use of nitroglycerin. It requires about the same amount of
force to set it off, and it delivers about the same yield of explosive power when compacted to rock form. There is a
large difference, however, caused by the fact that nitromannitol is a fluffy solid whereas nitro is a liquid. This
fluffiness means that nitromannite is nowhere near as dense as nitro is. As was mentioned earlier, to get maximum
detonation velocity, and therefore explosive power, the explosive must be as dense as possible. So the big problem
with nitromannite is to get its density high enough to deliver its full explosive potential.
The most effective way to compact nitromannite is to melt the substance by packing it into a glass vessel which will
be its ultimate container, and melt the crystals by setting the glass container in warm to fairly hot cooking oil. The
crystals melt at about 110ø C. When they cool down again, they will freeze into a solid rock. The same effect can be
seen by packing snow into a container, melting the snow, and refreezing. The ice formed will take up quite a bit less
space than the packed snow, so the substance is then much more dense.
This method is not to be recommended, because of the great danger involved. Nitromannitol becomes very sensitive
at elevated temperature, so the heat required to melt large amounts of nitromannite could precipitate an explosion.
The Home Workshop experimenter will have to settle for the increase in density which can be obtained just by
packing the crystals into place. Care must be taken to avoid friction during the packing process.
The serious experimenter may wish to try packing the crystals into a vessel, then wetting the crystals down by
spraying them with some ether (starting fluid). This will melt them, and when the ether has evaporated from the
container, they will be rocked and take up less space.
A different approach takes advantage of the properties of nitromannite to create a self-detonating booby trap device.
In the methyl nitrate section, mention was made of an attack plan featuring a bottle of methyl nitrate taped with heat
resistant tape or other loose yet durable attachment to the exhaust manifold of a car. Nitromannite is much more
suitable for this usage for several reasons. First of all, it is safer to make. Secondly, the heat from the exhaust will
first melt the crystals, making them much more dense and more powerful. Finally, nitromannite will not half boil away
before it explodes like methyl nitrate will (boiling point of methyl nitrate, about 65øC). For these reasons,
nitromannite is much more likely to give satisfactory results in this attack plan.
In a similar vein, attack plans utilizing fuses in contact with exhaust manifolds leading to detonators, and nitrogen
triiodide crystal laid down to set off the nitromannite from the vibration of the engine cannot be ignored. A fertile
imagination is not only a joy for life, but also the key to improvised detonation systems. Good results can be obtained
by routes other than the standard blasting cap-explosive charge combo.
A pretty good plastique can be made from nitromannite, just by mixing it with vaseline. Other, more advanced
plastiques can also be made with nitromannite by preparing silicone polymer gels and so on, but the marginal
advantages of these plastiques (they can be used under water, and in very hot places) are hardly worth the greater
difficulty of preparation they present. Also, the ingredients used to make these gel matrixes are not the type of things
you go down to the hardware store to get. Unless you work in the plastics or coatings field, you are unlikely to have
easy access to them in less than 5 gallon pail quantities.
To make the plastique with vaseline, just mix 95 grams of nitromannite with 12 grams of vaseline in a stainless steel
bowl. They can be mixed together by use of a rubber spatula. When a uniform mixture is made, the plastique can be
wrapped in wax paper until use. A number 5 blasting cap or equivalent will set it off.

PETN
PETN, or pentaerythritol tetranitrate, is considerably more difficult to make than the other explosives considered to
this point. Its preparation is not recommended for the casual experimenter, or for those with a clumsy streak in them.
Its power and sensitivity is comparable to the other explosives in this book. It is also a crystalline solid, so it offers
the same difficulties as nitromannitol in getting it compacted to maximum density for maximum power. If it were not
for an extremely powerful and versatile plastique which can be made by mixing PETN with nitroglycerin, it would not
be covered in this book.
There are several new difficulties encountered in the manufacture of PETN which combine to make this process a good
deal more difficult than the preceding ones. First and foremost of these obstacles is the starting material,
pentaerythritol (pentaerythrite). While it may be commercially available at about $20 per pound, its purchase is
definitely not advisable for the Home Workshop Explosives manufacturer. Its purchase would leave and too
recognizable paper trail, and could easily lead to suspicion or investigation either before or after usage. This leaves as
the only viable alternative, making the pentaerythritol from simpler materials which are not subject to scrutiny, a
tactic well known to drug manufacturers. This necessity to first make pentaerythritol makes this process a two-stage
affair, with all the problems inherent to this approach. The biggest difficulty, other than all the work involved, is that
the pentaerythritol must be refined to a high degree of purity before it can then be fed into the final stage of the
process for conversion to PETN. The old computer programming slogan "garbage in, garbage out" holds doubly true in
synthetic chemistry.
Another bad point about the two-stage nature of this process is the great amount of time which is required to make
and purify the pentaerythritol. The unavoidable consequence of this is that this part of the process becomes a
bottleneck in the manufacturing operation. The amount of product which can be made in a given period of time will
always be controlled by how fast the pentaerythritol can be turned out to be fed into the PETN stage of the process.
Finally, the quality of nitric acid used to make PETN is crucial. This process is pretty fussy in that white fuming nitric
acid must be used. This means that it can have no trace of the reddish gas NO2 in it. A little bit of it in the mixture will
in short order lead to runaway reactions and the formation of large clouds of NO2, the dreaded red gas. This ruins the
batch, and poses the danger of poisoning the experimenter, and of possible explosion.
Now let's look more closely at the first stage of PETN manufacture, making pentaerythritol. This adventure in
chemistry is custom made for those who like to handle large volumes of really revolting chemicals and do endless
hours of labour to get a quantity of product measured in fractions of a pound. Look once again at the materials
covered earlier in this book.
Pentaerythritol is made by reacting formaldehyde with acetaldehyde, condensing them together with the help of
calcium hydroxide.
8 CH2O + 2 CH3CHO + Ca(OH)2 => 2 C(CH2OH)4 + Ca(COOH)2
Formaldehyde + Acetaldehyde + Calcium Hydroxide => Pentaerythritol
There is not too much which can go wrong with this reaction, so long as reasonable care is taken to follow the
directions. It is, however, very stinky and potentially unhealthful if the experimenter allows himself to breathe in the
fumes of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. This reaction is best done outside with a steady breeze, the "cooker"
keeping himself upwind throughout the process. If the watchful eyes of neighbours preclude this, a garage with a
strong wind flow is acceptable. This may obscure the view of civic-minded citizens, but their noses are another enemy
to be remembered. This process is best done in a secluded area.
To begin production, a clean plastic 5-gallon pail is filled with 2160 grams (2000 ml) of 37% formaldehyde solution,
210 grams (275 ml) of acetaldehyde, and 4 quarts of water. These chemicals do not need to be of a particularly high
grade, so if money can be saved by using technical grade chemicals instead of reagent grade, then do so. Also, the
formaldehyde solution can be replaced by 800 grams of paraformaldehyde. This solid form of formaldehyde does not
have the powerful smell of the formaldehyde solution, but is much more expensive than regular formaldehyde. The
37% formaldehyde solution may be sold under the name of formalin, so be aware of this example of the proliferation
of chemical synonyms.
Next, a clean wooden stick must be obtained. A section of broom handle minus the finish is a good example of what is
called for here. This wooden stick is used to stir the solution.
First mix the ingredients already in the pail, then begin adding powdered quicklime (CaO, calcium oxide) to the pail in
small portions with vigorous stirring. When the calcium oxide goes into solution, it first picks up a molecule of water,
becoming Ca(OH)2, and then takes part in the reaction shown above. The CaO should be added at such a rate that
the temperature of the mixture rises to 50ø C (a little over 120ø F) within the first half hour of adding the CaO. Then
the CaO is continued to be added at such a rate that the temperature of the mixture does not go over 55ø C (about
130ø F). As can easily be imagined, the fumes of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde get pretty intense as the solution
gets hot. They get less revolting as the reaction nears completion and the aldehydes get consumed. The total amount
of CaO added is 180 grams.

When all the CaO has been added, the stirring is continued at a more leisurely pace for another three hours. This long
stretch of stirring is bound to tire even the most dedicated explosive manufacturer so an alternative which can be
used where electricity is available is to suspend an electric drill or similar motor over the pail, and use a clean paint
stirrer attachment to stir the solution. The fumes are not especially flammable, so fires are not the hazard they often
are when dealing with more flammable chemicals. Even so, rigging an extra long stem for the stirrer, so the motor is
elevated above the pail rim, is a wise precaution.
When the stirring is done, it is time to filter the now yellow colored solution. A large coffee filter fitted inside a plastic
funnel will do a good job of this. The total volume of liquid amounts to about 3 gallons. Contained in this 3 gallons, is
about 3/4 pound of pentaerythritol. Now the real work begins as the workaholic explosives manufacturer isolates his
product from the mixture.
First, the mixture must be made slightly acid. To do this, hydrochloric acid (the 28% strength material available from
hardware stores is good enough) is diluted 50-50 with water. Then this diluted HCl is added to the mixture with
stirring until the mixture is acid to litmus (turns blue litmus paper red). A good way to do this is to add 100 ml of the
dilute HCl right away, and then after stirring and checking for acid reaction, add smaller amounts of acid until an acid
condition is achieved. This will convert the calcium formate made in the reaction to formic acid and CaCl2, and also
knock out left over CaO. In these forms they are more easily gotten rid of.
Next, the yellow color can be removed by adding 30 grams of activated charcoal powder (Norite brand is usually used
in the lab) and stirring it around for a few minutes. Then the solution is once again filtered so as to remove the
charcoal, and the filtrate is clear once all the charcoal has been successfully filtered out. Until then it is black, and the
pail is a holy mess. Get a clean pail. This step can be omitted, but a yellow product will result which will be more
touchy to convert to PETN without the dreaded red gas being formed. It will also not keep so well.
Now the solution must be reduced in volume so that crystals of pentaerythritol can form. To do this the water and
other assorted smelly gunk must be boiled away under a vacuum. Formic acid and the unreacted aldehydes will be
eliminated in this process. The first step in this adventure is to get a large enough container to hold the reaction
mixture for the boil down. 5-gallon flasks are not commonly available to the public, but a good substitute is one of
those thick glass water jugs often seen in offices for the water cooler. This is about 5 gallons in volume, and has a
narrow opening which can be plugged with a one hole rubber stopper, and attached to the vacuum source (either
aspirator or water bed pump).
To get this process going, put the reaction mixture into the glass jug along with a couple small pieces of a Dr. Scholl's
pumice footstone (to ensure an even boil) and a chunk of paraffin wax the size of a small grape (to control frothing).
The jug should be heated by means of steam, which can be supplied from a pressure cooker by filling it half full of
water, clamping a section of automotive hose to the outlet on the lid where the weighted pressure control usually sits,
and piping the steam produced from heating the pressure cooker into a cowling surrounding the jug.
The jug should sit in a large pan and be lifted off the bottom an inch or so by use of a few wooden blocks. The steam
hose is run under the jug so that the steam rises up around the jug to heat it. The cowling can be as simple as a
plastic garbage bag draped around the jug. A drain hose should run from the bottom of the pan to a drain or sink to
carry away the water formed from the condensing steam.
When the jug is reasonably warm, vacuum should be applied to it and the heating continued. The contents of the jug
will begin to boil away. This should be continued until the volume of liquid in the jug is reduced from 3 gallons to one
gallon. Then the heating is stopped, and when the boiling ceases, the vacuum is removed.
Now that the liquid has been concentrated, crystals of pentaerythritol can form. Just let the jug cool off in the
refrigerator overnight. In the morning, the crystals can be filtered out.
The liquid that filters through contains more product. This can be obtained by boiling away until the volume of the
liquid is halved, i.e., reduced to 2 quarts. Upon cooling, a new crop of crystals can be filtered out. Repeating the
process again, and boiling away the liquid down to one quart gives, upon cooling, another set of crystals. The
remaining liquid can then be flushed down the toilet.
The crude product should be purified before use in PETN production. To do this, it is weighed, and an equal weight of
distilled water is put into a stainless steel pan, or large pyrex beaker. The volume of water will be about a pint. The
water is heated up on the stove, and the crystals are put into the water, along with 10 ml of hydrochloric acid. Mix
them around until they dissolve, and boil just a little bit. Upon cooling, a large mass of crystals will appear. Filter
them out. The liquid should then be concentrated down to about half its starting volume, and then cooled.
Another crop of crystals will appear. By repeating this process a couple more times, about 350 grams of pure
pentaerythritol will be obtained. It may be somewhat yellowish, but will work for making PETN. This product should be
spread out on wax paper and allowed to dry thoroughly before use.

CONVERSION TO PETN
Compared to making pentaerythritol, PETN manufacture is a breeze. The amount of labour in the process is much
less, and the volumes of chemicals which need to be handled are trivial in comparison.
The reaction here is the standard nitric ester reaction. In this case, pentaerythritol is the alcohol, and it is nitrated by
means of nitric acid to form the nitric ester pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). Here four molecules of nitric acid are
needed for each molecule of pentaerythritol. See below:
CH2-OH CH2-ONO2
| |
HO-CH2-C-CH2-OH + 4 HNO3 ==> NO2O-CH2-C-CH2-ONO2
| |
CH2-OH CH2-ONO2
Pentaerythritol PETN
Yields are very good, with one gram of pentaerythritol giving 2 grams of PETN.
To begin manufacture, the nitric acid is first checked. It must be fuming nitric acid (90%) and the acid must be
completely water white. Any traces of yellowish or reddish pink color, and the stuff must be purified according to the
directions below. The fuming nitric acid made according to the directions in the nitric acid section is usually water
white, especially if the vacuum used was strong.
To decolor nitric acid, 800 ml of the fuming nitric acid is poured into a clean, dry 40 ounce beer bottle, and warmed
up by setting the bottle in a sink of hot water. When it is warm, a gram or so of urea is added to the bottle and mixed
in. Now dry air is blown through the acid. The most convenient way to do this is to plug the top of the beer bottle with
a 2-hole stopper. Through one of the holes, a section of glass tubing is run. It should be long enough that it extends
into the middle of the acid.
To get air flow, apply a vacuum to the other hole. This will pull air down through the glass tubing into the acid.
Continue the air flow for a couple minutes and the color will be gone. Watch out for acid splashing up the tubing when
the vacuum is removed.
Once the acid is clean enough to use, making PETN with it is fairly easy. First the 800 ml of nitric acid is poured into a
large reaction vessel made of glass, with a pouring lip. A beer pitcher is a natural choice as the reaction vessel. The
beer pitcher is nestled into a tub of ice. The ice should be heavily salted as in the nitromannite process in order to
lower the temperature of the ice. The reaction temperature must be kept below 5ø C (about 41ø F) so salted ice is
required to do this cooling job. As in the other processes, a pail of cold water should be close by to dump the batch
into if it should go out of control.
Next, 200 grams of pentaerythritol is weighed out. It is then put onto several clean plates and ground up into a fine
powder by crushing the crystals with the bottom of a drinking glass, or other handy object. Once they are ground up,
the temperature of the acid should be checked to make sure it is below 5ø C. The temperature of salted ice can get
down to 0ø F, so the acid should cool quickly.
When the temperature of the acid is low enough (stir the acid to get an even temperature throughout the pitcher)
pentaerythritol can be added to the acid in small portions with good stirring. The temperature must be closely
watched during the addition to make sure it does not go above 5ø C. Using the thermometer as the stirrer takes care
of both problems at once. The reaction gives off heat, so the pentaerythritol must be added fairly slowly, especially if
the acid was not very far below the 5ø C upper limit to begin with. When the upper limit is neared during addition of
pentaerythritol, stop adding it, and continue stirring until the temperature falls enough to allow putting more
pentaerythritol into the batch.
When all of the pentaerythritol (200 grams) has been added to the acid, continue stirring it in the ice bath for another
15 or 20 minutes. Acceptable colors for the reaction mixture are clear, white, and yellow. If its color is red or pink, be
careful as an eruption of the dreaded red gas may be about to ensue. Be watchful for fumes bubbling from the batch.
At the end of the 15 to 20 minute stir period, it is time to end the reaction and begin to collect the product. To do so,
the first step is to dump the batch into about a gallon and a half of ice water. Ice cubes should be floating around in
the water because when the batch is dumped into the water, a good amount of heat will be given off. This is the heat
of dilution of the nitric acid. A plastic pail with a pour spout is a good choice because after the batch is dumped into
the ice water, it must be filtered, a job requiring it to then be poured out of the pail into a funnel.
So the batch is dumped into a gallon and a half of ice water. It is a good idea to stir the ice water as the batch is
poured in to get the acid dispersed throughout the water. As the batch is dumped into the water, crystals of PETN will
form. They will be white to yellow in color. They should be allowed to sit until the ice cubes melt in the pail.
Now it is time to filter out the crude crystals of PETN. A large coffee filter (cafeteria coffee maker size) put into a large
plastic funnel will work well. Pour the batch into the funnel at whatever rate it can handle. The acid water that filters
through can be thrown away. The crystals in the filter are rinsed by pouring cold water over them while still in the

funnel. About a quart of cold water, slowly poured, trying to reach all crystals will do the job. Some crystals will still
be clinging to the sides of the pail into which the batch was dumped, so a good idea is to flush them out of the pail
with some portions of water and add them to their brothers in the funnel. The best time to do this is just before the
one quart cold water rinse.
Now the coffee filter is bundled into a ball and the water is squeezed but of it. After the water is squeezed from the
crude crystals the traces of acid on the crystals are eliminated. To do this, a couple quarts of distilled water are mixed
with 20 grams of Arm & Hammer~ bicarb and then the bicarb water is heated almost to boiling. This is poured into a
clean beer pitcher, and the crude PETN crystals are mixed in. They are kept in contact with the bicarb water with
some stirring for about an hour. It is not required that there be constant stirring. Just enough to keep the crystals
floating around (once every 5 minutes or so will give good results) is all that is needed. Then the crystals are filtered
again, rinsed over with some more distilled water (about a cup or two), and then squeezed out. These crystals are
then spread out on some wax paper and allowed to dry before moving on to the final stage in the purification scheme,
recrystallization.
Recrystallization must be done because of the traces of acid locked inside the crystals from when they were originally
formed when the batch was dumped into the gallon and a half of ice water. All of the rinses have not been able to get
at the insides of the individual crystals. Also, the yellowish crud which was tainting the pentaerythritol will be
removed during the same process, resulting in a fairly white PETN. The purer PETN keeps better and stores more
safely.
The solvent used to recrystallize PETN from is acetone. A good quality acetone can be purchased by the gallon at the
local hardware store. Look in the paint section. PETN's very soluble in acetone, so it is not the ideal recrystallization
solvent, but it is common and cheap. Besides, the suggested method found in the scientific books can be modified to
give better results.
To start the recrystallization, the crude crystals of PETN, amounting to around a pound of product, are put into a glass
container of about a quart capacity. An equal weight (about 600 ml) of acetone is added to the crystals of PETN, and
they are mixed with a glass or wooden rod. Do not use plastic as the acetone dissolves most plastics. A great deal of
the PETN will quickly dissolve into the acetone.
Next, the acetone must be heated to dissolve the rest of the PETN. Since acetone is very flammable, great care must
be used during the heating to avoid a fire. This operation should be done in a garage or other structure that is open to
wind blowing through it. Good ventilation is a must! Smoking is an invitation to disaster! Direct heat must also not be
used to warm up the acetone. For example, setting the container holding the acetone/PETN mixture on a hotplate is a
no-no because the fumes of acetone will come into contact with the burner and ignite Likewise, a double boiler set-up
is not going to work.
The acetone can be heated by boiling a large pan of water in another room, and carrying the boiling water to the
garage and placing the container into the hot water. As an alternative, a pressure cooker half-filled with water can be
set onto a hotplate upwind from the acetone, and steam from the pressure cooker can be carried via hose to the
acetone solution, just as was shown in the drawing in the pentaerythritol section of this chapter.
When the acetone gets hot, the remainder of the PETN should dissolve with some stirring. If it fails to all dissolve, add
some more acetone. The acetone should be heated to boiling (56ø C) for maximum dissolving power.
Once all the PETN dissolves into the acetone, the first crop of pure PETN can be obtained. To get this first crop of
crystals, just let the acetone solution cool down, first by removing it from the heat, then by packing the container in
ice, and finally by putting it in the freezer. As the acetone gets colder, its ability to dissolve PETN decreases, and
crystals of PETN form.
These crystals of PETN are filtered out either by using a vacuum system as shown in the nitromannite section (best)
or by pouring them through a coffee filter and wringing them out. Plastic funnels must be avoided, of course.
The acetone which filters through still contains a very large amount of PETN. It is returned to the quart-size glass
container and half the acetone is boiled off. This is best done by means of steam directed at the bottom of the glass
container, via a hose from a pressure cooker. Acetone boils away quickly and easily.
When half of the acetone has boiled away, the heat is removed, and once again the acetone solution is cooled down.
This results in a second crop of crystals. They are filtered out, and the acetone which filters through is returned to the
glass container.
This acetone which remains still contains a lot of PETN. The best way to get the PETN out of the acetone which
remains is to drip 190 proof grain alcohol (vodka) or 91% isopropyl alcohol into the acetone with stirring. As alcohol is
added to acetone, its ability to dissolve PETN decreases. This is because PETN doesn't dissolve well in alcohol, so
adding it to the acetone makes the solution lousy at dissolving PETN. This method is much better than boiling away
more acetone because that method leads to a final crop of crystals that are dirty. When the solution is about half
alcohol, all the PETN should be out of solution in the form of crystals. This is filtered out, and the acetone-alcohol mix
is then tested to see if all the PETN is out of it by adding some more alcohol to see if more crystals form. If they do,
alcohol is added until no more crystals form.

If the PETN is coming out of solution in the form of an oil that sinks to the bottom of the container, this indicates that
it is pretty impure, and that the alcohol was added too fast without enough stirring. All that can be done in these
cases is to put it in the freezer, and wait for it to solidify into crystals.
The PETN crystals are transferred to a large sheet of waxed paper, spread out and allowed to dry. When the solvents
have evaporated from them, the PETN can be processed into plastique. My favorite PETN plastique is made by mixing
PETN with nitroglycerin. I like it because it is extremely powerful (more powerful than C-4), easily detonated, and
made from readily available materials. Its lone drawback is that the ease of detonation also means that rough
handling could set it off. It must be treated with respect.
To make this plastique, 80 grams of PETN are put into a stainless steel bowl, and then 20 grams (12ml) of
nitroglycerin is poured over the crystals. This mass is mixed with a rubber spatula until an even, uniform plastic mass
resembling PlayDough is made. This substance can be wrapped in wax paper until used. A large firecracker or cherry
bomb will set it off. Nitroglycol can be used in place of nitroglycerin to give a material which works at low
temperatures and which is somewhat harder to detonate.
Another plastique can be made from PETN by mixing 98 grams of PETN with 12 grams of vaseline in the same manner
as with the previous plastique. This forms a plastique which is almost as powerful as C-4 and is able to withstand
rough treatment like C-4. A number 6 blasting cap is required to set this plastique off. Of course, a sufficiently large
piece of nitrogen triiodide will also work. This plastique has the disadvantages of not tolerating high temperatures well
(the vaseline starts to melt and run away) and also not being usable underwater since the plastique will disperse into
moving water
Other plastiques can also be made from PETN, and they can be made to very closely resemble C-4, but their
manufacture requires the use of materials which are not readily available to the typical consumer. Since ordering
these materials would leave a paper trail leading to the workshop, it is not recommended to try to duplicate C-4. The
very minimal advantages are far outweighed by these other, more pressing considerations.

RDX
RDX, also called cyclonite or cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine, is the last of our fine family of easily prepared, high power
explosives.
In many ways RDX bears a striking resemblance to PETN. It is about as sensitive and powerful as PETN, and both are
crystalline solids which can be made into plastiques. Beyond this, the manufacturing processes for these materials are
quite similar as well. In both instances, a two-stage manufacturing process is called for because the starting material
for making RDX may be difficult to obtain without causing suspicion.
The starting material for making RDX is a substance called hexamethylenetetramine. It may also be sold under such
names as methenamine or urotropine. If it can be quickly purchased on a cash basis, a price of about $15 per pound
is reasonable. If, on the other hand, this substance can't be so easily obtained, then once again, the route to follow is
to make the starting material from simpler, non-suspicion-arousing materials. Luckily, hexamethylenetetramine is
much quicker and easier to make than pentaerythritol.
There is another completely different method for making RDX, and it does not make use of hexamethylenetetramine
as the starting material. However, that process requires acetic anhydride as a key ingredient. Acetic anhydride is
central to the manufacture of several drugs, for example heroin and phenylacetone (the starting material for
methamphetamine). For this reason, acetic anhydride purchases, and that whole other method of RDX production are
to be avoided.
One could conceivably produce the acetic anhydride from simpler materials and then feed that material into RDX
manufacture, but that is not such a good idea. The reason for this is because acetic anhydride manufacture centers
around first making a substance called ketene (not ketane as was written in a pretender publication). This ketene
stuff is god awfully nasty fearfully poisonous, and to make things worse, is a gas. Its preparation is something which
should only be attempted by a real pro with proper equipment. Its preparation is nowhere near so simple as would be
inferred from reading those pretender publications. To get an idea of what is really called for in ketene production,
check Organic Syntheses, collective volume 1, pages 330 to 334. Also, using the ketene to make acetic anhydride is
not so simple because an extremely effective fractionating column, almost a yard long, is required to get a clean
product.
The method given here is much better because it uses simple and cheap ingredients that are easy to obtain. They are
also pretty safe as far as chemicals go, with the exception of the fuming nitric acid. Also, these reactions are fairly
easy, and result in mixtures that are pretty easily purified.
A well-ventilated garage is a good site for making the hexamethylenetetramine. The neighbours should not pay this
process so much attention as the pentaerythritol process because the odour here is less intense and much shorter-
lived. No special equipment is needed for this reaction either. All that is required is an electric hotplate with variable
heat control, and a large enamelled dish to do the reaction in.
This large enamelled dish should be at least a gallon or so in capacity, and built to be able to withstand some heating
and rough treatment. A very good choice is one of those roasting pans built to hold turkeys or hams. Look for one
that is square or rectangular in shape so that the liquid may be poured out of the pan at the corner. The enamel can
be substituted for with Teflon coating.
To make hexamethylenetetramine, 2000 grams (1850 ml) of 37% formaldehyde solution is poured into the enamelled
dish. Then to this is added 1100 grams (1200 ml) of ammonium hydroxide solution. As was mentioned before, this
material is just ammonia dissolved in water, and may be sold under such monikers as strong ammonia solution 27%,
or 58% NH4OH or ammonia water 26 degree balme. The ammonia solution should either be cooled down in the
freezer before use, or have 250 grams of ice added to it.
The ammonia is added slowly to the formaldehyde with good stirring. A fair amount of heat is given off in the
reaction, and the reek of formaldehyde and ammonia will get intense for a while until all the ammonia has been
added. Then all the formaldehyde will be tied up, and only a weak smell of ammonia will remain. Stir some more to
be certain that an even solution has been obtained.
The solution in the pan or dish contains about a pound and a quarter of product dissolved in a bunch of water. The
task now is to obtain the hexamethylenetetramine, which is a crystalline solid, from the water. To do this, first the
dish is placed on the hotplate, then heat is applied to it to bring it to a slow boil. As the water boils away, portions of
about 15 ml of the ammonia solution are added to it every ten minutes or so. This is to ensure that enough ammonia
is present to keep any formaldehyde which may be floating around unreacted, tied up.
When about half of the solution is boiled away, the heat should be removed from the pan and the solution is allowed
to cool down to the point where it is about as hot as hot tap water. Then it is filtered through a coffee filter placed
inside a plastic funnel. This is to remove any gummy material which may have been formed from the formaldehyde.
This gummy stuff will quickly plug the filter, so be prepared to change the filter several times.
The liquid which filters through still contains the product. It is returned to the pan. Its volume should be a little over
2000 ml. It is once again boiled away until its volume is around 800 ml (1/3 or so of the previous volume). Now the

first crop of product can be obtained. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool, then cool it further either by
packing the pan in ice or putting it in the freezer. As it cools, a large mass of crystals will appear.
These crystals are then filtered out by filtering them through the vacuum filtering apparatus shown in the
nitromannite chapter. Feel free to pack them down a little with a spoon to help squeeze the liquid out of them. Then
the crystals are dumped out onto wax paper. The liquid should go into a separate jug for temporary storage until all
the crystals are cleaned out of the pan. A rubber spatula will be very handy for scraping the cling-one off the walls of
the pan.
When the first crop has been collected, the liquid is returned to the pan. Then the crystals of product are rinsed off.
To do this, they are packed back into the filtering funnel, and rinsed off with 190 proof grain alcohol. A few rinses
should remove the smell of ammonia from them. Then they should be spread out on fresh wax paper until they are
dry. They should have no smell. They should also be clear or white in color.
The liquid which has been returned to the pan still contains a lot of product. To get it, first pour the liquid into a glass
beer pitcher or similar container. Then about 10 grams of powdered activated charcoal is added to the liquid. If the
lab brand of charcoal called Norite is available, this is best. Otherwise, the various other types of activated charcoal
will work so long as they are powdered up before use.
This activated charcoal will take up the yellowish color from the solution. First stir it in for a few minutes. Then set up
the vacuum filtration system again, with double layers of filter paper. Pour the solution through it. A clear solution
should result. If it is still black, all the charcoal isn't out of it. Wash up the system, change the filters, and filter some
more. If it is still yellowish, add some more activated charcoal and continue.
The clear solution can now be returned to the original dish, and heat reapplied to it. The goal here is to evaporate the
liquid to dryness and collect the crystals which are left when the water is gone. Heat it reasonably strongly at first,
then steadily back off on the heat as the volume of liquid goes down. One does not want to burn the crystals. Finally,
end up with just a warm setting, and drive off the last of the water. Then scrape out the crystals of product from the
pan. The total yield of hexamethylenetetramine should add up to around 560 grams.
All the hexamethylenetetramine should be spread out onto wax paper sheets and allowed to dry. When it is
thoroughly dry, it is ready to be turned into RDX. Very humid weather may cause the crystals to soak up water from
the air and melt, so beware of spreading them out to melt instead of dry.
PREPARATION OF RDX
Once the hexamethylenetetramine is dry, one is ready to proceed to turn it into RDX. This reaction is a good deal
more touchy than the ones covered in the earlier sections of this book. If directions are not followed concerning acid
strengths, temperatures, and reaction times and conditions, the dreaded red gas is likely to appear, or at least the
yield of product will be ruined. Have no fear, however; all the little things which are likely to go wrong will be covered,
along with the several right ways to do this reaction. So long as one stays on the right path, and off the road leading
to disaster, all will be well.
RDX, unlike the other explosives covered in this book, is not a nitric ester. This means that the equilibrium equation
presented back in the early part of the book can be ignored for this explosive. Instead, the factors most influencing
yields in this reaction are kinetic. This means that there are several side reactions which occur at the same time as
the desired reaction, and getting a good yield depends upon suppressing these side reactions, and encouraging the
desired reaction.
One encourages and suppresses reactions by carefully controlling the time of reaction, the temperature(s) at which it
is run, and the concentration of the ingredients, among other ways. Just how this strategy works for RDX production
must now be explained.
First, we have the desired reaction, producing RDX from hexamethylenetetramine and nitric acid:
A very important competing reaction is the breakdown of the hexamethylenetetramine by water into its hydrolysis
products, formaldehyde and ammonia:
Acid
C6H12N4 + 6 H2O ==========> 6 Formaldehyde + 4 Ammonia
Catalyst

The water finds its way into the mixture because water is the diluent for nitric acid, and even the 90% fuming acid
obtained commercially is going to have 10% water as the diluent. The nitric acid made as directed in the nitric acid
section will have next to no water in it, so long as the saltpeter was dry, and the glassware was dry. This is anhydrous
nitric acid, and so avoids this side reaction, so long as the hexamethylenetetramine is dry, and the glassware is dry.
This side reaction is also greatly slowed down if the batch is made at a low temperature. The cold temperature slows
down the unwanted reaction quite a bit more than the desired reaction producing RDX. By doing the reaction at -20ø
C (0ø F), an additional one sixth of product is obtained. This side reaction is further curtailed if the batch is not
allowed to sit around any longer than is absolutely necessary before pouring it into water and ending the reaction.

The best waiting period after the end of adding the hexamethylenetetramine to nitric acid, before dumping the batch
into water, is about 15 minutes. This is about the length of time required for the last of the hexamethylenetetramine
to dissolve into the nitric acid, with slow stirring.
Another side reaction involves nitric acid adding to the hexamethylenetetramine to form a salt. This side reaction is
not so easily controlled as the preceding hydrolysis reaction. It just has to be lived with, and is the reason that the
best yield one can get is around 75% of the theoretical yield.
With a good grounding in the ins and outs of this reaction, let's go on to see how these principles are put into practice
Using the commercially available fuming nitric acid of 90% strength (density 1.51), the same set-up is used as for the
previous reactions. A beer pitcher makes a good reaction vessel, and it should be nestled in a tub of ice, with a 5
gallon pail of water nearby to dump the batch into in case it goes out of control and begins spouting red gas. One
must be especially on guard when doing this reaction, because the onset of the dreaded red gas can be the result
Then into the pitcher, 770 ml of the fuming nitric acid is placed. This acid should be cooled down beforehand by
storing the acid in the freezer. Then 100 grams of hexamethylenetetramine is weighed out, and it is added to the acid
slowly, in small portions, with slow stirring. A good tool to do this stirring is a section of glass rod, bent at a right
angle about an inch before its end. This stirrer will look like an overly long hockey stick, and works like an agitator
when slowly twirled between the fingers. Overly fast stirring is to be avoided, because this contributes to an overly
fast reaction which may get out of control and start to fume. The temperature of the mixture should under no
circumstances be allowed to go above 20ø C, and it would be best if it were held well below that temperature. Since
one is starting with acid from the freezer, where its temperature should be around -20ø C, this should be no hard task
The amount of time required to add all the hexamethylenetetramine to the acid is going to be about half an hour.
Then the slow stirring is continued, while a close watch is kept on the crystals of hexamethylenetetramine in the acid.
When the last of them has dissolved, wait 5 minutes, then pour the whole batch into a gallon of cold water. The
length of time between the end of adding the hexamethylenetetramine, and the point when it has all dissolved, is
around 15 minutes. As was stated earlier, it is bad idea to let the batch sit around any longer than the recommended
period. Once it has all dissolved, wait a few minutes, then pour it into the gallon of water.
When the batch is poured into water, crude crystals of RDX will form. They must next be filtered out, so for this
reason, it is wise to choose a water container which will easily pour into a funnel for the filtering process. Three beer
pitchers, each holding an equal volume of cold water ready to accept 1/3 of the batch, is a good arrangement.
Next the crude crystals of RDX are filtered out of the water by using the vacuum filtration set-up described in the
nitromannite chapter. The best filter to place in the funnel is a piece of glass wool. This material can be found at any
place selling aquarium supplies. It is called angel's hair. A piece of it is pushed down into place over the filter

[ElfNinosMom]

He actually instructed people on myspace about how to make bombs?

Wow. Just, wow. That's incredibly, shockingly stupid.


VanMeter's Revenge: I still don't understand your point. Even if it was Buck's second myspace account to be deleted, that doesn't mean that someone else commandeered his unique numeric url. Chances are the second account was either deleted by myspace when they realized the kooky bomb guy was back, or his attorney told him to delete it for defense purposes (though I doubt it will do any good, since I'm sure the feds have been monitoring it all along).

Once the second account was deleted, someone else just took over his custom url by registering a new account. Custom urls are reusable, but the unique numeric urls are not reusable.

[webhick]

Whoa. Old Buck's bomb making directions have frelled the thread!

[ErsatzAnatchist]

Looks like the instructions from that classic of Patriot Literature, the Anarchist Cookbook. In my past life I was a chemist. I suspect that for 99% of the population, these instructions are useless. For 82% of the other 1%, they would be downright dangerous. Most of the starting products are going to be extremely difficult to get.

Making Nitroglycerin is not for the faint of heart. I understand that it is a touchy reaction with an unfortunate tendency to go BOOM at the wrong time. IIRC, Noble (as in Noble Prize) invented dynamite to deal with the unstable nature of the chemical reaction.

You get more bang for your buck using good old fashioned black powder pipe bombs or even tannerite (even though tannerite is a PIA to set off).

[Demosthenes]

Update from Keith:

"old buck" is not under arrest!
i just got off the phone with old buck and he tells me he hasnt been arrested. he wasnt even aware that his myspace page had been hacked. it had been removed for the dozenth time for "terms of service violations" but after this last time the feds took it over just like ed and elaines. he said i was the one that informed him that it happened. he just gave up on myspace completely. he tells me the feds have been in touch with him and he did go to speak with them but he wouldnt speak...lol... so they took his prints (finger and palm) to compare against any possible evidence from "explosives" and such found at the house. he tells me he is not worried because he did nothing wrong except share a few meals with the browns over the course of 6 weeks. they did inform him however that they will charge him if they have even the slightest chance to. so for now he lays low but is not hiding per lawyers advice. i will keep in touch with buck and inform everyone when any updates happen.

[ElfNinosMom]

he wasnt even aware that his myspace page had been hacked. it had been removed for the dozenth time for "terms of service violations" but after this last time the feds took it over just like ed and elaines.

For the umpteenth time, it's not the feds who are taking over these myspace sites, and none of them were "hacked". The sites were deleted by myspace for TOS violations, then the recyclable custom url was taken over by a jokester who'd been watching those sites and waiting for them to be deleted (which was only a matter of time when Buck is posting instructions to make bombs, and Ed is asking for military-grade weapons when he's a fugitive from justice).

While I can understand why those involved in the E&E situation don't see the humor in those new sites, I can easily see it (although it would be even funnier if they changed their occupation from "I am the Internal Revenue Code" to "I AM the Internal Revenue Code", and if it had the site song set to "God Am" by Alice In Chains, since some of the lyrics are "this God of mine relaxes, world dies, I still pay taxes" and the chorus is "Can I be as my God Am? Can you be as God Am?").

Obviously, I didn't do it, because it would be much funnier if I had. However, since it's a troll, it has to look realistic, and my ideas would tip people off.

This is not some grand government conspiracy, and anyone who thinks it is doesn't understand the internet very well. The sites have quite obviously been taken over by an individual who wants to get a few laughs by playing on and even feeding the paranoia of E&E's supporters. It looks like it's working, too.

I personally suspect someone is working on an epic troll by assuming those MySpace pages, because the Ed and Elaine situation is already listed on the Encyclopedia Dramatica at http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/Wtprn (WTPRN refers to the We The People Radio Network).

Even if it's not an intentional epic troll, the person doing it should list it as such on Encyclopedia Dramatica at the appropriate time.

[grixit]

It seems that each successive post is messing up the formatting worse. As near as i can tell, the forum program is treating the posts as if they were nested together. Could someone with the appropriate access see if they can untangle them?

[Joey Smith]

Locking thread early because of formatting problems.