So I'm reading about some HS kid who decides to make TNT in his chemistry class using a recipe off the internet. Ends up with the bomb squad blowing up a beaker, and the chem teacher saying "I didn't think he was seriously going to make TNT". And so of course I wondered to myself, how easy is it to find the recipe?

web page

I will forewarn you, I am not going to give any recipes, or the actual links. I know some of you lack the sense not to blow yourselves and the neighborhood up in little pieces (Sol for instance).

Ok, on with the story...

So I googled up; "how to", recipe, TNT, explosive


A certain website came up on the search that had the information I wanted. It had also been taken offline by the dept of Homeland security. But the info was still available on googles' cache. Took an extra 4 seconds to access the same information.

Exactly where is our tax money going?

I got a chemistry set when I was ll. Took me a while but I learned to make good old Black Powder from Potassium Nitrate, Sulfur, and charcoal. All readily purchased at the local drug store. Worked good on stump removal projects. Now nitrocellulose is even better, less smoke and there for greener. lol.. Couple of acids and a bunch of cotton. I survived. Now the kids want C4 or Semtex. Picric acid is old hat.

Sard don't post any recipes. Some moron will blow their fingers off and then complain it was your fault for tempting him with the directions. Or you'll just get this thread deleted. I'm not sure which is more likely.

And why is it always guys doing this stupid crap? Whenever a gal comes in for stitches it always with a reasonable story like how she cut herself on a broken glass while doing the dishes.

When a guy comes for stitches its usually with a story involving beer, something sharp, and/or fire. Like the newly returned army vet who got into a knife fight with a peace sign. He decided he didn't like the sign hanging on the fence in downtown Olympia, so he was going to cut it down. His hand slipped and swishhh right across the forehead with the blade. Of course he had drank about a half rack of beer, and wasn't listening to his girlfriend. It wasn't a bad laceration. And he was a pretty funny guy. I'd drink with him, but I'd think twice about letting him chop wood.

It'll be finger-blowing season soon enough. The 4th is just a few weeks away.

And the whole point of the post was to illustrate what a waste of money Homeland Security has been.

when i was a kid i watched my friend blow most of his hand off with a cherry bomb......even today i wont hold and throw a lady finger or any other small fire works.......the big stuff is fun but the results of poor decision making are forever..... but it was sure fun, as a kid in mexico, to go and buy half sticks and watch the dads blow up trash cans on the beach....

nowadays i just want to lock up the cats and dog inside for a month, and pray that the dumb kids in the neighborhood dont land a bottle rocket on the roof and burn the place down.....

No recipes Vhawk. The constituents used in those days will get you on somebodies 'investigate for terrorist activities'list nowdays. I bet you cannot even buy potassium nitrate or any of the other active metallic ion nitrates nowdays. Hell farmers have enought trouble getting fertilizer since the Oklahoma City atrocity. Besides, proportions are rather critical. You know, too much Agnostura or Vermouth will spoil the Martooni.