You can make it more cannon like by using a piece of heavy metal pipe with one end capped instead of a balloon. I use propane in my potato gun, but I don’t think it’s quite as loud as acetylene would be. A friend fills garbage bags with acetylene, hangs them from a tree limb and puts a candle underneath, produces a huge ‘whoomp’.
One of our chemistry teachers used to do that as a classroom demo, until he blew out the windows one year. That was the end of the demos.
But you’re explaining how drunks can use acetylene to make an explosion. I guess that’s slightly better being that no projectiles are involved, but a static spark will really light up this birthday party.
Damn. OPs been banned. Now we’ll never know what happened.
Even though the OP has been banned …
Is this forest public land (local, state, federal)? The lake as well? If so, if you don’t have the proper permits (including notifying the authorities before the fact - read VernWinterbottom’s posts) you could be cannon fodder in no time. Assuming no one else would be around to be disturbed is a dangerous assumption. In this post-9/11 time you could even be charged with using a WMD.
I was operating under the assumption that they were going to blow something up no matter what. An acetylene fireball was the safest thing I could think of.
I do love that she appeared to take the idea of dropping a giant lump of sodium into the lake seriously…
Only on the Dope…
And just when I was about to Threadspot this thread for the exceptional stupidity of the OP and the exceptional reasonableness of many of the responses.
Nothing good come after “OPEN FIRE!”
Perhaps the safest way to get a big bang is Tannerite.
It is a binary exploding target. You combine two different powders, put the result into a bottle or small box, and set it off with a center-fire rifle shot.
YOU MUST HAVE SOMEONE ON HAND WHO IS NOT DRINKING ALCOHOL.
The only way to set off Tannerite is with a “high powered rifle”. A .22 won’t do it.
You can order from their website, or perhaps find it at a local gun store.
Used properly, it can’t cause a fire - a Good Thing[sup]TM[/sup] in the woods - and is safe to handle.
It is fun, but please designate a sober person to handle and shoot the stuff. You’d be surprised how often you use your thumbs and stuff.
That’s it.
You’re done.
When I was working as a lab assistant in college, my prof had me try the ammonium iodide and feather bit. Afterwards, when I went to the dining hall, this chick I knew came up and said “I heard what you did!!!” I replied, “WHAT? I CAN’T HEAR YOU!”
I’m kinda glad the ‘thermite’ didn’t work…
Las Vegas. On one of the few Pawn Star episodes I’ve seen, the guys bought a working cannon.
It seems like every Renaissance Faire has a cannon. I’m not sure who owns it, but at “our” Faire, they use a cannon that appears to be designed for actually firing things, rather than just making noise. Judging by the wood its base is made of, its barrel is six inches in diameter with a roughly two inch bore
For use as a signal, they just load it with powder and use old bread for wadding. Cannon goes boom, and nothing goes downrange but burnt toast crumbs.
What is this ‘rent’ the Op spoke of?
6-pack, duct tape, swiss army knife, lighter fluid, BIC lighter & a tennis ball. Can be done in 5 minutes; less if you don’t drink any beer.
Well… if all you want is a ‘bang’, then, sure. But if you want to do it in style (it’s a party, after all), you’re going to have to get more ‘historical’. You need that cannon. Just to make it look pretty.
I’ve heard Pachelbel is flogging one on eBay pretty cheaply.
What?
In d…eed.
I got nothin’.
For a small extra fee you can get Drummer Hoff to fire it off.
Presumably if you fire a cannonball at a lake at a low angle there’s a non-zero chance of it skipping across the water to the other side, where Bad Things could happen.
Scope out some county parks, get tow cables & a Really Stupid Guy With A Pick-Up Truck. (any similarity to this character and people in real life is strictly coincidental)
[del] Felony [/del] Hilarity ensues…