Repost: Another pyromaniac chemical adventure
When I was about 12, we went to visit one of my Dad's friends, who was a research chemist. He had loads of good surplus chemical stuff.

Bored with the purple smoke from magnesium shavings + iodine crystals, his son and I decided to try to make gun cotton. This didn't work and we just ended up with messy, glutinous, carbonized crap all covered in concentrated acid.

So, what to do with this stuff?

My friend came up with the obvious answer (I'm sure you have, too): make a standard sugar+nitrate mixture, add some magnesium shavings, stick the acid napalm on top, light it, put a tin can over the top (open end down) and stand on it. OK, says I. The parents are out shopping, let's do it. So he does.

Cue an hour of alternately trying to alleviate hot acid burns by dunking his face in a sink of cold water, and combing the burned clumps of hair out. Once the parents returned, this was inevitably followed by a trip to casualty, while my mum gives me the standard "How can you be so *stupid*" lecture at volume 11 for another full hour.

No permanent damage though, but it was bloody lucky he wore glasses.

Kids - think once. Think twice. Think don't deliberately stand on home-made fireworks made of concentrated sulphuric acid.
( Amish Information Systems hates misplaced, commas, Tue 9 Jul 2013, 18:25, 5 replies)

Ha!
I just been reminded that we once stuffed a guy with fireworks and asbestos. Kids today just don't have the suicidal imagination of the 1970s and 80s.
( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Tue 9 Jul 2013, 19:47, closed)

I mean a Guy Fawkes effigy ... not an actual guy guy ... that would have been mean.

( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Tue 9 Jul 2013, 19:48, closed)

You should have used nitric acid
Then he would either have been dead, deaf or blind.
(the other guy not the one that gave you coochie warts, Tue 9 Jul 2013, 21:09, closed)

... And his pinball prowess would have rocketed.

( The Great Architect is still waiting for his account to be deleted on, Tue 9 Jul 2013, 21:39, closed)

i thought it was don't drive your car on the pavement

(andythepieman Is surfing the waves of indifference on, Thu 11 Jul 2013, 12:36, closed)