FI1: How to make a miniature pipe bomb by Lazarus Long
Freedom Issue 1, December 24, 1992
File 6/7
How to make a Miniature Pipe Bomb
By Lazarus Long
This device is not a weapon of terrorism like a genuine pipe bomb. It is essentially just a firecracker, a very loud firecracker, that can mangle a finger or two if you aren't careful. First, I will advise you to go out and buy a pound of Pyrodex. This is a smokeless powder sold at most gun/hunting supply stores for roughly $15 (Canadian) per pound. It is an exceptionally versatile explosive as it is less sensitive to friction and impact, and it also does not absorb moisture as readily, as other similar compounds like black powder. Pyrodex is also exceptionally easy to make into simple fuses. A pound will last a long time depending on how you use it.
What you will need:
- A Papermate Flexgrip pen
- Pyrodex
- A couple cotton balls
- A fuse
Part 1 - Making Fuses
For those of you that don't know how to make fuses out of pyrodex I will explain this first. Mix some pyrodex into a small amount of water until you have a thin paste, it shouldn't be too thick or too watery. Take a cotton ball and stretch it into a long string. Coat this string with the paste and loosely pull it through your fingers to scrape off excess paste (do not flatten the fuse). Place on a cookie pan (use wax paper, or place them on the back of the pan), aluminum foil, or other similar surface. Keep making these until you run out of paste, there is no need to let it go to waste. Bake in your oven at 250 degrees until the fuse is stiff. When ready it will be both stiff and dry, and have a steel grey appearance. Try not to bend this fuse as areas that incur bends will sometimes fail.
This is the most expedient method I have found and, except for the Pyrodex, requires items frequently already in the home. Using the same principles you can also use cotton string, or even toilet paper (toilet paper is not recommended). My last bit of advice: never bake a large amount of fuses at once. Although powders like Pyrodex don't explode unless confined, they do burn. I have never had any problems with the above method, but caution should always be used.
Part ][ - The Bomb
Now to the mini pipe bomb itself. The Papermate Flexgrip pen is the perfect container for such an explosive. They are, unfortunately, fairly expensive as pens go, so except for one or two experimental bombs you are going to want to use them first (fortunately the Flexgrip is also one of the best pens out there). The reason it is such a good container is that, like a pipe bomb, both ends are screw on, one of which has a hole the perfect size for a fuse. The rest of the container has no holes in it, unlike the cheap Bic pens.
First take out the ink cartridge, you don't need it anymore. Second, unscrew the metal end out of which the writing part formerly jutted. Insert the fuse through the hole starting from the inside and pulling out, remember to avoid bending the fuse too much. Leave enough fuse on the inside to just barely reach above the threads on the metal cone. You should then screw this metal end back onto the pen. Now fill the pen with Pyrodex nearly to the top. Tap the pen with your finger to eliminate air pockets. Fill again if necessary. Finally put some cotton in the top of the pen, and the hollow part of the screw on top. Screw the top back into place. You now have a miniature pipe bomb. When firing this off you don't want to be nearby, it produces a fair amount of shrapnel, and a very loud bang. Use a long fuse.
When making this using Pyrodex is advised. If you choose to use black powder or match heads (match heads are dumb!) be VERY careful when screwing on the top piece that you don't have any powder in the threads. You should be wary of this even when using Pyrodex but it isn't nearly as dangerous. I've made over two dozen of these and had no problems whatsoever, except for the occasional failed fuse. If the fuse fails don't approach the bomb for at least five to ten minutes. When you recover it you will have to empty the Pyrodex and start over with a new fuse.
This mini pipe bomb with the cap on looks just like a pen without alterations and could be rigged into a booby trap if necessary (ie. placing the pen cap back on in a way that would light a very short fuse when removed). Pen booby traps such as these, although not made in the same fashion, were used as antipersonal devices by Germans against the British. The idea behind such a booby trap is not usually to kill, but to maim, thus taking the enemy personnel out of action and forcing the enemy to expend resources on medical care. To be used for recreational purposes though the fuse should be too long to place the cap on properly and therefore doesn't look nearly as innocent.
Hopefully this makes it in on time to be a part of the LANDMARK issue one of Freedom, and furthermore I hope to be a regular contributor. See you soon...
Lazarus Long (LAZ).
December, 1992.
