How to Blow Things Up - Period 1, Week 2

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

Aly was more subdued than she normally would be as she met the students in the Danger Shop.

"Okay, everyone," she said, glancing around at the class.  "This is going to be our first practical class here in the Danger Shop to help get you guys used to the feel of explosives before we work with them in a less controlled setting - or before you can actually blow yourself up instead of what you're aiming for."

"We're going to deal with improvised devices today, and two in particular, but first you do need to know a bit about the theory,"  Aly gave a concise but thorough lecture on explosive materials and the science behind them.  The impression she gave off was one of a child dutifully eating his meat so he could get to the pudding.  Practicalities were obviously more interesting to her.

"The two explosives we're going to work with today are two improvised explosives.  You don't always have access to military material and you definitely don't always need it.  One of the most common explosives in this word - and also one of the easiest to make is anfo - fertiliser and fuel oil.  It sounds simple, but it's an immensely powerful explosive. A ton or so in a the right place could blow up a cargo ship and the harbor it's sitting in - if you can get it into the cargo ship, of course.  The other is less an explosive than a weapon.  Molotov cocktails - half gasoline, and half motor oil - you've probably already heard of them if you're from this world.  They're easy to make and can do a lot of damage especially against gasoline engines or wood structures."

"What the plan is today is to spend some time discussing tactics with these weapons.  When would one of these particular types of explosive devices be useful?  Then make the anfo into a bomb, put together a Molotov cocktail, and blow some stuff up."

[OOC: Please wait for the OCD is up.  All links in this one go to Wiki so no worries about the Feds.  More explanation in the OCD threads.  As a side note, the idea of anfo blowing up a ship and the harbour it's in is from an AWESOME series of books that begins with Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden.  Go read them.  Seriously.  *finishes pimping for the day*]

Comments

[Explodey 7/17] - Anfo

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

The fuel oil and the fertiliser need to be mixed up. As soon as that happens, the fertiliser starts oxidizing and will be ready to explode.

After it's mixed, there are pipes for the mixture to be tamped into and fuses to be added.

Play with it handwavily. If you want to screw up and have it ignite too soon, that's fine, but Danger Room so you won't get hurt. Just a flash and a bit of a bang to show you screwed up.

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Anfo

[slr-mercury.livejournal.com]

Ami has done chemistry before. This was just like chemistry, right? She carefully followed the steps.

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Anfo

[misshargrove.livejournal.com]

Annette was following the steps carefully. She did not want to lose a finger or anything.

She must have done something wrong though because next thing she knew there was this flash and bang and she felt the heat on her face and neck. "Ooops." Pause. "I'm trying again!"

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Anfo

[turnthisfrown.livejournal.com]

St. John laughed a little at Annette's explosion, having finished his own Anfo pipe bomb already.

"Careful there, sheila, wouldn't want to loose a nail now."

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Anfo

[misshargrove.livejournal.com]

Annette looked over, her cheeks black, "I'm trying. I've never done this before you see. And I'm sorry, you must have me confused with someone else. My name is not Sheila."

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Anfo

[turnthisfrown.livejournal.com]

John did a facepalm.

"No, that's Oz-speak for 'girl', luv," he explained in a tone that suggested he'd done this often.

He walked over, looking at the charred mess that was her Anfo with a smile.

"Hey, don't fret. Most girls would've screamed and had a fit or somethin'...least, the girls where I'm from." Judging from the females he'd met so far, Gambit'd be hard-pressed to find a "Damsel in Distress" and that made his grin wider.

"Name's John; Saint John. But go ahead an' call me John, since you Yanks can't ever pronounce right."

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Anfo

[misshargrove.livejournal.com]

She did not know what Oz-speak was but didn't ask cause she didn't want him to facepalm at her again. She did understand girl and luv so all was okay. She got it.

Blinking at him, Annette raised a brow and said, "I like Saint John better. I know too many John's to just call you John. If I mess up the pronounciation then you'll just have to excuse me. I'm not a yank." She shook her head. "I'm from the mid-west. And thanks? I'm not much of a screamer." Er.. "So, where are you from exactly?"

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Anfo

[turnthisfrown.livejournal.com]

St. John resisted the urge to facepalm again--doing it to much started to hurt. "Fine with me. I've bore the cross this long."

He prodded gently at the wrecked Anfo while he spoke.
"I'm originally from Australia, but I moved to New York in 2000, and then came here. Nothin' too special." He shrugged nonchalantly, and glanced up at her.

"How 'bout you?"

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Anfo

[misshargrove.livejournal.com]

She gave him a look but said nothing to that.

Watching him poke around at her wrecked bomb making stuff, she said, "Kansas City, Kansas though my parents now live in Manhattan. My dad is headmaster of Manchester prep. Think I should have another go at this anfo?"

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Anfo

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke had grown up around both components and had been on the receiving end of more than a few lectures about not mixing the two together.

Which, naturally, had meant he'd done it a long, long time ago.

Even with one arm still in a cast he was able construct a tidy little pipe bomb.

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Anfo

[flamingbonehead.livejournal.com]

Johnny hadn't made pipe bombs before, but he knew how amazingly explosive fuel oil could be. So he went slowly and carefully, making sure to follow the instructions to the letter. At the end of it, he had a nice little pipe bomb sitting on his desk.

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Anfo

[lovesrenoir.livejournal.com]

Animal is happily grunting away as he makes his Anfo bomb.

However the receptacle for the bomb itself may be inspired by his conversation with Luke (http://community.livejournal.com/fandomhigh/1444473.html?thread=88171641#t88171641)

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Anfo

[moonbrain-tam.livejournal.com]

This reminded River of playing with Simon's chemistry set as a child. She mixed the ingredients carefully and quickly, following Aly's instructions.

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Anfo

[bookyeve.livejournal.com]

Evie thought the anfo mixes just spiffy. So she was very, very carefully making them, measuring them and putting them together.

And then accidentally lighting the fuse too close to the source.

BANG!

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Anfo

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

"You want the fuse more than a bit longer next time," Aly said to Evie. "Remember, that's all the time you have to get away."

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Anfo

[bookyeve.livejournal.com]

Evie coughed, a little stunned, then nodded rapidly. "Yes. Oh my. I do see that." Cough. "A good bit longer, then."

Her next fuse was almost a foot long, but Evie could wait for it to burn down. Very patiently.

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Pair Up and Discuss Tactics

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

It's...possibly a bit disturbing how quickly Billy makes these things. It's like riding a bike.

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Anfo

[sarcasm-guy.livejournal.com]

Sokka was happily working away, mixing and tamping and adding a fuse, and... his fuse was already lit when he started adding it. He stared at it, wondering how he had managed to do that, while it burned down a little more. THEN the full import of what he was looking at struck him.

"YAAAAAAGH!!!!"

He screamed, flailed, and flung the about-to-explode explosive off somewhere that looked like there weren't any people.

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Anfo

[bookyeve.livejournal.com]

Having done this once? Evie knew what to do.

She ducked under a table and yelled, "Throw it throw it throw it now throw it!"

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Anfo

[sarcasm-guy.livejournal.com]

"I did I did I did I did!!!"

Sokka was still flailing, even after it exploded in a Danger Room - dampened puff.

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Anfo

[bookyeve.livejournal.com]

Evie peeked over the table, and blinked at Sokka. "Oh, my. Goodness. Gracious." She got up and brushed herself off. "Again?" she asked hopefully.

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Anfo

[sarcasm-guy.livejournal.com]

Sokka took a minute to calm down, and then grinned at Evie. "AGAIN! YES!"

And he started making another one.

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Anfo

[bookyeve.livejournal.com]

Evie carefully carefully measured out some of the fertilizer and held it out to be tamped down, and carefully carefully measured out another fuse.

She might have accidentally dragged the fuse through some of the oil and not noticed, though.

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Anfo

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

Aly facepalmed. "I want to ask how you managed that. And at the same time I really don't want to know."

Re: [Explodey 7/17] - Anfo

[sarcasm-guy.livejournal.com]

"The fuse lit itself," Sokka answered. "I... wish I knew how."