

Title:   Second file in the SIMPLE explosives series.  R.J.
Date:    2/7/88
Time:    11:50 am


This is the second file in the R. J. MacReady pyrotechnic
series.  If you don't have the first file, it is advisable
that you download that one as well as subsequent ones.

Motor Mine:  This device causes basically the same damage as
             "the basic mine", but is more conveniant if
             the person happens to miss stepping on it.


Materials:   Film Cannister (or as I said before, any size
             container).

             Match books.  17 packs fills a Black's film
             cannister.

             Wire (preferably long lengths).

             Small electric motor (available at the Science
             Centre)


     First, take the lid of your container, make a small hole
(not a square hole like in the mine).  This should be big
enough to hold the axle of the electric motor snuggly.  You
need to make a small cardboard disk, or, if you can find
one, a small plastic gear like piece meant to fit on an
electric motor, but I doubt you will.  You must cover this
small disk (about a centimetre wide) with the brimstone from
the matchbooks.  Fill the container with matcheads, push
the motors axle through the lid, push the disk on the axle
from the other side, put on the lid, tape the whole thing
up, plus the motor, so it doesn't wobble about.  Hook your
wire up to the terminals on the motor, then to a switch
or a battery or whatever.  Conceal the mother, and stand
back, you will hear a high pitched screach (carrier detect?)
of the motor grinding, then BOOM.  Works well.


String Cannon:  Once again, the basic principle of the mine
                is used here.


Materials:      Container.

                Matchbooks.

                Piece of piping with one end closed off (make
                sure it is possible to put a hole in the
                closed end though).  ABS piping (available
                at Home Hardware is good because the film
                cannisters fit PERFECTLY.  But only the see
                through ones.  Ask Blacks for TRANSPARENT
                film cannisters.

                String.

                Violent nature.

     Ok, make a basic mine (you MUST have the first file
to do this).  But don't put in the match heads yet.  Pierce
a hole in the bottom of the cannister (big enough for strong
string to fit through).  Now, once you have made the 2 or 3
match button (from the first mine explained) you will be
pulling it from the bottom rather than stepping on the top.
Tie the string to the matches in the brimstone box and then
bring the string through the bottom of the cannister, fill
the cannister with match heads, and put on the lid.  Once
again, the more you tape, THE BETTER.  You want to hold this
explosion as much as possible, so when it goes off it's more
powerful.  Put a hole (for the string) in the blocked end
of the piping.  You might find it hard to the string through,
but try and get it through a small a hole as possible. You
don't want anything coming out the back!  A good idea
is to, insert the string through the pipe, THEN do the
rest explained above (as you can see, I suck at writing .DOC
files).  And drop the mine CAREFULLY down to the bottom of
the pipe.  Now walk around like you have a shotgun and
whenever you want to blow something away, just point and
pull the string.  A spray of match heads, fire, plastic bits
etc. will fly out, pretty impressive I guess.

Look for other files in this continuing series on SIMPLE
devices.

Written by R. J. MacReady.
