How To Make Mercury Fulminate
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When employing the use of any high explosive, an individual must also use some
kind of detonating device. Blasting caps are probably the most popular today, 
since they are very functional and relatively stable. The prime ingredient in
most blasting caps and detonating devices in general is mercury fulminate. 
There are several methods for preparing mercury fulminate.

Method No. 1 for the preparation of mercury fulminate:
1. Take 5 grams of pure mercury and mix it with 35 ml. of nitric acid.
2. The mixture is slowly and gently heated. As soon as the solution bubbles
        and turns green, one knows that the silver mercury is dissolved.
3. After it is dissolved, the solution should be poured, slowly, into a small
        flask of ethyl alcohol. This will result in red fumes.
4. After a half hour or so, the red fumes will turn white, indicating that the
        process is nearing its final stage.
5. After a few minutes, add distilled water to the solution.
6. The entire solution is now filtered, in order to obtain the small white
        crystals. These crystals are pure mercury fulminate, but should be 
        washed many times, and tested with litmus paper for any remaining
        undesirable acid.

Method No. 2 for the preparation of mercury fulminate:
1. Mix one part mercuric oxide with ten parts ammonia solution. When ratios
        are described, they are always done according to weight rather than
        volume.
2. After waiting eight to ten days, one will see that the mercuric oxide has
        reacted with the ammonia solution to produce the white fulminate
        crystals.
3. These crystals must be handled in the same way as the first method
        described, in that they must be washed many times and given several
        litmus paper tests.

Many other fulminates can be made in the same manner as above, but I will not
go into these, since most are extremely unstable and sensitive to shock. All
fulminates, including mercury fulminate, are sensitive to shock and friction,
and in no circumstances should they be handled in a rough or careless manner.

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