Thread: Home Inspections a Blast

My find of the week.

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nice find! did you open it up or shake it to see if it was empty?

I hit it with my flashlight.

Originally Posted by Nick Ostrowski

I hit it with my flashlight.

Well, the warning didn't say anything about not hitting it with a flashlight.

Wow.

Read this about old blasting caps (clickable link): http://www.nps.gov/history/museum/sa...s-in-parks.pdf No, you don't open the tin, or shake it!

You hit it with your flashlight then stuck around to take a pic? Did you have your cell phone or WI-FI with you (and ON)?

Buy a lottery ticket, you might be on a lucky streak.

Speaking of streaks....Nope, on second thought I'll leave that between you and your laundress.

Originally Posted by H.G. Watson, Sr.

Wow.

Read this about old blasting caps (clickable link): http://www.nps.gov/history/museum/sa...s-in-parks.pdf No, you don't open the tin, or shake it!

You hit it with your flashlight then stuck around to take a pic? Did you have your cell phone or WI-FI with you (and ON)?

Buy a lottery ticket, you might be on a lucky streak.

Speaking of streaks....Nope, on second thought I'll leave that between you and your laundress.

The flashlight thing was a joke HG.

As labeled on the box: Don't tap or otherwise investigate.

Originally Posted by fritzkelly

Probably just full of old gold coins or something anyway. Safe place to put them as nobody will open it.

I never said I didn't open it......which I did. And yep, they were in there and in tact. Little copper tubes with a solid pack of whatever explosive material they contain.

What can I say. I'm not good at following directions. It's hard to leave my pyro days as a youth behind.

Originally Posted by Nick Ostrowski

I never said I didn't open it......which I did. And yep, they were in there and in tact. Little copper tubes with a solid pack of whatever explosive material they contain.

What can I say. I'm not good at following directions. It's hard to leave my pyro days as a youth behind.

"Blasting caps come in a variety of forms. Fuse caps are non-electric blasting caps that incorporate primary explosives such as mercury fulminate (very sensitive), lead azide (in copper shells, forms copper azide when exposed to moisture), and lead styphnate. They are generally small metal tubes about 1/4" OD, x 1-2" long, closed on one end and open on the other, to accept the bitter end of a length of time (safety) fuse. They can detonate when exposed to heat, shock or static electricity. Old fuse caps that show signs of deterioration, such as crystallization, are extremely dangerous. Call for assistance with disposal immediately."

"Electric blasting caps are similar to fuse caps, but with two solid core insulated electric wires protruding from one end. These caps contain an initiating charge and a base charge. It is important to keep the leg wires shunted for safety. They are sensitive to heat, shock, static electricity, radio frequency energy and electromagnetic radiation."

"Non-El caps are relatively safer to handle than either fuse caps or electric caps. They are crimped to flash tubing and incorporate an ignition charge and a main charge. Please don´t use your teeth! (It´s been done - see picture). These are not be be confused with the non-electric fuse caps."

"...The message (besides don´t touch) is to not open the tins; old blasting caps used lead azide as a primary charge and many used copper for the shells, in the presence of moisture, lead azide turns into extremely sensitive copper azide salts, which can detonate just due to the friction of opening the cap tin."

Originally Posted by Nick Ostrowski

The flashlight thing was a joke HG.

No joke. Sticking around to photograph?!; sweep the area!!; move the tin then re-photograph?!!!; then move again & open the tin?!!!!! Sheesh. (He protects fools and...).

You back out carefully, pray your cell or wi-fi isn't sending a handshake signal or receives one (radio) or you cause a vibration, floor bounce or spark, get a safe distance quick and call the authorities.

"HIGH EXPLOSIVES are designed to shatter (brisance) rather than push. Detonation velocities for high explosives range from 3,300 fps to 29,900 fps. Blasting caps, dynamite, TNT, plast explosives, binaries and blasting agents are examples of high explosives."

They obviously have some age on them, seems to me by the 60s aluminum (not copper) cylinder caps was the norm.

Originally Posted by H.G. Watson, Sr.

No joke. Sticking around to photograph?!; sweep the area!!; move the tin then re-photograph?!!!; then move again & open the tin?!!!!! Sheesh. (He protects fools and...).

You back out carefully, pray your cell or wi-fi isn't sending a handshake signal or receives one (radio) or you cause a vibration, floor bounce or spark, get a safe distance quick and call the authorities.

"HIGH EXPLOSIVES are designed to shatter (brisance) rather than push. Detonation velocities for high explosives range from 3,300 fps to 29,900 fps. Blasting caps, dynamite, TNT, plast explosives, binaries and blasting agents are examples of high explosives."

They obviously have some age on them, seems to me by the 60s aluminum (not copper) cylinder caps was the norm.

HG, why don't you let that cut under your nose heal?

Fwd'd to Chester County.

Then you better let them know the following as well:

- I sometimes run with scissors
- I have a propensity for petting stray dogs and not washing my hands
- I don't always wear sunscreen
- I eat my steak with the knife I use to cut it

Lock me up now.

That's up to MacD's.

Originally Posted by H.G. Watson, Sr.

"Blasting caps come in a variety of forms. Fuse caps are non-electric blasting caps that incorporate primary explosives such as mercury fulminate (very sensitive), lead azide (in copper shells, forms copper azide when exposed to moisture), and lead styphnate. They are generally small metal tubes about 1/4" OD, x 1-2" long, closed on one end and open on the other, to accept the bitter end of a length of time (safety) fuse. They can detonate when exposed to heat, shock or static electricity. Old fuse caps that show signs of deterioration, such as crystallization, are extremely dangerous. Call for assistance with disposal immediately."

"Electric blasting caps are similar to fuse caps, but with two solid core insulated electric wires protruding from one end. These caps contain an initiating charge and a base charge. It is important to keep the leg wires shunted for safety. They are sensitive to heat, shock, static electricity, radio frequency energy and electromagnetic radiation."

"Non-El caps are relatively safer to handle than either fuse caps or electric caps. They are crimped to flash tubing and incorporate an ignition charge and a main charge. Please don´t use your teeth! (It´s been done - see picture). These are not be be confused with the non-electric fuse caps."

"...The message (besides don´t touch) is to not open the tins; old blasting caps used lead azide as a primary charge and many used copper for the shells, in the presence of moisture, lead azide turns into extremely sensitive copper azide salts, which can detonate just due to the friction of opening the cap tin."

It looks like they were in a dry place, and I didn't see any open lights

Originally Posted by fritzkelly

I would imaging HG walks from Mi to Fl as it is far too dangerous to drive or fly.

Huh?

Originally Posted by Dan Harris

It looks like they were in a dry place, and I didn't see any open lights

Its moisture/water vapor within...

Lead azide is a more sensitive primary explosive than nitroglycerine and a more effective detonating agent than mercury fulminate. In comparison with lead azide, copper azide is even more explosive and too sensitive to be used commercially.

Lead azide + water vapor forms hydrazoic acid; hydrazoic acid reacts with copper in the detonating cap, forms extremely sensitive copper azide.

Static electricity from the human body can detonate lead azide.
Copper is an excellent conductor of electricity.

Watson my dear fella, you have been hanging around Sherlock way to long now!

Me thinks it is being BLOWN way out of proportion.....

Blasting caps are very common in certain trades and areas such as railroad work and mining, The majority are used for remote alarming or alert devices triggered by impact to warn you of an approaching device to warn the worker to get out of the way and not forget to take his tools with him.

To analyse the contents, age and exposure to moisture by looking at some pictures is truly deducing and concluding something that is strictly licensed (writers) to Connon Doyle.

Fertilizers and Diesel fuel are dangerous and I see a lot of that around me on a daily basis.

But, Mr. Watson I cannot fault you for expressing cautionary advise - play it safe!

All the best - Richard