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Cybertek Electric: Issue #2 1/2/96
?ss es flestra ferdha f?r; en sk?lpr es sverdha
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I know a fifteenth, which Thiodhroerir the dwarf sang before Delling's door.
He sang might to the Aesir, power to the elves, and understanding to Odin.
Cybertek Electric: Issue Two
January 2nd., 1996
edited by Thomas Icom/IIRG
<ticom@l0pht.com> <thomas.icom@iirg.com>
Complements of OCL/Magnitude's Project Blackthorn,
and The International Information Retrieval Guild (IIRG)
Table of Contents
=================
- The Presidential Election Looms: What are YOU going to do?
- Backyard Pyrotechnics I, by Pyronomy
- Decoding Touch Tones
- Urban Survival Part II, by Douglas P. Bell
- Rede For a Departed Brother
The Presidential Election Looms:
What are YOU going to do?
The new year brings many thoughts to mind, but the one thing that keeps
presenting itself in my head right now is the fact that 1996 is a Presidential
election year in this country.
I've been talking to a lot of people who have a dangerous attitude towards
voting. They have no love for either the Republicrats or the Demopublicians,
and feel that a third political party has no chance. As a result they either
don't vote or vote for "the lesser of two evils". I guess they don't realize
that both of these actions will never help us out of the mess we are currently
in.
There is a nationwide third political party which in my opinion offers more
hope towards solving the problems in this country than either the
Demopublicians or Republicrats: The Libertarians. They are for individual
self-responsibility and reliance, and decreased government interference in the
lives of its citizens.
I don't know how many eligible voters in this country are actually registered,
but I do know that in the 1992 Presidential election only 55% (a record high
actually) of the nation's registered voters actually voted, and that of that
number roughly 40% voted for Clinton. The current President of the United
States was voted in with less than 25% of the popular vote. If everybody who
either didn't vote in the last presidential election or voted for "the lesser
of two evils" votes Libertarian, they stand an excellent chance. So make the
extra effort. Do your research. Find out just where the parties stand on
issues that matter; not the bullshit non-issues that the media popularizes,
and this November to get off your ass and get to the polls.
-Thomas Icom/IIRG
May Odin guide your way!
---/////---
Backyard Pyrotechnics I
by Pyronomy
The following series of articles will give details on how pyrotechnic devices
might be constructed. It is my intent that the descriptions given are for
informational purposes only. WARNING: THE FOLLOWING MATERIAL DEALS WITH
PYROTECHNIC DEVICES THAT CAN BE HAZARDOUS. SO PLEASE USE CAUTION:
I think that it would be prudent to explain the difference between
pyrotechnics and explosives. Explosives are broken down into several
categories. Low order explosives are things like gunpowder, flash powder,
black powder, etc. They tend to burn rapidly or deflagrate. There power as
explosives usually comes from the bursting of the container that they are in.
High order explosives are things such as dynamite, plastic explosives,
nitroglycerin, etc. They work under a different principle called detonation.
Detonation in the most basic terms is the rapid, self-propagating
decomposition of an explosive accompanied by a high pressure-temperature
shockwave that moves at 1000-9000 meters per second. This is not generally
considered in the chemistry world as burning. Primary or initiating explosives
are the last class. Some of these are mercury fulminate, lead azide, etc.
These can be sensitive to either shock or burning or both. They generally are
more powerful than low explosives and produce a shock wave that is used to
detonate high explosives. The only class that we will be dealing with in this
series are the low order explosives.
Pyrotechnics are an art form that has a history thousands of years old. They
are constructed for the purpose of providing exciting displays for groups of
people large and small. They existed even before anyone conceived the idea of
using black powder to hurt their enemies. Explosives on the other hand
generally are used to do some type of work. Be it in war or in peace they
generally have a tendency to destroy. If this is your purpose then this
article isn't for you. Most pyrotechnic devices are explosive in some way and
are therefore listed as explosives. Usually this is necessary for the devices
to achieve the desired effect. I will cover devices that are intended to make
pleasing displays be it on the ground or in the air. If you want to play with
the big boys go join the army.
At this time I would like to say a little something about this outrage in
Oklahoma. McVeigh, or whoever is guilty, I hope they give you to the families
of the ones you murdered YOU PIECE OF DUNG. While I am on the subject what is
this bullshit the press is doing to the Militias. I've never seen such a load
in my life. Several slimes do something horrible and the press goes and
stereotypes a whole class of people without any investigation to see what kind
of people they really are. Well if you are reading this you obviously don't
believe anything that those jerks say anyway. What was the purpose of this
bombing anyway? Are we supposed to be impressed with this chicken shit attack?
You didn't even have the balls to be there. What are you pissed about Waco.
Hell I didn't like it either but I wouldn't kill someone because of it. Lets
just pull the plug on you and be done with it because you obviously don't have
a clue.
Anyway it's a shame that this happened because it has side effects that some
people are not aware of. For one thing those people that find the main theme
of this article interesting and might want to try working with fireworks will
soon find it harder to get some of the things that they might need. The laws
will probably get a lot tougher on anyone that might construct anything that
someone else who is either nosy, stupid, or misinformed might think is a
danger to society. They might even see the required reading material
disappear. I don't know about you but it bothers me a hell of a lot.
I don't want anyone to have the false impression that I am all knowledgeable
on this subject. For me it is a hobby that I happen to cherish with a very
large passion. There will be some suggestions later on some reading material
that will help.
WARNING: THESE DEVICES CAN BE DANGEROUS POSSIBLY FATAL SO BE CAREFUL. Safety
is the key to successful and pleasing pyrotechnic displays. Therefore we are
going to discuss safety now and throughout this series of articles.
Some of the DO's and DON'Ts
NO SMOKING: This means while handling chemicals or when constructing, firing,
and transporting devices.
Be gentle when handling your devices as some can be sensitive to rough
handling. You can't be too careful when involved with a hobby like this one.
The first thing you should do before constructing any devices is to check the
laws wherever you are to find out if it is legal. There are several different
classes of explosives that have been designated by the Dept. of
Transportation. Pyrotechnic devices like the common firecracker, bottle
rockets, those little pieces of junk that just burn on the ground with merely
a whimper and party poppers are in Class C. The smaller sized paper tube
launched aerial shells that go up a couple of hundred feet then burst are also
Class C. Some states sub-divide this class into sparklers and ground devices
that shoot sparks. Some are even so lame as to have everything banned. There
is also Class B. This is where most of the big professional displays reside.
These are probably familiar to everyone who has lived through one Fourth of
July. They consist mainly of a round that is launched from a metal tube and
burst high in the air. I'm not exactly sure what the boundary is between Class
B and C. The largest aerial shells that I have seen on sale in fireworks
stands was 2 1/4" in diameter and was marked Class C. Most of the aerial
devices that we will be discussing will be higher than normal altitude Class
C.
OK back to safety. Do not fire any devices on public property as it is
dangerous and probably not legal. The author assumes no liability for damage
or injuries caused by the use of this information. Okay enough so here is the
list of minimum safety equipment needed.
SAFETY EQUIPMENT NEEDED WHERE TO GET IT
Face Shield Hardware Store
Breathing Mask " "
Thick Latex Gloves " "
Welding Gloves Welding Supply
Welding Arm Shields " "
Leather Shoes
The equipment listed should be used anytime you are mixing your chemicals or
when constructing devices. I know they are cumbersome but it is better to be
safe than sorry. Especially the shoes. (Blackmatch will burn through house
slippers. I know this from personal experience.)
Credits
It would be wrong for me to continue without giving credit to the individuals
from whom I acquired the basic information that I am about to impart to you.
The first is the fantastic series of books by Kurt Saxon entitled The Poor
Mans James Bond. There are four books in the series covering every possible
area of self reliance. All contain numerous how-to manuals from A to Z. You
want to know, it's in there. Another one is Granddad's Wonderful Book of
Chemistry. It contains everything that you would want to know about
laboratories and chemical processes. Another series written by Mr. Saxon is
The Survivor. This series is jam packed with how-to articles that are on every
subject that you could possibly want. I would highly suggest all of these
books as they are very valuable. The best ones as far as pyrotechnics are
concerned are Granddad's, PMJB I and PMJB II. In PMJB I you will find
Fireworks & Explosives Like Granddad Used To Make which is a group of articles
including Scientific American 1903, Dick's Encyclopedia of Formulas &
Processes 1872, The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book 1896, and Henley's Twentieth
Century Formulas 1907. It also contains Pyrotechny by George Weingart (1947).
It is considered by most to be the authority on pyrotechnics. The last one is
American Pyrotechnist by VanderHorck. It contains articles by numerous authors
about constructing mechanical devices used in the manufacture of pyrotechnic
devices. In PMJB II you will find a reprint of Tenney Davis's book The
Chemistry of Powder and Explosives published in 1943. It is modern and has
done away with most of the older terms used for some of the chemicals used.
However it is a very good idea to have Granddad's around as it does explain
the older terms. I would like to express my gratitude to Kurt for the vast
effort he has put into this series. It is well rounded and will provide a
great many hours of pleasurable reading. THANKS KURT. would also like to
suggest getting a chemical dictionary or maybe borrow one and check certain
aspects of the chemicals that are used in pyrotechnics. You should especially
check the sections on hazards, properties, and usage.
I would like also to thank Stormbringer in D.C. (BBURPP) for turning me on to
PMJB and for the inspiration. Asrael (OOPS Sorry bout them tax records Dad)
Asphyxia also for the inspiration. Hey AZ be careful with that Perchlorate.
And last but not least Thomas Icom for the opportunity to pen this series.
Materials
The hardest part of it all is acquiring the materials unless you have an
unlimited budget which I think most folks don't. So I am going to give you
some hints on how to construct some of the things that will be needed.
Scales are a must if you want your compositions to be consistent. All of the
compositions used are given by weight proportions. A cheap set of proportion
scales are to be described. You will need the following:
Wood appox. 18"x 4"x 1/2"
Plastic/Vinyl strip 12" long and as thin as you can get it (I used a piece of
1" vinyl window blind)
Wire appox. 4" long and fairly stiff 10-14 ga. (I used brass brazing wire)
Bend the wire in a U shape 3/4" in from each end. Make two holes in the wood
slightly smaller than the wire. The holes should be placed so that the wire is
in the middle length-wise and perpendicular to the length and 1/4" deep. The
wire should be inserted so it is no more than 1/2" off the board. Put a slot
in the plastic so that it will balance on the wire. Add a small container
shaped like a scoop at one end of the strip by using a 2" piece of plastic
drinking straw and duct tape. On the opposite side of the strip using a small
piece of tape attach a dime about half way between the wire and the end. This
will allow you to weigh out fairly small equal amounts of the chemicals.
The scales are used in the following manner. Place something under the scoop
to catch any chemicals that might not make it into the scoop. Place your
chemical in the scoop until it is just heavy enough to tip the scoop down all
the way. This is one proportion that weighs somewhere around half a dime. It
doesn't really matter how much as all the formulas are given as parts by
weight proportion. Any way you go about it is okay as long as you make sure
that the weights are consistent.
Chemicals
CAUTION: ALL OF THE CHEMICALS BEING USED ARE EITHER POISONOUS OR DANGEROUS IN
SOME WAY. PLEASE USE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WHEN HANDLING THEM:
The formulas that are used will only be tested possibly modified versions of
ones found in the various sources that have already been mentioned. No
formulas will be given that have not been personally tested to ensure some
measure of safety and consistency. There are several categories of chemicals
that are used. Oxidizers and reducers are the most important as far as the
actual burning of compositions. Binders tend to hold the compositions together
physically and also have the tendency to moderate the burn rates. Some also
have the tendency toward being combustible.
Oxidizers do just what their name implies by providing oxygen to sustain the
burning. We will get into more detail on the actual terms at a later time when
we start to get into the section on constructing stars and such as that. Some
are listed here:
Potassium Nitrate is the oxidizer that is used in Black Powder. It is used in
numerous compositions that contain a carbon based reducer. It should be
obtained from the chemical supply house.
Potassium Perchlorate is a lot more powerful oxidizer than the nitrate as it
contains more oxygen. Like the other chemical compounds made from chloric or
perchloric acids it can be rather sensitive in certain circumstances. Such as
when mixed with finely divided metals such as aluminum or copper. It also
gives up chlorine which helps to deepen the color of your fire. It can be
obtained from the supply house. Note that it also is more sensitive to shock
when mixed with sulfur and may be set off w hen struck real hard with a
hammer. It is a strong irritant.
If you have an excess of bravery one of the most powerful oxidizers is
Potassium Chlorate. If you decide to use it get all the PMJB books and read
them from cover to cover many times to make damn sure you know exactly what
you are doing. It has a tendency to spontaneously explode when mixed dry with
certain things such as sulfur and red phosphorus and should be wetted
thoroughly including an antiacid before handling. Thanks for that note Kurt.
Another rather powerful but hazardous oxidizer is readily available as of this
writing is Potassium Permanganate. It is generally a purple colored granular
substance that grinds up into a reddish purple powder. Be aware that it is
very caustic and will burn skin on contact. It is very sensitive when mixed
with reducing agents and when mixed with powdered aluminum it is as powerful
and maybe even a little stronger than the flash powder described further on in
this article.
Barium Nitrate (used for green fire) is a good oxidizer and also helps color
the flame green. It also comes from the supply house. Most Barium compounds
are poisonous so caution is important. Make sure that you wear your mask and
gloves when using this in a well ventilated area.
Strontium Nitrate (used for red fire) colors the flame red and also provides
oxygen. If you have access to a 100-200 mesh screen it may be obtained from
common road flares. But be aware that most contain binders such as kerosene
which could possibly cause problems. It is best to buy it from the supply
house. Most Strontium compounds also tend to be hazardous in some way or
other. They are usually poisonous and should be treated with caution. They are
shock sensitive when mixed with reducing agents.
Ammonium Perchlorate is also a powerful oxidizer that is available and is
mainly used in rocket engines. I have not used it yet but have acquired some
for testing purposes and will let you know what I find out.
Reducers on the other hand are in the simplest terms what gets burned. I know
that some will find that too simple a description but its easy to understand.
Some are listed below.
Charcoal can be found at the hardware store but contains a lot of trash in it
so it is recommended that you spend the bucks and buy soft charcoal sticks at
the art store. These can be ground up real easily and are my first choice.
Powdered Aluminum can be obtained through a chemical supply house or if you're
into chemistry made at home, but I bought it. NOTE: Filed aluminum doesn't
work well unless it is very fine. Do not use sandpaper to make it small as it
will contain many particles from the paper and could taint the quality. Be
aware that most finely powdered metals can be explosive when mixed with
oxygen. Some also can be toxic in this form.
Zinc Dust is another metal that can be used in the arts. It may be obtained
from the supply house in a couple of forms. In bits and pieces, in a powdered
form, and in a powdered form called mossy. This means that it was powdered by
pouring molten zinc into water. The form I have acquired is the regular
powder.
Sulfur has the main job of evenly spreading fire to all parts of the
composition in which it is incorporated. It also acts as a reducer by being
combustible. It is best obtained from the supply house.
Binders can have multiple purposes when included in some compositions. They
hold things together and sometimes act as reducers. These will be described
individually.
Shellac is a good binder when wetted with ethyl alcohol. It also is
combustible so tends to act as a reducer.
Stearine is a binder and a reducer at the same time. It is sold at the hobby
store for use in candles. It is sometimes used in making blue fire.
Another binder is powdered water soluble things such as dextrin but I have as
yet been unable to find a source. IF you find one please pass it along. I am
in the process of trying a couple of ideas along this line and will let you
know what I find.
You will also need a couple of wetting agents to suspend your binding agents
so they will be evenly distributed within the compositions. Isopropyl alcohol
(rubbing alcohol) is used in certain cases that will be mentioned later. Ethyl
alcohol to be used when shellac is being used in a composition. Denatured
Alcohol can also be used if it is the kind that has been denatured by methanol
only. It should not contain any other denaturants. Water is used when dealing
with some of the Nitrate and Perchlorate composition and will be noted at that
time. Never mix any Chlorate compositions dry as they tend to go BOOM.
Cannon Fuse can be found at gun shops and gun shows. It may also be found at
your better hobby shops that carry model rocketry supplies. Make sure to test
the fuses burn rate.
Other chemicals are also needed for special purposes such as Ammonium
Chloride which is used as a source of chlorine in the burning to help in
deepening the color. It is also used in making a pretty good white smoke. Be
aware that it has the tendency to draw moisture from the air.
Mercurous Chloride (Calomel) is also a good chlorine source but be advised
that it produces poisonous fumes especially when burning and should be used
only where there is extremely good ventilation. It is used primarily in the
making of blue and green fire. It does not seem to take up moisture from the
air like Ammonium Chloride and is preferred over it. Generally when chlorates
or perchlorates are used for an oxidizer there is no need to add any extra
chlorine source. This compound in any form is very poisonous.
Black Powder is available at most gun shops that cater to muzzle loading
enthusiasts. It comes mainly segregated by grain size. 2F is the size that I
have found to be the most useful. It can be carefully ground in small amounts
with a porcelain mortar and pestle if the need arises.
I have touched only the tip of the iceberg here so please refer to PMJB for a
complete list of what will be needed.
Black Match
Black match is a type of fuse used in certain ground and aerial devices. It is
also very cheap and easy to make. You will need cotton twine and some finely
ground Black Powder(BP). You will also need some kind of frame to stretch the
fuse over to allow it to dry. Take 3 strands of the string and twist together
then tie to one side of the frame. Twist the strands then tie tightly to the
other side of the frame. Take a shallow container and put some BP in it. Add
water 1 drop at a time mixing constantly with a wooden stick. Continue adding
water until the BP is a thick paste. While wearing rubber gloves completely
saturate the string with this paste. Wipe off any excess and allow to dry
completely. This fuse burns at about 1" per second. It can be made to burn
very fast by inserting it into a paper tube about 1/4" in diameter. This is
called Quick Match and burns faster than you could possibly get away from so
be careful when using it. The Black Match is also a lot cheaper than Cannon
Fuse and is sufficient for use when testing compositions.
Flash Powder
Flash powder is a mixture of Potassium Perchlorate and the finest powdered
Aluminum that can be acquired. 400 mesh works real well. You would be wise to
wear a particle mask, face shield and rubber gloves for measuring your
chemicals and also welding gloves when mixing them, just in case. Also it
would be wise to do so when making devices. Measure 2 parts Perchlorate and 1
part Aluminum. Combine them on a piece of aluminum foil and gently mix
together thoroughly with a plastic measuring spoon. Store in a plastic bottle.