Originally posted by robtcorl We made our own fireworks from saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur.
my father had zero patience for stupid
way before the internet there was the public library
in the main branch, in the basement, in the corner were the really good books...guns and knives and things that went boom
I was too young to check them out but they let you read pretty much whatever you wanted
black powder...so easy
except for the part about granulations and wet mixing...oh, static electricity
anyway between my chemistry set and a older neighbor's visit to the drug store I had what I needed
it would explode but not nearly as cool as a real firecracker
this is America and i'm a guy (albeit a very small one)
if a little is good, a lot is better and by god it was...major BOOM!
I hadn't been caught yet so I used the last of it to show off with
a handful on the floor of the garage and a sledge hammer
my friend got my mom who must have revived me..newton and physics again
as far as I know she didn't tell dad but with the lump on my forehead and the scorch marks on the floor
I was heading to the bedroom for some serious reeducation
you would think that would be the end of it...but no
years later i'm sitting in a bar
the usual "you're jim's kid aren't you?" happens
for once I admitted it
this guy tells me about how he was on a phoenix line crew and my dad was on an unlocated crew out of Denver
they were setting poles and had hit a serious bit of rock
so it's dig, hammer, drill, hammer, dig....
apparently the arizona crew brought dynamite
dad had used it on the farm and in the army and they had the hole..so...
remember the bit about if a little's good a lot's better?
in one of my less inspired moments I asked dad if the story was true
it was
so I asked him why I got a spanking for a knot on my head when he'd made a hole big enough to put a boom truck in and got to drink beer while telling the state cops about HIS explosion
all I got was THE LOOK