Let's hear it for Humbrol Enamels!

[Crawfie]

4 minutes ago, RobH said:

How about those plastic bomb- shaped things which were supposed to take caps but worked better with red-top matches? 

Back in the late 50's in Spain you could buy things called 'bombitas' which were a small screw of tissue paper containing (I think) black powder and some grit.  When thrown with force against a hard surface they made a very satisfyingly-loud  crack. 

If I remember properly , they looked like V2 rockets . 

[stuart]

15 minutes ago, RobH said:

How about those plastic bomb- shaped things which were supposed to take caps but worked better with red-top matches? 

Back in the late 50's in Spain you could buy things called 'bombitas' which were a small screw of tissue paper containing (I think) black powder and some grit.  When thrown with force against a hard surface they made a very satisfyingly-loud  crack. 

Yes I remember the bomb shaped ones that you fitted caps in and it was possible to fold up and fit a few caps to make a bigger bang. I did come across those tissue paper ones as well so they were available over here. There was some really good model shops around in those days that stocked all sorts of highly dangerous stuff!

Stuart.

[HSM]

I was just wondering with all this playing with explosives & rocket engines in our junior years if all

of us still have a full compliment of fingers & thumbs ?

 

                                                        Harvey

[Charlie D]

I’d always heard of a friend of a friend of a friend who had lost fingers, but never actually met anyone.

I remember going into a chemist once to buy a certain chemical and being asked why I wanted it. I told the chemist that I was going to use it in the garden and he said,

 “That’s OK then, as long as you are not going to use it to make explosions.”

People were much more trusting in those days.

Charlie.

[RobH]

34 minutes ago, Charlie D said:

I remember going into a chemist once to buy a certain chemical and being asked why I wanted it. I told the chemist that I was going to use it in the garden

Why merely poison a weed, when you can remove it entirely and leave a small crater....? 

At home in the '50s we had a junior encyclopaedia which, amongst other sciency- stuff,  included instructions on how to make gunpowder for home-made fireworks, and suggesting you told the chemist you wanted saltpetre to "cure a mole skin".  How the world has changed. 

 

 

Edited June 30, 2022 by RobH
typo

[richard61]

Did brewing in Biology, made an explosive that worked on striking hard in Chemistry and connected the generator to the Physics lab handle. Late 60s King Edwards Nuneaton

 

[monty]

On 6/29/2022 at 5:15 PM, HSM said:

Slightly off topic but does anybody remember Jetex engines 

 

                                               Harvey

Forget Jetex engines! Go to an event held by the Large Model Association & see the real miniature jet engines the are using in their fantastic models! While you are there try & see model Lancasters or B17’s running with 4 mini Merlins! Google www.largemodelassociation.com for shows & dates.

Getting back to Humbrols, they do dry up quicker than earlier times!

[RobH]

3 minutes ago, monty said:

Go to an event held by the Large Model Association & see the real miniature jet engines the are using i

....incredibly noisy real miniature jet engines.......  (but not as noisy as the pulse-jet motors that some modellers used to have)

[tim hunt]

Fond memories of obtaining Potassiumm Permanganate (from a Chemist's shop, no questions asked) and Magnesium Powder (from a photograpic equipment supplier) mixing equal quantities and setting off the mixture using a suitable length of Jetex fuse. 

Tim

 

[SuzanneH]

8 hours ago, RobH said:

How about those plastic bomb- shaped things which were supposed to take caps but worked better with red-top matches? 

Back in the late 50's in Spain you could buy things called 'bombitas' which were a small screw of tissue paper containing (I think) black powder and some grit.  When thrown with force against a hard surface they made a very satisfyingly-loud  crack. 

 Had one of those bomb things you. Threw up in the air butt I never thought of putting thee heads of Swan Vestas in it.

 I have stil got some of those little twists that go bang when thrown on the ground in our kitchen cupboard.

[RobH]

1 hour ago, SuzanneH said:

 I have still got some of those little twists.......

 

Edited June 30, 2022 by RobH

[Nobbysr]

On 6/30/2022 at 9:31 PM, tim hunt said:

Fond memories of obtaining Potassiumm Permanganate (from a Chemist's shop, no questions asked) and Magnesium Powder (from a photograpic equipment supplier) mixing equal quantities and setting off the mixture using a suitable length of Jetex fuse. 

Tim

 

and a certain fertilizer and diesel  demonstrated by a farmer removing a fox den  plus a trick with glow plug fuel ..pm for info 

[stillp]

On 6/30/2022 at 10:34 PM, SuzanneH said:

  I have stil got some of those little twists that go bang when thrown on the ground in our kitchen cupboard.

You never know when you'll need them...

[SuzanneH]

1 hour ago, stillp said:

You never know when you'll need them...

[Ian Vincent]

On 6/30/2022 at 10:50 AM, stuart said:

Yes they were great fun, I had that one and the larger version that took two solid fuel tablets for greater duration. Strapped them to all sorts of things from cars to boats to planes to rockets. The motors appear occasionally but no fuel pellets or fuse wire.

Stuart.

You can however fill them with leftover firework gunpowder (you frequently used to get an unburnt residue in some fireworks) and they go off a treat. 

Rgds Ian