A Noisemaker I'd like to make

[SeaMonkey]

This device seems to be rather common in the Netherlands.

 

I'm impressed. It reminds me of what we used to do as kids

in Rural Iowa with a baking powder can, a piece of Calcium

Carbide and a book of matches to light the igniter hole

in the bottom of the can.

 

Anyone here have experience with one of these Vortex Cannons?

 

[memo]

https://charlottebellamyphotography.wordpress.com/2013/12/31/new-years-eve-in-the-netherlands-carbide-milk-churn-cannons/

[SeaMonkey]

Memo,

 

I appreciate the link you've given us. Fascinating page with interesting photos.

 

The video linked to at the bottom of the page is really something!

I'd never seen anything like that before.

 

The baking powder cans we used in Iowa were small. They had a metal

lid that slipped on easily and for ignition we used a small nail to punch

a tiny hole in the middle of the can bottom. Much like in the video,

we'd put a piece of carbide into the can, squeeze one drop of water

onto it, put the lid on the can, then set the can on a block so that it

was positioned horizontally. We'd give it a few seconds for the gas

to form inside the can then hold a lit match to the ignition hole when

it would go off with about as much noise as a firecracker.

 

One piece of Carbide about the size of a pea would be good for

several shots. It was a lot of fun.

 

I'd never seen or heard of anyone scaling it up to a larger size until

a couple of days ago. What they're doing in the Netherlands is

quite amazing. The noise is very loud and the recoil produced is

very surprising!

 

The photos of the kids with their firecrackers reminds me of what

we did with duds back in the day. When one of our firecrackers

was a dud we'd bend it open at the middle to expose the powder

inside it. We'd then lay it on the ground, place a lit punk at the

exposed powder to ignite it and while it fizzled we'd step on

it with our shoe. While fizzling it would be shooting sparks

but as soon as we stepped on it the powder would "fulminate"

and explode. Not as powerfully as normal since much of the

ignited powder had fizzled away, but with enough force to

feel it on the bottom of our foot as if we'd been smacked.

 

I always wondered as a kid how anyone thought of doing

what we did. Someone apparently figured it out and it was

passed on down the line from kid to kid as we wondered

what we could do with our duds. My cousin got it from

someone and showed me. He was also the one who knew

about Carbide and the baking powder cans.

Edited April 15, 2020 by SeaMonkey

[robbo]

I used to have carbide cannons as a kid in the early 60s. They looked like cast iron. Fine calcium carbide was supplied in toothpaste tubes and called "Bangsite". The cannon had a small chamber on top with a plunger that dropped an increment of carbide into water inside the cannon and a plunger/friction igniter that operated with a zippo-style lighter flint. Luckily I lacked the skill and imagination to scale it up in the 4th grade...

 

We make vortex cannons that operate with a small salute, maybe 20g. They project a rotating toroid (at least it looks like one in the day) into the air that you can see by the refraction of the air in the projected compression donut as it zooms up into the air. It makes a REALLY freaky sound, kind of like a bullet zipping by repeatedly, pulsating at several cycles per second, in decreasing tone. People who have never seen/heard one are always mindboggled. I still am. I've heard that the Nazis in WWII had a great idea to make giant concrete projectors in the ground to take out enemy aircraft this way. The problem was one had to wait for an aircraft to fly into the right spot since they couldn't aim them...

 

I'm curious why I've never seen one at a PGI or other club event. Nobody does anvil tosses anymore either.

[memo]

last 4th a friend was makeing small cannons using a 3lb coffee can with the plastic lid and he had a few tubes of bangsite i didnt know the still made that. its was fun and loud

[fredjr]

When I was a kid, my neighbor, who was a retired coal miner showed me a carbide cannon. They used calcium carbide in old fashioned miners' lamps and he had found some in his basement. He used a coffee can with a small hole on the side near bottom. Tiny piece of carbide, spit on it and put the plastic lid on. When the lid started to dome up a little, he put a match to the hole and BOOM!!! Bought some calcium carbide at the local hardware store next time I was there. I started with a pringles can. Then 2 hooked together. Then a dozen 5 lb coffee cans duct taped together. Used a piece of visco on that one, because you couldn't stand close without going deaf. That same neighbor used to give me cherry bombs & silver salutes for mowing his grass. He definitely helped fuel my pyro obsession.

[Richtee]

When I was a kid, my neighbor, who was a retired coal miner showed me a carbide cannon.

 

Ahh..the good old days :{)