...Photo...Lighting Your Dynamite...

[ParadiseRoad]

...Woody Strode shows the proper technique...

..."The Duke" prefers remote control...

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

You don't usually see The Duke that dirty!

Ivan

 

[30-30remchester]

That photo of Woody brings back memories. As a kid I stole some dynamite from my dad and some caps and fuse from an unlocked construction site. Tied a quarter stick onto an arrow and launched it across the Roaring Fork river. Tied an 1/8 stick to an arrow and capped it with a very short fuse. One of us idiots would draw the bow to full draw and aimed it straight skyward. The other idiot would light the fuse. The object was to get the arrow to explode in flight. We weren't the sharpest pencils in the drawer.

 

[rburg]

Tied a quarter stick onto an arrow and launched it across the Roaring Fork river. Tied an 1/8 stick to an arrow and capped it with a very short fuse. One of us idiots would draw the bow to full draw and aimed it straight skyward. The other idiot would light the fuse. The object was to get the arrow to explode in flight. We weren't the sharpest pencils in the drawer.

Well, back in 1970 you could still get M80s and silver salutes. We lived in a brand new apartment building. The guy down at the other end was a football player, but almost human. We might have consumed some adult beverages. Both our wives worked evenings so we were open to all kinds of no good. He was impressed with the idea of launching one out over the valley in back with a slingshot. Sounded good, so out on the balcony we went. The first couple were pretty impressive. They went way beyond where we thought they'd go.

It was the 3rd one that became a problem. Ed was trying for even more distance and I was lighting. Just as the fuse started to fiz, the rubber broke. I hate it when that happens. So here are two fools, on a small balcony with an live M80 hissing like a rattlesnake. He was quick on his feet and kicked it off and out in to space. The fuse was long enough and gravity took over. The girl on the ground floor had a yappy dog. Everyone grew to hate it because it barked constantly. So we grabbed the extra beer from the fridge and went to his apartment. But after the explosion, no one had to listen to the dog. It somehow suddenly was taken inside every time the barking started.

 

[ben_g1]

I had an experience with explosives while in Nam. Was at Fire Base Mace when was tapped to take a truck load of dynamite over to the rock quarry about 2 mile away.

Now never been around explosives before, except for claymores. Loaded up ten cases of the stuff, each wooded box contained two plastic bags containing 50 stick each I believe.

Well we put that duce and half in low range and creep-ed all the way over to the quarry. The only thing I could think about was those mules in westerns carrying Dynamite, rolling down the side of the mountain and exploding.

When we got there one of the quarry crew jumped in the back of the duce asking what took us so long. Then proceeded to pick up the cases and slam them onto the hard rock ground breaking them open while his buddy pulled the bags out and threw them off to the side.

Needless to say I about s---. Afterwards we hung around and help them fill the drilled holes (in the solid rock) about 20 feet deep. Would take 6 or 9 sticks (three at a time) put down the hole, then take bamboo sticks and mash/pack them down tight.

Never looked at them mules blowing up the same after that.

 

[vonn]

Played with a M79 grenade launcher some when I was younger and much dumber and like the m80 tale I just about blew myself and the two guys I was sharing the position with while trying to walk rounds using it like a mortar! Not my best idea ever.

 

[carpriver]

As all young boys we have the ability to hear , see and remember, things that adults don't think we heard and remember and can figure.

My grand father always seemed to have Dynamite around , he used to remove stumps and large rocks. But what he was good at was telling stories. He told a story of blowing up ice damn in the narrow of the river down stream from the farm ,the water was backing up and he was afraid the river would flood and take out the homestead and barn. he tossed a stick of the dynamite onto the ice with a what he thought was a long fuse. long story short the narrows it now no longer narrow or shallow.

My brother I had heard a story about my dad and how he would use dynamite to catch fish. we thought it was worth trying. we got what we thought was 1/4 stick of dynamite a fuse and cap and headed to the river. needless to say a 1/4 stick is bigger then you think, a fuse burn faster then it's supposed to, and short legs don't' run as fast as long legs. as a result of the fishing there is a new swimming hole. The old well that had dried up start filling in , and grandma had some of the best tomatoes and roses from the carp we had to haul back to the garden.