As fun as it looks, my delicate American upbringing only has me wondering how horrible the injuries are when something goes wrong.
That said, it does make a pretty impressive pop. I'd probably rig up a machine to do the sledgehammer swinging though.. and hold on to it securely. I'm quite curious where the hammer ended up on that one at the end.
That is quite possibly one of the most insane things I have ever seen.
((Sledgehammer + Explosives)/Swing Skill)*Random Chaos) = High Probability of Injury.
The way they are swinging it, the blast shoots so close to their heads that it would not take but a small swing miscalculation to angle the blast back into their faces.
Still, it is mildly safer than "light sabre dueling" by filling fluorescent light tubes with gasoline.
I think this only works with cheap and dangerous fireworks like they make in mexico. I think American fireworks are probably too stable to have this effect.
Total Awesomeness!! i have a new respect for our neighbors down south. They know how to party. I was peeing my pants watching this. Fireworks in California are totally wimpy. At least the legal ones. When I was a kid, a buddy of mine got a hold of a blasting cap. He put it on the street and hit it with a hammer. The ensuing explosion punched a respectable hole in the street and drove pieces of asphalt into his arm. The Mexicans are much more safety conscious, as they use a dirt surface and some sort of "safety pad". Rock on, amigos!!
I used to do exactly this as a child, but on something of a smaller scale. I would buy roll caps and smash a roll or two at a time with a hammer to get a bigger bang out of them. The day my father bought a brick-set hammer (with a head ~3" diameter) I remember thinking, "WOW I'll be able to tape an ENTIRE BOX to the business end of that!". I did, which resulted in a nice nick on the cheek from a "could have put an eye out" size chip of concrete and a week of ringing ears. Oh, the wonders of my unsupervised existence as a child of the 70s/80s...
As soon as I heard Spanish being spoken, I knew someone was gonna get hurt. If that guy wasn't wearing earplugs (which I doubt), he probably did some serious ear damage.
It looks like they are hitting metal plates because the ground is too soft. I also noticed they'd flip them over, probably because they are blown into a concave shape and have to be turned over for a good hit. I especially like how they all share the same metal plate and take turns using it. I imagine this keeps up until the metal is fatigued enough that it becomes shrapnel.
Yeah, I remember the 70's-era bangs from a roll of caps hit edgewise with a claw-hammer; this seems much more controlled than that ...
Safety glasses and a kerchief are a tad underprepared I'd say -- I'd add hard hats, goalie gloves, hard-shell ear protection and elbow pads to the list.
I like the idea of randomly positioned target squares in the piazza, though -- adds to the excitement, what with 'you never know where the next hammer's gonna land' and all.
It does remind me of a toy I had as a kid. Kind of like a tiny metal lawn dart thing about 3 inches long, except that for a pointy end there was a weighted hemispherical nose-cone with a mechanism to install caps. It came with a roll that had about 10 times the usual amount of powder. Toss it in the air, caps get compressed when it lands, go boom.
Heh, this does look stupidly dangerous, but by Mexican fireworks standards it's not the worst. On our own independence day we light up huge metal structures with assorted fireworks strapped on. Some bits are meant to take flight in a great shower of sparks, but it's essentially up to the packed audience to dodge the incoming hunks of metal when they eventually come back down to land. Good times!
This is such a great film! It gets better the more I watch it. I love the suspense of having to wait for the "star" of the show to get his turn with his clearly superior sledgehammer - even getting cut off just before his turn. Ok, I have to watch it again ...
Potassium chlorate can bought from any decent hardware store. It is sold as stump decomposer. Sulfur can still be found in drug stores if you look around. Have fun.
pretty sure i'd get hurt
OMG! Funniest thing ever! I had tears from laughing so hard. I had to watch it over and over again, and it kept getting funnier. BOOOOM!!!!
I desperately want to know the recipe. I won't do it, I just want to know.
As fun as it looks, my delicate American upbringing only has me wondering how horrible the injuries are when something goes wrong.
That said, it does make a pretty impressive pop. I'd probably rig up a machine to do the sledgehammer swinging though.. and hold on to it securely. I'm quite curious where the hammer ended up on that one at the end.
Why is this event happening? Is there a boredom crisis in Mexico?
Spanish explanation: http://mexablog.com/2008/12/29/misterio-resuelto-de-los-martillos-explosivos/
Where did the sledgehammer land?
these guys sure know how to party, looks like great fun.
Wonder what it is that they are hitting (the flat squares of some materialwith the hammers.
Think of it as spring training for the Darwin Awards.
Wonder what it is that they are hitting (the flat squares of some material) with the hammers.
That is quite possibly one of the most insane things I have ever seen.
((Sledgehammer + Explosives)/Swing Skill)*Random Chaos) = High Probability of Injury.
The way they are swinging it, the blast shoots so close to their heads that it would not take but a small swing miscalculation to angle the blast back into their faces.
Still, it is mildly safer than "light sabre dueling" by filling fluorescent light tubes with gasoline.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/beds/bucks/herts/4575291.stm
I know some people* I'd love to see try this. With me watching from a great distance.
*I don't like these people, mind you.
I think this only works with cheap and dangerous fireworks like they make in mexico. I think American fireworks are probably too stable to have this effect.
Still. Cool. Really stupid.
Dangerous, sure, but where is the how-to? This is a must-try...
I desperately want to know the recipe.
Tequila, cheap weed, and "Truck Nutz".
Something new to try at BURNING MAN!! (even though fireworks are now sadly prohibited there)
Seconds on the potential for Darwin Award winners. Also looks like a reaper moment from Dead Like Me, been watching it on Hulu.
wow. we used to do something like this when i was a kid, except we just used a roll or two of caps and a five lb. hammer.
good times.
Total Awesomeness!! i have a new respect for our neighbors down south. They know how to party. I was peeing my pants watching this. Fireworks in California are totally wimpy. At least the legal ones. When I was a kid, a buddy of mine got a hold of a blasting cap. He put it on the street and hit it with a hammer. The ensuing explosion punched a respectable hole in the street and drove pieces of asphalt into his arm. The Mexicans are much more safety conscious, as they use a dirt surface and some sort of "safety pad". Rock on, amigos!!
That's never hurt anyone, I'm pretty sure.
IT looks like wild coyote when he try's to get roadrunner again. (at the end)
Tannerite?
The last time I experienced a Mexican explosion of that magnitude, it was in the bathroom at a Taco Bell.
Hey you kids, stop huffing gunpowder!
I used to do exactly this as a child, but on something of a smaller scale. I would buy roll caps and smash a roll or two at a time with a hammer to get a bigger bang out of them. The day my father bought a brick-set hammer (with a head ~3" diameter) I remember thinking, "WOW I'll be able to tape an ENTIRE BOX to the business end of that!". I did, which resulted in a nice nick on the cheek from a "could have put an eye out" size chip of concrete and a week of ringing ears. Oh, the wonders of my unsupervised existence as a child of the 70s/80s...
Weapon of choice for the zombiepocalypse.
As soon as I heard Spanish being spoken, I knew someone was gonna get hurt. If that guy wasn't wearing earplugs (which I doubt), he probably did some serious ear damage.
It looks like they are hitting metal plates because the ground is too soft. I also noticed they'd flip them over, probably because they are blown into a concave shape and have to be turned over for a good hit. I especially like how they all share the same metal plate and take turns using it. I imagine this keeps up until the metal is fatigued enough that it becomes shrapnel.
You can do this on a small scale with "strike anywhere" matches. They make a surprising "bang".
Clearly, these are the "trained professionals" you always hear about.
Thor called. He wants his shtick back.
...
Yeah, I remember the 70's-era bangs from a roll of caps hit edgewise with a claw-hammer; this seems much more controlled than that ...
Safety glasses and a kerchief are a tad underprepared I'd say -- I'd add hard hats, goalie gloves, hard-shell ear protection and elbow pads to the list.
I like the idea of randomly positioned target squares in the piazza, though -- adds to the excitement, what with 'you never know where the next hammer's gonna land' and all.
They filmed the right guy, though :D
Oh, come on, Xzzy, what could possibly go wrong?
It does remind me of a toy I had as a kid. Kind of like a tiny metal lawn dart thing about 3 inches long, except that for a pointy end there was a weighted hemispherical nose-cone with a mechanism to install caps. It came with a roll that had about 10 times the usual amount of powder. Toss it in the air, caps get compressed when it lands, go boom.
Blaine
--
70% Potassium Chlorate
30% Sulfur
ground finely separately and then mixed gently via the diaper method. Loosely poured into thin wall cardboard tubes.
BEWARE - very friction sensitive, also impact sensitive i.e. sledgehammers
Aaaand now you're a terrorist.
It's ok everybody... it's "traditional".
But seriously folks, I might have to try that on some iPhones.
Haha, viva México cabrones!
Heh, this does look stupidly dangerous, but by Mexican fireworks standards it's not the worst. On our own independence day we light up huge metal structures with assorted fireworks strapped on. Some bits are meant to take flight in a great shower of sparks, but it's essentially up to the packed audience to dodge the incoming hunks of metal when they eventually come back down to land. Good times!
"Hold my Cerveza and watch this!"
Famous last words:
"This is gonna be so friggin cool!"
This is such a great film! It gets better the more I watch it. I love the suspense of having to wait for the "star" of the show to get his turn with his clearly superior sledgehammer - even getting cut off just before his turn. Ok, I have to watch it again ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYxVDW9SBOY
http://www.linkbase.org/articles/Homemade-Explosives.htm
Potassium chlorate can bought from any decent hardware store. It is sold as stump decomposer. Sulfur can still be found in drug stores if you look around. Have fun.
I really want to know where the hammer came down.
God, I keep coming back to this and it cracks me up everytime.
Come on Takuan! What's with the weak sauce anvil vid? All the ceremony and I expected something really big.
Try this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71bghFo9SVc
Aaaand now you're a terrorist.
I'm glad that there are civic 'events' in some cultures where this is encouraged...
otherwise you get pulled over near a little league game and called a terrorist (while on your way to the deserted sand-pit) like this poor bastard.
oops, that was the wrong poor bastard.
this poor bastard
According to the article in Spanish "only" 17 people have been hurt (killed?) doing this.
More info on this festival in San Juan de la Vega, Mexico: http://www.geeked.info/celebration-and-explosive-sledgehammers/
It's meant to be a recreation of a battle between their patron saint and the government.