A few pointers on making some impromptu fireworks:
**note** I remove myself from any responsibility for related mishaps. Don't try this at home. Or at work. Or at school. Only at the beach. Try it at your own risk!
**note** You have to be a little crazy to do this. Sane people shouldn't even consider it.
1) build a fire, preferably at the beach in a bonfire pit
2) produce a nice cold carbonated beverage in a sealed aluminum soda can
3) insert said beverage into the fire
4) wait
5) enjoy!
A few modifications for advanced pyromaniacs:
1) make sure the fire is raging
2) insert the beverage into the center of the fire, near the bottom
3) hint: pressure is released from the top of the can (the weakest part). Think of jet propulsion. This can be a controlled, directional exertion of energy, namely the soda exiting the can from the end where the top used to be. The momentum of soda is opposite the momentum of the can....
4) don't be discouraged if your hear hissing (soda escaping the can slowly). Pressure can build better with more air space in the can
5) important: move all your belongings at least 10 feet away from your fire. 15 feet is even better.
Yes, we pulled it off. Who? My friends from high school and I. Sprite can directly to the center of a rolling inferno. Upside down. One amateur tried it by placing the can on top of the fire (we had stacked several pallets on the fire). These resulted in little pops. Nothing to rave about. Being a veteran of bonfire pyrotechnics, I manuevered a sprite can right to the center. People scoffed at the hissing, telling me it didn't work. A few minutes later...
BOOM
It was like the sound you make when you jump on an inflated juice box. I was standing within 10 feet of the fire and had to duck the embers that flew everywhere. Everywhere. The flames rose maybe 10 feet in the air and little red specks flew all over the place. Our stuff was still littered about near the fire pit, so we had to go around extinguishing the embers. My towel almost got burned. One the the girls (Zerlene) had a sweater laying on the ground. She put in on later only to find two quarter-sized holes burned right through the front of it. Sorry Zerlene! My roommate Martin was to the side of the blast as it happened. He was okay, but got soda in his hair and had some light burns on his skin. I had soda in my hair too. When I went to my friend's birthday surprise, I looked in the mirror and it looked like I had black freckles all over my face and my arms. Luckily, no of the embers burned me, but they turned to ash on my skin. We even found the can, a good 5 feet from the fire. It was buried under all that burning wood, so it really kicked out of there. It looked like the used shell from a shotgun, except it was charred black and the top looked like it was peeled backed like those fruit cans you would eat in elementary school. Man, I have to post some pictures. My friend almost got it on camera, but he fumbled it around while he was dodging flaming embers. This ranks as my most vivid bonfire memory. I can't wait to try a six pack. Maybe it'll actually put out the fire...
**note** I remove myself from any responsibility for related mishaps. Don't try this at home. Or at work. Or at school. Only at the beach. Try it at your own risk!
**note** You have to be a little crazy to do this. Sane people shouldn't even consider it.
1) build a fire, preferably at the beach in a bonfire pit
2) produce a nice cold carbonated beverage in a sealed aluminum soda can
3) insert said beverage into the fire
4) wait
5) enjoy!
A few modifications for advanced pyromaniacs:
1) make sure the fire is raging
2) insert the beverage into the center of the fire, near the bottom
3) hint: pressure is released from the top of the can (the weakest part). Think of jet propulsion. This can be a controlled, directional exertion of energy, namely the soda exiting the can from the end where the top used to be. The momentum of soda is opposite the momentum of the can....
4) don't be discouraged if your hear hissing (soda escaping the can slowly). Pressure can build better with more air space in the can
5) important: move all your belongings at least 10 feet away from your fire. 15 feet is even better.
Yes, we pulled it off. Who? My friends from high school and I. Sprite can directly to the center of a rolling inferno. Upside down. One amateur tried it by placing the can on top of the fire (we had stacked several pallets on the fire). These resulted in little pops. Nothing to rave about. Being a veteran of bonfire pyrotechnics, I manuevered a sprite can right to the center. People scoffed at the hissing, telling me it didn't work. A few minutes later...
BOOM
It was like the sound you make when you jump on an inflated juice box. I was standing within 10 feet of the fire and had to duck the embers that flew everywhere. Everywhere. The flames rose maybe 10 feet in the air and little red specks flew all over the place. Our stuff was still littered about near the fire pit, so we had to go around extinguishing the embers. My towel almost got burned. One the the girls (Zerlene) had a sweater laying on the ground. She put in on later only to find two quarter-sized holes burned right through the front of it. Sorry Zerlene! My roommate Martin was to the side of the blast as it happened. He was okay, but got soda in his hair and had some light burns on his skin. I had soda in my hair too. When I went to my friend's birthday surprise, I looked in the mirror and it looked like I had black freckles all over my face and my arms. Luckily, no of the embers burned me, but they turned to ash on my skin. We even found the can, a good 5 feet from the fire. It was buried under all that burning wood, so it really kicked out of there. It looked like the used shell from a shotgun, except it was charred black and the top looked like it was peeled backed like those fruit cans you would eat in elementary school. Man, I have to post some pictures. My friend almost got it on camera, but he fumbled it around while he was dodging flaming embers. This ranks as my most vivid bonfire memory. I can't wait to try a six pack. Maybe it'll actually put out the fire...
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