Introduction: Bottle Bombs
Fun and fairly safe bombs, with easy to get ingredients.
Step 1: Get the Ingredients
I got everything for a dollar at Piggly Wiggly But almost any store should have these.
Vinegar
Baking Soda
Box of Tissues
Any bottle with a screw on lid
Step 2: Vinegar
The amount of vinegar in the bottle takes a important role in the bomb, mainly the type of explosion so you want to get just the right amount, I fill it up with about one filth vinegar, but whatever feels good for you.
Step 3: Baking Soda
The amount of Baking Soda is also important, if you put to much the lid will pop off (which is lame) if you don't put in enough it will either take a really long time to blow up or it wont blow up at all, put three or four table spoons of Baking Powder on the middle of the tissue and even it out. Then roll it up, it doesn't have to be extremely tight, just tight enough to fit in the bottle.
Step 4: The Fun Part
Now drop the Baking Soda roll into the bottle and quickly screw on the lid, and then shake it for a few seconds and throw it onto a hard flat place.
183 Comments
14 years ago on Introduction
The works toilet bowl cleaner combined with aluminum foil and shaken then thrown is pretty sweet
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
While it may be 'sweet', it's highly more dangerous and probably illegal. I haven't made one and wouldn't recommend that anyone else does.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
also called a drano bomb, it is not as safe. the reaction between the drano and aluminum foil is exothermic, meaning it gives off heat. when they explode, the aluminum flys everywhere and can burn your skin.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
it is also called an amish bomb
14 years ago on Introduction
I have done this loads of times (its not new)
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
True, at the time I just thought the existing instructables were of low quality. Considering the feedback I've gotten from this instructable, I think that opinion was accurate.
16 years ago on Introduction
yo be really carefull doing this!!! I did it back in June and it exploded in my hand. I had to get 14 stitches!!!!!!!!!!!!! this is actually a real pic of my hand
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
Sorry about that man, my condolences. I was very young (11) when I made this Instructable and did not consider that injuries like that could result from it.
My friend had a bottle explode in the same position in his hand, which apparently was not nearly as powerful as yours as he had a small cut but nothing even close to yours, his just needed a band-aid. A few other times, friends had close calls but no injuries so I guess I just got accustomed the concept that it wouldn't hurt you if you used the right amount, timing, and surface. But I suppose that's easier said than done,
In retrospect I would have stressed more that you should:
1. If you don't have really good sense of timing with this type of thing (i.e. you haven't done it many times with the same type of bottle and soda/vinegar amount), throw the bottle well before you think it will explode. It may take a while, but as long as you put enough baking soda and vinegar in it, the bottle will explode on its own without being thrown, which in a way is cooler. But If it's been more than 30 minutes or so and nothing has happened, you have a few options:
1.a. Don't approach the bottle, it could go off the moment your fingers are wrapped around it.
1.b. Try initiating the explosion by doing things like throwing large rocks at it from a safe distance. If you legally own a gun and the bottle is in an area you're allowed to shoot it, just shoot the bottle. I've done this in rural areas with dry ice bottle bombs and shooting them was a blast.
1c. I haven't done this (baking soda/vinegar bombs) in 7 years, but I recall that if you leave a live bottle, it will slowly leak to a safe pressure. So make sure you do this in a place where no one else will go.
2. When you're shaking it, for the first few seconds shake it hard with your hand to mix it up, but using as loose a grip as possible just in case it pops early.
Then let go of it and continue shaking it with either kitchen tongs or "Round Kitchen Pincers", something which I can only find in online shops in Asia. It's such a simple tool though that I feel like you could find it locally however.
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
DANG!!! I question it of being a fairly safe bomb now...
10 years ago on Introduction
we call it the works bomb cus u can use the works toilet cleaner and foil
15 years ago on Introduction
I would pay anyone to develope an "exploding bottle" without using vinigar/baking soda.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
use little balls of aluminum and fill it up to 1\7 of the bottle with them. then you add 'the works' or any other toilet cleaner, shake, make sure its air tight, and watch it explode. noted, the gasses flooding out from the bomb is a whole lot of hydrogen. it came from the reaction between aluminum and the fluids. the bottle also becomes very hot.
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
This is very dangerous and should NOT be experimented with. People have lost fingers and have gotten bad burns doing this. You can also get into SERIOUS trouble if you hurt someone with one of these.
Check out www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/bottlebomb.asp
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
toilet cleaner or just muriatic acid, which is the same thing, hydrochloric acid
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
You could also use dry ice and water, chlorine and rubbing alcohol, or the works and tinfoil.
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
Umm...something a tiny less dangerouse.
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
wimp
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
Well if your going to be crazy why not just use Nitric acid and glycerin... Or for that matter liquid methane and fluorine ( this one is so sensitive, bright lights will trigger it, so you might want to use a dark bottle )
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
The Works and tin foil balls into a bottle look it up... look up The works bomb
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
dry ice is loud 2L- bottle, water, and dry ice big bomb pay me ha ha