Anyone make there own Gophenator?

[bx24]

This is EXACTLY what I am talking about. Seems like fun. Starts out with harmless small devices and progresses to bigger and louder devices.

Several people are killed each year when the mixture ignites itself. The ignition point is at a very low pressure.

No push back on the temptation. Like most tools, lack of respect can get you killed. The same week someone showed me this when I was an apprentice mechanic, someone else wanted to build one out of a 55 gallon metal drum ... and even after people pushed back, he still wanted to try it.

I would like to second what Ray said about acetylene. It is highly explosive and not something to be played with.

No push back on this either. There is a long list of don'ts that go with this tool.

- Let the acetylene sit after transporting it sideways or after any significant jarring of the tank
- Keep the pressure well below the self combust level
- Acetylene tanks are filled with a porous sponge like material to help stabilize the product
- Never use any oil on Oxygen fittings - it will self combust in a pure oxygen environment.

Education - Respect and Safety will go a long way to keeping you on this wonderful Earth with all of the parts that you were born with. But just like any addiction, its hard to not temp fate (even a little bit) once in a while. I have had one of these go off in my hands and I would bet that I lost some level of my hearing so caveat emptor ......

 

[RonMar]

famous last words...

"Hey, Watch this!"

 

[QRTRHRS]

I used to shoot maybe 60 ground hogs a year on my last farm. I think I used to see one of those advertised in Successful Farming. Always thought about buying one but I did not want to spend the money.

Did anyone else read the comments below the video? You can tell who never had to deal with a rodent problem.

 

[BHD]

I fully agree on do not play with the stuff,

expecily the acetylene a number of years ago, my neighbor, got a new torch and the night before he had a "party" and some one got the idea of setting off a explosion with the torch, and never could, I came over the next day and they asked me how to do it, so I set the flame and popped it out and filled a very small plastic bag jsut a few cubic inches, in size, and careful set it out and behind some heavy items, and then re lit the welding tip and set for a long carburizing flame and they all started to laugh and thought I was being a scaredy cat, as I covered the one ear that was closest to the bag and reached around the barricade and lit the bag, and it when off it shook the building and knocked mud off of the cars and trucks in the building and raddled the windows, and they got a real sober look on there face and timidly said we were trying with trash bags, they were nearly white, when they learned how close they had come to maiming or kiling them selfs.

a few years ago (2006) a couple were going to a party and had filled a balloon with gases, and thought they would set if off at the party , it got static and went off in the car on the way to the party, there is a picture of the car at the link.
Strange-Looking Car Leads To Explosives Charges - Denver News Story - KMGH Denver
he was also charge for having an explosive device.

 

[ray66v]

You know the end of saving Private Ryan, where Tom Hanks has a near mis from a shell fired by a German tank, and all the sound is muted and muddy, except the loud ringing. People who are talking, (yelling), at him, can barely be made out, he is dazed, and everything is surreal to him.

I am here to tell you, being in an explosion, Is EXACTLY like that. And it can last for days.

 

[charlz]

I used to shoot maybe 60 ground hogs a year on my last farm. I think I used to see one of those advertised in Successful Farming. Always thought about buying one but I did not want to spend the money.

Did anyone else read the comments below the video? You can tell who never had to deal with a rodent problem.

I don't know how well it will work with animals that leave their burrows open. Works great on the pocket gophers as the explosion stays in the tunnels. If I happen to be putting gas into a tunnel that is open somewhere it will often just 'burn' and not explode. You get a nice flame out the open end. The commercial devices probably put out the gas mixture at a faster rate so maybe this isn't as much of a problem. My torch set is the small version.

 

[Rebel]

Since we are coming up on the 4th of July, here is how to get the gophers. Light your oxy acetylene torch and get it to the perfect mixture. Then turn off the tanks (not the handle valves).

At this point, take an empty milk jug for antifreeze jug with the cap on and poke a hole in the side with a Phillips screw driver to make a 1/4 inch hole. Then squeeze all of the air from the jug.

Stick the torch tip in the jug and turn the tanks back on. Once the jug is back to its normal shape (don't pressurize it - simply get it back to its normal shape). Pull the torch out and stick a small firecracker in the hole to keep the gas in.

Make the gopher entry hole a little bit bigger. Put on safety glasses and put the jug in the hole and pour a small gasoline trail that you can light and have time to run. You get the idea. I guarantee you will have a smile when it goes off like a Howetser. These are fairly safe except for your eyes (flying plastic and dirt).

Make sure everyone is clear .....

I've been known to make "cup poppers". Strike the oxy acetylene up and adjust it to a nice hot flame, now snuff out the flame buy getting to close to the welding table with the tip. Turn a Styrofoam coffee cup (a little one) upside down and slide it to the edge of the table so the lip is hanging over the edge just enough to stick the snuffed out torch tip in, which is still emitting that oh so powerful mix of gases. Fill the cup for 5 -10 seconds and slide it back fully onto the table. Next dawn your hearing and eye protection touch the flame of a lit torch to the cup and !BANG! You wouldn't believe how loud and with the force a little dinky coffee cup can blow up with.