Any Explosive Experts out there

[Handley_Page]

I need some help and advice from someone who knows about blowing up a building or other demolition stuff for a story.

Please PM me.

Thanks

 

[Weird Harold]

I need some help and advice from someone who knows about blowing up a building or other demolition stuff for a story.

Please PM me.

Thanks

Look up the discovery channel series The Detonators -- they go through the science of demolitions for each of the controlled demolitions they feature ineach episode. They cover what type of explosives are used, where they're placed, what other options there might be, and what coul dhappen if they aren't chosen and placed properly.

Sounds like exactly what you're looking for.

 

[Handley_Page]

Thanks. If I could get the Discovery channel . . . . . . . . . . .

 

[slyc_willie]

Try this.

 

[Weird Harold]

Thanks. If I could get the Discovery channel . . . . . . . . . . .

As Willie linked for you, the only place to watch that series at the moment is online -- which is why I said "look it up" instead of "tune into."

 

[slyc_willie]

Here's some more interesting stuff.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Ooooo, that is so cool!!!

 

[john-the-author]

Ooooo, that is so cool!!!

VERY cool, I agree! I went through the whole thing. It's neat stuff!

 

[slyc_willie]

Ooooo, that is so cool!!!

VERY cool, I agree! I went through the whole thing. It's neat stuff!

Funny how much you can learn about things like this. I wonder if the FBI has red-flagged my ISP yet.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

They've probably already attached a nitrate sniffer to your land line.

 

[TE999]

I need some help and advice from someone who knows about blowing up a building or other demolition stuff for a story.

Please PM me.

Thanks

I learned a lot about explosives and demolition from the net before I wrote this. I googled 'demolition' and found a bunch of web sites dealing with the subject.

Including the one slyc's flagged up there.

 

[Handley_Page]

Thanks for the links.
Most of the stuff I'd seen before was about buildings with concrete pillars.
My (fictional) building is a windowless solid. But I have some information.

73
HP

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Rule one: don't press the button until you are far away.

Rule two: see rule one.

 

[EricCalder]

One thing to keep in mind is that you don't need to know everything about a topic to write a story, you just need to know enough to be able to add a dash of flavor to your story. Ideally, you want to write it so that the characters (or some of them) are expert in the topic.

Another thing to keep in mind is that when characters who are experts are speaking to each other they are going to use some kind of jargon. Someone wouldn't say, "Hey grab me a box of Pentaerythritol tetranitrate" they would say, something like "Find a pen-tab squib" or whatever. (Obviously I don't know any demolitions jargon myself.)

Likewise people who are speaking with others who know what is going on don't have to explain things. Someone will say, "I'll get the car keys" not "I need the irregularly shape metallic objects to initiate an electrical ignition of my car's internal combustion engine." So, someone who is not an expert does not have to understand what the people are saying in detail, as long as it they follow along with the basic plot.

I'm not saying you are going to do anything of these things, I'm simply pointing out some issues that can might arise in a story that includes technical or some arcane details.