Thread: Woodworking Can be a Blast

There was a description of a black powder blasting method in an old Weekly Times Farmers Handbook years ago.
From memory it was a wedge shape steel bullet inside a steel casing which was inserted into a drilled hole in the endgrain with a chain attached to it. The other end of the chain was fastened around a convenient tree so you could find it again.

I think something used for thAt was the mystery object on Collectors once.

Not bad! I've seen trees felled using explosives (think of a giant caber chasing the shotfirer), but never seen explosives used for splitting - at least not when they wanter to recover some timber.

I've heard a few stories including the FIL who used nitrate and diesel with a detonator as the mix to blow trees on a bush block. In those days the licence was easy to get and all was completely legal. From what I understand it was hit and miss, some trees became kindling, some split, some became unguided misiles landing anywhere including neighbouring properties. Risky work, even if taking proper cover, fools work if standing in the open when it explodes.

If that idiot stood 50' away to film he was as big a fool as the clown who failed to clear the site before lighting the match, clearly contenders for the next round of Darwin awards if they keep this up.