How to Make a Smoke Grenade
Preparing the Mixture
You will need three parts of sugar for every two parts of potassium nitrate, or salt peter as it is commonly known as in home improvement or garden stores. You also need a tablespoon of baking soda for every cup of mixture. Mix the ingredients together in a pot and put on low heat. Stir continually as the sugar begins to melt and dissolve the nitrate. Be careful not to let the mixture sit and burn the pan, because the burning process can also impact the quality of the finished product. Once the ingredients have been dissolved, add in a couple of tablespoons of dye powder. If you don’t have any dye on hand, you can powder up a couple of sticks of colored chalk to achieve the same result.
Making the Device
Remove from heat once the mixture has the consistency of sticky dough. Take a roll of toilet paper and cover the bottom with some paper or cardboard and tape it to the sides. Put on some gloves and carefully pour the mixture into the roll. Place a pen in the center to use as a tool to compact the paste while also maintaining a hole in the middle as well. Let sit for about an hour to allow the paste to set and then remove the pen. Place a fuse from a firecracker into the hole and then push some cotton around it to hold it inside.
Wrap the outside, top and bottom with duct or electrical tape so that it is completely covered except for a small area near the fuse. You want some open space here in order to promote combustion as well as to release the smoke when the fuse ignites the mixture. The bomb is ready for use, and all you need to do is light the fuse and stand back. You should get at least thirty seconds of smoke from this mixture, longer if you add more baking soda.
You can also improvise by using a paper towel roll and cutting it in half for a longer bomb as well. A longer fuse will also give you more time to aim and throw the smoke grenade as well. The great thing about this trick is that most of the heat from combustion will be generated inside the tube and insulated by the tape. So, the risk of burns or other injury is minimal during ignition. However, it is not recommended to hold the device in your hand once the fuse has been lit. Either set it down, light and run away, or light and quickly throw the device. Try it out for yourself, and see how these simple steps can create a lifesaving device that can be used anywhere.
