OT: Blasting Caps

LonM · Feb 7, 2014

If a person had some old dynamite blasting caps (1960s era) sitting in a coffee can up in the shed rafters, when would be the best time to move them? Would it be better when it is below zero, summer time, or somewhere in between? Maybe temperature wouldn't matter, but I would think a low temperature would make it safer. Any thoughts?

Billy NY · Feb 7, 2014

Someone will know here, these certainly predate me, I do know they can be very dangerous, play it safe, I would get some professional advice and or help to avoid any risk I would NOT touch them and cordon the area off until safe.

John B. · Feb 7, 2014

Do you know how many are in the old coffee can?

I would get the sheriff notified so they could get the correct crew in so no one gets hurt

Tony in SD · Feb 7, 2014

I would be more worried about static discharge, shock from dropping them and/or RF energy from radios rather than temperature. I do agree as others have said get professional help so no one gets hurt

the tractor vet · Feb 7, 2014

Are they a old style crimp fuse or are they electric discharge with wires coming out of them . ??? Myself i would prefer a little warmer. Old dynamite sweating dynamite scares me more then old caps.

JMOR · Feb 7, 2014

(quoted from post at 23:23:54 02/07/14) If a person had some old dynamite blasting caps (1960s era) sitting in a coffee can up in the shed rafters, when would be the best time to move them? Would it be better when it is below zero, summer time, or somewhere in between? Maybe temperature wouldn't matter, but I would think a low temperature would make it safer. Any thoughts?

alking about such things will probably have Homeland Security putting you in jail before daybreak!!!
P.S Likely perfectly safe to handle.

old · Feb 7, 2014

First off what type of caps?? fuse or electric type?? Cap if handled right are pretty safe but you do have to know how to handle them. Now old dynamite well that is a different story and that stuff can go off just by you coughing

Richard from SE AZ · Feb 7, 2014

I was an underground miner for 43 years and handled and used tens of thousands of blasting caps both fuse, electric and non-electric. Of course they are dangerous because of their nature and purpose. I have used them in sub-zero and extremely hot temps. As far as handling them ,Temp. makes no diference and unlike dynamite age does not make them more sensitive. BUT, my advice to you would be to call the authorities and have them dispose of them. I could dispose of them no problem but someone with no experience with them should not handle them.

Dr. Walt · Feb 8, 2014

I'm a retired underground miner / Top Millwright and like Richard, I have used thousands of blasting caps. If your caps are Electric Caps (wires attached to each cap) the wires need to be shorted either by having the bare ends twisted together, a Fahnstock Clip on the ends, or a small metal foil wrapping. Without being shorted, they could be set off by static electricity. If they are Fuse Caps (open on one end), there are two variations - the newer Aluminum cased caps, and the old style Copper cased caps. The Aluminum caps are a little bit safer as the internal composition was changed so that they are not as sensitive to shock as the old Copper caps. The old Copper caps had a Mercury Fulminate / Lead Azide composition and are very shock sensitive. Also, over time the Mercury Fulminate will react chemically with the Copper and form EXTREMELY SENSITIVE metallic salts of Fulminate.

As Richard stated, NOTIFY YOUR LOCAL AUTHORITIES and let them deal with it. Most large Law Enforcement agencies have a Bomb Squad that are specially trained to handle explosives.

Doc

Brendon Warren · Feb 8, 2014

When I was a kid we went to an auction with a neighbor. He bought some left over seed corn. When he went to use the seed he found a half a dozen blasting caps in one of the bags! I could of got very interesting. We threw the bags in the truck at the sale and it was a very rough road on the way home.

Dick2 · Feb 8, 2014

REmnds me of when I was a little kid. Dad had a well driller working on a new well. Driller hit a rock that he couldn't get around with his old equipment; told Dad that he needed do dynamite the rock out of the way.

Dad took him to Fargo to get the dynamite & caps that he needed. On the way home, they saw a storm with lots of lightning headed their way. They stopped, put the dynamite and caps inside a culvert and drove a mile down the road to wait until the storm passed. They went back and got the dynamite and caps and came on home. Dad was really uncomfortable hauling those explosives.

The next day I was riding my horse almost a quarter mile away when the driller set off the dynamite. The blast shook the ground under the horse; she threw me off and went on home! Of course, she'd thrown me off lots of time for now real reason so I was used to it.

ohiojim · Feb 8, 2014

low temps would be better,..if you do get the authorities to come out let us know how much grief they give you, I have seen some real nightmares from the boys

oldtanker · Feb 8, 2014

OK first this isn't how you go about handling this type of thing. The feds monitor internet traffic and their computers are programed to pick up key words or phrases. Once the computer alerts a human reviews it to see if anything is there.

Now call the authorities. Let them handle them. We have had some old timers dying off and their kids/widows have found explosives while going through things. At least 2 times this has happened in the last 10 tears or so in our county. Cops show up, remove and destroy it in a safe manner, interview those involved and that's it. Most of it is very old stuff that was purchased legally back in the day when a farmer could buy that stuff right in the hardware store. They didn't use it all and just kept the unused stuff.

Keep yourself safe and legal!

Rick

Rick

S2710 · Feb 8, 2014

If you already handled them and they didn't go off, I would take them out in the open where no one could get hurt and set them down and go back a couple hundred yards and get behind a barrier and shoot the can with a high power rifle. I would never call the cops because you would have more IDIOTS then carter has liver pills going through all of your things.

Bob

nybadlybent · Feb 8, 2014

In my younger, well drilling days I often had to use dynamite to get by a boulder deep in the ground. As I remember, it only took a small charge to blast the rock apart. I used blasting caps that were excited by an electrical charge and I often carried them in my truck with no problems.
I believe I would talk to the local law enforcement people to get help in disposing of old blasting caps.

Anonymous-0 · Feb 8, 2014

Was helping a cousin clean out uncles tool shed prepping for sale after he passed- we came across a case of dynamite and a box of caps- we called sherrif and he got it taken care of with some paper work no other hassles, this was in ill. beleive it or not

wisbaker · Feb 8, 2014

I'm ex Air Forces EOD (Bomb Squad), call your local law enforcement authority and they'll take care of them no problems. If your county doesn't have a bomb squad or and agreement with some municipality that does they can call the Army as they are responsible for all unexploded ordinance on the US continental land mass above the high water mark UNLESS it was in Air Force, Navy or Marine possession at the time of incident or on one of their installations. Seriously some of the LE agencies have more experience with the older stuff and commercial explosives, when I was at MacDill we always asked the opinion of the Hillsborough Sheriff's squad as they did 3 or 4 cases a week of war trophies as the WWII crowd was passing in great numbers. And yes the standard joke was the Air Force had it easy, if we found something we didn't want to deal with we tossed it over the fence or peed one it until it was underwater and let the Army or Navy deal with it.

Greg K · Feb 8, 2014

advertise them on e-bay and all the law enforcement you need will be there

Billy NY · Feb 8, 2014

I knew others here would know better, but just in case, figured it best to reiterate the safety aspect. I worked with a blaster on a few jobs and I remember and or learned a few things from this old timer and one was to use care with caps, though I'd never likely handle any of those. I don't even recall the various types. We worked on one job where they drilled holes, put out 400 lbs worth of explosive, all wired and a dozen mats placed over it, JF Mines was the contractor in NJ. What a fitting name ! It was my job to push out the spoil with the D8K, I hated going into these hard riding areas, wondering if all the charges went off !!!! 17' cuts through solid rock, after I ripped the softer rock above it, a real clunkety clunk ride on rock, not a good job if one has a bad back, I was in my mid 20's then.

GeneMO · Feb 10, 2014

You are probably screwed already by posting on here and using that "term". I am sure the feds have a way of tracking.

I wouldn't let any type of law enforcement know. They would be just a PITA to deal with, send out some cowboys, make a mess of things and read you the riot act and treat you like a criminal.

Put on eye protection, leather glove, and pick up the can with a pair of long handled channel locks. Have a hole dug, put them inside and pour diesel fuel in the hole then cover them up and forget them.

But I guess now you just set and wait for the law to show up.

Gene

OT: Blasting Caps

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