Mythbusters 2009-05-27 - Thermite and Gun Show

[trausch]

The thermite stuff was weak. All they did was replicate the internet video. I would have liked to see them do what they did for the Mentos Myth and *actually* explain what happened.

I wonder what precautions they are taking with Kari now that she has a "bun in the oven?" I would have thought she would have stayed away from the sound myth.

If you are interested...how to make thermite
http://how2dostuff.blogspot.com/2006/01/how-to-make-thermite.html

[LoadStar]

What I would have been curious about is swapping regular ice for Dry Ice... but would the sublimating CO2 prevent the fire from even starting? Might have to swap the fuses they were using for det cord.

[5thcrewman]

I tend to think that the ice is decomposing directly into H and O even though they discounted it.

[5thcrewman]

What was that elephant pistol?

[IDSmoker]

It seemed odd that they never identified anything about the pistol... not even the caliber.

[doom1701]

I liked the thermite and ice myth, but I also wish they would have done some testing to find out *why* it happened. I would agree with Jamie that I don't think the water could have broken down into enough hydrogen and oxygen to cause that kind of boom.

I was also surprised that Kari didn't stay away from the high sound levels. I was also disappointed that they didn't try dropping the guns--after all, if you have the guns on a car seat and the noise causes them to fall off the seat (which was shown to be very possible), it might have caused the gun to fire. If the gun fell muzzle first, you could (in theory) even wind up with a pogo stick type action that could have resulted in multiple shots being fired.

[Unbeliever]

All they have to do is do a Wikipedia search on Steam Explosions. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_explosion)

Iron Forge factories are deathly paranoid about getting any water into the forges. Especially if someone falls in. Not just that it would kill the person who falls in, but there's enough water in a person to cause a huge steam explosion.

--Carlos V.

[Jonathan_S]

All they have to do is do a Wikipedia search on Steam Explosions. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_explosion)
And then they could have tested 'steam explosion' vs. 'thrown thermite' by using a compressed air charge (preferable compressed nitrogen, but normal air would have worked) to aerisol-ize the burning thermite.

Heck go on to compare the effect of thermite + dry ice, thermite + ice, thermite + water, thermite + compressed air.

It wouldn't do more than hint at reasons, but it'd be a more interesting experiment than "what happens if we make it bigger?".

[kemajor]

What was that elephant pistol?

http://www.taurususa.com/video/taurus-theJudge-video.cfm

or it could have been this one...

http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&productId=14778&langId=-1&isFirearm=Y

I'd have to go back and watch the show again to be sure. However I'm pretty darn sure it was one of these two.


- Kelly

[Unbeliever]

Of the two pics you posted, it looked like a Taurus with a muzzle brake.

--Carlos V.

[bareyb]

I did a google search for "Severed digit from firearm on Mythbusters" and the only reference I saw was for Smith & Wesson who are currently being sued (http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/236609/). Not sure if it's the same case but the gun in question was a S&W 460 Magnum. I was actually hoping to find a picture of the digit that they wouldn't show on TV. Morbid curiosity... :p

[Einselen]

I did a google search for "Severed digit from firearm on Mythbusters" and the only reference I saw was for Smith & Wesson who are currently being sued (http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/236609/). Not sure if it's the same case but the gun in question was a S&W 460 Magnum. I was actually hoping to find a picture of the digit that they wouldn't show on TV. Morbid curiosity... :p

Not me. I already saw the picture of the guy who lost an arm due to wrapping the rope around him in a tug of war contest and that was enough for me. Couple that with the whole "drugs are bad" presentation in High School I don't need to see that type of stuff.

[bareyb]

Not me. I already saw the picture of the guy who lost an arm due to wrapping the rope around him in a tug of war contest and that was enough for me. Couple that with the whole "drugs are bad" presentation in High School I don't need to see that type of stuff.

Yeah. I'm actually kind of "squeamish" when it comes to this stuff. I don't know what I was thinking. Poor impulse control on my part. The last time I saw one of these pictures it haunted me for the rest of the day!!! I'm glad I didn't find it. :p

[gschrock]

All they have to do is do a Wikipedia search on Steam Explosions. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_explosion)

Iron Forge factories are deathly paranoid about getting any water into the forges. Especially if someone falls in. Not just that it would kill the person who falls in, but there's enough water in a person to cause a huge steam explosion.

--Carlos V.

I tend to agree that it's probably a steam explosion, with the ice being violently converted to steam (but not to H and O), and that's throwing the thermite, making it look more like a fiery explosion. Dry ice definitely would have been an interesting comparison.

[Frylock]

Can they do a show about anything but blowing stuff up anymore? It was fun now and then, but when it does it every time, it gets pretty old