Since it was asked in another thread, here is the info, in a new thread.

So, here we go: (repost)

Heres the story...25 Nov, 2006... Almost lost my hands and face/sight, and quite possibly my life... More on that below
I was testing out a new flash/concussion mixture for police. It was only 2 grammes. (so, about the dimensions of 5 nickles stacked upon one another) My hands were less than 6 inches away from it when it exploded. You all see the results. Remember this is only 2 grammes!

I've been told I probably have tendon/muscle damage in my fingers, and I am off to a specialist, but it is still too early to tell. Some third degree, which is good and bad, since there is some nerve damage- I feel most of the pain. Not all of it thou. The drugs help with the pain thou.

So it takes me a long time to answer and type, this alone took over 35 mins to write.

Oh, and I would like to thank the Police officer who helped me out the following weeks, as I was "stuck" in his county (at the hospital for a few days and than his residence) after the accident.



10 mins before the accident- thats a fuse burning behind my feet


24hrs after incident


50hrs after incident









And what they look like all wrapped up- so ya, typing is not too easy.

So ya I played with fire and got burned!

Right before the explosion happened, I was located about 1 foot away,(if that) with my hands about 2 INCHES from the point of explosion. About ten seconds before the thing went off, I had a funny feeling, so I pulled down my helmet visor. I had it up most the time, since it kept fogging up from my breath...

Additional photos and also photos of the damage to the helmet. Keep in mind, this helmet was unused and brand new when this happened- first day I had worn that helmet. The visor saved my eyesight, face, and airway= my life. The amount of flash, fireball, heatwave and flying fragments, including burning chemicals would of done really "fun" damage if the visor was still up. Oh, that scorch mark and debris on the visor and helmet- thats the AFTER cleaning photos.





And another (later) image of my hands. This was the day my wounds went SEPTIC... and had to have them deburred @ the hospital. No, hell no, not fun at all.



(more info)
...Well I figured an update after a year was appropriate..

So, everything has healed up pretty nicely, yet fine motor skills will never return. Permanent nerve damage where burned. All the burns scarred the same, without major pigment change. Where I was burned just looks a bit more "tanned" than the rest of me... Also skin is thinner and more susceptible to damage. Sucks, since I don't feel it when I do bang/cut/hurt that area..

And yes, I cannot feel anything where I was burned.. All the nerves are gone.

Please note this happened in 2006

Current March 10, 2010What I deal with now- no sensation in any burn location, and minor scarring. No fine motor control, and.. ya...

Regarding the shirt- I was not on the bomb squad, but I was doing a demo for PD and some members of the firecracker squad, (lol) since I had more experience in making the "custom simulation" stuff. They gave me a shirt to wear for sh!ts and giggles for when I had the bunker jacket off. It was a hot day, and the shirt I had worn was black.



The date on the images is correct... Injury on Nov 25, 2006. First "injury" photo was taken on the 26th of November, 2006. The septic shock started on Dec 06, 2006. It was not a fun Christmas at all. I had to have my hands deburred on the same day. I recommend quite a large amount of Morphine.

D:

Good lord, the ones of you in the hospital bed look like Halloween fake hands. Was it a faulty fuse that made it detonate so close to you?

Uh ya, lets blame the fuse and not the operator on this one.. ;)

Best I can figure- chemicals reacted with one another due to sunlight before it was even LIT. (one chemical I added for extra "umph" is known to NOT play nice in sunlight...

and seeing as I was wrapping them in saran wrap... (transparent..) you can guess the rest.

According to the guys about 200 feet away, the fireball it created engulfed my whole head/torso- all they could see were my shins and down, the rest was fire. They thought I was done. All I saw was fire (one of the most memorable views of my life, let me tell you) and all I could think of was to breathe OUT. (so not to inhale any of that heat)

Damn bro, that's a lesson learned the harsh way.

what'd you do, add some 'grease' to the charge or something? That shits hella sensitive....

I'm suprised ya'll weren't using longer fusing. 2 grams might not sound like much to alot of people, but it really depends on what it is!!! Especially if you're using really brissant materials.

Hmmm....
I have this odd feeling that TATP is an even worse idea...

Which really is a shame given the availability of materials.

HE's don't need confinement, so AP in anything that could produce shrapnel is always a bad idea. He would have ended up with fewer burns though...

...and fewer hands.


Hey I want a progress report! And some new pictures.

Well, its been (what now..) about almost 5 years?

Hands are as healed as they will ever be.. total nerve damage on burned parts. (no sensation) the scarring is not really noticeable, unless my hands are cold/hot. Basically looks a little tanned compared to the rest of my hands. Burned area- skin is a tad thinner, and more susceptible to damage.

Other than that- they look fine. If you looked @ my hands, you would never know this happened.

Glad to hear you're relatively well healed up bud! You're lucky you've still got your hands.


You mentioned something you added which increases the brissant force of the blast, but is quite unstable; did you mean nitroglycerine? (aka 'grease')

What was the main charge?

Posted by Therrin Glad to hear you're relatively well healed up bud! You're lucky you've still got your hands. You mentioned something you added which increases the brissant force of the blast, but is quite unstable; did you mean nitroglycerine? (aka 'grease') What was the main charge?

Sadly I'm not allowed to talk about compositions due to my licensing and who the demo was for/insured by. I can say this- you are sorta on the right track- think more reactive.. well more reactive.

...I was doing a "this is what its like when over 20 flashbangs go off at once in a 10x10 room" demo.. in a open field. I was going for concussive strength at a 200 foot open distance to the "spectators".


Side note- I received a injury in 2008 which led to a acquired/traumatic brain injury.. but the mech. of (that) injury was not severely forceful.. I'm starting to wonder if this blast knocked my marbles loose a bit..

(sadly I don't play/work with this stuff anymore- doctors orders due to the noggin) Yup, I miss it.

Hmm, more reactive than nitro... but simulating a perchlorate compound, or possibly a barium nitrate oxidizer.


At first I was thinking like, Diazodinitrophenol? Triacetone triperoxide? Hydrazine peroxide? More of a solid maybe, Hexamethylene triperoxide Diamine?

Most of those aren't very complex to make. For field conditions the TATP and HMTD are relatively simple, as are the supplies needed.

Hydrazine can get unstable in a helluva hurry, but then, so can alot of stuff.

A potassium chlorate based system would work well, but it's not overly reactive.

Fulminates are reactive... oh! wait, nitrogen triiodide! SIMPLE to make, but VERRRY unstable if not kept wet. And when it's drier, damn near anything can set it off, you can breathe on the stuff too hard. If I recall right it flashes quite a bit, and even 2 grams would be pretty potent.


Will you at least say if I'm warm or cold? You should be able to talk about it since you aren't playing or working with the stuff anymore.

Posted by Therrin Will you at least say if I'm warm or cold? You should be able to talk about it since you aren't playing or working with the stuff anymore.

Those agreements sometimes are involved in the continuing payment of health care ;) At least ask him where it's plausible deniability, like in PM or such. Unlisted, I'm glad you're mostly unscrambled and with us. The lack of nerve damage from detonation is one of the reasons I prefer softer flammables to real explosions.