How to Build a Paint Grenade

A paint grenade is a simple device that can be built easily. The only problem with a paint grenade is the fact that once it is fully assembled, it has to be thrown. Once activated, the grenade usually has a 5 to 15 second "fuse". Upon explosion, the paint grenade makes a huge bang and can scatter it's contents over a large area. When I made it with my remind, we set it off in his back yard. Not only did the boom scare the crap out of everyone in the neighborhood, we saw a paint ball, exploded, stuck to a telephone pole at the front of his house. That means that the ball flew over his house, across his yard, and still had enough momentum to hit the pole hard enough to explode. Make sure you read the warnings.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Small plastic bottle with cap
• White vinegar
• Baking soda
• Paint balls

1. Take the plastic bottle and fill it about 1/3 of the way full with paint balls. These will be your "fragments".

2. Next, pour white vinegar into the bottle until it is just over the level of your paint balls. Let the paint balls soak in the vinegar for about 30 to 45 seconds so they become soft.

3. Take about 1.5 ounces (about a shot glasses worth) of baking soda and pour it into the bottle. Quickly replace the cap and give it a very quick shake.

4. THROW IT NOW!

Tips & Warnings

• You can increase or decrease the amount of baking soda to adjust the fuse time. I used the best amount (1.5 oz), which gave me a fuse around 6 seconds.
• To make the best boom, give it a quick vigorous shake before throwing.
• You can replace paint balls with airsoft pellets.
• In some rare cases, the bottle may fragment, causing flying shards.
• NEVER, EVER use a glass bottle.
• Upon explosion, there is a splash of vinegar and paint foam, which will really burn on eye contact. If foam touches eyes, rinse eyes with water immediately.
• Get at least 10 feet of distance between you and the bottle after it has been set or thrown.

[delawaregeek]

on 6/7/2009 If you ever need to know how to build a pain grenade, this is the go-to article!