The Anarchist Cookbook (65 page)

have a common master (building entrance keys are a common exception). Take apart

some locks from different places that should have common masters, measure the

different pin lengths in each, and find lengths in common. Experiment. Then get into

those places you're *really* curious about.

Control keys are fun, too. These keys allow the user to remove the lock's core, and are

generally masters. (A pair of needle nose pliers or similar tool can then be used to open

the lock, if desired.)

SLIPPING A LOCK

The best material we've found for slips so far is soft sheet copper. It is quite flexible, so

it can be worked into jambs easily, and can be pre-bent as needed. In the plane of the

sheet, however, it is fairly strong, and pulls nicely. Of course, if they're flexible enough,

credit cards, student Ids, etc., work just fine on locks that have been made slippable if

the door jamb is wide enough. Wonderfully subtle, quick, and delightfully effective. Don't

leave home without one.

(Ill. #1)

The sheet should then be folded to produce an L, J, or U shaped device that looks like

this:

________________________________________

/________________________________________|

| |

| | L-shaped

| |

| |

|_|

(Ill. #2)

_____________________________

/ ___________________________|

| |

| | J-shaped

| |

| |________

\________|

(Ill. #3)

_____________________

/ ___________________|

| |

| |

| | U-shaped

| |

| |____________________

\____________________|

We hasten to add here that many or most colleges and universities have very strict

policies about unauthorized possession of keys. At most, it is at least grounds for

expulsion, even without filing criminal charges. Don't get caught with keys! ! The homemade

ones are particularly obvious, as they don't have the usual stamps and marks that the

locksmiths put on to name and number the keys.]

We should also point out that if you make a nuisance of yourself, there are various nasty

things that can be done to catch you and/or slow you down. For instance, by putting special

pin mechanisms in, locks can be made to trap any key used to open them. If you lose one

this way, what can I say? At least don't leave fingerprints on it. Or make sure they're

someone else's. Too much mischief can also tempt the powers that be to rekey.

187.Chemical Equivalent List II by Exodus

Anyone can get many chemicals from hardware stores, supermarkets, and drug stores to

get the materials to make explosives or other dangerous compounds. A would-be terrorist

would merely need a station wagon and some money to acquire many of the chemicals

named here.

ChemicalUsed InAvailable at
Alcohol, EthylAlcoholic BeveragesLiquor Stores Solvents:

95% min for bothHardware StoresAmmoniaCLEAR Household AmmoniaSupermarkets or 7-

ElevenAmmonium NirateInstant-Cold PaksDrug Stores FertilizersMedical Supply

StoresNitrous OxidePressurizing Whip CreamParty Supply Stores Poppers (like COý

ctgs.)Head

ShopsMagnesiumFirestartersSurplus

or

Camping

StoresLecithinVitaminsPharmacies or Drug StoresMineral OilCooking,

LaxativeSupermarket or Drug StoresMercuryMercury ThermometersSupermarkets

Hardware StoresSulfuric AcidUncharged Car BatteriesAutomotive StoresGlycerine

Pharmacies or Drug StoresSulfurGardeningGarden or Hardware StoreCharcoalCharcoal

GrillsSupermarkets Gardening StoresSodium NitrateFertilizerGardening StoresCellulose

(Cotton)First AidDrug Stores Medical Supply StoresStrontium NitrateRoad FlaresSurplus

or Auto StoresFuel OilKerosene StovesSurplus or Camping StoresBottled GasPropane

StovesSurplus Camping StoresPotassium PermanganateWater PurificationPurification

PlantsHexamine or MethenamineHexamine StovesSurplus or Camping StoresNitric Acid

*Cleaning PrintingPrinting Shops PlatesPhotography StoresIodine +Disinfectant

(tinture)Pharmacy, OSCOSodium PerchlorateSolidox PelletsHardware Stores Cutting

Torches (IMPURE)

* Nitric acid is very difficult to find nowadays. It is usually stolen by bomb makers, or

made by the process described in a later section. A desired concentration for making

explosives about 70%.

+ The iodine sold in drug stores is usually not the pure crystalline form that is desired for

producing ammonium triiodide crystals. To obtain the pure form, it must usually be

acquired by a doctor's prescription, but this can be expensive. Once again, theft is the

means that terrorists result to.

188.Nitroglycerin II by Exodus

Nitroglycerin is one of the most sensitive explosives, if it is not the most sensitive.

Although it is possible to make it safely, it is difficult. Many a young anarchist has been

killed or seriously injured while trying to make the stuff. When Nobel's factories make it,

many people were killed by the all-to-frequent factory explosions. Usually, as soon as it is

made, it is converted into a safer substance, such as dynamite. An idiot who attempts to

make nitroglycerin would use the following procedure:

MATERIAL:



Distilled Water



Table Salt



Sodium Bicarbonate



Concentrated Nitric Acid (13 mL)



Concentrated Sulfuric Acid (39 mL)



Glycerin

EQUIPMENT:



Eye-Dropper



100 mL Beaker



200-300 mL Beakers (2)



Ice Bath Container (A plastic bucket serves well)



Centigrade Thermometer



Blue Litmus Paper

Place 150 mL of distilled water into one of the 200-300 mL beakers.

In the other 200-300 mL beaker, place 150 mL of distilled water and about a spoonful of

sodium bicarbonate, and stir them until the sodium bicarbonate dissolves. Do not put so

much sodium bicarbonate in the water so that some remains undissolved.

Create an ice bath by half filling the ice bath container with ice, and adding table salt.

This will cause the ice to melt, lowering the overall temperature.

Place the 100 mL beaker into the ice bath, and pour the 13 mL of concentrated nitric acid

into the 100 mL beaker. Be sure that the beaker will not spill into the ice bath, and

that the ice bath will not overflow into the beaker when more materials are added to

it. Be sure to have a large enough ice bath container to add more ice. Bring the

temperature of the acid down to about 20øC or less.

When the nitric acid is as cold as stated above, slowly and carefully add the 39 mL of

concentrated sulfuric acid to the nitric acid. Mix the two acids together, and cool the

mixed acids to 10øC. It is a good idea to start another ice bath to do this.

With the eyedropper, slowly put the glycerin into the mixed acids, one drop at a time.

Hold the thermometer along the top of the mixture where the mixed acids and

glycerin meet.

DO NOT ALLOW THE TEMPERATURE TO GET ABOVE 30ø CENTIGRADE

IF THE TEMPERATURE RISES ABOVE THIS TEMPERATURE, WATCH OUT !

The glycerin will start to nitrate immediately, and the temperature will immediately begin

to rise. Add glycerin until there is a thin layer of glycerin on top of the mixed acids.

It is always safest to make any explosive in small quantities.

Stir the mixed acids and glycerin for the first ten minutes of nitration, adding ice and salt

to the ice bath to keep the temperature of the solution in the 100 mL beaker well

below 30øC. Usually, the nitroglycerin will form on the top of the mixed acid solution,

and the concentrated sulfuric acid will absorb the water produced by the reaction.

When the reaction is over, and when the nitroglycerin is well below 30øC, slowly and

carefully pour the solution of nitroglycerin and mixed acid into the distilled water in

the beaker in step 1. The nitroglycerin should settle to the bottom of the beaker, and

the water-acid solution on top can be poured off and disposed of. Drain as much of the

acid- water solution as possible without disturbing the nitroglycerin.

Carefully remove the nitroglycerin with a clean eye-dropper, and place it into the beaker in

step 2. The sodium bicarbonate solution will eliminate much of the acid, which will

make the nitroglycerin more stable, and less likely to explode for no reason, which it

can do. Test the nitroglycerin with the litmus paper until the litmus stays blue. Repeat

this step if necessary, and use new sodium bicarbonate solutions as in step 2.

When the nitroglycerin is as acid-free as possible, store it in a clean container in a safe

place. The best place to store nitroglycerin is far away from anything living, or from

anything of any value. Nitroglycerin can explode for no apparent reason, even if it is

stored in a secure cool place.

189.Cellulose Nitrate by Exodus

I used to make nitrocellulose, though. It was not guncotton grade, because I didn't have

petroleum (H2SO4 with dissolved SO3); nevertheless it worked. At first I got my H2SO4

from a little shop in downtown Philadelphia, which sold soda-acid fire extinguisher refills.

Not only was the acid concentrated, cheap and plentiful, it came with enough carbonate to

clean up. I'd add KNO3 and a little water (OK, I'd add the acid to the water - but there

was so little water, what was added to what made little difference. It spattered

concentrated H2SO4 either way). Later on, when I could purchase the acids, I believe I

used 3 parts H2SO4 to 1 part HNO3. For cotton, I'd use cotton wool or cotton cloth.

Runaway nitration was commonplace, but it is usually not so disastrous with nitrocellulose

as it is with nitroglycerin. For some reason, I tried washing the cotton cloth in a solution

of lye, and rinsing it well in distilled water. I let the cloth dry and then nitrated it. (Did I

read this somewhere?) When that product was nitrated, I never got a runaway reaction.

By the way, water quenched the runaway reaction of cellulose.

The product was washed thoroughly and allowed to dry. It dissolved (or turned into mush)

in acetone. It dissolved in alcohol/ether.

WARNINGS

All usual warnings regarding strong acids apply. H2SO4 likes to spatter. When it falls on

the skin, it destroys tissue - often painfully. It dissolves all manner of clothing. Nitric also

destroys skin, turning it bright yellow in the process. Nitric is an oxidant - it can start

fires. Both agents will happily blind you if you get them in your eyes. Other warnings also

apply. Not for the novice.

Nitrocellulose decomposes very slowly on storage if it isn't stabilized. The decomposition

is autocatalyzing, and can result in spontaneous explosion if the material is kept confined

over time. The process is much faster if the material is not washed well enough.

Nitrocellulose powders contain stabilizers such as diphenyl amine or ethyl centralite. DO

NOT ALLOW THESE TO COME INTO CONTACT WITH NITRIC ACID! ! A small amount

of either substance will capture the small amounts of nitrogen oxides that result from

decomposition. They therefore inhibit the autocatalysis. NC eventually will decompose in

any case.

Again, this is inherently dangerous and illegal in certain areas. I got away with it. You may

kill yourself and others if you try it.

Commercially produced Nitrocellulose is stabilized by:

Spinning it in a large centrifuge to remove the remaining acid, which is recycled.

Immersion in a large quantity of fresh water.

Boiling it in acidulated water and washing it thoroughly with fresh water.

If the NC is to be used as smokeless powder it is boiled in a soda solution, then rinsed in

fresh water.

The purer the acid used (lower water content) the more complete the nitration will be, and

the more powerful the nitrocellulose produced.

There are actually three forms of cellulose nitrate, only one of which is useful for

pyrotechnic purposes. The mononitrate and dinitrate are not explosive, and are produced

by incomplete nitration. If nitration is allowed to proceed to complete the explosive

trinatrate is formed.

(Ill. 3.22.2)

CH OH CH ONO

| 2 | 2 2

| |

C-----O HNO C-----O

/H \ 3 /H \

-CH CH-O- --> -CH CH-O-

\H H/ H SO \H H/

C-----C 2 4 C-----C

| | | |

OH OH ONO ONO

2 2

CELLULOSE CELLULOSE TRINITRATE