Preparing Calcium Carbide

[skatebiker]

Recently I prepared soms CaC2 by using an arc welder, marble and charcoal. See http://arcmelt.velp.info . It worked well, adding the product to water bubbled and acetylene gas escaped, burning with a sooting flame.

Does somebody else have experiences with this ?

[TerrysID]

In my mis-spent youth I purchased a small can of calcium carbide at the hardware that consisted of small (say 1/4") chunks that could be used in a miner's lamp. I took a used 1-gal paint can (and lid) and punched a hole with a large screwdriver in the center of the bottom of the can. Next I placed a few chunks in bottom (at 'corner') and spit on the chunks until it fizzed. Keeping can horizontal, I slapped on the lid--hand pressure only--waited 30 seconds and held a lit match on a long wire to the hole in the bottom. The lid flew off with a boom as loud as a cherry bomb. (BTW spit works better than water----hmmmm.) Voila, a homemade noise cannon. Doesn't hurt the can, either (and it kicks the can about 1/2" ---the lid flies about 6 feet) so it's reuseable. Smaller paint cans are less noisy, but still loud enough to disturb. We did ours at the family farm so not to bother anyone.

[imp]

In my mis-spent youth I purchased a small can of calcium carbide at the hardware that consisted of small (say 1/4") chunks that could be used in a miner's lamp. I took a used 1-gal paint can (and lid) and punched a hole with a large screwdriver in the center of the bottom of the can. Next I placed a few chunks in bottom (at 'corner') and spit on the chunks until it fizzed. Keeping can horizontal, I slapped on the lid--hand pressure only--waited 30 seconds and held a lit match on a long wire to the hole in the bottom. The lid flew off with a boom as loud as a cherry bomb. (BTW spit works better than water----hmmmm.) Voila, a homemade noise cannon. Doesn't hurt the can, either (and it kicks the can about 1/2" ---the lid flies about 6 feet) so it's reuseable. Smaller paint cans are less noisy, but still loud enough to disturb. We did ours at the family farm so not to bother anyone.

 

My father told a story of doing the above out back of a dairy in the neighborhood using old stored 10-gallon milk cans. They hammered the covers on tight, created enormous explosions, throwing the covers many hundreds of feet. Dangerous activity- that's why it was fun!! imp

[YT2095]

and the Above is not only Moronic and stupidly Dangerous, but can land you up in Prison!

 

so unless there is going to be any Scientific contribution to this thread, it will now be Closed!