How to Make a Stump Remover Smoke Bomb

Homemade Smoke Bomb
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It is pretty easy to make a homemade smoke bomb using potassium nitrate and sugar.  The thing is, that this mix can be used to make black powder, smoke, or rocket fuel so be careful and mind your mix.

Potassium nitrate can be ordered through online firework supply houses, and pure chemicals are always best, but I find that if you check the label, some stump remover is 99% potassium nitrate.

Once you have the nitrate, the next thing is to get some common sane sugar.

The potassium nitrate is the oxidizer and the sugar provides the fuel.

The proper smoke mix using these two chemicals is 60 grams of the oxidizer and 40 grams of the fuel.

Mix in a non stick pot that you will NEVER use for food again.  Mix with a wooden spoon and keep it on low heat.  You do not want this to catch fire on your stove. (You are warned).

Mix constantly and do not walk away.  When it melts and turns to a light brown peanut butter consistency and look then take it off the heat and pack into your form.

This is hot so be careful – cardboard toilet tissue rolls are easiest, but I used something smaller with the idea to embed in a soda can mortar round later.

I also took some and just rolled them into balls and stuck in a fuse.

Gates of Fire

Gates of Fire
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Gates of Fire is a national bestseller!

At Thermopylae, a rocky mountain pass in northern Greece, the feared and admired Spartan soldiers stood three hundred strong. Theirs was a suicide mission, to hold the pass against the invading millions of the mighty Persian army.

Day after bloody day they withstood the terrible onslaught, buying time for the Greeks to rally their forces.

Born into a cult of spiritual courage, physical endurance, and unmatched battle skill, the Spartans would be remembered for the greatest military stand in history–one that would not end until the rocks were awash with blood, leaving only one gravely injured Spartan squire to tell the tale….

The gates of fire is a book worth reading.  If possible it is also worth hearing the spoken version of the text.

The story of the 300 Spartans has captured the hearts of Warriors throughout the ages.  What a few men can do when they have the courage and will to dare is unimaginable.

It was because of these 300 men that Greece was not conquered by Persia.  Imagine if Greece was not free but part of Iran.  How would that have impacted the Iran/Iraq war?  Our modern life?  The impacts of this battle are immeasurable.

Mason Lid Tart

Recipe: Mason Lid Tart

Mason Lid Tart

52 Unique Techniques for Stocking Food for Prepper
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Getting into canning means you end up with a lot of Mason jar lids, being a DIY orientated person causes me to look for solutions to problems using materials at hand.

Now to be honest, making tarts is not a huge life problem for me, but after the tuna can cake I thought I would try a mason lid tart.

I enjoyed making single serve desserts, and with my wife wanting me to “get healthy” she wants me to control my portions.

This recipe is adapted from a 10 inch tart shell recipe, so it will make 15 or tarts – if you leave them in the lid for sturdiness, and wrap them they make good gifts.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
  • 1/2 cup ice water
  • Pear Pie Filling (recipe below)

Procedure

  1. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl and mix to combine.
  2. Add the butter and mix, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas.
  3. While mixing slowly pour the ice water into the bowl and mix until the dough starts to come together. .
  4. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball.
  5. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  6. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  7. Spray your mason jar lids with nonstick spray.
  8. Pull clumps of dough (about 2 tbsp for each mini tart) from the large dough ball and smash them into each lid.
  9. Push the dough so it covers the bottom and sides of each lid.
  10. Refrigerate the formed shells while you prepare the filling.
  11. Set the mason jars on a cookie sheet
  12. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the pie filling starts to set.
  13. Rotate the pan once during cooking. If the pastry puffs up in one area, cut a little slit with a knife to let the air out.
  14. Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn’t stick to the edge of the lid. Push the bottom of the lid up, so the ring falls around your wrist.
  15. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

Filling

Makes about 28 ounces, enough for a regular size pie

Ingredients

  • 5 cups diced pears (I kept the skin on)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1/2 a lemon juiced

Procedure

  1. Toss all the ingredients into a large pot, mix until the flour is distributed evenly.
  2. Allow to sit for about 30 minutes.
  3. Turn the heat on medium-high. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon.
  4. Bring mixture to a boil and lower to low/medium heat. Stir occasionally.
  5. Keep over the heat for about 30 minutes, until it begins to thicken.
  6. Pour into a container, cool, then store in the fridge until ready to use.
How to Make Rounds for a Beer Can Mortar

How to Make Rounds for a Beer Can Mortar

 

How to Make Rounds for a Beer Can Mortar
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I am showing how I make my beer can mortar rounds because in searching the net I found that no one else had, sure the cool feral cat hunting post shows how to make a mortar, and I did see an image of a tub of projectiles, but no where could I find good instructions.

Its pretty simple, cut the top off an aluminum beer can, and fill with a cement mix.  I have read that some use sand and then top it with a cement cap, but I have also heard that the can comes off like a sabot and lands in a flat plate a few feet from the muzzle of the mortar.

I heard that readymix turns to gravel, and that plaster of paris is best.

I decided to use type n mortar because it was cheap and I had a bag sitting around.

I tried shoveling some mortar in wet, and did a few with dry mortar and adding water.

The second was was easiest and fastest.  I won’t know which is best till I get some field time.

Update:

For general shooting both ways works well.  I think that the wet mortar way is best, but not enough to make a difference.

How to Use a Magazine Rack for Can Storage

52 Unique Techniques for Stocking Food for Prepper
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I am quite happy with my cardboard can organizers.  They have survived a couple moves and several years of can foods being stored in them.  However, they are sized for normal sized cans.

I still need something for can drinks, tuna cans, and tomato paste cans.

Here is a good tip for those odd sized cans.

As soon as I saw a picture on pinterest of someone using a Magazine Rack for Can Storage I knew it was worth exploring.

To be honest, I still like my cardboard can organizer better, and finding the right sized magazine racks can be a chore, but this does work well.  It is probably also sturdier over time than the cardboard can organizers.  I know it would move better if you aren’t someone that stays in one place.

I hope you find it to be useful.

If you have other tips or things you would like to share or see tried out.  Please feel free to contact me.  I am always looking for good ideas to share.  I probably just need to spend more time on Pinterest, but since most of the good ideas are on mom sites, I have to be sure my wife doesn’t think I am out looking for the wrong stuff.