Shaped Charges – Sheet of copper going through 1ft of solid steel (2010) [video]

Re:Shaped Charges – Sheet of copper going through 1ft of sol... by jimnotgym on Sunday May 15, 2022 @05:02AM (#31386285)

It strikes me that if you work with modern explosives and follow sensible procedures like retiring to a safe distance, the risks to you are not that high. The risks in a demolition are huge, but not to the life of the explosives guy. I can imagine the job of weakening the structure, (by removing parts of it) prior to the explosives carry more risk to the operator

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Shaped Charges – Sheet of copper going through 1ft of sol... by mensetmanusman on Sunday May 15, 2022 @07:34AM (#31386912)

I don’t know. I’m a trained chemist and after enough years, you have that one day where you might’ve went to sleep too late and where you use the wrong type of glass, and a boiling vat of sulfuric acid etc. fails quickly and melts a bunch of stuff.

Sometimes I’m glad I’m in this field though, because I hear about the researchers working on prions that have started dying off, and I know it’s one of those one and 100,000 events that you inevitably experience.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Shaped Charges – Sheet of copper going through 1ft of sol... by giantg2 on Sunday May 15, 2022 @08:51PM (#31392697)

What's this about the prion researchers? I only know about the one lady (from France?) who caught it after puncturing her glove. If I remember correctly she didn't follow the proper protocols afterwards (although it's debatable if they would have made a difference).

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Shaped Charges – Sheet of copper going through 1ft of sol... by yencabulator on Tuesday May 17, 2022 @12:59PM (#31413471)

If you screw it up, you end with a non-exploded thing that you have to tear down. That's where the risk is.

Plastic explosive with electric igniter ain't that bad, but old school fuses and mines are scary.

[ Parent | on HN ]