                         Quick and Dirty Plastique

                                   by

                               Adam Selene

NOTE:  This article is written solely for informational purposes.  Neither
the author, the Pan-American Information Network or the sysop of the 
bulletin board on which this file is carried are in any way responsible for
the use or misuse of the information contained herein or the consequences
thereof.

This formula will not yield military or commercial-grade plastique, but it 
will serve its purpose.  Its benefits are in that it is easy to make, can be
made from common household items and can also double as an incendiary with
a few minor modifications to the formula.  You need the following items, and
there is no set rule as to how much of what you need.  I just measure by eye
and add a bit of this and that as I need to.

34-0-0 fertilizer.  33-0-0 will work, but not quite as well.  If you are
fortunate enough to live near a farm supply house, you can get pure ammonium 
nitrate and this will work even better than fertilizer.

Acetone.  Nail polish remover is pure acetone, but to get the quantity you're
going to need, go to the hardware store and buy a gallon can of it.

Styrofoam.  An old cooler will work nicely.

Waxed paper.

Paraffin wax or a couple candles.

An enamel, glass or corningware dish or pan.

Work in a well-ventilated area, and have no open flames anywhere near you.  If
you smoke, have one before you begin work.  Wear rubber gloves while handling 
chemicals and be sure to wear a pair of goggles as well, to prevent getting
chemicals in the eyes.  If the chemicals come into contact with the skin, 
rinse the affected area immediately with cool water.  Acetone probably won't 
hurt you if you get it on you, but in later lessons we're going to be deal-
ing with concentrated sulfuric acid so get into the habit NOW.

Here comes the fun part.  In an enamelled or glass container (don't use plas-
tic...acetone will eat through most plastic) pour about a pint of acetone.
Dissolve the styrofoam in the acetone until no more can be added. The mixture 
should be a thick sludge. If you need to, add a bit of acetone until any stray 
bits of styrofoam have been dissolved.

With a wooden stirrer, stir in the fertilizer until a very thick paste forms.  
This will not be as solid as most plastique, so don't be surprised to find 
that it seems mushy to you. It should set up on its own, and be firm enough to
mold.

Take portions of this mixture and wrap it in waxed paper, sealing the packages 
with wax to form an airtight seal.  Please, whatever you do, don't bring a lit
candle near your mixture.

This compound may be detonated with a heavy spark or with an ordinary blast-
ing cap.

To modify this compound for use as an incendiary, substitute petroleum jelly
for the styrofoam. This will be very messy and runny, and I don't recommend
its use very often.  However, it will go off at the slightest spark and pro-
vides a very hot flame.
