"Oh? Is it a dud?" Least favorite words when working with explosives.

February 12, 2013 9:16 AM

Slow Motion Video of Fireworks Exploding Inside Buckets Full of Paint [slyt] [via]
posted by quin (26 comments total)

I've always found these guys to fall just a little short of interesting. There's something about their presentation that leaves much to be desired.
posted by royalsong at 9:36 AM on February 12

If you just want the slow-mo explosions without the surrounding context, there are three, at the following timestamps:

1:33
2:44
5:06
posted by Greg Nog at 9:38 AM on February 12 [5 favorites]

So you saw that point towards the beginning where 'Dan' seemed to fail to light the first explosive after burning away all of the fuse down the the charge, waited only like half a second, and then ran over to stick his face in it? NEVER DO THAT.
posted by Blasdelb at 9:39 AM on February 12 [17 favorites]

Also that point towards the end where it became clear that they had no shelter of any kind despite having rockets FACING DOWN, with the logical conclusion of what happened at the end where they flew all over the place, only not ending up shooting up their asses by happy accident. DON'T DO THAT.
posted by Blasdelb at 9:41 AM on February 12 [5 favorites]

Metafilter: DON'T DO THAT.
posted by Kitteh at 9:49 AM on February 12

Oh, I think it's OK, though with some editing this could have been half as long and three times better. Thanks for pointing them out to me!
posted by wenestvedt at 9:52 AM on February 12

So you saw that point towards the beginning where 'Dan' seemed to fail to light the first explosive after burning away all of the fuse down the the charge, waited only like half a second, and then ran over to stick his face in it? NEVER DO THAT.

Yeah, do not do that. I still get a bit of ringing in my left ear from an incident when I was 8.
posted by odinsdream at 9:54 AM on February 12

Don't try this at home. Unlike us, who are trying this at home.
posted by MuffinMan at 10:03 AM on February 12

Thank you, Greg Nog - I couldn't stomach listening to and watching all the bullshit either, and know I now there was really only one Firework Exploding in a Bucket of Paint that was actually worth watching in slo-mo (the first one).
posted by Curious Artificer at 10:05 AM on February 12 [1 favorite]

Dude. Two quid. If you're using a Bic lighter on explosives, you're asking for fewer fingers.
posted by Sys Rq at 10:19 AM on February 12 [2 favorites]

Also:

The ear protection they aren't wearing around the 'banger'

The lighter with only a thin cheap plastic shell between the butane and their fingers that they are using to light explosives

The seemingly intentional minimization of the distance between their nuts and the explosives they're lighting for the last bit

PROBABLY SHOULDN'T DO THOSE EITHER

I am so very not surprised,

How Dan Hurt his Hand - The Slow Mo Guys (5:19)

posted by Blasdelb at 10:27 AM on February 12 [1 favorite]

I have to agree that this was underwhelming.

As for relighting the firework... I choose to assume that what looks like "immediately" on edited playback was, in reality, a lengthy and safe delay. However, he should have then discarded the dud and replaced it with a new firework, instead of relighting a half-burned fuse.
posted by cribcage at 10:27 AM on February 12 [1 favorite]

They can afford a HD Slow-Mo camera but can't manage to spring a few quid for a tarp?

RIP Blades of grass.
posted by cloeburner at 10:27 AM on February 12 [1 favorite]

The How Dan Hurt his Hand video is, in addition to being another train wreck of stupid, incidentally also pretty much the definition of why

Lab Coats + Shorts = MISSING THE FUCKING POINT
posted by Blasdelb at 10:33 AM on February 12 [7 favorites]

I have one burning question: why is British/UK/English/European (?) paint so gloppy (and like, lumpy)?
posted by cooker girl at 10:35 AM on February 12

Oh I don't know, I enjoyed the entire thing. It didn't make me laugh as hard as the condom filled with water, though.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:37 AM on February 12

why is British/UK/English/European (?) paint so gloppy (and like, lumpy)?

not all B/U/E/E paint is like that. I think it's some sort of kids tempera paint. That always was completely stinky and disgusting, but it's not-toxic and cheap.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:39 AM on February 12

Also note that while Dan was hurting his hand by splashing superheated oil all over himself, he did it right next to a very hot burner and is very very lucky it didn't provide a flash point to set him his shit on fire and do a lot worse than kill him.

This is demon core stupid, these guys will either be dead or maimed hard enough that they stop soon enough.
posted by Blasdelb at 10:58 AM on February 12

I found all the explosions kinda fascinating. I'm always amazed at how complex and yet "readable" those sorts of events are in slo-mo when to the naked eye it just looks like chaos. And no, this is not a "how to responsibly deploy fireworks" video, but the level of risk involved here is actually pretty low.
posted by yoink at 11:01 AM on February 12

Also note that while Dan was hurting his hand by splashing superheated oil all over himself, he did it right next to a very hot burner and is very very lucky it didn't provide a flash point to set him his shit on fire and do a lot worse than kill him.

Blasdelb, HE WAS WEARING SANDALS. While pouring boiling oil onto the ground.

wtf.
posted by Orange Pamplemousse at 11:06 AM on February 12 [1 favorite]

I always liked the Exploding Lighter video.
posted by the_artificer at 11:18 AM on February 12 [2 favorites]

I was making my Special Oil for my special treats, had it on a simmer for 45 mins, and then poured my precious oil into a measuring cup. The measuring cup crumpled into melting plastic and plastic and Special Oil went down the drain. I mourned that oil, I did. Though maybe there are very mellow alligators in the sewers as a result, all high-fiving each other and calling each other dude.
posted by angrycat at 11:29 AM on February 12 [5 favorites]

"Don't try this at home" is just code for "We're going to try this at home, don't sue us if yours goes worse", right?
posted by jiawen at 12:36 PM on February 12

They can afford a HD Slow-Mo camera but can't manage to spring a few quid for a tarp?

Or a light or two. Or move the camera a wee bit closer. I know fireworks can kill a camera, but it doesn't take a lot of imagination to make a Plexiglass box and stuff it inside. From that angle it looks like it was shot at dusk, from orbit.
posted by zardoz at 12:55 PM on February 12 [1 favorite]

not all B/U/E/E paint is like that. I think it's some sort of kids tempera paint. That always was completely stinky and disgusting, but it's not-toxic and cheap.

Ah, yes. Tempera paint. Thanks. Now that I think on it a bit more, the containers kind of screamed "KID PAINT!"
posted by cooker girl at 1:44 PM on February 12

I could have been these guys.

Unsure if I'm happy or not about that. Massive blood blisters over an almost-asploded hand, phosphorus burns, nitrated lungs, deafness, incendiary hair removal teach their own lessons.
posted by arzakh at 6:28 PM on February 12