WARNING !!!!....         Sparkler bombs ARE dangerous.. no ands ifs or buts about it
                                                           making these things will land you in jail...  "homemade" fireworks are illegal.......
                                                           unless you have a licence to handle such items and class levels of fireworks.

        Sparkler bombs have been getting more and more popular over the last few years....  and with that I expect to see tighter restrictions on the sales of sparklers   ( an update!!!  01-05-03  I found out that the general chemistry of spaklers has been changed... they have remixed the general configuration of sparklers to be less "reactive". they reduced the amount of aluminum powder in the total percentage... thus less burn time "per inch"...less heat, less power hey  they still can sell them   but now they have less "PUNCH" and plus  you will see more non-metal rod/centercore  sparklers in the future.). But while the metal rod handle types are still available...  here's what you do to wreak havoc, instill fear in your neighbors, attract the attention of the local police, fire, ATF, and other publicly funded organizations that know how to put an end to your fleeting moments of fun.

        STEP 1.      Save alot of money ....   more the better...   about 50$ will be a good start

        STEP 2.      Find a place that sells the #7 sparkler, a place that sells the good strapping tape and electrical tape.

        STEP 3.      Think of what you want to blow up besides your ear drums....

HOW TO....
 

                        After purchasing the sparklers, a few rolls of black electrical tape, and a couple rolls of the strapping tape ( the really sticky stuff with the strings imbedded in it ) settle in with a coke or something and start unboxing the sparklers. The number of sparklers per bundle determine the loudness of the explosion....  so keep this in mind when you make them. I have found that 12 per bundle make for a nice level of percussion...  altho 48 sparklers per bundle can literally " ROCK THE HOUSE"!!  The best bang for your bucks is about 32 per bundle. After 60, there is no increase in percussion and you are basically wasting sparklers ( the outer ones get destroyed before they ignite ).

                        Unbox the number of sparklers you have decided upon, and bundle them up into a circular form. Locate the most center sparkler and pull it out of the bundle by about 2 - 2.5 inches ( if you run slow make it 3.5" ) this becomes the fuse. Once you have the bundle set, begin wrapping the bundle with electrical tape starting at the top of the bundle ( not at the fuse tip, but where the fuse enters the bundle)  wrap the tape tightly around the bundle going towards the bottom of the bundle stopping at the wires. Continue wrapping the bundle back up towards the top and then back to the bottom again. This should result in 3 layers of black tape. Take a few extra inches of black tape and lightly cover the top of the bundle ( this helps in keeping the sparks from falling on the top of the bundle as you are lighting the fuse and causing a premature explosion). Once you have the black tape on the bundle, its time to wrap the unit with the strapping tape. This is done pretty much the same way as the black tape but you use 4 layers of this tape. ( this tape increases the explosion force).
 

                        Once you have taped the assembly, take one of the wires extending from the bottom of the bundle and wrap it around the existing wire handles ( this helps in reducing the wire shrapnel that WILL occur if you dont wrap)  next... take another wire handle and wrap it around the existing wires about 1/2 way between the bundle and end of the wires. To be really "safe" wrap a few turns of black tape around the base of the bundle where you wrapped the first wire.
 

                        Most sparklers are difficult to light with a Bic lighter or such, a propane torch works very well...  its faster, easier and quicker.
 

                        When you plan to "use" the finished product,  keep in mind that they are quite capable of extreme forces. The wires are the most prominent threat. To reduce the chance of getting "nailed", force the handle section of the unit into the ground. DO NOT place these things inside of pipes, glass containers, or items that can shatter ( i think the word is hand gernade). Also DO NOT place near containers holding materials that can burn, explode, or cause a problem.  Remember, the local authorities dont understand people who enjoy percussive articles :) .
 

                        LAST WARNING...    these things are loud. They are strong. And they will remove the grass from the area of detonation. A 32 bundle will clear the grass down to the mud with about a 15" diameter spot.   If you are within several feet of the unit when it goes off, there is a good chance of perminent hearing loss ( aka blown eardrums)  sooooo...    best advice  be at least 20 - 30 feet ( minimum) away from it. If it is true that the old style CherryBombs, Silver Salutes , M-80's etc. are equal to a 1/4 stick of dynamite....   then these things are equal to a 3/4 stick.  DO NOT HOLD THESE THINGS IN YOUR HAND!!!!!!!  you will loose the extremety that is in contact with these items....  and then what will you do on those lonely nites???   ;)
 
 

                    The fuse takes about 3 - 5 seconds to reach the top of the bundle, once it hits the top of the bundle, a yellowish flame spurts out for about 1/2 a second. When you see this flame spurt out, the time has come :)   There is a bright white flash and a fair amount of smoke produced when it ignites. After effects are neighbors saying "What the hell was that ? " , you standing there saying
" HOLY sheeet !!!"  The remains of the unit, if firmly planted in the ground, will be many wires spread outward along the ground and the fuse wire standing up, the local area devoid of vegitation.
 

                        picture showing the "fuse" position   ( sorry for the fuzzy pic)
 

                            the wrapping process    ( needs 3 layers )  I ran out of electrical tape but strapping tape
                            works just as well
 

                        the third layer going onto the sparkler bundle
 
 

                        the end of the bundle showing the "protective wrap" to keep the sparks off of the top of the
                            bundle as the "fuse" burns
 

the first wire wrap to keep the other wires from becoming shrapnel hazards
 
 

the second wire wrap to add additional security from wire shrapnel
 
 

                    the end results of the efforts of the "package"
                    the area here is about 28" diameter cleared of leaves and grass
 
 

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