Q&A for How to Make a Colored Smoke Bomb

Not really, as the chemicals used to make the smoke bomb are slightly toxic. Do not stay in the cloud or try to inhale it deliberately. Instead, try to pass through it as quickly as possible.

Potassium nitrate is also known as Saltpeter; you might be able to find it easier using this name. For example, you can find Saltpeter at garden shops.

Depends on how much you make. A 60/40 mixture will give about 30 seconds of thick smoke.

If you are thinking military grade, no. If you are thinking for fun, yes.

You could use a piece of twine, but for best and safest results, use a fuse.

Melt wax crayons of your choice. Add the mixture and follow the steps here.

Slightly, but it's okay if you watch the mixture closely and make sure it doesn't burn.

Yes. A better option is potassium chlorate because it burns at a lower temperature.

Sort of. The fumes are not really dangerous but should not be inhaled deliberately.

You can use you regular store bought food coloring, or something else along those lines.

The ratio of potassium nitrate and sugar affects the burn time of the mixture. Try making more than one batch and see which ratio makes the most smoke with the best timing.

Acrylic paint is not dye and will not react in the same way.

Organic dyes should be used for making smoke bombs.

You need to stir the mixture to make it homogeneous. The heat should be low because KnO3 and sucrose might react at higher temperatures.

Being that this doesn't actually produce colored smoke, you can add all the crayons you like, the color will always be grey.

It depends on how much of the mix you make. The more mix, the longer it will burn.

Pure cane sugar burns the best, but any sugar would work.

Yes, although it will probably take a few experiments with the smoke bombs to attain the blue you want.

If you can't find pink dye, you can improvise with red and white dye mixed together.

Toilet roll or card board paper, as it is thick, unlike your normal exercise books, which don't have any thickness in them.

You could try. Some of them may work better than others, and be careful not to use anything toxic.

No. Regular table salt can be added, if you want the smoke bomb to burn more slowly, but you can't substitute it for potassium chlorate.

Probably not, as you could directly inhale the smoke accidentally or get burnt.

Yes. Because once the potassium is heated with the sugar, it starts to burn the sugar, thus changing the molecular structure and turning the powder to crystals.

The smoke bombs themselves probably couldn't be ignited electrically, but the fuse could be.

Food coloring is commonly used, and it is easily obtainable. If you need a strong color, use orange or blue food coloring.

No, not really. I have tried this experiment before and the crayons only give off black smoke. Try powdered dyes, they should work better.

You can order a pound of almost any dye from coloredsmoke.com. Alternatively, you can order red and/or yellow dyes from fireworks manufacturer skylighter.com. You’ll also need potassium chlorate as the oxidizer. It is not the easiest chemical for the hobbyist to find. Most formulas call for dextrin or lactose as the fuel source. Common table sugar, ground to a fine powder, will work nearly as well and is significantly less expensive.

Any food coloring works and is safe to work with. You could also buy candle wax and mix them together, some probably work better than others.

No, the smoke can be somewhat toxic and some chemicals may irritate your skin.