Q&A for How to Make a Smoke Bomb

Ammonium nitrate smoke can be quite toxic, and should be avoided as much as humanly possible.

White phosphorus is what the military uses. It is extremely volatile. It burns right through skin, and continues burning until the phosphorus is removed. It works very well for smoke screens as well as causing pain.

In theory it won't explode unless you make one of these in a sealed container and heat it up too much. But if you heat it up too much, it can catch fire.

It's a 3:2 ratio. 3 parts potassium nitrate and 2 parts sugar by weight. You decide just how much you want to make, using that ratio. Don't do this if you can't do the math. But the smallest amount you can buy of KNO3 is 1lb.

No, but inhaling an excess amount of smoke should be avoided, as you can deprive your lungs of oxygen.

None of them explode; they are called "bombs" because they look like bombs. The tube method produces the most smoke. It also burns with a purplish flame, so do it on a heat-proof surface. Burning potassium nitrate creates water vapor and carbon dioxide, which appear as a thick white smoke. As for smoke amounts, the tube method could quickly fill up a house with smoke if you fill the whole toilet paper tube with smoke bomb mix.

Whatever you choose, it just needs to be heatproof and nonporous.

Use swimming goggles to protect your eyes, and buy a surgical mask to cover your mouth and nose. You might be able to last about 30 seconds, but it's not a good idea.

Yes, all of them can be handled with bare hands except maybe the ammonium nitrate.

To make colored smoke, you melt down a crayon in the color you want, then add the potassium, add the sugar, add the soda, and pour in the container of your choosing.

Yes. None of these should be used in enclosed spaces.

Considering the rather harmful effects of breathing in smoke in general, it would be advised to inhale as little of the product as possible in all cases. That being said, it is recommended by several health organizations to avoid the inhalation of ammonium nitrate smoke, and seek immediate medical attention should it be inhaled in moderate or large quantities.

It will be quite hot, so make sure to put it on something that is not flammable. After it stops burning, let it cool for a minute or so before disposing of the remains.

You may be able to make a paper tube, fill it with smoke bomb mixture, and then cap off both ends and insert a fuse. If you just want a firecracker, try the King of Random's video on black powder firecrackers.

The newspaper one at the end is inconspicuous, so that would be the best option.

You won't know for sure until you try it out.

No, it must be a cold pack that has ammonium nitrate and water in a bag.

No. The smoke will dissipate, and you will end up with balloon of transparent gas and a few droplets of water.

Not by using potassium nitrate. You would need special dyes that are very expensive. Any tutorial that says you can melt crayons or use food coloring is fake.

It is heated, it is just not listed as a step. If you look at the pictures, you will see that the mixture poured into the cardboard tube in Method 3 is the same color and consistency as the mixture poured into the aluminum foil in Method 2.

You can use plastic bottle caps glued together, but you need the ping pong ball filling or it won't smoke.

About 20 crayons for a small smoke bomb, 35 for a medium smoke bomb, and 45-50 for a large smoke bomb.

If you let the mixture harden, you can just set it on the ground, light a match and burn it out. After that it should be pretty straight forward cleaning out the rest. As for cooking, I probably wouldn't cook with that pan again, especially if you make a lot of these.

Try something else like putting the powder in newspaper and igniting the paper. You could also just keep trying until you figure t out. Be safe.

You can buy it at a garden or hardware store or buy it online.

You can use any type of paper as long as it burns well and soaks up the mixture well.

You can find it at a local gardening store, as it is used to treat soil.

Follow the instructions listed in the article above.

Yes it is safe, but it is also illegal to use in a crowded area.

No, potassium nitrate is an oxidizer, which is a key ingredient in the mixture.