Seven die in Bangkok explosion after scrap metal dealers try to dismantle WWII bomb w

[Serpo]

Seven Thai workers were killed and 19 injured when they tried to dismantle a Second World War bomb with a blowtorch.
The device was discovered by builders on a construction site in northern Bangkok’s Lad Plakao neighbourhood, Thailand.
Believing that it had lost its charge, they sold it to men working in a scrap metal warehouse.




http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/04/02/article-2595244-1CC3A4D200000578-928_638x424.jpg





The metal workers then began to take the 500lb bomb apart to sell the metal on. The blowtorch caused the bomb to go off, destroying the shop and creating a large crater. It also damaged dozens of adjacent houses and started a large fire.

Police said that five people died at the scene.
‘The warehouse workers thought the bomb was no longer active so they used a metal cutter to cut into it, causing the explosion,’ local police chief Virasak Foythong told AFP news agency.
Police bomb squad chief Kamthorn Auicharoen said that it was ‘likely this is a bomb dropped from a plane during World War II’.
The Allies bombed Thailand’s capital in retaliation for the country joining the Axis Powers.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2595244/Seven-killed-Bangkok-workers-tried-dismantle-Second-World-War-bomb-blowtorch.html#ixzz2xlaFYbM7

[midnight rambler]

Should have just dug a deep hole, set the bomb in there with a shaped charge to detonate it, then bury it, blow it, and then gather up the scrap.

Wonder how much of that 500# was actually explosive material?? Probably 300-400#.

ETA: modern 500# bombs contain 192# of explosive material.

[Horn]

Little do they know the competing scrap dealer 2 blocks away set the entire deal up. ooops!

[zap]

The Darwin effect....

[govcheetos]

Was it steel or cast aluminum?

Either way could have gotten more on craigslist.

[Glass]

I remember going to a tourist attraction in asia. I wont say where. There was a large pond and fountain near the entrance. It was maybe 15 feet across. The fountain had pumps and lights and so on. There were two old guys (60's) doing repairs on the lights. Now the lights were energized. The men were standing knee deep in the fountain working on the lights. They had an extension cable running to the fountain. Floating in the pond was a piece of wood and resting on that was a power board with a drill and an angle grinder plugged in. The board was just a flat piece of board with some foam under each end. The power board had 0.5 - 1" of clearance above the water.

I was going to say something, but then I thought I'd just cause confusion that could upset their apple cart.

[vacuum]

I remember going to a tourist attraction in asia. I wont say where. There was a large pond and fountain near the entrance. It was maybe 15 feet across. The fountain had pumps and lights and so on. There were two old guys (60's) doing repairs on the lights. Now the lights were energized. The men were standing knee deep in the fountain working on the lights. They had an extension cable running to the fountain. Floating in the pond was a piece of wood and resting on that was a power board with a drill and an angle grinder plugged in. The board was just a flat piece of board with some foam under each end. The power board had 0.5 - 1" of clearance above the water.

I was going to say something, but then I thought I'd just cause confusion that could upset their apple cart.

And I'm pretty sure they use 220v over there.

[Publico]

I remember going to a tourist attraction in asia. I wont say where. There was a large pond and fountain near the entrance. It was maybe 15 feet across. The fountain had pumps and lights and so on. There were two old guys (60's) doing repairs on the lights. Now the lights were energized. The men were standing knee deep in the fountain working on the lights. They had an extension cable running to the fountain. Floating in the pond was a piece of wood and resting on that was a power board with a drill and an angle grinder plugged in. The board was just a flat piece of board with some foam under each end. The power board had 0.5 - 1" of clearance above the water.

I was going to say something, but then I thought I'd just cause confusion that could upset their apple cart.


And I'm pretty sure they use 220v over there.

But it's 50mhz not 60mhz so it's perfectly safe.

[Dogman]

The Darwin effect....Huge bunch of those bomb casings were made 10 or so miles away from me, at the R.J Letourneau plant in longview. There are 5 very huge half domes that from what I understand were ether mothballed or maybe are still in production, that produce the heavy death from above.


Most bombs are made of cast iron/steel.

Seems that someone did not know a fuse in place or not check if it was empty.

Hell many people get hurt/killed by cutting old 55 gal drums being stupid. Fill with water.

[Dogman]

Was it steel or cast aluminum?

Either way could have gotten more on craigslist. Iron/steel with some machining. Aluminum, is too weak, for the best bang.

[Glass]

Hell many people get hurt/killed by cutting old 55 gal drums being stupid. Fill with water.

how does that work? Stops explosive pressures, gas buildups or combustion? Fill to top or just part way? Cut with acetelene? use something to cut without a current?

[Dogman]

how does that work? Stops explosive pressures, gas buildups or combustion? Fill to top or just part way? Cut with acetelene? use something to cut without a current? Dude, the longer you can keep whatever contained the bigger the bang. Basic physics. Tho the breaking point needs to be less than the max pressure of what ever is burning/vaporizing/detonating. The ideal bomb casing will break at the peak, internal pressure. No more and no less.

[Dogman]

how does that work? Stops explosive pressures, gas buildups or combustion? Fill to top or just part way? Cut with acetelene? use something to cut without a current? Oxyacetylene very bad choice dealing with the unknown, Mechanical band saw with water cooling, (maybe)!

Never flames, and oxyacetylene cutting , can be a very fatal choice.

Note: acetylene is the hottest burning, tho map/natural/propane all can rune your day cutting into anything that you have not a clue what you are cutting.

Edit; Know that you are cutting into . never make a blind flame cut/ matter of fact never make any dam cut without knowing what you are cutting into.

Edit again:

The god's natural light shows never fail to impress.

2" rain and the sky is angry.

[Glass]

I realise that people cut into old 44gal/200L drums and they contain chemical or fuel residues which go boom. Filling with water does what?

[Dogman]

I realise that people cut into old 44gal/200L drums and they contain chemical or fuel residues which go boom. Filling with water does what?Think friend.


If empty the gasses of cutting, and heating the contents of the drum, will build up and is not a good thing. Think explosive vapors!

Fill with water, there is very little volume for gasses to build up.

No gasses collected in any volume = no boom!

QED!

[Glass]

and you cut it with? not heat but blade?

I got the point of filling it up with water from the get go. We have people make the darwin awards around here for cutting up drums which shit still in them. Go boom. But you obviously dont want to cut it with any thing electrical if its full of water. Just want to be clear because I find that tradespeople always have these clever tricks to make something thats complicated to the lay person as easy as pie and those are the sorts of things that are handed down by apprenticeships.

[Dogman]

and you cut it with? not heat but blade?

I got the point of filling it up with water from the get go. We have people make the darwin awards around here for cutting up drums which shit still in them. Go boom. But you obviously dont want to cut it with any thing electrical if its full of water. Just want to be clear because I find that tradespeople always have these clever tricks to make something thats complicated to the lay person as easy as pie and those are the sorts of things that are handed down by apprenticeships. Yes, if brave a band saw with water/oil cooling flooding the cut area. Mostly no boom, but mileage may vary. Thing is not to generate any heat/shock of any significance. When in the military had an roomy that was in EOD. Very interesting chats, when he could talk on a subject that was not classified. Very interesting, late night killing six packs talks, that later when I was sent to southeast Asia, Thailand mostly, Vietnam for a couple of weeks tdy from my thai base, saw some of what he told me. Lazar guided bombs, were just rolling out amongst other toys.

[mick silver]

did you hang around to watch the show ... you know the drill works better under water ... yahooo
I remember going to a tourist attraction in asia. I wont say where. There was a large pond and fountain near the entrance. It was maybe 15 feet across. The fountain had pumps and lights and so on. There were two old guys (60's) doing repairs on the lights. Now the lights were energized. The men were standing knee deep in the fountain working on the lights. They had an extension cable running to the fountain. Floating in the pond was a piece of wood and resting on that was a power board with a drill and an angle grinder plugged in. The board was just a flat piece of board with some foam under each end. The power board had 0.5 - 1" of clearance above the water.

I was going to say something, but then I thought I'd just cause confusion that could upset their apple cart.

[Glass]

did you hang around to watch the show ... you know the drill works better under water ... yahooo

nah, the cable car arrived and we had to go. Didn't see any news reports so I figured they made it. in a part of the world where they used to use bamboo for scaffolding on high rise buildings I figured they'd probably be ok. Just don't disturb them. Or the pond. Or make a wish.

[Dogman]

Bamboo is an amazing thing, irritating and useful, and I love to eat it when it is very young(shoots). Bamboo in asia is , well asia!

methinks without it asia would crash! Overall in day to day things.