Colin Furze is one of those “fantastic madmen” who amazes his YouTube audience with projects that could explode in his face without warning. In fact, some of his creations give us the direct feeling that (to say nothing worse), and in his latest video, he demonstrated the operation of a cannon with thermite ammunition. Yes, the same thermite that exceeds 2,000 degrees Celsius and is used for welding rails, among other things.
Aluminum and iron oxide. It seems incredible that such common materials can create such a reaction, but that’s thermite. Of course, “thermite” is a generic term, and both the components and their proportions can vary according to each need. However, those wishing to make thermite at home (?) already know where to begin. If you head to YouTube, you’ll be able to find all kinds of videos related to thermite, from the experiments done by the MythBusters to railway welding, but there’s a new video that has been making the rounds these days. It’s the thermite cannon developed by Colin Furze, which you can see in action below:
It’s not the first time Colin Furze has crossed swords with this mixture. Last February he developed a thermite-based teapot that boils water faster than his other modified teapots… but let’s talk about the cannon. Its construction was split into two additional videos, one showing the creation of the cartridges (which also explains how to make thermite), and another showing the assembly of the cannon itself. Furze explains that while making thermite in small quantities isn’t exactly illegal, the idea of a portable launcher might draw the attention of the authorities.
Now, thermite does not explode on impact, and if a cartridge breaks before ignition, all you’ll have is a lot of scattered dust. This means igniting the thermite “before” firing it, and logically, doing so without ending up engulfed in flames. In short, another beautiful madness on YouTube that deserves our attention.
