How to Make a Smoke Bomb

Guide Note

If you have wanted to make a smoke bomb, but did not know how, then this page will provide you with instructions. It covers how to make the traditional potassium nitrate/sugar smoke bomb (both cooked and non-cooked versions), ping pong smoke bombs and colored smoke bombs.

Disclaimer

The content in this page is for informational purposes only and readers follow them at their own risk. Consult local laws and regulations, and take proper safety precautions, before using these instructions. Smoke bombs and other fireworks can also be a serious fire hazard if not used properly.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Method 1: Sugar and Potassium Nitrate (Cooked)
• Method 2: Sugar and Potassium Nitrate (Uncooked)
• How to Find Potassium Nitrate
• Method 3: Using Ping Pong Balls
• Making Colored Smoke Bombs
• Conclusion
• References

Smoke Bomb Tips

1. Safety measures should be taken before making or lighting any smoke bombs.
2. The easiest smoke bomb to make uses potassium nitrate and sugar.
3. Potassium nitrate is sold as a fertilizer and stump remover.
4. You can also make smoke bombs using ping pong balls and tin foil.
5. Colored smoke bombs are harder to make.

• by Darcy Logan

Introduction

• A smoke bomb is a type of firework that produces smoke after it is ignited. They are several ways they can be made at home. Smoke bombs should only be made and used by adults or under adult supervision, while taking proper safety precautions. In a study done in 2002 by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission revealed that people have burned their eyes and received second degree burns from smoke bombs.¹

• The National Council of Fireworks offers these safety tips when using any fireworks:
  1. Use only outdoors.
  2. 

     (Creative Commons photo by redmuse_poet)
     Check with local laws before making or using.
  3. Always have water handy.
  4. Never re-light a dud. Wait 20 minutes, and then soak it in water.
  5. Keep spectators at a safe distance.
  6. Wear safety glasses when lighting.²

• Note: The smoke bombs listed here are not good methods of getting rid of moles, voles, gophers, rabbits and other burrow dwelling creatures because they do not contain sulfur (which asphyxiates the animals).³ For information on how to deal with these animals, check out Mahalo's How to Get Rid of Moles.

Method 1: Sugar and Potassium Nitrate (Cooked)

• You can mix potassium nitrate (KNO₃ or saltpeter) and sugar. Do not try to make too big of a bomb at first. It will be difficult to mix and heat evenly.⁴

1. Mix together about three parts potassium nitrate and two parts sugar.⁴ You can also opt to use five parts potassium nitrate to two parts sugar in the skillet. The exact ratio is not important as long as you have more potassium nitrate. However, the more potassium nitrate, the harder it will be to light.⁵
2. You can add about 1 teaspoon of baking soda for every 5 tablespoons of potassium nitrate/sugar mix to help moderate the reaction rate and keep it from getting too hot.^{6 5}
3. Pour the mixture into a skillet or saucepan.
4. Place the pan over low heat. If you heat it too quickly, the mixture will turn black and can ignite.⁴ If possible, do this step on a hot plate outside.
5. Stir the mixture with a spoon using long, smooth strokes.
   1. If the grains of sugar start to melt along the edges where you are stirring, remove the pan from the heat and reduce the temperature before continuing.⁵
   2. The mixture will turn brown (similar to caramel candy or peanut butter) as it melts.⁴
6. Remove pan from the heat.
7. The mixture can then be used to make smoke bombs in a variety of ways, including:
   1. Spooning out lumps onto concrete.⁴
   2. Pouring into cardboard molds.⁴
   3. Pouring onto a piece of foil and molding to a desired shape.⁵ (Remove foil before using.)
8. If you want to add a wick or fuse, do so before the mixture dries.⁴ You can also light the mixture directly.⁵ You can get a fuse, such as that used for fireworks, at hardware stores and hobby shops.⁶

• YouTube: How to Make a Smoke Bomb (Time: 1:36)

Method 2: Sugar and Potassium Nitrate (Uncooked)

• If you are concerned with heating the potassium nitrate, there are two ways you can make a smoke bomb that do not require cooking.

Using Water

1. Mix 3 parts potassium nitrate to 2 parts sugar (granulated not powdered).
2. Add just enough water to form a paste and stir together.⁷ Set small lumps of the mixture onto waxed paper and insert a fuse.⁷
3. Allow the bombs to dry thoroughly (about 2 days) before using.⁷

Without Water

1. Sift together powdered sugar and potassium nitrate.⁵ You can also use a coffee grinder to combine the ingredients.⁸
2. Then, either ignite the powder directly or place it in a cup and use a napkin for a fuse.^{5 8}
   1. Ratio of potassium nitrate to powdered sugar can be the same as the cooked version (3:2 or 5:3 parts potassium nitrate to sugar).⁵
   2. Some examples show using equal parts of potassium nitrate and powdered sugar.⁹

• Metacafe: How To Make A Smoke Bomb! (Time: 1:32)

How to Find Potassium Nitrate

• One of the biggest issues in making smoke bombs is where to find potassium nitrate. Potassium nitrate is used as a fertilizer and may be sold as saltpeter in garden supply stores.⁶ It is also the primary ingredient in at least two varieties of stump remover: Spectracide's Stump Remover MSDS and Grant's Stump Remover.^{10 11} (Potassium nitrate helps accelerate natural decomposition.) However, you should not assume that all stump removers are potassium nitrate. Check the ingredients list before using. Also, the potassium nitrate needs to be in powder form and may need to be purified before using.

• Potassium nitrate (or rather saltpeter) has also been used in hoodoo for magical protection and in spells.¹² So, it may be sold in stores that sell magical supplies. If worse comes to worst, you can also make your own potassium nitrate.¹³

• You can find potassium nitrate online at any of the following locations:
  1. Google Product Search: "Potassium Nitrate"
  2. The Science Company: Potassium Nitrate
  3. AmericaRx.com: Humco SaltPetre Powder (Potassium Nitrate Powder)

Method 3: Using Ping Pong Balls

• You can make a smoke bomb with only the use of a few ping pong balls, a drinking straw, a piece of aluminum foil and a pair of scissors.

1. Poke or drill a hole into one side of a ping pong ball.
2. Cut the other three or four balls into small pieces with a scissors.
3. Carefully insert the pieces into the first ping pong ball (the one with the hole).¹⁴
4. Insert a 3-inch piece of a drinking straw into the hole.¹⁵
5. Wrap the ball with a small piece of aluminum foil. Do not cover the hole.
6. Your smoke bomb is ready to light. Hold the lighter to the bottom of the smoke bomb until you see it start to smoke.¹⁶

• Wonder How To: How to Make a Ping-Pong Ball Smoke Bomb (Time: 2:33)

Making Colored Smoke Bombs

• Recipes for colored smoke bombs seem to be under debate on the Internet. Different guides often offer conflicting information, making it difficult to tell just how possible it is to successfully make your own colored smoke bombs.

(Creative Commons photo by Karin Dalziel)

• Some sites say that potassium nitrate smoke bombs cannot be colored.⁴ Even About.com states that "recipes for colored smoke bombs require chemicals that may not be readily available unless you have access to a chemistry lab."

• However, About.com also posted a formula in which 3 tablespoons powdered organic dye is added to a potassium nitrate mixture. (Incidentally, both articles are written by the same person.) Although you can find videos online that demonstrate how this can be done, other videos have suggested that they are faked.^{17 18}

Conclusion

• Remember, safety first whenever you are working with fireworks. Although smoke bombs might seem harmless, they can do permanent damage. Use a long-handled lighter and place the smoke bomb on a nonflammable surface before lighting. Also, make sure you only light smoke bombs in well-ventilated areas.

References for How to Make a Smoke Bomb

1. ↑ U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: 2002 Fireworks Annual Report  
2. ↑ National Council of Fireworks: Consumers Warned of Illegal Explosives and Urged to Follow Consumer Fireworks Safety Tips  
3. ↑ Utah State University Extension: Can I use Smoke Bombs to Kill Gophers in my Yard
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7} United Nuclear: Smoke Bombs
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7} About.com: How to Make a Smoke Bomb  
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} About.com: Ultimate Colored Smoke Bomb  
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} About.com: Safe Non-Cook Smoke Bomb  
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Metacafe: How To Make A Smoke Bomb! (Time: 1:32)  
9. ↑ Metacafe: How To Make A Smoke Bomb! (Time: 1:32)
10. ↑ Spectracide: Stump Remover MSDS
11. ↑ McLendon's Hardware: Stump Remover
12. ↑ Hoodoo in Theory and Practice: Saltpeter
13. ↑ Skeptic Tank: How to make Potassium Nitrate
14. ↑ Revver: Make a Smoke Bomb Out of Ping Pong Balls (Time: 1:14)  
15. ↑ Instructables: Make a Smoke Bomb out of Ping Pong Balls  
16. ↑ Metacafe: How To Make A Smoke Bomb Out Of A Ping Pong Ball (Time: 2:33)  
17. ↑ Metacafe: How to Make an Amazing Colored Smoke Bomb (Time: 2:28)
18. ↑ Metacafe: Re: Ultimate COLORED Smoke Bomb - Fake Video (Time: 1:39)