Adam Savage Triggers Nitroglycerin Explosion With A Hammer! | Savage Builds

It’s Hammer Time! Adam Savage recreates a scenario seen in countless old westerns: the nitroglycerin explosion! After a few failed attempts, he decides to trigger the substance’s impact sensitivity by hammering it. Will it be an explosive success?

[wictimovgovonca]

Now this is something I would love to see the slo-mo guys film at a very high frame rate

[dabbidaa]

When old nitro starts to crystallize and those microscopic crystals rub against each other, that's when it starts getting touch sensitive. So those westerns where they dig out ancient dynamite out of an abandoned mine, and it explodes from dropping, aren't far off.

[_stonhinge]

Adam after the first drop: "Where's the kaboom? There was supposed to be an Earth-shattering kaboom!"

[danlafleur]

WOW! Did not expect to see the 4 welded steel plates come apart or be sent into orbit.
Freaking awesome!

[bgdexter]

Guess they redefined "safe position" after that flight of the bumble plate ^_^

[corky]

When Adam is behind the structure it reminds me of Monty Python and the holy Grail when the French Knights were making fun of the British knights

[jetegtmeier]

it's scarier to think the shock started on TOP of the steel plates, so it's the rebound that sent them flying into the air

[davideversole]

I love the look on Adam's face when he says oh yeah you can clean it up by hitting it with a hammer

[MikeRoberts]

Watching the metal plate fly overhead, I was like "It's the cannonball all over again."

[heavymetalbassist]

coolest thing a harbor freight ball hammer ever did

[GaryBickford]

Considering the plates were _under_ the nitro (unless it leaked under them), the force that tossed them 75 feet was the _rebound_ of the steel being flexed downward!

[gianfunk]

that camera man's for sure looking for a raise the way he followed those 12" steel plates @discoveryaustralia haha

[JHamList]

Ive working in mining, specifically drill and blast, and from what I've heard anecdotally the concern wasn't so much with dropped bottles of nitro per se, but that old dynamite sticks would sweat beads nitro out of them when improperly stored, making them very dangerous to handle as the nitro glycerin was no long stabilized within the clay and if you were rough with it accidents could happen.

[Firehawk]

Yeah, even if 95% of the time the drop doesn't detonate it, the detonation is big enough that you just don't want to be anywhere nearby when the natural one comes up.

[synapse]

i love the moment Adam hears "hit it with a hammer" and his face just changes, and you know what that means, hahaha

[jaywolfenstien]

Me looking at the thumbnail: "Why is Adam dressed up like an astronaut dinosaur?"
Me after watching the video: "Adam can dress up however he wants. That was ****ing AMAZING!"

[NetAndyCz]

Some explosives are really fickle, they do not explode when you expect them to, and then they explode for barely any reason.
that flying steel plate was dangerous!
5:45 btw you miss the nitrogen gas in the animation

[troyh]

Adam Savage: Drops a glass bottle of nitro from 6 feet on to the concrete -- doesn't break

Me: Leans over to close my car door and my sunglasses fall off my lap and hit the drive way -- dozens of broken pieces everywhere.

[spddiesel]

Watching the bottle continue to not break was awesome. Especially the little "tink" it gave after the dramatic music and slow mo lol

[TECHnoman]

3:04 was probably the best Homer "DOUH!" moment I've ever seen if there was one🤣🤣🤣