Smoke fluid: Legal disclaimer: Take note

Ok,

Like Grandma's secret cookie recipe, I was given an alternative to the (expensive, possibly overpriced) LGB Smoke Fluid.  I have shared said recipe.

No guarantees it doesn't harm your smoke elements or damage your engines.
But I have shared it.
Your risk I felt amongst consenting adults.

Following a conversation tonight then CLEARLY YOUR RISK.

Will it burn your house down?
Probably, if you try, really, really, really hard (legally I suspect we are into Arson territory at this point) and set it up so it can burn your house down.

I thought I would test the questions about spills etc..
I was never one to shy away from practical chemistry....

My results (your tests may differ) into the mixture as quoted..(which form now on must remain one of those freemansonry type "not to be divulged" secrets.

Throwing matches into a pool of the secret mix...  No fumes, no vapour, all a bit of a dud really...
This does however set me thinking about at what mixture is there fuel vapour/flammabillity   A bit like saying "can I make napalm at home?".  (I suspect pseudo Napalm might work better with BBQ gel rather than fluid).

So from here we progress to the "spill test" concept... Is it volatile ?  And at what percentages ?  I'm sorry that I don't have those answers to hand for you.  Next weekend on the Iscatalbahn bomb range might have some answers for you.  (Napalm per se is Petroleum Jelly with tweaks which set me wondering about BBQ lighter jelly...

Boys and Girls: DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS AT HOME

For the following tests I put a piece of kitchen paper into the bowl that had previously had the lit matches dropped directly into bare fluid...  Stirred it around, ensured it was thoroughly soaked and then set light to it.  

 

     

Iscatalbahn fire and rescue were on alert and had the pitcher of water to hand and the smothering (aka "deprive of oxygen" plate (and if you don't know how this works then go back to school).

A word of warning about water...  

The water is to ensure no problems AFTER the fire is out, otherwise you might be into big burns territory... I have no idea if the patent mix is into this territory, but I'm finding out only outdoors..

Now:

a) I have yet to get the "secret recipe" burning without a base (e.g. impregnated tissue)

b  I have yet then to pour water onto it.  

(Away hopefully to a railway show on Saturday, but Sunday otherwise to play in the garden).

So, give it an impregnated tissue and set direct fire to the tissue and it will burn, and the tissue is a conduit/wick and appears to therefore burn fairly slowly...    

So, where does this leave us ?

Well, back to the realm of common sense, except todays litigaticious society doesn't seem to start off with a concept of personal sense and responsibility.  

Botched self install of a smoke unit and leaking fluid everywhere ?  I dunno if an electrical spark would set that off, and again that is fresh territory.   

I have filled locomotives "on the go"without flashback from eye dropper bottles.  That is at my own risk and at the secret recipe mix.  I suspect 100% BBQ lighter fluid will give you problems (least of all being no smoke).

"Hey, let's be careful out there."

And to see who is paying attention then let me know where the  above quote comes from and I'll see what I can sort out as some sort of reward.  

Chris