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How to Make a Smoke Grenade

C. Davis by C. Davis
March 30, 2015
23

Editor’s Note: This article is an update of the original – posted one year ago.  

Using a Smoke Grenade

The smoke grenade that we are about to make is similar to the US Army M18 Colored Smoke Grenade.

These smoke grenades are used by the Military for creation of smoke screens in case of a retreat or flanking maneuvers in order to provide a wall of visual distraction that reduces the accuracy of enemy fire or to signal a position for air supported attacks (or SOS signaling).

Color Meaning:

Each unit designates the meaning and purpose for each color (white tends to be used to mask movement/confuse enemy, etc. only). Sometimes each mission may dictate different color signals for different meanings (lift & shift fire, phase line reached, extract, etc.). In other situations, different colors are meant to mark positions to aircraft to verify that the force on the ground popping smoke is who they say they are.

In peacetime red typically meant that there is an injury and all training is to be halted until the injury is addressed. (Source)

RED and Orange are internationally associated with the distress signal (10 ways to signal SOS). Non-military uses of smoke grenades vary from signaling your position in case you are lost to fireworks, paintball games, self-defense, protests, spectators, airsoft enthusiasts. However, the smoke grenade class is restricted to signaling and concealment under the laws of war, and thus they are not considered weapons. The smoke grenade remains legal for civilian use and ownership in most countries.

How to Make a Real Smoke Grenade – the one hour method

One of the best methods to create a smoke grenade is basically a mixture of potassium nitrate and sugar. The former ingredient is also known as saltpeter and usually it’s not available for purchase. But you may use Spectracide Stump Remover which consists mostly of saltpeter. It works just fine!

You’ll need:

  • 60g of Saltpeter (sometimes found in Garden Shops) or Spectracide Stump Remover (availabe on Amazon) ;
  • 40g of Sugar
  • One spoon of Baking Soda
  • 3 large spoons Organic Powdered Dye (found at Hobby Shops) – for color smoke bomb;
  • Card Tube (or toilet paper tube, soda can)
  • Pen
  • Firework fuse or make your own fuse
  • Duct Tape

The mix will be placed in a soda can that you have to cut in half. In order to create a good mix for this smoke grenade, add two parts of sugar to three parts of saltpeter. Cook these two ingredients and mix them constantly until they create a golden paste that is rather gooey. Stop the fire now as if you keep the mix on fire any longer, you risk igniting it and you don’t want a smoke grenade in your kitchen.

While the mix is still warm and malleable, pour it into the soda can that you cut earlier. You will have half of a soda can filled with a gooey substance that will soon solidify. This is the moment when you need to put a fuse into the mix. Place a thick string about an inch inside the mix and leave at least two inches outside. Then, you can either refrigerate or freeze the soda can or wait for it to cool down and harden naturally. It will take about 20 minutes for the mixture to be solid and then, you will be able to light it on fire.

However: this is a much more powerful smoke grenade than the next one and you should ignite it only in open environments. Also, try to avoid lighting it near your neighbor’s house as he or she might not be eager to be surrounded by a thick layer of smoke. This smoke grenade is unlikely to put something on fire, because it is contained in a soda can, but you should not leave it unattended, either.

How to upgrade your smoke grenade?

1. Add a pull ring fuse:

2. Add more colors: if you want to upgrade your smoke grenade you can also add more colors. This is not something that can be done with the second type of smoke bomb, as you cannot add color into that solid mix of elements. In order to do this, you can simply use organic food color. Note that you’ll have the best (coloring) results using other formulas (point 3):

3. Use other recipes: some chemicals may not be readily available unless you have access to a chemistry lab, but it’s worth knowing how it’s done. The ingredients are sifted together and ignited to produce the smoke.

Sulfur Smoke Grenade Recipe
Potassium nitrate – 4 parts
Charcoal – 5 parts
Sulfur – 10 parts
Wood dust – 3 parts

Para-nitroaniline Smoke Grenade Recipe (Red and Orange)
Potassium chlorate – 15%
Secret Room Doorpara-nitroaniline red – 65%
Lactose – 20%

Green Smoke Grenade Recipe
Synthetic indigo – 26%
Auramine (yellow) – 15%
Potassium chlorate – 35%
Lactose – 26%

For all the preppers out there: you may consider adding a few smoke grenades to your SHTF arsenal. Especially when setting up home defenses, cover and escape paths. Here are a few efficient and unconventional fast-tips about protecting your home in time of war or social chaos from a well-known army officer vet Steve Walker.

How to Make a Smoke Bomb – the 10 minutes method (to entertain your kids)

These smoke grenades, also known as smoke bombs, are probably something you did as a child. If not, at least you had a friend who did them.

Depending on the size of the smoke bomb, you might want to add any amount of ping pong balls you want.

smoke grenade for kids
This is all you need

However, a medium sized smoke grenade is perfect with about 5 balls. Cut all the ping pong balls. This will take you about 10 minutes. Each piece of the ball should have about half-inch in order to be packed with ease into the tinfoil later. Large shards will not burn properly and they might also puncture the tinfoil too. The alternative is to smash the balls and then rip them apart by hand, but this is much more tedious and you could also get a cut, as plastic can also be quite sharp.

Now you can either place them in another ping pong ball that was previously pierced in order for the shards to be placed inside, or you can directly wrap all of the small bits into tinfoil. If you want a single exit point for the smoke, use a pencil as you wrap the shards. Place it in the tinfoil and wrap the foil around it. Then, take the pencil out and you will have a miniature chimney from which the smoke will come out. The final step that you need to perform during this process is to light up the smoke grenade. Light the part with the ping pong ball shards until you see smoke coming out of the “chimney” and then step back.

Other Useful Resources:

Do You Make These Fatal Mistakes In A Crisis? (Video)

How to Make Your Knife as Sharp as the Devil Himself

The EMP Preparedness Guide (Video)

How to Slash your Electricity Bills by 80% or More (Video)

Best MMA Self-Defense Techniques

Here’s the #1 Killer In Any Crisis (Video)

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Comments 23

  1. SRT says:
    9 years ago

    For better results use this recipe. 60 grams Potassium nitrate, 40 grams table sugar and 40 grams of parrofin wax. Melt the wax then stir in other dry ingredients. I have made 100s of smoke bombs and this will net you the best results. Also the containers nozzle size is a big deal. If you make it to small it will blow out the plug. Too big and it’ll burn to fast and be like a smokey rocket motor. After you have made the smoke mix and inserted ingredients in a tube allow to dry for a couple days for best results. You can use it after the wax has hardened but will burn at a higher rate than if you let it setup for a day or two. “4.3 large spoons Organic Powdered Dye (found at Hobby Shops) – for color smoke bomb” This part is very missleading!!! Its not true! If you want colored smoke you must use potassium chlorate instead of potassium nitrate. Or you will have a poo brown colored smoke. Also note that colored smoke mixes are highly toxic if inhaled. The smoke mix I have provided will give you a long lasting burn and thick smoke and is non toxic even though i dont suggest inhalation.. Use it and you wont be dissapointed.

    happy prepping!

    Did you like this comment? 7
    1
    Reply
    • Badmedic says:
      5 years ago

      Hey – I know this is an old post (I can’t even tell what year it’s from – but in this case, at least, the date absolutely doesn’t matter, because… when you’re right, you’re just right! (And I’m talking about the poster that told the “blah, blah, blah” poster that his post was both uncalled for and unhelpful). I’ve been getting a lot of good info from this posting (if it matters, it’s Aug. 2017), and the info is still as pertinent and helpful, as the comment about “blah blah-blah, etc.” is, to say the least, unhelpful. The response to that comment, which suggested you maybe find something useful of your own to post, rather than pick apart other posts is, well.. a lot more polite a suggestion, than you perhaps deserved. I will gladly not only apologize for what I’ve said here, , but I will put a list of seriously, seriously embarrassing things about myself to give you stuff to talk about for the next year….. if you would please tell me where I might read some of your posts that actually made a real, meaningful, contribution to any conversation. Obviously, if you do make meaningful contributions to conversations, and you picking on that poster was just a one-time thing, then I’ve got a lot of crow to eat. You, however, have some soul searching to do, to try and find out why you felt tne urge to randomly pick on someone and try to make them feel bad about themselves. Or, altternatively, if you trying to make people feel stupid is something you do on a regular basis, then, truly, sincerely, my heart goes out to you. There are several support groups that come to mind, but honestly, I think you would feel very ‘at home’ and in your element– at JA (Jackass Anonymous). Of course there’s AA, too (I don’t think I’m allowed to actually write that one out, but you get the ideal). Just because it’s easy and “safe” (for you) to pick on someone online, doesn’t mean you should — or that it’s even ok). This whole post is so old, I doubt you’ll ever see this, but if you do, take five minutes, put on your big girl pants, and let’s have a conversation about this.

      Did you like this comment? 1
      Reply
  2. bom barter says:
    8 years ago

    bla bla bla

    Did you like this comment?
    5
    Reply
    • left coast chuck says:
      6 years ago

      Not a very helpful comment at all. Constructive comments to this site are much more helpful. Questions are always important as they help clear up potential ambiguities but a comment such as you posted adds absolutely nothing to the discussion. If the topic bores you, move on to another site.

      Did you like this comment?
      Reply
    • Badmedic says:
      5 years ago

      Hey – I know this is an old post (I can’t even tell what year it’s from – but in this case, at least, the date absolutely doesn’t matter, because… when you’re right, you’re just right! (And I’m talking about the poster that told the “blah, blah, blah” poster that his post was both uncalled for and unhelpful). I’ve been getting a lot of good info from this posting (if it matters, it’s Aug. 2017), and the info is still as pertinent and helpful, as the comment about “blah blah-blah, etc.” is, to say the least, unhelpful. The response to that comment, which suggested you maybe find something useful of your own to post, rather than pick apart other posts is, well.. a lot more polite a suggestion, than you perhaps deserved. I will gladly not only apologize for what I’ve said here, , but I will put a list of seriously, seriously embarrassing things about myself to give you stuff to talk about for the next year….. if you would please tell me where I might read some of your posts that actually made a real, meaningful, contribution to any conversation. Obviously, if you do make meaningful contributions to conversations, and you picking on that poster was just a one-time thing, then I’ve got a lot of crow to eat. You, however, have some soul searching to do, to try and find out why you felt tne urge to randomly pick on someone and try to make them feel bad about themselves. Or, altternatively, if you trying to make people feel stupid is something you do on a regular basis, then, truly, sincerely, my heart goes out to you. There are several support groups that come to mind, but honestly, I think you would feel very ‘at home’ and in your element– at JA (Jackass Anonymous). Of course there’s AA, too (I don’t think I’m allowed to actually write that one out, but you get the ideal). Just because it’s easy and “safe” (for you) to pick on someone online, doesn’t mean you should — or that it’s even ok). This whole post is so old, I doubt you’ll ever see this, but if you do, take five minutes, put on your big girl pants, and let’s have a conversation about this.

      Did you like this comment?
      Reply
  3. eseberg says:
    8 years ago

    don’t know if I’d trust something like this I made

    Did you like this comment?
    Reply
  4. mmcan says:
    8 years ago

    how can you make a lancher for it

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    Reply
  5. Dave says:
    8 years ago

    I’ve made the saltpeter/sugar type of smoke bomb since I was 13y/o(62 now). It works. I found that when “cooking” it…add just enough water to dissolve or help dissolve the mixture…then cook it to evaporate the water. You need to stir it almost constantly. It will turn into a real thick “paste”. Then place it in your container of choice, place your fuse and let it completely dry and harden. If you use “cannon fuse”(green waterproof) coat the part that goes into the mix with a “light” coat of wax. Note: I had a batch ignite on me, once. Almost destroyed my Mom’s stove and part of her kitchen. I got careless and let it go too long. I also had to work off paying for the damage. (We took responsibility for our misadventures back then.) This stuff can be pretty amazing as far as the amount of smoke it produces…and it will set other things on fire. Don’t use your “better half’s” pans, either…;)

    Did you like this comment? 3
    Reply
    • Mark says:
      2 years ago

      and don’t put it in the microwave to see what happens….trust me on this one.

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      Reply
  6. magglo says:
    8 years ago

    Why is it you use grams,kgs or such when the standard in U.S.A. is ozs or lbs

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    • left coast chuck says:
      6 years ago

      Perhaps because he lives in Canada or some other country where the metric system is the one used. If you are measuring gunpowder you use grains of gunpowder which is a very small measurement of weight.

      Did you like this comment? 2
      Reply
    • S p a c e says:
      4 years ago

      Because the OP wanted to make the recipe scalable and is also not a masochist.
      Trust me, I was born and raised here in the US. Use only metric/SI for a week and you’ll be swearing at American cookbooks for the rest of your life, because that’s the only place you’ll still be forced to deal with it.

      Did you like this comment? 1
      Reply
    • Steve says:
      4 years ago

      Because the metric system is used universally in science, including chemistry, even in the United states.

      Did you like this comment? 3
      Reply
  7. neo160 says:
    6 years ago

    Add some surfer to the mix with the wax and you have a rotten egg smelly, smoke bomb

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    Reply
    • Rob says:
      2 months ago

      FYI Replace the dye for colored smoke with a very hot cayenne pepper powder and see what you get….;( lol tear gas

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      Reply
  8. Right wing says:
    6 years ago

    Left coast chuck. You are a douch.

    Did you like this comment?
    2
    Reply
    • C. Davis says:
      6 years ago

      Sorry, but he is not. In fact, his comments are probably the most informative ones on this website

      Did you like this comment? 1
      Reply
  9. Chemistry Crew says:
    6 years ago

    By any chance, does anyone know how many grenades the 60g:40g recipe makes? Assuming we’re using a standard toilet paper roll for the case.

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    Reply
    • Dr Prepper says:
      6 years ago

      1 full toilet roll with a tiny bit left over

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      Reply
  10. Curley Bull says:
    6 years ago

    I don’t know “Left Coast Truck”, but he comes across to me an intelligent and mature fella. I love criticism IF it is constructive, other wise it is useless hot air.

    Did you like this comment? 1
    Reply
  11. Sam says:
    6 years ago

    Nearly burned my grill. I had a emergency plan but I didnt think it would cause so much flame and heat. Made a lot of heat and some number 2. Do not do this.

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    Reply
  12. freebob says:
    3 years ago

    Can you extend the burn time just by making longer tubes? Any downside to doing that? How do you make it start using a battery and switch instead of lighting manually?

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    Reply
  13. Ashley says:
    1 year ago

    I saw a site that sells re-usable smoke grenade canisters, good for many re-uses. A great match for these recipes! I found them on GunBroker, but he sells them on his own site too, reloadableshells.com

    Thanks for these recipes! 😀

    Did you like this comment?
    Reply

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