Handcrafted by "Doc Ryan", Special Operations warrior. Explosion Art Metal sign depicting "SOWW" insignia.
This piece was made on a range in Benghazi, Libya on 23 July 2022.
The metal is Aluminum which is very hard to find in Libya. This sheet was purchased
from a vendor in Tripoli.
The explosives used to create this Art was Composition C-1.
The explosive comes with wax sheet separating it so it can be supplied in a roll. The
desired size of explosives was cut off the roll to provide overlap of the entire metal
surface. Once this is cut the metal was placed in between the explosive and the wax
sheet for ease of movement. Also the explosive sheet is sticky and over this process
sticks to the metal surface.
A stencil was sized and printed out of the SOWW logo.
The paper sheet was then placed onto the explosive surface. Using a scalpel the
explosive was cut out of the areas that were desired to be raised. This was the tricky
part and the artistic portion of this process.
Once the desired portion of the stencil was cut out, the plan on the direction of the
explosion was determined. The explosion happens very fast but in sequence from a
start point at the blasting cap to an end, in this case the middle.
From this estimation the gaps in the explosives had to be bridged over to ensure the
explosion happened as one full wave. Thin pieces of explosives were cut to bridge
over the created gaps from the stencil. Under the bridges small pieces of toilet
paper were rolled up and placed under the bridges. This was to keep the explosive
bridges from marking the raised portions during the shock wave. This is tricky and
creative and takes the most time.
Purchaser must take possession of the item immediately after the event. If the purchaser present at the event does not collect the item immediately after the event, the item may be shipped to the purchaser with purchaser responsible for all packing, handling and shipping costs upon the purchaser's request. If the purchaser fails to collect the item immediately after the event AND does not contact SOWW to request the item be shipped at the purchaser's cost, ownership of the item reverts back to SOWW with no refund of the purchase price.
In this case two tails of explosives were created to allow the Initiator (blasting cap) to
be off of the metal sheet and to ensure the shock wave came from both ends of the
sheet to meet in the middle.
The time system was created using time fuse and math to create a 3 minute time
system for initiation. M60 Fuse igniter was attached to one end and a blasting cap is
crimped onto the time fuse at the other end with a small loop of Det Cord attached.
At the range, a sandbag of soft sand was dumped, smoothed out and any rocks
were removed.
The piece was placed on the soft sand as flat as possible.
The explosive strips cut were pressed into both ends of the piece. They came
together off of the sand and again were pressed together and the blasting cap was
attached from the time system.
Range was called in hot for a controlled explosion in 3 min.
The safety pin was removed from the M60 fuse igniter, the plunger was pushed in,
then initiated by a sharp pull away from the time fuse, stopwatch was started.
Smoke was observed and the call burning was given.
Only two were made. One is this auction item and the other is hanging in the
SOWW Hunt lodge near Myrtle Beach, SC.
If the purchaser is not present at the event and purchases the item on line, that purchaser shall be responsible for all packing, handling and shipping costs to deliver the item to the purchaser. The actual amount for packing, handling and shipping will be charged to the purchaser's account.
