Stick Bombs (Exploding Kinetic Art) - Make:

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By Jason Poel Smith
Time Required: 1–3 Hours
Difficulty: Easy

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The term “stick bomb” is used to describe a broad category of kinetic art. A stick bomb can be almost anything that is constructed from flat sticks that are woven together and held under pressure. When a key stick is removed, the entire structure flies apart. Designs range from simple, single-cell bombs that you can hold in your hand to massive chains and grids that are made of thousands of sticks.

In this project, I am going show you how to make a few classic stick bomb designs — so put on your safety glasses and let’s get started.

View this project on Instructables.

Steps

Step #1: Select Your Sticks

Stick Bombs (Exploding Kinetic Art)

Stick bombs can be made from any flat material that has a lot of elastic spring to it. The most common materials are popsicle sticks and tongue depressors, but you can use anything from plastic rulers to 2x4s.
You want to select your materials based on the kind of stick bomb that you are making. Popsicle sticks are narrower and more springy than tongue depressors. This makes them more explosive — but also more unstable. So popsicle sticks are better suited for small projects. Tongue depressors are wider and more stable, which makes it easier to create larger projects.

Tagged craft sticks DIY Hacks and How Tos dominoes Jason Poel Smit kinetic art popsicle stick stick bombs tongue depressor

Jason Poel Smith

My name is Jason Poel Smith. I have an undergraduate degree in Engineering that is 50% Mechanical Engineering and 50% Electrical Engineering. I have worked in a variety of industries from hydraulic aerial lifts to aircraft tooling. I currently spend most of my time chasing around my new baby. In my spare time I make the how-to series "DIY Hacks and How Tos."

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