Pyrotechnics

The big fireworks day is almost here, but most of you are limited in what you can do when it comes to celebrating the Fourth of July with a bang. Unless you live in a dry area prone to wildfires, one type of fireworks you can probably still legally buy are sparklers. But why ...more

Halloween just isn't Halloween without Jack O'Lanterns. Below, anything and everything you need to know on the art of pumpkin carving. 1. Prepare a Pumpkin for Carving Serious Eats' video demonstration is for true novices: "This video is for you unlucky souls who never got t ...more

At a very early age, I would go on summer camping trips. I remember every night being handed a pack of sparklers that were my own, to swing around wildly, which gave me many valuable life lessons on cause and effect. My curiosity with fireworks grew continually throughout my ...more

The design of these gloves makes them cheap and relatively safe. Layer up cotton-plastic-cotton gloves to create a barrier between your skin and the flaming lighter fluid. Use these fireproof gloves for movie SFX or a magic show. Or just to add some flair to your raver-style h ...more

Impossible, right? Ahh, well science says fire and ice can and do coexist. The Science of this experiment:Dry ice at -109ºF, is frozen carbon dioxide (CO2), not water (H2O). Dry ice is also much colder than a freezer ice cube. To be exact it is almost as cold as Earth's cold ...more

Rosemarie Fiore is badass. She makes art with pyrotechnics, amusement park rides, Atari, guns, and pinball machines. Though all of her work is cool, I have to say my favorite piece is Fiore's larger than life spirograph, made from an amusement park ride, entitled "Good Time Mi ...more

Attention all WonderHowTo explosive-lovers, here is an artist that just may awe and inspire... China's Cai Guo-Qiang opts for more thrilling materials than traditional paint, clay or plaster, say. Instead, Cai has mastered the art of gunpowder, fireworks and other pyrotechnic ...more

They Way Things Go is a Rube Goldberg inspired art film by Peter Fischli and David Weiss (1987). The 30 minute film documents an assembly line of action and reaction. Wikipedia: "The machine is in a warehouse, about 100 feet long, and incorporates materials such as tires, tr ...more

For most people, New Year's Eve means watching the ball drop in Times Square. It means celebrating the New Year with friends and family. Countdown parties, clocks, confetti... passing out before the clock strikes midnight because you drank too much. But there's one more thing, ...more

Send April and Phil away for the day, limo, nice dinner all that. While they are gone, annouce a free concert to everyone in town and online, put a stage on top of the roof, with all the sound equipment needed for a band to play. Have spotlights in place, pyrotechnics and mayb ...more