Defensive Tactics Against Mobs

[Weetabix]

Hot enough. I set my buddy on fire with methanol once. He got very excited.

[henrybowman]

The Ultimate Retreat Protection Idea

It would be a ring of in-ground sprinklers in a large circle about 200 to 300 feet in diameter with the house(that would be made of masonry as it should be because they are not flammable) and outlying buildings garden ect inside the ring.

It would also include any road leading up to the house.

If and when a large horde of looters come and "demand their fair share" you would activate the system the sprinklers would come out of the ground and instead of water they would be switched over to a tank of high octane gasoline(or Bio Diesel or Alcohol based fuel) and they would spray a massive spray/cloud of flammable liquid in the kill zone/road way where the looters would be.

Then after 5 to 15 seconds the sprinklers(which would be made our of steel or bronze or some metal that would not be effected by the heat or chemical effects of what ever was being used for the defense system) would shut down and drop below the ground.

After a few tracer rounds or a 37mm Flare it would be a hellish inferno that would take out all if not most of the looters and their vehicles.


I call it "The Ring Of Fire" a defense system of Fort Kickass.

So what is your take on this idea?

Not trying to break the rules..just a playful thought.

[Aglifter]

Getting a proper aerosolized mix, in an open area, might be quite tricky - it could be done inside a moat, etc

It would be simpler to build lines which can hold the pressure - not too hard, actually, and boil the gasoline, etc then set up ignition sources on the nozzles - you wouldn't really want to do this, though - might be tricky to do wo blowing up.

(We used to do things like this for entertainment on a small scale as a kid - we became chemists and engineers - at a large scale, I think things get very complicated.)

Thee you go! "Fort Kickass" has a moat, ringed w vents to allow the gasoline vapor to rapidly fill, and the proper valving etc to isolate the supply from the moat.

Flood the moat w vapor from a souce put to boil on the sight of the horde, ignite, and repeat as needed.

(If you try this in reality, you will die a horrible death at some point.)

[Denis]

... We used to do things like this for entertainment on a small scale as a kid - we became chemists...

Some chemists stay kids...

I would go for that over boiling gasoline - less volatile and dangerous to the user.

My brother, as a child, once fended off an attempted home invasion by going medieval - pouring boiling washing-up liquid (dish detergent) from an upstairs window onto the would-be intruder. Just like "Home Alone".

[Weetabix]

How about using steam heat for Fort Kickass and running insulated loops with vents to where you've funneled attackers? Steam burns are nasty, but they won't endanger your lawn or make the living room smell like barbecue.

[Aglifter]

Excellent idea - 400 degree steam is very nasty - you will need large quantities though

[Termite]

It does not take much engineering to set up a methanol spray system. A directional yard watering system should do nicely. Just add an air -driven diaphragm pump sucking from a tank, tied into your system. Bonus points for remote control of spray nozzles. A 12ga marine flare pistol should do nicely for igniting the vapors.

Methanol is an oxygenated fuel. On a sunny day, you WILL NOT see the flames. Look for heat waves, smoke coming from objects, screaming rioters, etc.

[Weetabix]

It does not take much engineering to set up a methanol spray system. A directional yard watering system should do nicely. Just add an air -driven diaphragm pump sucking from a tank, tied into your system. Bonus points for remote control of spray nozzles. A 12ga marine flare pistol should do nicely for igniting the vapors.

Methanol is an oxygenated fuel. On a sunny day, you WILL NOT see the flames. Look for heat waves, smoke coming from objects, screaming rioters, etc.

Damn you. I already had enough home science projects on my list. This one may jump the queue based on fun points, though.

[Windy Wilson]

It does not take much engineering to set up a methanol spray system. A directional yard watering system should do nicely. Just add an air -driven diaphragm pump sucking from a tank, tied into your system. Bonus points for remote control of spray nozzles. A 12ga marine flare pistol should do nicely for igniting the vapors.

Methanol is an oxygenated fuel. On a sunny day, you WILL NOT see the flames. Look for heat waves, smoke coming from objects, screaming rioters, etc.

Damn you. I already had enough home science projects on my list. This one may jump the queue based on fun points, though.

So I presume the flames from a methanol Molotov Cocktail would be similarly invisible?

[Termite]

So I presume the flames from a methanol Molotov Cocktail would be similarly invisible?

I invoke the 5th Amendment.........