The FIRST STEP in the preparation of the primer, when using 

 fuse and blasting cap, is to examine your dynamite and see that it is not 

 frozen. Frozen dynamite is hard and rigid; when thawed it is soft. 

 Next examine your fuse, see that it is not stiff and brittle; in this 

 condition it is advisable to warm same slightly before a fire until it 

 becomes pliable. Take your cap crimpers and cut the required length 

 from the roll; cut should be made squarely across and not diagonally. 

 Sometimes in the cutting the end becomes flattened, thereby making the 

 end of the fuse too large to enter the blasting cap. It is Jherefore ad- 

 visable to squeeze the end round with index finger and thumb. Insert this 

 end carefully into the detonator, well down to the explosive charge. Do 

 not twist it about. The charge is very sensitive and the friction caused 

 may explode it. Although this operation is not dangerous, yet great care 

 should be exercised. After the fuse is inserted into the detonator as 

 above described, take the cap crimper and crimp detonator to the fuse. 

 The crimp should be made near the end which the fuse enters, so as not 

 to disturb in any way the explosive charge which the blasting cap con- 

 tains. Do not use common pincers, knife, or the teeth in this operation. 

 If the work is wet, then smear the joint with tallow, wax or soap. Do 

 not use oily grease as the oil might penetrate the fuse wrapping and 

 spoil the powder. 



The next operation is the insertion of the cap into the dynamite 

 cartridge. There are two methods of doing this, namely: (1) By 

 punching a hole diagonally into the side of cartridge, insert blasting cap 

 into same and tie fuse with a piece of twine to side of cartridge. Electric 

 fuzes may be inserted and fastened in the same manner. Another quick 

 method of fastening fuse but not electric fuze wires is to straddle the 

 fuse with an ordinary soft iron wire hairpin, pushing the legs of same 

 right through the cartridge and bending them upward on the opposite 

 side. Do not use steel wire hairpins and do not use this method to 

 fasten electric fuze wires as it may short-circuit them and cause a misfire. 

 If only a half cartridge is required for a charge, each end of the whole 

 cartridge should be primed as described above before cutting it in half, 

 as by doing this los* of dynamite from spilling is obviated do not cut, 

 break, or puncn a hole into frozen dynamite cartridges; or (2) by 

 unfolding paper wrapper at one end of cartridge and punching a hole 

 about \ l / 2 inches deep with the rounded handle of the cap crimper. Into 

 this insert the cap with fuse, draw paper wrapper over and tie same 

 tight with a piece of twine. 



Method No. 1 is preferred by most agricultural blasters because it 

 leaves the whole top of the cartridge intact for tamping, and also leaves 

 a cushion of dynamite between the tamping stick and the detonator, 

 making the operation of tamping easier and safer. 



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