How to Create a Bamboo Cannon

Now I am going to share a little bit about a traditional “fire weapon” called Bamboo Cannon as well as a simple tutorial of how to create it. Basically this bamboo cannon is a traditional plaything comes from Malay, and most of Malay communities know the game, especially those living in the rural areas. These days, the game is usually played in celebrations such as national independence day and Heroes’ Day celebrations. Its emergence was inspired by the weapon used by Portuguese some time ago in the colonial era. The natives at that time were amazed by a modern weapon owned by the Portuguese, the weapon that could throw a lethal fire with a booming sound from such a distance, which now is called a fire cannon. That situation bred a manifestation in the form of a clone cannon which is made from a bamboo (bambuseae). This bamboo cannon does not cast a deadly fire as a real cannon does. It is just an imitation cannon with the sound blaring out from the mouth of the bamboo as an effect of the pressure resulted by the burnt carbide gas. Nevertheless, for children and those who have heart attack symptoms, a bamboo canon is not something to play with.  The steps to create and fire the “weapon” are in these ways:

Before making a bamboo cannon, first you have to prepare the items you need, those are: a sturdy bamboo, a saw, a machete, rugs, a carbide, a glass of water, 1 meter of a small wooden rod, and a match.

1. At first, cut the bamboo (the fresh one is better) using the saw and make it 1 to 2 m long, it is better to choose a bamboo with the hole about 10 cm or more in diameter, the larger the diameter and the older the age of the bamboo, the bigger the sound produced by the cannon and the bamboo will not be easily broken or split. Then clean the outer coating of the bamboo.

The bamboo which has been cut

2. Remove the inner shell membranes inside the bamboo using the machete or a crowbar. Remove only the membranes near the front edge and the one(s) in the middle, the rear membrane should not be removed, because this will be functioned to retain the generated explosion and buffer the fuel so that it does not spill out of the bamboo. 

Cut only the two shell membranes

3. Make a hole about 2 cm in diameter on the surface of a bamboo with a spacing about 10 cm from the rear membrane, this hole serves later as the trigger. You already now have your own cannon. You may want to modify the cannon by any kind of ways so that it resembles a real one.

 

Make the trigger hole

4. Place the cannon in a diagonal position by putting the base/rear of the bamboo on the ground using stones or a wood as a buttress. This consequentially makes the front part face  diagonally above. After that, put the fuel which is in the form of small pieces of a carbide plus a bit of kerosene into the front hole, add a little water so that the carbide gas quickly fills the space inside the cannon. Adding a little salt is fine to add the voice bang. For an optimum effect, close the front and the trigger hole of the cannon with rugs for a while, until the fuel gas fills the cannon. Next, remove all of the rugs from the holes and your cannon is now ready to rumble.

5. Fire the cannon using the wooden rod whose one of its tips wrapped by an oiled rug then burn the wrapped part with fire. Slowly put on the fire into the hole and... Boom!!

The triggered bamboo cannon

That is every part of how to make your own home “fire cannon” made from a bamboo. I hope anyone find it useful, especially those who are not on familiar terms with traditional Malay games. Every feedback is greatly appreciated.  Happy Firing ! :)

Plants to Take Care of Your Teeth and Mouth

In everyday life, we make use of toothpaste, mouthwash, or other dental and oral care products as a rule to purify our teeth  and mouths. However, did you know there are also plants that can be used to practically and naturally take care and clean them? The benefits and results are not inferior to those of the modern products sold in today’s markets. These plants are indeed the materials used in generating dental hygiene and oral care products available at this point in time. Somehow, not only traditional societies who make use of the plants, many modern populations in the world use them in spite of everything. Here are some of the types of the marvelous plants:

1. Siwak (Salvadora persica)

There are not many people use Siwak as a dental and oral  care tool in the western world, but in some parts of the world like Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, Siwak, a small twig taken from the roots of Arak (Salvadora persica), is commonly used as a daily teeth cleaning ‘key’. This is because, in addition to cultural factors, siwak also scientifically contains anti-bacterial and anti-fungal acid. Some people may think of it as an old-style thing, but not for the users of Siwak. The soft and fibrous twig is felt comfortable when being rubbed on the teeth while it effectively kills germs at the same time. In addition, Siwak's typical fragrance remains unchanged inspite of its repetitive use. Universitas Indonesia’s research journal has shown that essential oil content in a siwak trunk can stimulate  rapid salivary flow. With the rapid flow of saliva, the decreasing of dental plaque pH can be inhibited, because saliva contains bicarbonate as an effective defense against acid production of cariogenic bacteria. Siwak has a bactericidal effect against some bacteria in the dental plaque, including acid-producing bacteria. Due to the effect, the foods metabolism by the bacteria does not occur. As a result, the acid production is not formed and the pH of the plaque is not decreased. In addition, gargling with a liquid of siwak extract two times a day is effective in improving the pH of dental plaque and increase the pH of saliva.

2. Betel leaf (Piper betle)

Many traditional societies, especially those who are living in Asia still use this plant as a dental and oral treatment solution. It’s not for the reason that the toothpaste and mouthwash are not there, but this branching vine is believed to be hereditarily able to overcome various problems arise in many parts of the body, especially the teeth and the mouth, such as toothache, canker sores, oral thrush, and bad breath. Chewing betel leaves regularly maintains healthy teeth and gums. This is consistent with research that shows betel leaf has its benefits as an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-larvae, anti-diabetic, and anti-inflammatory. It also confirms that gargling with boiled betel leaf water can eliminate plaque and pain as effective as mouthwash, because eugenol contained in the betel leaves is analgesic. It is a medicinal plant which has been traditionally passed through the generations of Asian societies.

3. Clove (Syzygium aromaticum)

Besides as the main substance for producing tobacco and as a cooking spice, clove can be utilized effectively to clean and taking care of teeth, especially in removing tartar. Rubbing the finely grounded cloves which have been mixed with betel leaves onto the teeth, is believed to naturally eliminate tartar, and makes breath more fresh and fragrant. Scientifically, cloves are the most potent source of eugenol, the eugenol level contained by a clove is fantastically high. Eugenol which serves as an antimicrobial and antiseptic is widely used as raw materials of antiseptic liquid such as mouthwash and toothpaste. Mouthwash containing eugenol can inhibit the growth of bacteria that can cause dental plaque. Moreover, almost all oral microbes can be suppressed by the eugenol compound.

4. Peppermint (Mentha)

Many benefits contained in peppermint, one of which is to eliminate bad breath. The way how peppermint works is basically the same with betel leaves and cloves. Peppermint is associated with the aroma and freshness because it contains menthol, which consists of natural anti-bacterial. Menthol, besides causes a cooling sensation and provides health benefits to breathing, is an antiseptic material generally used in producing bad breath reliever candies plus a good quality painkiller. Even toothpaste is now made by adding menthol.  Chewing peppermint leaves may reduce the growth of bacteria in the mouth by stimulating the production of saliva and keep the mouth moist.

Those are the plants which can practically be used to naturally maintain teeth and oral health. Care to try them or apply them to the daily life? It is your choice to select.:)