HEXAMINE. PLEASE READ!

Bishop

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Jan 25, 2014
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As the environment enters into the late pre-apocolyptic period what we need is Ray Mears giving a masterclass on how to make wasteland thermite by foraging for rusting farm machinery and discarded drinks cans.
 
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gra_farmer

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Mar 29, 2016
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Sodium chloride (I think that’s the right name, correct me if wrong), one of the best weed killers, was for sale incredibly cheap to buy. Withdrawn in case terrorists make bombs with it, about 8-10 years ago, yet all during the troubles in Northern Ireland, IRA choice of ingredient for their bombs was SC. Now you have to buy bottles of round up or similar for about ten to fifteen times the price, I sometimes think it’s not for our safety but big companies personal gain.
i’ll had my victor moment and get my coat!!!!!
sodium chlorate, although concentrations of salt have been used to kill weeds for centuries.... horticultural vinegar is the new sexy weedkiller

Withdrawn in case terrorists make bombs with it, about 8-10 years ago, yet all during the troubles in Northern Ireland, IRA choice of ingredient for their bombs was SC.
They added fire retardant to the mix, so it couldn't be used for bomb making, when adding sugar. The problems with sodium chlorate is that farmers were spontaneous combusting, as the original was used and overalls covered in to needed only friction or warm to ignite.

Rough explained, sodium or potassium chlorate decompose, producing chemical bonded oxygen to ignite. When adding sugar, the oxidation of the sugar is very exothermic, both chlorates continue to decompose to oxygen, and the rate of combustion becomes very rapid.....shake and throw basically.

It has been banned since 2010 following concerns that the chemical did not discriminate between plants and weeds.....which was it's selling point as a non selective herbicide. Similar to path clear (2-4D). Nothing to do with bomb making.
 
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Pattree

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Jul 19, 2023
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I don’t use much weed killer. I had no idea that Pathclear was 24D.
That was the main ingredient of agent orange used in Vietnam. It caused all sorts of health problems.

So hexamine is on this apparent list but 24D isn’t? Have I got this right?
OK - so it isn’t explosive but bloody he’ll!!!

It is impossible to ban what was one of the most used ingredients in terrorist bomb making. Bulk quantities of muriate of potash is an absolute necessity in agriculture if we want bread on the table.
 
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TLM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 16, 2019
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Did we get to the stage of looking up the "Ban Dihydrous Oxide" page yet?
I prefer to speak about dihydrogenmonoxide.

As to "chemical" I seem to remember that EU defined everything as "chemical", very handy they just have to ban "chemicals".
 
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Wildgoose

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May 15, 2012
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There are plenty of chemicals used in agriculture that are dangerous and can be used to make things that go bang.

If an alternative becomes available then I imagine restrictions on the dangerous materials will follow.

Hexamine has largely been replaced by alternatives so is straight forward enough to ban.

I bet 99% of the population do not even know what it is.
 
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Mesquite

It is what it is.
Mar 5, 2008
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Well the Home Office wasn't helpful

Please be aware that FOI Act 2000 is specifically for recorded information held by the Home Office, e.g. emails, data, documents, recordings etc. It is not for providing advice as you have requested.

Unfortunately we are unable to help you in this instance.

Regards

N McKenzie
Home Office
 
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Toddy

Mod
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Jan 21, 2005
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That's a pain.

How about Tom Tugen??? (sp?) office ? Could we write to him and ask ? after all he's the one who passed it into law, apparently.
 

GreyCat

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Nov 1, 2023
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Sounds to me like one of those "doesn't matter until it does" type laws. Basically, whilst it's technically illegal to have something, no-one will bother unless you use that something for serious noortiness.

In my day job (railway compliance) I've noticed that there's a bunch of badly amended legislation, when we left the EU stuff previously covered under European law was transcribed into UK legislation but not always very well...... so you get the rushed amendment to the regs, then the amendment to that and then the third amendment to the second amendment. Brain spinning stuff and you cannot assume the Regulator is much further ahead of you. From what I see of aviation, similar issues there.

I get the impression have a combination of (a) lack of capability and capacity in the civil service for proper tidy legal drafting and (b) politicians wanting to "do something they can be remembered by" and so they come up with something to ban, resulting in badly drafted rushed out changes to Regulations (Regulations receive little if any proper scrutiny compared to primary Acts).

Then back in the real world, I'd be surprised if the local plod doing a routine search knew about the hexamine thing (obviously very different situation if the anti-terrorist bunch raid somewhere, acting on specific intelligence).

GC
 
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Tengu

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Jan 10, 2006
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As the environment enters into the late pre-apocolyptic period what we need is Ray Mears giving a masterclass on how to make wasteland thermite by foraging for rusting farm machinery and discarded drinks cans.
Yes please!
 

Tantalus

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May 10, 2004
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I suspect FOI requests are not the appropriate way to get the kind of clarification we are all looking for.
You could ask your MP or even ask them to ask the secretary of state currently responsible for such matters. Although their response is likely to be along the lines of "The law is perfectly clear, go away and stop bothering me"
In reality though, now that the law has been passed, it is in the hands of lawyers, judges and juries to decide whether a member of the public is guilty or not guilty of breaking the law.
 
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Pattree

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All I get from Pritchard MP is the standard handout which has in the past contradicted the previous standard handout. I might try, I haven’t written to him for a year or so.
 
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Tantalus

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May 10, 2004
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All I get from Pritchard MP is the standard handout which has in the past contradicted the previous standard handout. I might try, I haven’t written to him for a year or so.
Aye most of them just couldn't give a tuppeny damn. The whip told them what to vote and they voted, job done without even listening to any of the discussion.
 
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Bishop

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After looking online and wading through the EU gov impact report for the discontinued use of Hexamine the short version without the waffle translates as basically "Tough Titty"

Manufacturer's must alter the composition of any product affected or find alternatives.
Estimated impact will cost related industries about 60 million euro.

There is however a weird bit, I'm no chemist or food technology specialist but the report states 'Hexamine' is also known as Methenamine aka food additive E239 an anti bacterial/fungal often found in cheese.

Apologies no link for bureaucratic masterpiece.
Toddy would be upset as in it's attention to detail includes a Health & Safety list of things that should never be mixed with Hexamine.
 

Jared

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 8, 2005
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Do find it odd that Esbit still have proudly stating they are making esbit solid fuel in Germany.


Seems like the tritium ban in the US, because tritium used as a yield booster for nuclear bombs. So little tritium vials are effectively banned.
 
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MikeLA

Full Member
May 17, 2011
2,089
399
Northumberland
As most of you know I do like hexi. Dont like the new stuff or the excess packaging.
I am using more the alpkit equivalent jetboil and the msr pocket rocket. Might even look at a bushbox (shock horror) but will they fit my faithfull steel crusader mug.
Will miss my lovely hexi, ease of use, disposable, no hassle, put in a pocket fuel. NOT A HAPPY BUNNY !
 

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