Something explosive?

Do you know of a chemical I can put on metal "stage" weapons that will make a crack, pop, spark, or bang upon impact? I'm afraid to google anything about it because I'll probably use a bunch of keywords that are wrong and then get arrested.

I'm doing costumes and props for some weird improv thing for a theater troupe, and it's crunch time.

gunpowder?

>I'm afraid to google anything about it because I'll probably use a bunch of keywords that are wrong and then get arrested.

That's not how it works. Google doesn't give a shit what you search for. The government generally doesn't really care what you search for. It's when you're already under investigation for something that they can request your search logs (if they can first get a list of IPs you've used) and then those can lead to arrests if they give probable cause and they can get a warrant.

Also, explosives are not illegal in the US, nor is knowledge of explosives. It's the unsafe handling and detonation of them that can get you in trouble.

Stop being a panicky pussy. Don't let the terrorists win, asshole.

The best way is the Highlander trick

In the Highlander movies and shows, the actors would each wear a wire going up their leg and this wire would attach to the base of their swords.  the wire would be attached to a power source and when the swords made contact, they'd cause sparks to arc between the blades.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main.SwordSparks

>>4
Neat. How much of a power source would one need to achieve this? Like are we talking car battery here or something with higher voltage?

>>5

I think that really depends on how big you want the sparks to be.  A higher voltage source would produce actual arcing (think along the lines of a Jacob's Ladder) when the swords are obviously not touching (which would seem distracting and unrealistic to me).  No matter what though, I'd try to use something with a lower current, but a higher voltage (a 9V battery or two, connected in series, with a step-up transformer, so it'd be the equivalent of a stun-gun).

>>6
What if you want to channel lightning with your sword like in the movie?

(a 9V battery or two, connected in series, with a step-up transformer, so it'd be the equivalent of a stun-gun)

phail! transformers don't work with DC.

>>8
You'd be surprised.
One of my high school friends actually made a mini stun gun with those materials.  The trick is that you don't keep the DC current on constantly.  You close the circuit right when you want the spark; with low resistance and inductance, the current on the input end of the transformer will shoot up rather quickly.  The output will then generate a short spark if the ends are close enough.  To prevent the wires from melting, you disconnect the battery, and rinse & repeat.

>>8

Then use a goddamned induction coil.  Just anything to step up the voltage and to reduce the current (to keep the whole death thing from happening).

>>9
Yes, but that's not what >>6 described.

>>10
Current wouldn't be passing through the actors. I think it's a given that their hands be well insulated from the blades. Voltage and current would both have to be limited a certain extent to keep it safe but not because of the old "amps kill not volts" adage.

This is actually really useful, guys. I appreciate the help.