Are these flashbulbs safe to use?

[M. Lointain]

This is terrible I know, and kiddies don't do this at home, but a long time ago we used to put flashbulbs in lamp sockets which would scare the bejeesus out of the person turning on the light.

[xxloverxx]

*goes eBaying for Halloween supplies*

[Dismayed]

I remember flash bulbs from when I was a child. Most of my memories of childhood holidays involve floating white orbs. I suspect that my retinas are permanently scarred. Make sure that your victims (subjects) wear nuclear blast eye protection.

[premortho]

I'd experiment with one or two. Back in the day, I only used those screw in bulbs for shots over 45 feet away. I used midgets (Press25's) closer.

[premortho]

XL

Cool. Good to know. Now I've just got to find a battery pack for this things and I'm off.

Battery pack? The Graflite IS the battery pack. Takes 2 or 3 "C" size batterys. When you root thru all the goodies, look for a flaslight bulb holder that fits where the bulb goes. That way you won't waste any bulbs setting the thing up.Good luck. The Graflite is harder to find now than the cameras.

But then I don't get to scare everyone half to death with my obnoxious flash

[Sirius Glass]

There is one member of APUG who as a child decided to take apart an unused flashcube with a screwdriver. He burned his hands and go a brilliant concept at the same time.

[Benoît99]

In 1947, Puerto Rican nationalists planned to assassinate President Harry Truman while he was at Blair House in Washington. Two shooters approached Blair House and got into a gunfight with police and Secret Service guards posted at the door. Truman was inside and not hurt, but he heard and perhaps saw the gunfight. Much later, a flashbulb on a press photographer's camera exploded while Truman was speaking, and several people were alarmed and ready to take cover. Truman remained calm, smiled and said that an exploding flashbulb didn't bother him as he had already been shot at by people with real bullets.