There are two types of lantaka that I know how to make, the kerosene or gaas lantaka and the kalburo lantaka.
The kerosene lantaka uses kerosine and is the traditional lantaka. However, kerosene is dangerous if not handled properly.
To solve that problem, my brothers and I went to make a lantaka that uses kalburo as fuel. Kalburo is a chemical used in ripening bananas.
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| Click image to enlarge. |
Kalburo has the chemical name Calcium carbide and can be bought in the market. Just ask the vendors of ripe bananas. Kalburo looks like small rocks just like in the picture below.
Now, let’s list the materials that we need:
- a 1-1.5 meter bamboo pole
- hand saw
- knife
- kalburo (Calcium carbide)
- water
- match
Here are the procedures in making lantaka:
1. Remove the nodes of the bamboo pole using the knife. Leave only one node intact.
2. Make a small hole at the side of one end of the bamboo – the end with the intact node.
3. Secure the bamboo using ties and additional sticks. Make it look like a real cannon.
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| Lantaka or bamboo cannon picture by Flickr user Bedil buloh. |
4. Put one piece of Calcium carbide into the small hole.
5. Drop a small amount of water into the hole and wait for a white smoke to come out of it.
6. Cover your ears and light the white smoke using a matchstick. BOOM!
Now you have your own lantaka. Congratulations!
**Safety First**
Please consider using a long stick in lighting your lantaka to prevent injuries like burnt fingers or face. 🙂
