Back in the 60s, when I was a stupid, reckless and callow youth, I worked in a lab. I seem to remember mixing nitric acid and glycerine but nothing much happened except noxious brown fumes - perhaps I was just unlucky/lucky (depending on your point of view!).
Around the same time I remember meeting a lad who had lost a few fingers as a result of messing with home-made bombs. As a result of this encounter I lost all interest in explosives!!

Incidentally, one of my ex bosses used to relate how he had worked in a Greek explosives factory just after the war. Apparently the manager of this factory had both arms missing ...