after the chicago demonstration a few members of the weathermen began developing a secret new york collective. robbins joined with john jacobs, a columbia graduate and former progressive labor party member; ted gold, a columbia sds chapter leader; kathy boudin, a fellow member of the cleveland erap; cathy wilkerson; and diana oughton. after securing a new york city safe house, the collective was able to conspire on their next plan of actions. after the fire bombs set to ignite at judge murtagh's house, the judge who oversaw the panther 21 indictment, failed, robbins presented the group with the idea of using dynamite, a more predictable form of ammunition. robbins was an english major and poet and not very proficient in the makings of electricity and dynamite. he believed it was his job to learn how it worked and was able to obtain a basic circuit design to detonate the dynamite on a timer. according to the accounts in wilkerson's memoir, after robbins had explained the step-by-step procedure he studied, which gave exact details on how to connect the electrical timing device, another member raised the issue of a safety switch. being a novice bomb maker, robbins decided to take the responsibility of building the circuits on his own. robbins had decided that the basement was the safest place to make the bombs and moved all equipment there.