....in 3E, my character Leela had all the necessary skills as well as the workshop to make her own explosives. One of her long term projects was crafting a 208 L oil drum FAE which was actually put to good use.
Yeah cooking your own explosives is like brewing your own beer in RL. it costs more than just going to the store for a 12 pack (in the case of explosives, your specialised contact), but, you do it right, and there are no "surprises".