Falling Leaves Shells
#1 Guest_Daniel Scott_*
Posted 18 December 2004 - 01:28 PM
For anyone who doesn't know the effect here is a long exposure shot of ones from japan.
And here is some shots of my falling leaf shell construction. Its a 3" plastic shell.
First the time fuse is installed. I use visco as I have no time fuse. A few wraps of masking tape and hot glue do well.
Next is a shot of the leaves we will be using in this shell.
Now 25 leaves are loaded into each hemi like so.
Then the burst is placed in around the leaves to fill in most of the gaps. The burst here is meal on puffed rice.
Don't worry about the leaves being "spongy" because the spring like nature makes the shell contents nice and settled when closed like so using a scrap piece of kraft to stop the contents spilling out.
Next the shell is sealed with xylene. I like to use a sprinkler attachment to drip the solvent in the seam of the shell.
You should turn the shell so the excess solvent runs around the seam until the drop of solvent goes away. After this time the shell seam will be sufficiently soft to close it.
Now the shell is really close by sticking it in a vice. A small lip of shell hemi should appear at the seam when close in the vice. Don't squash it, just enough to get a lip.
Now the shell is dried until you can't scratch the seam with a finger nail. Then a lift pouch, lift charge and leader with an appropriate length of fuse delay is attached. Then the shell is done.
Now disscusion of leaf construction, compositions or anything related to these shells should be discussed here. Go for it!
Just some info on my leaves. They are soaked in granite comp. They burn a red colour if not coated properly but with flashes of blue (for some reason the comp burns blue with paper...) when they float in the air. So I think you could make red leaves just my soaking the paper in KNO3 solution, sort of like touch powder. Just some info for anyone who wants to try. At least everyone can make red leaves! All you need is KNO3 (at least I think it will work)
#2
Posted 18 December 2004 - 03:53 PM
I would love to see a video of these shells :)
And one question to the leaves: Do you prepare a cup of zinc spreader (granite) comp with dextrne inw ater and let the paper (which paper?) soak in it?
Followed by hanging them up for drying?
To your idea on KNO3 soaked papers: In my opinion they would only give a quite weak light, so the effect should be very "lonely".
Edited by paul, 18 December 2004 - 03:57 PM.
#3
Posted 18 December 2004 - 04:24 PM
What's the burn time of the falling leaves
And as paul stated the paper would ignite all at once leaving a very short effect.
#4
Posted 18 December 2004 - 09:37 PM
I have been doing some experimenting with these shells and I have had one that
Next is a shot of the leaves we will be using in this shell.
Now 25 leaves are loaded into each hemi like so.
Please, what exact composition you have used in the formula of failling leaves ?
And another question: the paper that you use for make the leaves ( fall down and are hot perfectly) it is a special paper ?
I congratulate you on the photos: However an image says much more than thousand words. They are marvellous photos in the filling of the CARCASA!!!
Sorry: I write with web-translator spanish- english / english-spanish.
Edited by castillareno, 18 December 2004 - 09:48 PM.
#5 Guest_Daniel Scott_*
Posted 19 December 2004 - 12:39 AM
Potassium nitrate - 14
Sulfur - 2.5
Charcoal - 7
Zinc dust - 40
Dextrin - 1
The paper I used was ordinary kraft paper, or brown paper.
No the papers don't they only seem to light from each end which is dipped in meal slurry to prime it. The burn time I witnessed for these particular leaves was about 10-15 seconds hang time before burning out.
I prepar a small bowl the comp and water it down to a slurry. Then dump all the bits of paper in and let it soak and mix it up by hand. Then I pull then out and let them dry (obviously excess comp gets squeezed off by hand) on a large wire mesh. The mesh has holes about 1x1cm. Leave them in the sun and they dry in about an hour.
#6
Posted 19 December 2004 - 09:44 AM
I think I have to try that.
Keep it up, I liked your pics/description/way to explain it :D
#7
Posted 19 December 2004 - 05:41 PM
CASTILLARENO, the composition that I used was Weingart Granite Stars:
Potassium nitrate - 14
Sulfur - 2.5
Charcoal - 7
Zinc dust - 40?
Dextrin - 1
The paper I used was ordinary kraft paper, or brown paper.
Daniel... And ANOTHER composition MAKE WITH POTASSIUM PERCHLORATE
( RED, example) or PINK, etc... TRIED FOR YOU ???
The metallic colours made with POTASSIUM PERCHLORATE (NO CHLORATE) and AL/MG (NO MAGNESIUM) they are my favorites.
Edited by castillareno, 19 December 2004 - 05:58 PM.
#8
Posted 20 December 2004 - 10:13 AM
I had thought that falling leaves usually consisted of stars glued to paper. Not actually burning the paper itself. It seems like you've created something like a touch paper shell. Another way the effect can be emulated is by using strands of very slow burning fuse, but I've never really seen good falling leaves, so have nothing to compare to.
BLUE STROBE FALLING LEAVES (Eric McCaskie)
57,5 Guanidine nitrate
22,5 Ammonium perchlorate
7,5 Copper metal (80-150 mesh)
5,0 CuO (3 ?m)
7,5 PVC (emulsion grade)
This last composition is consolidated with MEK (methyl ethyl ketone), cut to rectangular prisms and after drying, glued to small kraft paper squares and finally primed with a slurry of hot burning prime.
I've wanted to try these leaves for a while, but I'm not sure about Guanidine Nitrate
Mabye a slow burning lance comp would be a good idea for making leaves... Anyone seen any other formula for falling leaves? Details of construction? Surely there's a half-decent way of achieving the effect without glueing hundreds of stars to pieces of paper
Edited by Creepin_pyro, 20 December 2004 - 03:00 PM.
#9
Posted 22 December 2004 - 10:07 PM
I should imagine the method used by Eric was only done because of difficulties with the procedure of coating the paper with composition or the effects of this coating on the correct burning of the leaves. Hence they would work better as stars.
#10
Posted 19 January 2005 - 09:39 PM
And finally, the video:
http://chrisu.arkdan...ling_leaves.mpg
As you can interpret the video, the result wasn't what i hoped for. I must say i'm not too satisfied with the results, as i was expecting something bit more spectacular. Considering that the shell was only 4,5 cm diam. , my guess is that a larger shell(= larger leaves) will improve the effect.
#11 Guest_Daniel Scott_*
Posted 20 January 2005 - 01:15 AM
#12
Posted 20 January 2005 - 08:40 AM
I don't have any literature at hand, but I'm quite sure Shimizu has described the technique.
Edited by Creepin_pyro, 20 January 2005 - 12:58 PM.
#13
Posted 20 January 2005 - 12:50 PM
Anyway: Nice video, but too bright background light :)
#14
Posted 20 January 2005 - 01:24 PM
Any ideas why?
#15
Posted 20 January 2005 - 01:57 PM
Save target as
when downloaded play it.
It should work.
I got the same problem this morning
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