10 replies to this topic

[1145climber]

Hey. A year ago, before i made the transition from pyromaniac to pyrotechnician, i wasnt aware of all the safety concerns we experienced people have. case in point, i would take apart comercial fireworks. I am pretty sure this is against the rules here at this forum and for a good reason! dont do it! but... i do have a few little containers of leftover powders from various fireworks....

anyway, i was wondering... how could i determine if one of my little bottles of powder was actually flash powder? i dont like the idea of storing flash, especially if im not aware of it as being flash. therefore, id like to get rid of it, but not just throw it away or wet it and discard it or anything... hopefully i could make a good aerial salute or something, even though i know flash isnt necessary. and i know some of you might be like 'just throw it away and make your own' but i dont want to get into chlorates and perchlorates just yet....

anyway, even though i dont believe this thread is against ukpyro's policies, if it is, please close it.

[ProfHawking]

a bottle of old flash is surely very very dangerous. i'd be very cautious if i were you.

would be best to dispose of it. empty everything into a big bucket of water perhaps?

If however you are mad enough to want to try them out probably the best way to see what some unknown mix is, is to light a very (i mean absolutely tiny to start with) amount. Do it from a distance, and make sure its on an open, flat ground surface and nothing around it. that way even if it is HE it shouldnt send bits of shrapnel around.

Anyone else got any thoughts? i dont want to suggest something more dangerous than it could be

[1145climber]

yeah, thats why i want to get rid of it all.... but i cant bring myself to just throw it away! lol. so are there any like special characteristics of flash or whistle powders though? will whistle powder actually whistle if a small amount is set off in the open?


EDIT: and just to clarify.... these old bottles arent really bottle.... its not like i ahve 50 grams of this stuff..... just like a few teaspoons

Edited by 1145climber, 30 June 2005 - 01:18 AM.

[Andrew]

carfully putting them in seperate piles and burning them is a good way to get rid of them, interesting too. Storing them when you don't know exactly what they are isn't the best of ideas, I'm sure you already know all this so I won't nag . You could play "guess that composition". Putting then in the bin isn't a great idea on saftey grounds, so I guess they are going to have to be burned .

If it came out of a comertial firework, it is unlikely to be of particular merit, although, having said that, 50g is still quite a lot, if it is flash, that is quite a lot indeed. I'd tread carfully, long fuse etc.

Edited by Andrew, 30 June 2005 - 09:27 AM.

[BigBang]

Quite honestly, i wouldn't 'play around' with an unknown composition, especially when you only have a few teaspoons, is it really worth it? If i were you, i'd dispose of it by dissolving it in plenty of water.

And remember, if it is indeed flash, a few teaspoons weighs 5-6grams, and that much can do some serious damage!

Play safe, its always the best policy

[1145climber]

okay, thanks all.... i can see its not worth the danger of testing it and whatever, so ill just destroy it in water.

[Douchermann]

Why don't you try to find out what it is instead of destroying it, i'll post how to do that in my next post.

[Douchermann]

I don't feel like typing it out, just go here:
http://www.vk2zay.net/article.php/80

[adamw]

Just ask youself - is it worth it - in both safety and your time.

Anyway, how can you be a good pyro if you rely on *other peoples* compositions. Get rid of them all and make what you need yourself, when you need it.

[Arthur Brown]

Well I did dispose of lots of powders by burning. Inc 4oz of flash. lay out a VERY fine trail on a disposable surface and light one end, With a long fuse. I spread 4oz of flash very thinly over an 8ft x 4ft sheet of board and the flash was bright!!!!! but almost silent.

Of course if you have VOGEL Quant inorg analysis to hand you could determine the compositions but what's the point if you dont know what the comp is for!

Edited by Arthur Brown, 02 July 2005 - 04:42 PM.

[seymour]

Where in the firework did this mystery powder come from? Being a fine powder it must be one of two things, burst, or a fountain/driver/rocket propellant. If it is the secound, then I would feel confident that it was not flash. Also, back when you were in your dark days of dismantling fireworks ( an evil act that I used to indulge in frequently . Actualy, (the mods/admin will be pleased to hear this) this forum was the single most important and influential device in turning me straight) did you ever use the powder for anything? And if so what carecteristics did it have? Did it burn coloured? Did it give of metal or charcoal sparks? And what is this powders apearence?