38 replies to this topic

[ProfHawking]

Ive never seen a rip-rap in use. Seeing as nowadays they arent around, can anyone tell me the basic construction? Are they possible to home make?

[Firefiend]

Ive never seen a rip-rap in use. Seeing as nowadays they arent around, can anyone tell me the basic construction? Are they possible to home make?

Hi ProfHawking, If you send me a PM, with your email address, I'll send you the video of a 1960's one if you want. It's 2MB in size though.

[Rip Rap]

Ive never seen a rip-rap in use. Seeing as nowadays they arent around, can anyone tell me the basic construction? Are they possible to home make?

Hi Prof'
2 good books which describe their construction are "Pyrotechnics" (Weingart) & "The Pyrotechnists Treasury" (Thomas Kentish).
They are a very simple (but brilliant) design. They are basically a pipe of kraft paper, closed at 1 end. Filled with fine grain BP & then crushed flat (various methods can be used from a mangle to a hammer). This reduces the BP to half powder & half grains). The pipe(s) are then wrapped in a damp cloth & left to become damp & pliable. This is essential for the next step. Once pliable the pipes are wrapped back & forth around wires in a special "jig" to produce the zig zag shape. This "jig" is hard to describe (but very simple to construct) - I will try to post a picture later. The cracker is wrapped with string, touch paper added & left to dry! Once the jig is made, they are very quick & easy to make.

I read somewhere that the police in the 19th century used to use very long (30 or 40 bangs) rip-raps for crowd control! If there was an unruley cowd they wanted to disperse, they would light 3 or 4 & throw them into the crowd! That would scatter them alright!!

Firefiend - I would love to see that vid if possible. Where did you get the jumping cracker that you fired btw?

Edited by Rip Rap, 03 December 2005 - 10:48 AM.

[Firefiend]

Hi Rip-Rap,

Video sent.

I'm not sure of the exact reason why they go off in a series of bangs though, rather than in one go.

I've seen some massive Jumping Crackers since I've been collecting, but not managed to get one

Some are about 3/4" x 10"

Cheers

[ProfHawking]

Cheers guys, ill have to give it a try sometime.
I take it the jig is some kind of wide-tooth comb thing? and the pipe is folded into it?
From the pics etc it looks pretty simple to do

[Rip Rap]

Hi Rip-Rap,

Video sent.

I'm not sure of the exact reason why they go off in a series of bangs though, rather than in one go.

I've seen some massive Jumping Crackers since I've been collecting, but not managed to get one

Some are about 3/4" x 10"

Cheers

Much appreciated Firefiend - I enjoyed watching that!

The reason they go off in a series of bangs is because of their clever design. In the straight section of the zig zag, the BP flashes along the pipe (like quickmatch) bursting the pipe & causing the bang. However, when the flame reaches the bend, the BP is much more tightly compacted & so burns much slower. The pause between the bangs is the powder burning around the bend, then it flashes along the next straight causing another bang.

PROFHAWKING - please see the pic below illustrating the jig used. You lay a pipe(s) in the "U" shaped frame, place a wire across one side, fold the pipe over it & back across to the otherside, then repeat. The width & height of the jig determine the width & length of the cracker that can be made. This is why the pipes must be damp & pliable, otherwise they wont bend - they will snap

[ProfHawking]

Thanks, thats a handy pic. Im not quite sure how the wires work, but ill be giving it a shot sometime.
Seems simple enough. Make a medium wall tube, fill with gran BP, dampen, fold over and bind up, leave to dry.
Leaving it in a jig would prob be the best way to dry it in shape?

[Rip Rap]

Im not quite sure how the wires work, but ill be giving it a shot sometime.

Leaving it in a jig would prob be the best way to dry it in shape?

Taken from Thomas Kentish - "Lay the cracker across the opening, place a wire upon it, bend the pipe over it, lay on it another wire, bend back, lay on it another wire & son on , alternatively, till the cracker is bent up."

When finished you lift the cracker & the wires up out of the frame together. Let the wires drop out of the cracker, then wrap string around it from end to end & in & out of the folds- this holds it in shape as it dries.

[Firefiend]

My next 'secret' (lol) video project is the tourbillion (a.k.a. Brock Vampire Bat, Brock's Polar Whirlwind, Helicopter, etc.), if I can get a spare by next G.F.N. - Another great British firework, now long banned! Perhaps someone on this forum has already made them.

[Rip Rap]

My next 'secret' (lol) video project is the tourbillion (a.k.a. Brock Vampire Bat, Brock's Polar Whirlwind, Helicopter, etc.), if I can get a spare by next G.F.N. - Another great British firework, now long banned! Perhaps someone on this forum has already made them.

I look forward to watching that Firefiend - I haven't seen an original in 30 odd years. Another firework of "erratic flght" that was withdrawn in '75. I have made helicopters & tourbillions, with varying success - from spectacular, to all that can be described as a "ground spinner"
What is G.F.N BTW?

[adamw]

I've never had any luck with a jumping cracker Always seem to go like quickmatch (no delay)... Oh and BTW don't try it with flash for obvious reasons!

[Firefiend]

I look forward to watching that Firefiend - I haven't seen an original in 30 odd years. Another firework of "erratic flght" that was withdrawn in '75. I have made helicopters & tourbillions, with varying success - from spectacular, to all that can be described as a "ground spinner"
What is G.F.N BTW?

G.F.N. = Secret code for Guy Fawkes Night

[smitthy]

hi al ive read the replies with some amusement antony you are the type of person who causes mass hysteria in the public about fireworks. the most dangerous firework or the one which has caused the most accidents is the sparkler. which is still going strong and burning children throughout the land. jumping cackers /rip raps were and still are really tame you qouted a standard size 40 box well standard size 40 boxes and jumping crackers wernt around at the same time the standard boxes would of been still priced in 1973 and sized boxes came in in 1975

if anybody wants any proper english [pains] jumping crackers ive got some for swapping ive got 2 3 and 4 inch versions

one thing you might not know is that we are a nanny state but out side uk jumpinng crackers and tourbillions still survive weco do a brilliant aeroplane called a vampire these are like the old standard helicopter in performance

if anybody wants photos of the old british tourbillions ido have them, not all mind but i think maybe 20 differant from pains /pains wessex/ brocks/standard/ wessex /astra but ive only one of each except a couple of brocks ones

[Damp Squib]

A sparkler is very unlikely to injure a kid-no more than a hot brew,you give the kid a sparkler who is wearing gloves,you light it,they wave it around for a minute and then you tell then to throw it in the bucket of water,watching them throughout

or

you give the kids a pack of sparklers and a lighter and tell them to go play over there why you carry on gettin peed with the other parents,after all thats more important than seeing your kids smile as he\she writes their names in light and sparks

I'll put money most of the injuries happen in the second example,but you wanna make a law that bans sparklers-easy!- show a few Mp's 3-4 photos of child burns from sparklers and you'll have your new law regardless of the millions of photos of smiling faces

I'll get off my soap box now

[Hillbillybob]

I would surely miss jumping jacks and spinners if the were outlawed here in the States. Here they are amoung the cheapest fireworks you can buy, but with all the color they put out in them they are well worth the money! Some bang, and we have what we call jumping snakes that smoke, explode, and have color while jumping all around. When I was a kid the firecrackers really could hurt you if you let one go off in your hand. I can remember when they outlawed M 80' and Cherry b**bs. They came out with a firework that the predates the snappers that little kids play with now. They were about the size of Trix cereal and brightly color round balls. Someone put them in Trix cereal and some small child lost some teeth . They were on the stands less than a week befour being withdrawed. Good thing! I sure miss some of the fireworks I played with as a child in the early 60's

Edited by Hillbillybob, 12 January 2006 - 03:36 AM.