23 replies to this topic

[Frozentech]

Here's a video of a 4 inch mine shell I just shot this evening. It used 20 grams of lift under 50 grams of Winokur 12 glitters and 50 grams of mixed Veline orange and purples. What a fun way to use 'left-over' stars. Next one of these I make I will double the number of stars I think

[sizzle]

Wow, that was quite a nice mine, nice hang time on those Winokurs.

[Pretty green flames]

Maybe try using a shorter mortar so you get a wider spread. it's hard to enjoy the nice effect of the stars if they're all bunched up.
Apart from that good job.

[PYRODUDE!!!]

Nice work, would be nice if ou got some crackle too. Did you use an electic fuse?

[Frozentech]

Nice work, would be nice if ou got some crackle too. Did you use an electic fuse?

I *knew* I forgot something ! LOL.... I have 100 grams of crackling dragon eggs, I was meaning to toss a handful in that mine, but forgot and just sealed it up so I could light something. Next time....

[PYRODUDE!!!]

I think they would look nice in a rocket or arieal shell. Mine's too but that's a little dangerous. They go everywhere!

[jamesy]

WOW Frozentech... that is really cool, good work man. Looks like you got some serious height - how high do you think the stars went ?

[Frozentech]

WOW Frozentech... that is really cool, good work man. Looks like you got some serious height - how high do you think the stars went ?

I am just guessing about 25 meters / 80 feet. it may have been a bit more.

[littlejohny]

I personally think it would have looked better later at night when it was more darker, very cool though

[Frozentech]

I personally think it would have looked better later at night when it was more darker, very cool though

I would have liked it darker too. That's a major problem with the increasing hours of daylight here in Alaska, it doesn't get decently dark at my latitude until too late to be out firing stuff. By mid-summer it will not get any darker than in that video even at 1 AM in the morning. 4th of July displays are not that great up here as a result.

[karlfoxman]

Hey folks,

I have been experimenting with 100mm mines, I have made and tested a glitter w/ flash mine and it worked great! Huge 100ft colum of glitter and then 5 loud 1.5second salutes breaking over the top. Construction was a tube with one end pleated and sealed. Then 35g of fast willow liftpowder, on top of this was a disk with 3 holes. Then I placed 20 1/2" glitter stars made with D1 glitter, they had no prime. Above this was 5 3/4" ID 1.5" long tubes filled with 5g flash each. They were sealed both ends with hot glue and then paper was pasted over the ends. Before filling with flash a piece of time fuse cut diagonal at one end and hole punched at other was pushed into a hole in the side. This is then sealed with hot glue and crossmatched with 2 starnds of blackmatch, then cotton was wound around the two to secure it. I was very pleased with the results, the use of a commercial mortar made the star colum high and not very wide but the glitter made up for this. I would have had a video but my DV Camera charger has gone walkies for the moment. I will make more and add a variation by underneath the glitter stars adding some nice conkling blue stars. I will get some pictures of the construction and the videos of finished items.

[BrightStar]

Karl - Look forward to the photos - should be good!

I used a 3" bag mine as a finale to a recent family show, using up my spare stars (about 80g total of nitrate flash, D1 glitter and others) with my leftover BP coated corn-cob burst (about 35g). The audience loved it but it partially blew the base out of the mortar, effectively destroying it.

I would love to have some lift / star ratios and weight guidelines for various sizes of mine. Any ideas folks??

Edited by BrightStar, 31 August 2006 - 07:10 PM.

[karlfoxman]

I use the samerule as for shells, so my standard 4" would use 35g lift. Ive now made 35 more flash salutes for the mines and im now making some beraq cases the tradidtional way. They are coming on well, dont you just love the mess that paste makes!

[portfire]

Hi folk's,hers my 2x50mm bag mines

http://video.google....196069371251275

In the first one the stars were;chrys#6,D1 glitter,lancaster's KP#1 red,and i used a 15g lift bag.

The second one has Phiko KP#1 blue and 5 nitrate flash salutes (WARNING flash is dangerous!!.I mixed 1g at a time behind a plexiglass screen)which three failed to fire,funny,because they were all made the same.

No prefire pics,but they were made to my neurotic high standard .I'm currently working on getting a longer delay from D1.I have a small batch drying and should be ready for another mine this weekend.

I'll say onething though,it's a great feeling sliding the bag into the mortar tube.

[dr thrust]

hi, dean yes nice i enjoyed the blue stars,whats the comp and seeing your user names portfire got any comps for portfires