14 replies to this topic

[mr_pyro]

Hi ive been using pyros alot for the past year at my local airsoft site! They ranged from 5-25g maroons and 0.5-2g flash maroons and boy to they kick out some sound report! I recently purchased a naphtha maroon which was spectactular and was an eye opener for everyone. But to purchase them they put a big dent in my savings!

Well reason im here asking help is that my local airsoft site is hosting a large game in swynnerton army camp and i have been asked to help sort out a final enagement were they want to us alot of pyros. Well i have books upon books about pyros but wanna speak to people who have more experience. Im most likely just gunna keep on buying the 5-25g maroons as im not quite sure what they conatin! Unless anyone can shed any light?

Im looking into making things such petrol b**b sims and napthea type maroons, As read from one of the searchs im going to steal the idea of setting up a ammo depo and blowing it to bits! I need to do stuff such as airstrikes! Were can you purchase naphthalene flakes or are there other alternatives? Another thing is ive got to try and get it as realistic as possible as alot of military personnel will watching, so i wanna knock there socks off!

All help will be appreciated thanks.

mr_pyro

[paul]

Sounds like two things:

1) This may be not the sort of forum you have searched for

2) I think you don?t know what you really talk about. Setting off petrol or big naphta b0mbs on a place where people can get nearby isn?t that fun. The petrol spits everywhere if you don?t prepare it well.

Additionally, setting these off in an airsoft site with alot of people around or near these devices requires alot of experience and knoledge.

[adamw]

Paul, it is OK to discuss this type of thing here because it is SFX.

Mr Pyro. What you are describing sounds very ambitious, and thus potentially dangerous if you are not fully confident in what you are doing. I too play a spot of the ol' Airsoft and have worked in the SFX industry for several years, so hopefully I can help on both fronts. Firstly, do you have a good, safe and reliable electronic firing system, because it sounds like you need to fire off several cues, some in rapid sucession.

Also, with so many people running around tagging each other, they aren't always going to be thinking about dodging the pyro, so safety is number 1 all the time! There are a lot of variables to take into consideration and I couldn't properly advise without seeing the site myself.

Also, you need to be really clued up with what you are using, so please find out the composition of the maroons. Most likely they are all flash powder. You can't expect to pull this off effectively and safely without doing some tests first, and to achive proper effects requires a lot of experience.

Also, with a lot of military staff watching, you don't want to fluff it or create an unsafe situation.

As you know, you can already buy pre-made naphthalene maroons but they can be made much cheaper using a maroon and nap powder, although this has to be prepared correctly to be effective.

Please don't walk blindly into this, as you are mixing humans with pyro, and this sometimes makes even the most hardened stunt choreographer nervous in some situations. Always TEST and OBSERVE THE SAFETY DISTANCE from other people, buildings and objects. Don't burn people or create a projection hazard from flying debris. If you aren't sure you can satisfy these points, don't attempt it!

[paul]

Sorry, had to grapple with a few kewlz recently in another board (a german one) and just answered too fast. Sorry for that. Just sounded to kewlish to me.

[mr_pyro]

Dont worry im not going to attempt any of this until ive studied and tested all the pyros i will be using, thats why im gathering as much info as possible! Also the pyros will be in the background and well away(a good 50+meters) from any people as there are areas that will be designated out of bounds giving a good area of use, cant give the exact amount as im waiting for another fellow to give me a map of the areas that they want in use. Another thing also is i have to satisfy the health and safety with procedures and emergency plans etc, got a huge file of info to hand to them!

For the firing system ive got is one off skylighter. Its a 12cue wireless firing system! only had it few days so cant say how reliable it is but it hasnt failed at the moment. With regards to the maroons i believe there flash but the thing is i spoke to a gent at the company i bought them from and he couldnt tell me! well trained staff!

Well i know the ready made naphtha ones are just a case with naptha in and a small maroon around the size of 5 grams but i just need to get the appropriate amount! And another problem is my supply of naphtha flakes is running out and cant seem to find another source was wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction?

[Mumbles]

Naphthalene is commonly found as mothballs. Also check other sorts of animal repellants. Urinal cakes are also made of naphthalene sometimes. The urinal cakes will have deodorants in them though. Also, I suggest not taking used ones. All the forms mentioned above could be ground into an appropriate powder.

[mr_pyro]

I think i may be staeling some from the cleaner from work he has a rather large amount of the urinal cake stuff stashed away If i get desperate well there always in the urinals .

oky doky thanks for that going to start sourcing these mothballs! And the info ive found on these mothballs are that you can get some that contain para-dichlorobenzene instead of naphtha. does this matter as i believe this one is very similar in propeties? And can you only get the mothballs off ebay as i cant seem tof ind any other than there?

thanks nico

Edited by mr_pyro, 23 June 2006 - 08:48 AM.

[paul]

Only naphta works well. The new s**t doesn?t work.

[mr_pyro]

hmmmm this stuff is proving hard to find! If i mangae to get my hands on some moth balls i gather im going to need a few packs?

[Arthur Brown]

Napthalene is an out of favour chemical! It is toxic especially to fish and aquatic life.

The dried glucose used as coffee whitener ( aka CoffeeMate and other things) can be made to work with a lower environmental hazard.

No-one is going to tell you the composition and content of their products, there few trade secrets, but this IS one

Edited by Arthur Brown, 24 June 2006 - 11:40 AM.

[adamw]

On of my favourite materials is naphthalene, despite it's odour and adverse environmental problems (just be sensible when using it!)

In my opinion, creamer, flour etc etc just doesn't do it for me (no black smoke, harder to ignite, not as 'firey')

[mr_pyro]

Well one of the effects i would like to try would be napalm simulation on a hill side! But from what ive seen nathpha is the only material i kow that would give that effect really well! As said by adamw, yes the stuff is nasty and very toxic and not good for your health at all! With the coffee mate side so it is possible then to create something of a similar effect then i gather? but i am looking for the black smoke and orange fireball!

thanks
nico

Edited by mr_pyro, 24 June 2006 - 01:22 PM.

[Arthur Brown]

Remember that your military observers will be most impressed by good enough SFx done safely. that means Planning, Hazard analysis, Risk analysis, Method Statements, MSDS observance.......

You kill the Boss's trout fishing and you dont go there again!

Identify the Hazards,
Identify the risks
Minimise the Hazards
Minimise the risks,

Repeat til the hazards and their risks are truly minimised then insure the rest.

[adamw]

Coffee creamer will not give you the black smoke you want. You could do it with good ol' petrol and diesel, but of course then you really need to be careful about burning fallout!

For a black cloud of 'smoke' following an explosion, you can use lampblack although this is very very messy. Mixed with cement powder it will give a grey-black plume which the army officers would find quite realistic.

[mr_pyro]

Well ive got 720g of mothballs on there way! Yer ive used a blacklamp maroon and it left a nice mess after which i wasnt happy with as the hard standing was pitch black

Thank you arthur im aiming for a proffesional fx display, and if i can pull that off safely and it all goes to plan i will be very happy with myself! seemingly im an amateur!

Is it bad when you dream of a display The other half kept on waking me saying i was shouting boom! Its nuts im going over and over what needs to be done and its bedding in nicely!

Thanks