29 replies to this topic

[rocket]

Anther reason could be that as the delay is pushed into the hole, the delay the goes though could get a coating of flash, which would help with ignition. But I?m just guessing I have absolutely no experience with beraqs nor did I know how they where made.

[karlfoxman]

I wont imagine this is the problem, Because as soon as the flame front gets close to the hole it will fire the flash. I will have to do some tests with these beraq i've made. I will make a video of the 4" shell with 20 beraq in it. They are all number 1 beraq so they should go within a few mili seconds of eachother.

[Mumbles]

Looks very good. I do have a few questions though. First off, do you have any approximate delay times for these devices?

Another thing I noticed is the green report composition is wrong. It should be 1/8th part PVC, not Perchlorate.

[karlfoxman]

Oh yes so your right, I had'nt noticed that. I will change the document soon to the correct formula. As for timing I am not sure for these new ones, I know my paste burns at 3mm a second through a 2mm hole. I will be testing some of these soon and capture them on video, ill get the times from my video editing software.

[BigBang]

Karl.....id like to add that i thought your tutorial was excellent.

I would also like to add a slightly different way to fuse these devices. Your (the Maltese method) is just fine, but i think the way i do it, is slightly simpler and gives you more accurate timing.

I use 3/32inch visco, slipped inside a straw (this prevents sidesplit) to effectively turn the visco into 'time fuse'.

I cut both ends at an angle, to expose as much powder as possible. and pop it into the fuse hole, which i always make BEFORE loading the flash!

I have taken a pic of one finished and ready to go....


As i said, my method is slightly simpler, but it does produce the odd mis-fire. Not that you'd notice the odd one not firing if you have 20-30 firing at once!

[minalth]

This is good!

tutorials with lots of pictures and stuff are good

i wont be making beraqs in the near futre but its interesting to read


I would like to encourage anyone thinking of making tutorials to go for it
thanks karl

[karlfoxman]

Thanks guys! Bigbang: I have used that idea for making stuff before, you can get good timing from visco inside paper. I used it on a 6" shell of shells and the smaller shells all broke at the same time. One think I would add is prime the end with slurry and then in powder to ensure ignition. Nice looking beraq too, how long you been making them??

Yes tutorials are great and would be nice to see more, I may do one on building a 4" glitter w. blue palm shell.

[BigBang]

Karl...i have been making them in one design or another for more years than i care to remember!

Ive only ever made about 5 like the one in the pic. (spiked) I did it just to compare, and quite honestly it doesnt make an awful lot of difference. The spiked ones have a slightly deeper bass note to the report, but i dont think its worth the extra effort.

To compensate for not spiking them, i make the walls and end plugs slightly thicker, it makes a difference when you are making 50-60 at a time!

I haven't managed to put them into a shell successfully yet though. Thats what i'd like to try next, but living in a built up area makes it almost impossible. Maybe i'll move.....anyone got a house in the middle of knowhere for sale?

Last year i made a 4" diameter mine for 5th nov, with 15 of the design in the pic, but slightly smaller and unspiked, and it worked extremely well......5 had a 1 sec, 5 had 1.5sec and 5 had a 2sec. delay. It worked very well, although i did have a few misfires i think. I wish i had video taped it

I will try priming the ends of the visco, hopefully that will cure my misfires.

When you fire your shell, make sure you video it, i'd love to see the results! and take some pics. during the assembly process,

Andy

[karlfoxman]

Well I like your idea of putting timed ones in a mine, I have made a mine with 5 reports and it worked very well. I fired that and a shell using my new Firebywire sequencer, worked a treat and is well worth the money! I think I may make a few the way you have, Ill post my results and let you all know how it went. The shell will be great I hope, be nice to see how consistent the timing is on them. Priming them will make them all work im sure of it! Just make a paste up using nice fast blackpowder, and then dip it in the same powder but thats not in a slurry. That will make them take fire by having nice rough area to light.

[BigBang]

Yes, i will try that and see how it goes, it can only make things better!

Cheers for that tip, it never occoured to me, to prime them.....must be my age

[Gavin]

Bigbang, how are you sealing between the visco and straw & the straw and casing? Thanks.

[karlfoxman]

Gavin, when I made visco inside paper tube i used gummed tape. This was rolled around the visco and makes a good seal. Dont know how he seals the beraq-visco. Pva I have heard dries and sometime small holes are formed, so hot glue is a winner there. Or like I seal timefuse on shells is to wrap pva coated string around the join. This has never failed and ive made a good few shells with this method.

Thats what I do but Bigbang may have a better/different way

[BigBang]

Hi Gavin......i use 3/32" visco, and it fits inside the straw very tightly, so no seal/glue needed there. I then drill the hole so that the straw is basically the same size as the hole, so when inserted into it, it again fits nice and snug. I then use a dab of any solvent based glue (bostic/evostick), or something that dries quickly, just to hold it in place. PVA takes ages to dry, and im not to keen on using hot melt glue, at this stage of assembly, it makes me nervous!


I make mine slightly differently from Karl. I actually finish the casings completely before i load them.
When i need to use them, i take a finished case, load the flash through the fuse hole, using a tiny funnel, and put in the fuse, and its finished! I can load & fuse a casing in about 2 mins. with everything at hand.

I do it this way, so i minimise the time i am handling them loaded, and dont need to have them lying around in a live state whilst drying. Its just a safety thing, the end result is the same. Im probably being too cautious, but i prefer it that way, specially when dealing with powerful devices such as these.


Andy

[BigBang]

Just following on from my last post.......i am not by any means suggesting that Karls way of assembly is unsafe, in fact it is a tried and trusted method of assembly. Its just my choice to assemble mine this way.

Dont want to offend my Malta mate Karl Specially now that he is a moderator....!!!

Edited by BigBang, 07 September 2006 - 03:51 PM.

[karlfoxman]

He he, no worries mate! Its good to be very safe, its a good idea. I am very nervous of hot glue too, never heard of an incident but I dont want to be the first. Your way of doing these sounds really good, im impressed!

And yes I do have 'the power' but only use it when I need too