35 replies to this topic

[Farnet]

Just a quick one, for those of you that are actually older than me, you may be able to remember these infamous fireworks, I have never actually seen one as they were banned just before I was old enough to buy fireworks myself, and although I have had people tell me roughly what they did (does exactly what it says on the tin), what were they exactly in techinical terms, and does anybody have any photos of the british ones.

I can see there are ones of the same name still available in the USA, are they the same thing? as I've always wanted to see what all the fuss was about to get them banned 30 odd years ago.

Silly question but it seems the appropriate place to finally get an age old question answered.

[Firefiend]

Hi Farnet

I can send you some pictures of several old British Jumping Crackers and a video of an old one going off (not brilliant).

Let me have your email address and I'll get them off to you.

They were banned because they fly all over the place - often in the direction of the audience. They were good fun though, if you escaped unharmed!! A bit similar to the banning of all other fireworks of erratic flight (helicopters, flyers, mini rockets, etc).

Cheers.

[Creepin_pyro]

Here are a few from the fireworks museum... I'm sure there are more on there too, it's a great site if you haven't seen it yet:

http://www.fireworkm...s/DSCN3496.html
http://www.cyberheri...s/IMG_1907.html
http://www.cyberheri...s/IMG_1935.html

The procedure for making them is outlined in Weingart. I've tried making some from quickmatch but they never really worked. Firefiend, any chance you could upload the pics/vid to http://pyrotechnics.no-ip.org/?

[Firefiend]

Call me crazy, but I like these things!!

Jumping Cracker (1'') with Red String

Jumping Cracker (1.5'') with Blue Tape (Brock's)

Jumping Cracker (2'') with Green String (Standard)

Jumping Cracker (2'') with Red String (Wells)

Jumping Cracker (2'') with White String (Excelsior)

Jumping Cracker (2.5'') with Red String

Jumping Cracker (2.5'') with Red String (Wells)

Jumping Cracker (2.25'') with Red Tape (Rainbow)

Jumping Cracker (3.25'') with Green String (Wilder's)

Jumping Cracker (3.25'') with Red String (Wells)

Video is not that spectacular, but you have to bear in mind it was a small cracker, which was around 40 years old when it expired!!

Jumping Cracker Video (Excelsior 2”)

[maxman]

OK you're crazy! Be we all understand!

Was that a genuine old firework?

[Firefiend]

Yes it was a 2" Excelsior Jumping Cracker

It was in poor condition, so I thought I'd sacrifice it to get a video.

Funny thing is, you can just about make out someone saying 'why do they call them Jumping Crackers' !!!!!

[maxman]

Are the tubes parallel wound? It must be quite time consuming to make such devices and to load the powder in such a narrow tube. Just like a Catherine wheel really. I'd love to know how its done quickly! There must be a knack. Someone out there who worked at one of the UK company's must be on this site or at least have had a look. They must have so much valuable info to share with us all.

[Firefiend]

I have this picture which Rip Rap kindly let me have:

Jumping Cracker Manufacture

Edited by Firefiend, 01 June 2007 - 12:57 PM.

[James P]

Looking at the photos I wouldn't say that this is the way it was done commerically, but i know that you can make jumping crackers by 'painting' a line of greenmeal slurry along the edge of a strip of kraft. Once rolled up, it will behave in a very similar way.

To get maximum results from this method you need to 'paint' a relativley large amount of a slow burning composition (greenmeal works great) onto the craft. However the hardest thing about creating these devices is getting the string tension right, too tight and it will fail to pass the fire to the next section, too slack and it will behave just like quickmatch.

Thanks to Blaf for the tutorial on the Gamekeeper forum:
http://pyroforum.nl/...p?showtopic=257

Hope this helps,
James

[Creepin_pyro]

Are the tubes parallel wound? It must be quite time consuming to make such devices and to load the powder in such a narrow tube. Just like a Catherine wheel really. I'd love to know how its done quickly! There must be a knack. Someone out there who worked at one of the UK company's must be on this site or at least have had a look. They must have so much valuable info to share with us all.

It's all there in Weingart! I doubt the tubes are parallel-wound. They're loaded in bundles, damp, by hand, but that's all I can remember without the literature at hand. I believe the article also covers details of the frame in RipRap's photo.

James, I never heard of that method , but it does sound interesting. Certainly more effective than trying to modify quickmatch like I've tried!

Edited by Creepin_pyro, 01 June 2007 - 01:39 PM.

[Firefiend]

If you look at some of my ones, they are simply taped together (there is no string under the tape).

The ones with string look better but tape is easier. Not sure on the difference in quality though.

[James P]

I suspect it depends what type of quickmatch your using. Proffessional 5 strand would be way too powerful and it makes a very loud noise and jumps if you light it normally! I should think that if you made your own quickmatch with a slow burning composition in the regular way, it would be possible to make jumping crackers from it. Something to experiment with after ive finished my other projects... and GCSEs
James

[BigBang]

Ive tried making one with commercial 5 strand quickmatch, and it sort of works but not vey well. Ive tried it several times and what happens is that it does work as it should, but at a super fast rate. The last one i made was about 3" long and it was all over in about 2seconds. It was a series of very fast pops. Ive tried to slow it down but it refuses!

[Farnet]

Right...ermmm......WOW.

I had a feeling that I might get someone to tell me roughly what they used to do, but actually seeing photos and A VIDEO..... well that has solved many a question, I really have to say I thought it was a long straight firework (bit like a portafire) but with multiple staged explosions, I had no idea they looked or acted in that way.....

In my warped mind, did they create a huge one especially for publice events and throw them into the crowd for a bit of entertainment.....joking.

My ambition now it to try and make one of those eventually, just to say I can

As for those planes and helicopters, they look just lethal, imagine the hype if some of those came on sale somehow nowerdays. they do look like they'd actually fly though but just above the ground.... it's be interesting how many of them actually caused nasty injuries.

[nimbus2]

Right...ermmm......WOW.

I had a feeling that I might get someone to tell me roughly what they used to do, but actually seeing photos and A VIDEO..... well that has solved many a question, I really have to say I thought it was a long straight firework (bit like a portafire) but with multiple staged explosions, I had no idea they looked or acted in that way.....

In my warped mind, did they create a huge one especially for publice events and throw them into the crowd for a bit of entertainment.....joking.

My ambition now it to try and make one of those eventually, just to say I can

As for those planes and helicopters, they look just lethal, imagine the hype if some of those came on sale somehow nowerdays. they do look like they'd actually fly though but just above the ground.... it's be interesting how many of them actually caused nasty injuries.