115 replies to this topic

[seymour]

I'm sure you mean primacord ('detcord') not cordite heh. That was a name for 'smokeless powder' (ie propellent in small arms)

True, cordite was used as a propellant for small arms, but it is not a smokeless powder. Nor is it even a powder. Tt is drawn out into a cord so it was called cordite. So you could wrap a pipe in cordite, but it might have been primer cord. He said that it was cordite but I dont think that SFX is his expertese.

[adamw]

True. I used 'smokeless powder' synonymously and generally.

[PyroKid]

According to Dictionary.com, Cordite is a smokeless powder.

cord?ite    ( P )  Pronunciation Key  (k?rdt)
n.
A smokeless explosive powder consisting of nitrocellulose, nitroglycerin, and petrolatum that has been dissolved in acetone, dried, and extruded in cords.

[jellywerker]

Sorry I haven't checked this in a while, I believe I will use the creamer and bp method, just small sacle though, I am using it for dioramas and such, and for melting plastic soldiers (hehe!) Thanks for the tips though, and I WON'T use tuolene! Well, off to try and get my mother to buy me some bp, as I don't have access to kno3....

"But mother, I won't hurt anything with it!, PLEASE!!? I just need a little, I just want to make some small fireballs..." "EEK!, FIREBALLS! NO, not EVER! NEVER EVER, NO!!!" What will happen when I ask her to buy me some bp

[adamw]

Following up the 'is Cordite a Smokless Powder or not'... In Davis's book 'The Chemistry of Powder and Explosives', Cordite is classed as a Double-base smokeless powder.

[jellywerker]

Well, so far, no bp, I just found some nice willow for charcola though, so if I can get some pvc and lead balls, and some kno3 and sulphur, I will mill my own. Let's see, I have 1 thing, I need 5 more, yay for me If you can't tell, my mother did go ballistic when I asked her to buy me some bp.

[jellywerker]

Are there any other easily made alternatives to bp for fireballs? I still can't get my hands on any I have tried adding some jellied gasoline to some fireworks, and the result was rather nice for recreating explosions in dioramas, but I need to get more bp! getting it from black cats takes to long for such bad grade powder.

[ProfHawking]

well i cant say this is reccomended practice, but before i started making BP i used to take apart fireworks for various ingredients and experiment with them.
Its not a cheap way of doing anything, but if you only need it for one display, then perhaps you could.
Word of warning - you dont know whats in fireworks, it could be sensitive to being hacked apart. The way i did it was to unravel the card or pop open plastic. never cut it with a saw or drill it or anything. Be very careful if you try it. Maybe wear leather gloves and a mask if you have access to the kit. I use a welders full face mask, and blacksmiths gloves and leather aprron whenever i am doing anything a bit dodgey.

[adamw]

Please do not discuss disassembling fireworks unless you have excellent knowledge of how to make them in the first place!

This is how a lot of accidents happen. Any more discussion about this and there will be trouble!

If you can't buy BP, make it. Don't get it, or a substitute for BP, from fireworks!

[ProfHawking]

Well there you go, its a no-no.
I must say tho, even you mighty moderators must at some point have taken apart a firework or two we were all beginners once....

I aggree tho, it is not something to do unless you know exactly what you are doing, even with all the precautions, and if you cant make BP of your own then no offence but you probably dont know exactly what you are doing yet.

Have a look around for materials. They are out there.
Charcoal - get from an art shop used for drawing. Stick it in a blender to break it up, then mill with pottassium nitrate and sulphur. Ebay is helpful for various components. Read up on everything first. This isnt the right topic to talk about BP anyway....

[Andrew]

Well there you go, its a no-no.
I must say tho, even you mighty moderators must at some point have taken apart a firework or two we were all beginners once....

Yes we all were all beginners once, I even remember taking fireworks apart when I was about ten years old. However, I now know this was quite possibly one of the most stupid thing I have ever done. Discretion and maturity compliment knowledge very well. They are qualities that are often the first to slip. But, as already said, this is straying from the point of this topic.