13 replies to this topic

[DavePlym]

How no-one else used this pun is beyond me.
Anyway, back in the summer i got a box of men-shun's rhapsody (last year's) at half price and although i haven't set them off each firework feels like there's a reasonable amount of powder inside. yesterday i bought a box from their current range, and although it's a smaller sized box, when i opened it up, most of the individual fireworks are light as a feather and have gone down the path of 'impressive packaging but only a tiddler inside'. I guess that rather than put prices up they've cut the actual powder content per box - at least in the old days even though the fireworks seemed small at least it was a tube full of powder rather than this current trend where a firework is 'outer packaging with a big empty space and a firework the size of an old standard 'rainbow' in the middle'.
on a brighter note i got a nite star barrage pack (10/12 mid sized barrages) for just £10 today. in firework terms that's almost free :-)

Edited by DavePlym, 26 October 2008 - 07:23 PM.

[wjames]

heavy fireworks are often heavy due to the clay content.......both as a plug, and to add mass to provent it falling over.

lots of fireworks are, as you say small devices in a big tube...... keeps it safe too - greater surface area keeps the thing standing up !

[jindivik]

to be honest, i'm pretty gutted i got the Men Shun selection box from Epic.

a few reasons....

1. the box itself is far too big for the fireworks it holds
2. most of the fountains are window dressed, the cone fountains aren't true cones, some of the square shaped fountains have enough space to fit 10x more than is already in it.
3. peobably the guys at Epic's fault but..... a few of the fireworks have actually been damages, mainly the fountains...the box had been ripped open to put more rockets in (guy fawkes pack)... and in the process one of the fountains has been squashed and the bottom has ripped out....i'll have to completely dismantle it and stick the tube in the ground.

a bit gutted that epic is so far away...well far away enough for me, and if it wasn't for the fact ive tested a few of the rockets...i would have taken it back and asked for a refund ..... just get the feeling i would enjoy the TNT boxes from Asda more than i will enjoy this

[David]

to be honest, i'm pretty gutted i got the Men Shun selection box from Epic.

a few reasons....

1. the box itself is far too big for the fireworks it holds
2. most of the fountains are window dressed, the cone fountains aren't true cones, some of the square shaped fountains have enough space to fit 10x more than is already in it.
3. peobably the guys at Epic's fault but..... a few of the fireworks have actually been damages, mainly the fountains...the box had been ripped open to put more rockets in (guy fawkes pack)... and in the process one of the fountains has been squashed and the bottom has ripped out....i'll have to completely dismantle it and stick the tube in the ground.

a bit gutted that epic is so far away...well far away enough for me, and if it wasn't for the fact ive tested a few of the rockets...i would have taken it back and asked for a refund ..... just get the feeling i would enjoy the TNT boxes from Asda more than i will enjoy this

It is probably worth getting in touch with Epic directly about this- they do answer e mails very quickly.

As a general point, Men Shuns selection boxes are a bit samey- the bigger ones being poor value for money, in my opinion. I think the Men Shun barrage packs are better, especially the old £30 one and the £40 one.

Edited by David, 27 October 2008 - 12:44 AM.

[Mortartube]

lots of fireworks are, as you say small devices in a big tube...... keeps it safe too - greater surface area keeps the thing standing up !

I don't agree with this when it comes to small window dressed fountains. What's wrong with sticking them in soft earth as people have been for years (without the window dressing), just the fountain ?

It is a con trick as far as I am concerned and I personally think that if they are to be window dressed there should be a legal requirement to print on the box something like (This selection contains external packaging considerably larger than the fireworks it surrounds), just to pig off the con merchants. Price is not a big issue either, this stuff is dirt cheap per selection from China and a few pennies at the Chinese endcan mean the job is done properly.

I feel very strongly about this.

[David]

lots of fireworks are, as you say small devices in a big tube...... keeps it safe too - greater surface area keeps the thing standing up !

I don't agree with this when it comes to small window dressed fountains. What's wrong with sticking them in soft earth as people have been for years (without the window dressing), just the fountain ?


I feel very strongly about this.

Yeah, me too. Years ago I wrote to a firework company challenging this, and I got a polite letter back that basically said "This is what we call WINDOW DRESSING, and is general industry practice. "

[crystal palace fireworks]

lots of fireworks are, as you say small devices in a big tube...... keeps it safe too - greater surface area keeps the thing standing up !

I don't agree with this when it comes to small window dressed fountains. What's wrong with sticking them in soft earth as people have been for years (without the window dressing), just the fountain ?

It is a con trick as far as I am concerned and I personally think that if they are to be window dressed there should be a legal requirement to print on the box something like (This selection contains external packaging considerably larger than the fireworks it surrounds), just to pig off the con merchants. Price is not a big issue either, this stuff is dirt cheap per selection from China and a few pennies at the Chinese endcan mean the job is done properly.

I feel very strongly about this.

Yeah thats right,..........I remember fountains being a thick walled tube with a plastic spike in them to push into soft earth.

To combat this window dressing con,.... I would make all manufacturers list weight of powder, clay, and packaging on each firework!

[Arthur Brown]

The challenge with a "soft earth" statement is that fewer people each year have soft earth at a sensible safety distance. My little flower bed is one metre from my house, then it's ALL concrete.

Given a flat base fireworks can be placed on a concrete base, given a point, they cannot.

[DavePlym]

"[quote name='Arthur Brown' date='Oct 27 2008, 07:03 AM' post='50439']
The challenge with a "soft earth" statement is that fewer people each year have soft earth at a sensible safety distance. My little flower bed is one metre from my house, then it's ALL concrete."

Re: the above (dunno how to highlight in duck egg blue) -

before i moved to this house because i could have a garden i used to stack two or three decent sized flower pots - not only did it allow the 'soft earth/compost' thing but is brilliant for letting your fountains cascade - i still stack 3 pots high now (now turn to ceefax page 1276 for addition helpful suggestions. . . . . )

Edited by DavePlym, 27 October 2008 - 07:47 AM.

[bwdoz]

The challenge with a "soft earth" statement is that fewer people each year have soft earth at a sensible safety distance. My little flower bed is one metre from my house, then it's ALL concrete.

Given a flat base fireworks can be placed on a concrete base, given a point, they cannot.

There's always the option of a bucket of sand, it's what my father used when I was a kid. It was all part of the 'build-up' to the fireworks along with setting out a flat enamelled wash boiler lid for the helicopters and jumping jacks. Getting nostalgic now...

[Mortartube]

I agree that less people have gardens with lots of flower beds etc but the bucket of sand is the way to go IMHO. The fountains that are "window dressed", are usually so small that they pose very little hazard as regards being in a bucket of sand or earth.

I once found a fountain of 11mm O.D and 28mm long in a cone case that was around 100mm tall. It was just glued in at the mouth of the otherwise empty cone case with PVA.

Perhaps if anyone who does have window dressed stuff would put some pics up after they are fired to show the extent of this, we can have a rogues gallery of the worst offenders.

Edited by Mortartube, 28 October 2008 - 09:56 AM.

[Skyburst]

Well heres one from a standard selection box that was given to me by a friend. there are plenty more from the same box but my camera just decided to drain the batteries.

[Prestonboi]

I will put some pics up of all our stuff the morning after we have fired it all to see whats what, would be a good idea to name and shame the worst offenders.

[David]

I'm workign my way through Men Shuns new-spec Demolition pack , the older version was a favourite of mine.

Anyway, it is pretty decent. Some small bore cakes (really just comets and whistles), a Pen lid cake and some larger bore blackpowder stuff- including some nine shot fans, fired as three banks of three- good fun. Entertaining enough stuff, for small scale shows (or just private usage too) . Bening Men Shun the effecrs are identical to those seen in other items from their range, there is no effect in this pack that is unique to the pack, but still- not bad!