Fountains Formulas
#121
Posted 23 October 2005 - 07:48 PM
#122
Posted 11 December 2005 - 04:06 PM
The formula`s i used :
kno3 70
C 15
S 10
Al 20
kno3 80
c 10
s 10
al 7
mg 3
The only formula`s wich work well (produces nice white sparks):
kno3 5
al 2 (mix of course and fine)
s 3
kno3 22
bano3 45
S 11
fine alu 11
coarse alu 11
The al and mg i use are about 0,5/1 mm in size verry course. I rammed my fountains.
My question is what is causing this problem ? The ramming ? Maybe the charcoal is to coarse ?
Please help me this is really anoying!
#123
Posted 11 December 2005 - 08:09 PM
75 kno3
25 sugar
10 sulphur
same comp as a "5 cent sugar rocket", just mixed together roughly, and rammed in an old rocket tube, 1/2 inch ID, about 3-4 inches long.
nice white and blueish sparks, 2m high.
#124
Posted 18 January 2006 - 11:45 PM
#125
Posted 19 January 2006 - 02:08 AM
In these many formulas that use Al and KNO3 there does not seem to be much mention of Boric Acid to stop the al/nitrate thing happening and causing potential self ignition... I am here to learn.. does this rule apply only to star formulations, or should we be using a percent or two of boric acid wherever Al and Nitrate (or other oxidisers) come together?
I've made gerbs containing Al and KNO3 without boric acid fairly often. The difference between stars and the gerb/fountain comp is that the gerb comp is wetted slightly, then I screen it through 10 mesh and dry it with a fan blowing on it. Once the water has evaporated the reaction won't take place. The dry granulated comp is then rammed in the gerb.
When stars are made, there is more water, and the comp stays wet longer inside the star, with more time for the KNO3 / Al reaction to take place. LLoyd Sponenburgh recommends NOT drying Al / KNO3 under still air in direct sun, which could accelerate the reaction.
Also, I've made up a spray bottle of 25/75 H2O/Alcohol where the water contains 6 gr of Boric Acid per 100cc, and routinely use this solvent in comps containing Al/KNO3 just to eliminate any potential reaction.
KAABLAAAMMM!!!
"OK... that shows you what could potentially happen."
--Homer Simpson
#126
Posted 31 August 2006 - 07:27 PM
I had hoped to use the Chrys 6 as a base for embedding coloured / crackling micro-stars, but it is probably too fast. Any suggestions for a good comp to do this?
Edited by BrightStar, 31 August 2006 - 07:41 PM.
#127
Posted 01 September 2006 - 08:24 AM
Easiest way is to take a bowl of TT, wetting the comp for the micro stars and rub it through a screen in the TT. Dry it and press in the fountain by hand.
No need for a hollow core and a nice high golden plume with lots of stars, for which I recommend metal based comps (strobe is fine, as well as colour stars).
#128
Posted 01 September 2006 - 02:57 PM
#129
Posted 01 September 2006 - 03:51 PM
I recently saw some commercial micro-star fountains which employed a crimped, flute or organ-pipe like nozzle, just formed out of the end of the tube, which seemed to be waterglass-treated. This was above what looked like a standard convergence / divergence nozzle. These fountains made a unique, (at least I never heard any pyro make it before) weird sputtering noise which I couldn't work out, so that's why I had a closer look at them. I plan to try and recreate the effect soon.
#130
Posted 01 September 2006 - 09:33 PM
I take Feinmakulatur (don't know what it's called in English; It's a cellulose powder used for structuring walls etc. before painting them) and mix it with waterglass. This gives a strong dough which fill into the tube to form a nozzle.
It shrink's a bit upon drying, but it becomes incredibly strong and may even be used for several times - that way, I can refill the tubes for about 5 times without making a new nozzle.
And there are no problems with micro stars. Maybe the shrinking makes ist a bit convergent (difficult to check, as it's burned and completely black in the tube) - the nozzle just should not be to narrow, about 8 mm for a 25mm ID fountain with the describes mix works well.
#131
Posted 09 December 2006 - 11:43 AM
#132
Posted 09 December 2006 - 11:50 AM
#133
Posted 09 December 2006 - 02:18 PM
#134
Posted 11 December 2006 - 11:29 AM
http://paraphysics.c...sswick_gerb.jpg
This should give you a good idea of what kind of star compositions work best. If you're going to try using other star formulas in gerbs, I would look for ones with coarse metal of some kind. Make sure you press, NOT ram - no coloured star/gerb composition should be rammed.
Edited by Creepin_pyro, 11 December 2006 - 11:36 AM.
#135
Posted 11 December 2006 - 03:23 PM
Also apologies if this has been asked before but generally in formulas is it ok to substitute Strontium nitrate with strontium carbonate? I know Strontium nitrate is an oxidiser so doing so, would it require you to alter the proportions of the other chems i.e. increase the amount of perchlorate?
Edited by treefingers, 11 December 2006 - 03:25 PM.
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