32 replies to this topic

[Mortartube]

When I worked for Wells our ground maroons were in the soft plastic bottles of the type chemicals are often stored in, the type with the black plastic lid. A hole was drilled in the lid and an electric fuse placed through it so the head was on the inside (tie a knot in the wire inside to stop it being pulled out). Hot melt was applied around the hole where the wire went through to stop leakage. A piece of tapematch or quickmatch runs from the fusehead to near to the bottom of the bottle.

Cooperman sells this type of bottle.

http://www.cooperman...products_id=112

A 500ml bottle only needs to be about 1/4 full of flash to be very loud.

The flash (Premixed in this case) is put in the bottle (Carefully. MAKE A FUNNEL OF PAPER SO YOU DON'T GET IT ON THE SCREW THREAD) and the lid gently screwed on. The cap is then sealed on with PVC electrical tape around the outer of the lid onto the neck of the bottle. Stops leaks again and prevents cap unscrewing.

It's now ready to fire.

To fire in the safest way possible. Bang 2 stakes in the ground about 4 feet high and 8 feet apart and tie some string between them like a washing line. suspend the maroon with the cap uppermost from the string by the e-match wires. A couple of turns of the wire will be fine. Connect the e-match up to your firing wire and it's ready.

Press button and KABOOM! Job done.


BTW locksmiths sell graphite powder as lock lubricant. It's not too dear.

Edited by Mortartube, 28 October 2010 - 02:10 PM.

[Atom Fireworks]

It's not a chemical action - It works by reducing the friction risk. Graphite powder is a very good lubricant - It's often used in locks.

The reason it acts as a lubricant is that graphite is made up of sheets of carbon atoms arranged in layers (NB a single sheet of carbon atoms is known as "graphene"). The bonds between the layers are very weak and thus can easily slide over each other.

You can experiment yourself with this. Take a softish pencil and use it to completly shade in an area on a sheet of paper. Now take your finger and rub it over the shaded part. You should find it much smoother than the unshaded paper. (pencil "lead" is basically graphite, with some binders)

Add to this the fact that graphite conducts electricity and you have something that not only reduces mechanical sensitivity but also cuts down on the static risk

Neat huh?

That is shear genius my freind, that could potentially save many people in the hobby from harm. Is this a previously known method or is it of your own creation?

[Creepin_pyro]

That is shear genius my freind, that could potentially save many people in the hobby from harm. Is this a previously known method or is it of your own creation?

Graphite has many uses in pyro - to 'glaze' blackpowder grains and improve handling/storage properties, as a free-flowing agent, as an opacifier in propellant grains, in igniter pyrogens, as a source of carbon in obscure blackpowder compositions. Also works wonders for lubricating spindles and star pumps. A valuable asset to any aspiring pyro!

[dr thrust]

a great tip, i'll definitely be using graphite in flash from now on.
talking about salute casing etc, has anybody ever gone to the trouble of making a string bound maroon like this pic

[wjames]

all great info !!!!


forget the perc/al - as i said, i've always used Pot. nitrate/MG 50:50, as i feel it gives a sharper crack.


i'd think a 4 inch shell would be very close to the 100g mark. I'm not looking forward to binary mixing it, but i feel its safer than " mixing it in a ziplock bag"


I'm thinking its gonna be fairly loud - just as well this is in a fairly remote area !

[wjames]

fao mortor tube - which flash was the normal in those 1/4 full plastic bottles, and what distance from the nearest by-stander ?

[Creepin_pyro]

talking about salute casing etc, has anybody ever gone to the trouble of making a string bound maroon like this pic

Yes, I did a few tests a while back. You really don't need flash with these, mine were made with Al-glazed BP (inspired by the awesome German military simulator maroons) and were satisfyingly deep and boomy. There's a nice PDF somewhere aobut the european cubic ones made with flash (also incredibly loud for their size) but I can't find it.

[dr thrust]

thanks,very interesting, they really look the part, the strings impregnated with "melted" glue and red lead paint? i presume the "melted glue" would be the old wood working glue caskamite ?

[MDH]

Those are easily made. I used to often make the indian variations of them. They're produced by rolling a 3/4" ID paper tube, cutting it into 1" long increments, plugging the bottom with newspaper using a dowel, filling them about half way with a composition then inserting the fuse and plugging the top with a newspaper ball, rolling tape over the ends, then wrapping string around the ends first and then the sides. Taping the end of the string in place with a tiny bit of glued paper or the likes, the entire item is then rolled in a cheap flour glue which holds the string in place permenantly.

My days of making salutes are long over once I realized how boring basic bangs are (I know I will get heck for this), but I've got to admit, the ways they make them in various countries around the world are quite entertaining for such a simple function.

[Mortartube]

fao mortor tube - which flash was the normal in those 1/4 full plastic bottles, and what distance from the nearest by-stander ?

The flash was 70/30 perc/Al, I would recommend 35m minimum.

[wjames]

I guess a hpde container is safer than mixing it once sealed inside a 4" shell.


Do any of you guys make BP salutes ????? i once read about a pressed BP salute, in a big tube.....

[starseeker]

Top Tip!

When mixing "standard" 70/30 Perc-Al flash the addition of 1% fine graphite powder reduces the mechanical sensitivity drastically, with little to no impact on the performance.

Mix the graphite in with the Perc first, and then add the Al and mix by your chosen method (diapering / ziploc etc)

It's a good cheap way to cut the risk factors down - I never mix without it personally.

You could also use 1/2% of cabosil to reduce the static hazard.

[wjames]

does the cabosil/grapite have the same effect, and indeed no nasty effects when using pot.Nitrate/Mg(or MgAl for that matter)

I never use S in my flash, its powerfull enough as it is. I'd have to mix a few % extra, than add risk by making it more sensitive !

[Mumbles]

I guess a hpde container is safer than mixing it once sealed inside a 4" shell.Do any of you guys make BP salutes ????? i once read about a pressed BP salute, in a big tube.....

Do you mean rockets?

[Deano 1]

I've made a really deep boom that made the ground shake with 3FA and granulated whistle rocket mix 50/50, It blew breeze blocks over and abliterated a bag of sand placed on top, fired with an e-match and a dewalt 18 volt battery about 40 yards away. It had 20 grams in total in a card tube taped and glued to hell.