14 replies to this topic

[wallboy]

I have an M80 banger which I am trying to launch as a shell so it explodes in the sky.

I put it in a tube with a tiny bit of Flash Powder and a fuse which came out the side, lit it and it projected the banger in the air.

The next step was to try and get it in the air lit, so I turned it upside down with a long fuse which came out the bottom so in theory it would ignite the Flash Powder firing it into the air while still lit and explode, but the whole tube exploded.

The 3rd attempt was to do the same as the first time when it shot in the air but to put the banger in upside down with the fuse coming out the top of the tube. I lit the banger then lit the second fuse which was going to shoot it in the air but again it all blew to pieces.

How can I fire the bloody thing in the air?

[Potassium chlorate]

For really small shells you can simply use visco, if you protect the part outside the shell with a layer of melting glue.

From 2" and upwards you should use real timefuse, though.

[fruitfulsteve]

don't use flash powder as lift.......

[Potassium chlorate]

Nitrate flash works, using 5% of the shell weight at most, and only up to 2", Though if you have BP, avoid flash as lift.

[MDH]

I have tried nitrate flash as lift before - You need a very coarse aluminum in order to do it (think in the range of 200 mesh, flake and uncoated). I doubt this person has that sort of aluminum. A typical nitrate flash with german dark would destroy his shell.

Wallboy, why aren't you just using black powder?

[wallboy]

I have tried nitrate flash as lift before - You need a very coarse aluminum in order to do it (think in the range of 200 mesh, flake and uncoated). I doubt this person has that sort of aluminum. A typical nitrate flash with german dark would destroy his shell.

Wallboy, why aren't you just using black powder?

The Aluminium im using is 400 Mesh and mixed 70/30. I dont have any black powder as I was only interested in making bangers to start with but now want them to be projected in the air.

I thought as the Flash Powder lifted the hocky ball abut 20 metres in the air, it would easily lift a small banger. I have also been given a 2 1/2" Shell, god knows how im going to shoot that.

I guess I will have to use a catapult
(for the banger, not the shell)

[wjames]

Hi.

Firstly, please stop using flash as lift powder, its NOT LIFT poweder, its flash. it burns too fast to be used as lift get it wrong, and the "m-80" will go off in the mortar....Not a good thing.

Secondly, to answer your final question :

go have a good read, and start making small batches of BP, and indeed turn it into lift powder.

You'll enjoy making it more, its safer, and you'll then ( with some testing ) be able to fire 2" shells with ease, again and again and again.....Regardless of if you are filling them with stars, or some report composition.

[wallboy]

Hi.

Firstly, please stop using flash as lift powder, its NOT LIFT poweder, its flash. it burns too fast to be used as lift get it wrong, and the "m-80" will go off in the mortar....Not a good thing.

Secondly, to answer your final question :

go have a good read, and start making small batches of BP, and indeed turn it into lift powder.

You'll enjoy making it more, its safer, and you'll then ( with some testing ) be able to fire 2" shells with ease, again and again and again.....Regardless of if you are filling them with stars, or some report composition.

Yeah, thats exactly what happened. Their was an almighty boom and my mortar exploded
I will go start reading about BP.

Is that the only lift you should use?

[Potassium chlorate]

It's not impossible to use nitrate flash as a lift, but once you have access to decent BP, you should'nt need anything else.

[Deano 1]

Get ya parda rate fost yoof an ya cin fire owt.
Translated for the illiterate or posh.
If you spend an awful long time doing some tests and refining your technique a little at a time, taking notes along the way for future reference, you will eventually become rather pleased with your work and may I say rather proud in some instances. When referring back to your notes in the forthcoming future you may wish to work a little math and surprisingly lift a concoction of items of different sizes. Therefore a flash powder consisting of metal is not needed, therefore proving to be a tad safer:lol:

[wallboy]

It's not impossible to use nitrate flash as a lift, but once you have access to decent BP, you should'nt need anything else.

OK, I am going to make some BP, get some 2" Hemi's and a 2" Mortar Tube.

Only question is, how is the proper way of launching the shell? How do you set it up properly etc?

[Potassium chlorate]

OK, I am going to make some BP, get some 2" Hemi's and a 2" Mortar Tube.

Only question is, how is the proper way of launching the shell? How do you set it up properly etc?

You attach a "lift cup" with lift powder at the fused end of the shell. For 2" I actually use those small paper cups for ketchup that they have at McDonalds. I use a low temperature melt glue gun to attach the cup to the shell. From the cup to the muzzle of the mortar you use a quick match, which is a BP fuse with paper around it, usually yellow or red, with a burn rate of 40 m/s. At the other end of the quick match you put a piece of 1 cm/s visco. Presto!

[c.brad]

i would use mor than 1 centermetre

[Mumbles]

It says 1cm/s, as in the burn rate. You can use bared blackmatch instead of visco too. I'd probably add around 8cm of visco or blackmatch.

[wjames]

It says 1cm/s, as in the burn rate. You can use bared blackmatch instead of visco too. I'd probably add around 8cm of visco or blackmatch.

I tend to simply trim the paper/sheath of the quickmatch - around 10cm. then snip of 4 of the 5 peices of blackmatch. i save them for something else.