17 replies to this topic

[Farnet]

Well, It's finally happened I have made some good BP, (basic ancient chinese mixture from the book), nothing fancy, and added a small amount of titanium and had it tamped down in a 1/2 inch tube.

It was fantastic, it made about an 18 inch fountain, for about 25 seconds.

Ok, now my second stage is to make coloured flames and a reduced smoking mixtureas I flooded the area with white clouds, what do you guys recommend.

My nose is in the red bible by the reverend as we speak, and have lots of formula, I have 2 friends that are just as fanatical as me, and we want to take it one step at a time, again, it's the age .

I have strontium nitrate and things like iron oxide, barium etc, but would really like to start on colours... whistles and engines are later (mortars etc are soon but want to make my own tube and bangers first)

Farnet

[dr thrust]

congrats on your first pyro article!,information on whats needed to form colored flames can be found on the green man site found here in the useful website page , as for smoke, there not much you can do lol,i did look into it here reduceing smoke
just be safe, dont cut corners or get sloppy that's when accidents happen

Edited by dr thrust, 12 December 2010 - 10:06 PM.

[Deano 1]

Well done Fella, your going about it the right way, one step at a time. Did anyone tell you its addictive

[Mortartube]

Well done. It's a great feeling isn't it? When it comes to colours, Pot Perchlorate is your best bet as you are fairly new to things. Smoke can actually be quite helpful in some cases as it often helps reflect light and adds to the effect. If you have no pot perch you can try stars such as D1 glitter in mines. Try the PFP database for lots of formulae. Just google for a link.

[Farnet]

thanks guys for your support, time for some more reading I think.

one thing, I loved the effect the titanium has, but how do you get the crackle?, does it need to be coated in something first.

Edited by Farnet, 13 December 2010 - 10:23 PM.

[cooperman435]

Crackling fountains are using either micro stars of dragon egg formula or Magnallium unless anyone else can suggest more alternatives?

[Farnet]

Thanks Cooperman, I had a go with a mixture of titanium and magnalium, by god was it bright, there was a little crackle but not the volume I was hoping for, I'll have a look at the dragon egg formula and micro star and see how they go.... hopefully got the right ingredients

[cooperman435]

the mesh size of your MgAl is all important for crackling, if anyone has any test results for the grades please make youself known.

[seymour]

I have had success with a Bismuth trioxide formula.

Unfortunately I am not currently sure who made it.

37.5 Bismuth trioxide
37.5 Copper (II) oxide
25 MgAl
Bind with NC (I used double base, +5%)

Using -100 mesh MgAl I make a crackle that burns with a few, or even a small clouds of pops from each grain.

Using -60 mesh MgAl, I cut 2-3mm dragon eggs, which each produced a single, much louder crack.

While I've been told that Lead based crackle can be louder, I'm very satisfied with the result.

[Farnet]

Ahhh thanks Seymour, another chemical to aquire I think...

On that note, I have been 'working from home' today and have been compiling a list of formulas I would like to make their aquaintance.

Red Lance 75% perc, 12% strontium Carbonate, 13% red gum
Blue Lance 65% perc, 14% black copper oxide, 9% parlon, 7% red gum, 5% dextrin
Blue Lance 27% perc, 11% copper carbonate, 47% Ammonium Perc, 15% red gum
Amber Lance 73% perc, 14% Cryolite, 10% Red Gum, 3% lactose
Green Lance 25% perc, 36% Barium chlorate, 25% Barium Nitrate, 14% red gum
portafire 63% Potassium Nitrate, 16% sulphur, 11% meal gunpowder, 10% Antimony Sulphide
flares 42% Strontium Nitrate, 12% PVC, 30% Magnesium grade 0, 9% Perc, 7% polyester
Dragon Eggs 37.5% Bismuth trioxide, 37.5% Copper Oxide, 25% Magnalium

Firstly, where the heck do you get Ammonium Perclorate and Bismuth Trioxide from? I have done a lot of googling and now have a headache trying to find a source.

Also is there an alternate comp for a green lance as I really don't want to be making my own Barium Nitrate just yet, even I'm not that foolhardy.

Lastly (for now), are there any of your own recommendations that I should look at as well? feeling rather smug as I have now got a mill and the last milled batch of BP was great (for me that is), so I am feeling the need to expand my resume.

[dr thrust]

green star #2 ,best of AFN 3,page 115
Potassium Perchlorate ... 30
Barium Carbonate .......... 19
Magnalium ...................... 30
PVC ................................. 12
Red Gum ......................... 4
Dextrin ............................ 4

avoid barium chlorate,ive read it has lead to spontaneous combustion in certain circumstances, but makes the best green .
certain chemicals are hard to acquire in the amateur pyro world, sometimes its who you know.
ap is pretty powerful stuff its a oxidizer and fuel combined and is reputed to be able to explode by itself with impact so its not easy to lay your hands on, dont get hung up on what you can and cant get, make the most of wot yer got
color's arent the be-all and end-all of pyro, glitters are particularly beautiful.
heres a very nice rocket, no color glitter to horsetail
inoxia stock bismuth,copperman435 stocks it aswell

Edited by dr thrust, 22 December 2010 - 07:07 PM.

[Farnet]

WOW, nice rocket... that is phase two, I want to perfect the basics first, I personally want to have a knowledge and experience of colours first, as the idea of sending explosives into the sky scares the bejesus out of me at this stage, although I saw a youtube video of a visco mini rockets, which looked a great laugh.

I must admit, I am starting to aquire a huge amount of chems, and am quite keen to make it a full house (within reason), as I hate finding a formula that looks really interesting and realise I have to wait 2 weeks+ to get the correct ingredients.

Thanks for the Green formula it is now added to the spreadsheet, and ironically I spotted the Bismuth of Coopermans website just as I read your response, although I didn't spot it on Inoxia though, will have another look....

[Farnet]

am I blind or what..... just spotted Bismuth on Inoxia as well.....

[Farnet]

Here goes,

This is my first ever proper attempt (see youtube link below) , I tried a triple tubed fountain, middle tube with TI and Magnalium, right tube aluminium waste from the lathe (rather disappointing) and left Strontium Nitrate and Antimony.

The choke in the centre tube was wooden with a 8mm hole, which lasted all of 2 seconds....dohhh.

All in all a rather interesting learning curve....

BTW why did the middle and left tubes flare breifly just before finishing, clogging possibly?? if so nice effect but rather unnerving.

[Farnet]

a better quality video of the same thing



The questions I have are (oh I wish I was a chemist), why was the Titanium and magnalium tube so much more powerful and longerlasting than the aluminium one, and in the same instance why was the one that was strontium and antimony so much weaker, but twice as long.... I found it VERY interesting and informative, but now need to know the why's...

I find trial and error within reason is the way forward, and firing 3 tubes simulataniously with different formulas very informative.

Edited by Farnet, 31 December 2010 - 08:18 PM.