21 replies to this topic

[The Firing Box]

Hi Everyone!

I do pyrotechnical displays for re-enactment societies in the UK and I am looking for a source to buy some electronic igniters closer to where I live in South London.

I normally get them from Brighton Fireworks but I have to take a day off work just to travel down there to pick them so if there is somewhere closer like Surrey or Kent I would be happy.

Any ideas?

Regards

Andy

[crystal palace fireworks]

Hi Everyone!

I do pyrotechnical displays for re-enactment societies in the UK and I am looking for a source to buy some electronic igniters closer to where I live in South London.

I normally get them from Brighton Fireworks but I have to take a day off work just to travel down there to pick them so if there is somewhere closer like Surrey or Kent I would be happy.

Any ideas?

Regards

Andy

Have you tried here; http://www.skyhighfx.com/

or here; http://www.stage-ele...k/about-us.aspx

[Arthur Brown]

How much does price matter. I can pick up pro sfx igniters in whatever quantity I need for a job in several places in London BUT with VAT they are about £1.50 each. I can get pro sfx igniters delivered to me by courier if I have a place to receive a parcel with a 1.4S diamond, Delivery costs about £25.

Chinese/Czech firework igniters come down to 15 pence each, BUT usually you have to buy a case full and maybe even drive 100 miles to fetch them.

[martyn]

How much does price matter. I can pick up pro sfx igniters in whatever quantity I need for a job in several places in London BUT with VAT they are about £1.50 each. I can get pro sfx igniters delivered to me by courier if I have a place to receive a parcel with a 1.4S diamond, Delivery costs about £25.

Chinese/Czech firework igniters come down to 15 pence each, BUT usually you have to buy a case full and maybe even drive 100 miles to fetch them.

Crikey Arthur!

Would you mind sharing your source of 15p igniters - I've been paying three times that.

Cheers

[digger]

Just a quick note the Czech ignitors are made in China.

15p is very cheap I have to say. There would not be much profit in those after shipping from China.

Yes please, please do let us know where they are available for that price.

[Arthur Brown]

Sadly that was a mixed batch numbers lot that was someone's clearing out the stores rubbish. But everyone who uses igniters ends up with a few that don't match the newly imported batch, and I was lucky that time.

However usually short igs cost less than longer wires, but you use more shooting wire.

Have you looked at the Talon pyrogen free igniters that can come to you by post lawfully. Possibly there is a forum source of them for sub 50p each +p&p

Edited by Arthur Brown, 08 February 2011 - 10:48 PM.

[crystal palace fireworks]

How much does price matter. I can pick up pro sfx igniters in whatever quantity I need for a job in several places in London BUT with VAT they are about £1.50 each. I can get pro sfx igniters delivered to me by courier if I have a place to receive a parcel with a 1.4S diamond, Delivery costs about £25.

Chinese/Czech firework igniters come down to 15 pence each, BUT usually you have to buy a case full and maybe even drive 100 miles to fetch them.

So if it were possible to import ignitors directly from china, would the exporter/manufacturer be responsible for supplying a 1.4s UN class box to transport them in? and providing the recipient had storage for 1,4?

This company will sell a trial pack; http://www.wswenchi....eb/en_index.asp

Edited by crystal palace fireworks, 09 February 2011 - 04:53 PM.

[dave]

So if it were possible to import ignitors directly from china, would the exporter/manufacturer be responsible for supplying a 1.4s UN class box to transport then in? and providing the recipient had storage for 1,4?

This company will sell a trial pack; http://www.wswenchi....eb/en_index.asp

some of those look like cloned davey bickford fuseheads (with pasteboard design)
and some like what i would call the czeck clones using the schaffler design.

anyone in the uk importing these ?.........someone must be
pm me if you prefer

dave

[digger]

So if it were possible to import ignitors directly from china, would the exporter/manufacturer be responsible for supplying a 1.4s UN class box to transport then in? and providing the recipient had storage for 1,4?

This company will sell a trial pack; http://www.wswenchi....eb/en_index.asp

It all depends on the company you are importing them from. You will need CAD documents for them in the UK. They will have to be tested to the HSE's satisfaction before these will be issued. This may or may not mean having a series of tests done on them in China and videod. Some producers will allready have this info and some not as the importer will often pay for the testing, so they may not want the info being used for others to get the documentation on the same product (would you if you had stumped up the money for the tests?).

So yes it is possible once the required paperwork is done.

[pyrotrev]

You can also get them from tplpyro.co.uk, they will ship as well. However they normally have black leads, not the best for display use, but could be good for SFX use.

[crystal palace fireworks]

It all depends on the company you are importing them from. You will need CAD documents for them in the UK. They will have to be tested to the HSE's satisfaction before these will be issued. This may or may not mean having a series of tests done on them in China and videod. Some producers will allready have this info and some not as the importer will often pay for the testing, so they may not want the info being used for others to get the documentation on the same product (would you if you had stumped up the money for the tests?).

So yes it is possible once the required paperwork is done.

Gareth, What is a CAD documents? is this a detailed `computer aided drawing` and spec of the ignitor that needs to be sent & presented to HSE and/or customs before an actual purchase or shipping can take place?,...I believe the UN code for ignitors is UN 0454!

According to there website, they already export to the UK anyway, so I guess one can almost assume testing for this product for HSE purposes/satisfaction is already in order?

It might be worth further investigation for a handful of display guys on the forum to band together and buy a smallish quantity?,...especially if it can be bought at below 15p per ignitor!

[digger]

Gareth, What is a CAD documents? is this a detailed `computer aided drawing` and spec of the ignitor that needs to be sent & presented to HSE and/or customs before an actual purchase or shipping can take place?,...I believe the UN code for igniter's is UN 0454!

According to there website, they already export to the UK anyway, so I guess one can almost assume testing for this product for HSE purposes/satisfaction is already in order?

It might be worth further investigation for a handful of display guys on the forum to band together and buy a smallish quantity?,...especially if it can be bought at below 15p per igniter!

Think you will struggle to get them for less than 15p per igniter after you consider duty and ADR shipping from China. You could get close if you were bringing in your own container.

A CAD document is a Competent Authority Document. Effectively this is registered to the company importing / producing the devices. To get one it will require drawings, composition lists, construction details and packaging details. Before a classification is agreed upon the authorities will require certain tests to be done on the packaged items such as bonfire testing (there is a British standard for this) or one of the other tests that are available(HSE won't always accept other peoples tests).

As already mentioned you will then need someone to ship them for you and someone to receive them.

All possible, however there are a number of costs along the way which have to be added to the cost of the items.

What you are paying for in the UK is all of the hassle the importer has gone to going through the process, plus their profit margin which after overheads is probably not as high as you may think.

D

Edited by digger, 09 February 2011 - 07:32 PM.

[dave]

You can also get them from tplpyro.co.uk, they will ship as well. However they normally have black leads, not the best for display use, but could be good for SFX use.

davey bickord yes, but not the czeck ones

dave

[cooperman435]

As Digger said you WON'T get them for 15p as new stock once everything is totalled up and divided between them, cheaper than they are currently available yes but not that cheap.

Remember too that china sells everything from very well made high quality goods (Im told lol) to the cheapest imitations possible of them, and will sell you anything from that spectrum at whatever price they think they can.

You could buy a cheap igniter and pay much more than you need to, still get them cheaper than here but have something less reliable or safe be warned.

AND as Digger already said too you need CAD documents to import them, 1 on its own, a case or a container load.