18 replies to this topic

[PyroCreationZ]

I always use homemade white willow charcoal as I have access to loads of willow wood and so far my BP has always been consistent enough to use as lift.
Basically I use it for everything BP related (lift, break, ...)

I try to use the same milling times & the same process over and over which also helps make it consistent.

But it's a fact the chem quality is important.
A few years back I bought two 25kg KNO3 bags so I know the quality is always the same.
If I run out and restock it from another supplier I will test it first as quality can differ (much) between different suppliers (especially if you buy it from online suppliers).
But again, I'm still using the stuff from my local supplier so I can't compare the quality between online suppliers.

Edited by PyroCreationZ, 02 July 2011 - 09:15 AM.

[Bonny]

I've been making my own for several years. I use willow for lift and SPF (spruce/pine/fur) lumber for everything else (break, primes BP star/comet mixes...)

[seymour]

Not that another answer is needed to demonstrate the trend, but...

Yes, I make my own lift

[44RedHawk]

It’s always best to be creative and self sufficient in the fireworks hobby as learning to make your own is both economical and smart. This is especially salient in the current climate of over regulation and expanding government bureaucracy born out of collective ignorance and the psychotic actions of a few rotten individuals in every society.

Over regulation and excessive government restrictions in the fireworks hobby/industry is an insidious menace here in the U.S.A. making criminals out of craftsmen in what seems like a deliberate campaign to squash our freedoms. Such has forced the closure of many once great fireworks manufacturing concerns taking with them an abundance of supplies and traditions otherwise carried forward by generations of enthusiasts.

There was a time here in the U.S. when one could apprentice in a shop learning to make traditional fireworks under the supervision of a seasoned master doing so in exchange for experience and supplies. These were the days of yore upon which many of us look fondly knowing that these times have been relegated to the history book where future generations of young enthusiasts can only imagine the experiences once enjoyed by so many.

The once abundant access to pyrotechnic supplies and chemicals is no more, so hang onto what you have, learn to make your own, invest in a good ball mill and share a great hobby with fellow travelers in this ever diminishing society of true crafts people.