285 replies to this topic

[Aussie Pyro King]

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Edited by Aussie Pyro King, 01 March 2015 - 05:02 AM.

[Matt]

I think your the only one who has sources hehe.

Green river rifle works is good for lead and also sells fuse when it is in stock.

AMPS sells metal powders at a good price.

-Matt

*edit* re-read the other post and i had miss read something.

Edited by Matt, 30 January 2004 - 06:57 AM.

[Lil_Guppy]

I have to agree with Matt with regards to metal powder supply. I simply purchase potassium nitrate in 25kg bags from a local nursery, and I have found a good supply of sulfur at a local agriculture supply store. I know these are pretty vague sources, but it may help others by giving them somewhere to start looking. Other than that, I have had a pretty tough time finding sources (decent ones that is). I have not found a supplier for fuse that sells decent lengths for decent prices, except for The Fireworks King, but I was told that he cannot ship anywhere, so I have not been able to get any fuse so far.

At the moment, I am trying to find a supplier for fuse (as this is what I need at the current time) that also sells and ships to Queensland. Perhaps I will have to find someone that is able to purchase it on my behalf and send it up my way

Edited by Lil_Guppy, 30 January 2004 - 08:00 AM.

[alany]

Yeah you seem to have a better collection of sources that I.

AMPS for metals.
Walker Ceramics for various carbonates, oxides and waterglass.
Lincraft and Spotlight are good for large ID spiral cardboard tubes.
Bunnings for solvents.

I can't remember the name of the agricultural place I get my potassium nitrate from, but it is really cheap, much less than $2/kg if you buy a whole 25 kg bag. It isn't all that pure though, but it works OK for BP.

I used to get my charcoal from Coles, but they no longer carry that brand of lump charcoal, it is all bloody heat beads now. I believe BBQs Galore may still carry it, next time I run out I'll investigate. I don't really have the space to make my own.

I pay the premium on the shipping and get stuff from Skylighter too, but as they won't ship anything hazmat I stick pretty much to tubes and exotic chemicals I just can't get here. I got plastic shell parts from Pyro Plastics. I've got a few things off eBay too, potassium perchlorate and magnesium.

[Aussie Pyro King]

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Edited by Aussie Pyro King, 01 March 2015 - 05:03 AM.

[Matt]

hehe oh yea? i pay $1.60 so nerr

Gardening shops is the wrong word. You want farming/agricultural suppliers.
AMPS is australian metal powders supplies www.metalpowders.com.au
Tubes ive seen from acme fireworks seem reasonable.

-Matt

[Aussie Pyro King]

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Edited by Aussie Pyro King, 01 March 2015 - 05:03 AM.

[Matt]

per....chlo....rate???? lol. Never touched the stuff thats why im suckin up to you

Alan probably pays the same. Just go find yourself a big farmers supplies kinda place and ask for potassium nitrate. 25kg bags cost me $40.

-Matt

[Aussie Pyro King]

When my catalogue arrives I'll post the prices for you.

How does 500g Strontium Nitrate for $18 sound? Thats what I payed from Silform Chemicals. I don't think you'll want to drive to Sydney though.

[Matt]

sounds ok. Not really in need of it though. I think its cheaper from walker ceramics anyways.

Im not even really after colours, i just wanna break my shells hard!

-Matt

[Lil_Guppy]

Gardening shops (nurseries) do sell potassium nitrate, although I must say that the places where I have seen it were the largest in my area, so that would most likely be why they stock it. I pay around $1.50 per kilo for it (when bought in 25kg bags) and it is quite pure (good enough for decent black powder). I make my own charcoal in painfully small quantities, which I hope to change now that I have moved to a new area (out of town ). I have a virtually unlimited supply of 2in mortar tubes (small I know) as the factory my father runs uses plastic wrap (industrial) which comes on these tubes. Like alany, I use Bunnings for solvents and assorted tools.

I have not found any sources of HDPE, but then again, I haven't really been looking for them, as I have no real use for them at this time. Once I get canister shells down pat then perhaps I will make larger devices. Small cake tubes (ID 15mm OD 20mm) I make out of electrical conduit. Some may think this is dangerous, but after a fair amount of testing I found that the end plug (clay) will blow out loooooong before the tube will fail.

All other chemicals that I have, I have found in the usual places.

If anyone would care to share a fuse supplier it would be very much appreciated, as I am in need of it at the moment. Also, to the people who have ordered from AMPS, what has been the finest aluminum powder they have sold you? They have only sold me -200 mesh, but another person I know has obtained -325 mesh, and I was just wanted to check up on this.

[Matt]

I think youll find what you have is -325 mesh. I ordered 200 mesh and got -325, a friend of mine ordered 200 mesh and the label said 75b, mine also sais 75b and his powder makes the same glitter as mine.

-Matt

[MrBungle]

Thanks for the sources guys, especialy AMPS.
I used to get my chems from Roe Chemicals here in the west, they had all the oxidisers, metal powders etc, at a high price ofcourse(how does $83 for 500g BaNO3 sound? that was 1990!) but they seem to have gone out of business sometime in the last few years. Probably couldn't keep customers at that pricing.

I bought 500g of Silform KNO3 in '95 for $12 at Alwest Scientific in Perth city, I think it was pretty pure lab stuff. He made me sign some papers when I bought it but I think he was just worried 'coz I looked young(I was 20). Haven't been back since but he is still in business.
Last lot of KNO3 I bought was from a local hardware(the family business type) that had agri stuff. It cost me about $2.50 for 2kg or something stupid, I kid you not, but it smelled sweet, almost chocolatey, and was largish grains, but it ground down okay and burnt well. I might re-crystalise whats left tho.

Alan, Bunnings whorehouse(hehe) sells lump charcoal, atleast it does here. I have not tried it tho 'coz I make my own willow.

As I'm just getting back into it, I'm a tad out of touch, but if I find/think of anything else, I'll drop it here.

Simon

EDIT: Hey I've just had a thought, a close friend of mine recently started working for Wesfarmers or Coogee Chemicals, can't remember which, but thats where they actually manufacture a lot of the stuff. I'll see if he has access to anything.(BTW, Wesfarmers owns Bunnings, BBQ Galore, WA Slavage(Salvage) and Spotlight, if your interested, great WA company )

Edited by MrBungle, 30 January 2004 - 05:16 PM.

[Aussie Pyro King]

Where do you guys get bismuth trioxide? My chem supplier wants $115 for 100g!!
Theres no way i'm paying that but I can't find it anywhere else.

[Aussie Pyro King]

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Edited by Aussie Pyro King, 01 March 2015 - 05:04 AM.