285 replies to this topic

[Simpo]

Visser, Davis or other Permanganate flashes are unstable and dangerous. I know getting fine flake Aluminium or Perchlorates in Australia is quite hard, but you shouldn't give up and take the risks of using Permanganate flashes.

I have used KMnO4+Al powder for a long time now without any troubles. I have not seen any hint of unstability but thanks for the advise.

[BigG]

I have used KMnO4+Al powder for a long time now without any troubles. I have not seen any hint of unstability but thanks for the advise.

Here we do again. Simpo - nobody in the fireworks industry uses Permanganate. You know why? It's not a stable mixture.

Please members ? stop saying things like ?I used it ? no problems, it?s probably safe enough? for known unstable mixtures. It?s not safe ? be wise and find alternative.


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[Simpo]

sorry BigG if i sounded like an idiot but from what i have read it is only considered unstable when it is mixed with sulphur or a volitile liquid (which i do not do after seeing what mere glycerine does to it) but anyway i am looking for a source of KClO3/4 but so far have not turned up anything.

thanks for all your help

[Amleth]

Okay, so this thread seems to have died long ago... (As in, over a year. Ouch.)

How much of the Australian community is still around and active? I'm starting to get back into the hobby after a long hiatus, and it'd be great to know some "local" peers, if only to discuss suppliers and trade ideas, but the possibility of eventually meeting up and firing off a bunch of stuff together certainly has its appeal...

So, who's still out there?

[alany]

I'm still here.

Not quite as active of late as in the past, but I am still doing pyro fairly regularly.

[Amleth]

Well, howdy. I've seen your name pop up all over the forums, so not surprised to see you still around. Did you ever manage to locate that visco supplier? A reliable delay'd really be nice...

On a somewhat related note, I managed to find an Australian supplier for technical grade potassium perchlorate for $23.24/kg. The only downside is the 25 kilo bag minimum order. ($581!) Perhaps some sort of pooled purchase with 5 people buying 5kg each, or similar? I suspect there might not be enough interested Aussies around these days to make that practical, though. Of course if someone's found a better supply by now, even better...

I'm not in any major hurry to get some anyway, I guess. I'd rather like to try the giant sparklers on Dan William's page, but apart from that I have no real use for it yet. I'll wait to move on to colours and flash once I get my lift powder fast enough...

[alany]

That's rather expensive, even for better grades of perc. I suggest you make your own, if you invest $100 or so in a suitable PSU and electrode you can crank out a few hundred grams a week with little effort. I am essentially self sufficient for chlorate and perchlorate now.

You can make a reasonable falls composition using only easilly accessable Potassium Nitrate, Sulfur and Aluminium.

[Amleth]

I hadn't really looked into perchlorate synthesis too much, but I thought it involved a reasonable degree of chlorate contamination?

If $23/kg is expensive, where have you seen it cheaper? That compares pretty favourably to Skylighter if they'd only ship it here, and to UK prices I've seen bandied about the forums. If I could buy a kilo or two for that I'd do it in a second, not just for for peace of mind, but for the ability to not spend 3-6 weeks synthesizing it...

Was that a "no" on the visco, BTW? I'm still looking for some...

[alany]

It cost me less than that when I imported some from Canada, and that was a rip-off. Unfortunately that source has since dried up/gone ferral. Chlorate contamination is not an issue if you prepare it correctly, getting the reagents to do so is quite easy in Australia. It is discussed at length in the thread about perchlorate synthesis.

Because I now have a General Permit I can get all the fuse I want. There are no sources that I know of currently selling to unlicenced buyers in Australia. You can probably get some at great expense from a supplier if you get an day/event permit. You are old enough to get a General Permit in NSW, not sure about your state, I highly recommend doing the course and getting it if you can manage it.

[maximusg]

Hello Fellow Australian Pyrotechnicians

Has anyone else noticed a considerable decrease in the availability of the once, abundant Potassium Nitrate?

I have recently 'got back into' pyrotechnics after about 18 months off, due to increased study load, and am now finding it increasingly difficult to locate a source of KNO3.

I have tried pretty much every chemist and nursary within 100 Km and had nill results. Does anyone know of a supplier that would ship small amounts (25Kg bag or less) to one's door? If so it would be greatly appreciated if you could let me know.

Cheers

[alany]

Grab the yellow pages and start calling farming/agro suppliers.

It typically takes 3 calls to find a supplier willing to sell a bag or two, for < $1/kg.

I recently purchased a bag of KCl for another project, it was actually harder to get than KNO3, it took me 5 calls before I found a supplier that had it in stock.

[Amleth]

Where are you located, maximusg? It took rather a lot of ringing around in Perth to find KNO3, and the cheapest place was still around $1.40/kg. If you're outside W.A., though, I can't really be of much help.

[maximusg]

Yeah, I am in regional NSW. Many of the Ag/Fertilizer suppliers around here are no longer stocking nitrates for various reasons.

[Themolehole_9876]

Hey guys, I have absolutely no sources for chemical/elements! All i have is KNO3, which i bought over Ebay for the biggest rip off price of $20/kg (only bought cause i couldnt find it anywhere else!) and Sulphur which was a huge fluke find in bunnings $7/500g... so basically does anyone have any ideas about where to go? any suppliers they regularly use? I live in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Thanks alot guys, Cya

[completebeginner]

that is a lot cheaper than my chems in canada my kno3 is $5 for 125 grams my sulfur $5 for 100 grams and my kclo3 is $15 for 100 grams and I also think canadian money is worth more than australian so those prices arent that bad the only source for chems i have is the pharmacy

Edited by completebeginner, 03 January 2006 - 12:19 AM.