13 replies to this topic

[pyrodude]

Hiya,
I take part in HPR and will be getting my explosives licence at the start of next year so i can do my level 1 and 2. This licence allows me to store <50g of BP. Will this also allow me to legally own visco.
Cheers Kyle Spooner

P.S. I wasnt sure whether to post this in this topic or in the rocketry topic so moderators. Please feel free to move it if you wish. (Not that youd ask anyay!!!!!!)

[Richard H]

You don't actually need a licence to purchase visco, but having a COER certificate will usually assist you in obtaining pyro supplies.

[pyrodude]

Hiya,
What sort of licence would i need then to get visco shipped to me from the states.
Cheers Kyle Spooner

[Richard H]

A bloody expensive one. Why on earth would you want to ship fuse from the states when you can get it here in the UK?

[pyrodude]

I never knew you could get it in the UK. . Surely if you could get it in the UK everyone would have some. Where can you get it from then????
Cheers Kyle Spooner

[The_Djinn]

Pyrodude,

As Honcho said, it is available at many places but most will like to see your storage license and UKRA membership and possibly some form of insurance. This differes from supplier to supplier and the fact is you dont requiere storage license legaly to have visco but it is simply a control suppliers have put in place to protect themselves and their legal obligations.

Mark

PS: If you are going to get your Mode B, try do it sooner than later.. more changes due in April which may make it more difficult.

[Stuart]

What type of certificate would be needed for an individual to produce black powder and perchlorate compositions and make fireworks? Are there any links on the HSE site that would give a run down of the process of obtaining one and the costs?

Thanks

Stuart

[Matt]

Manufacturing isnt all that expensive amazingly...... for the liscence. Over here in Aus I beleive its $315 plus $50 a year to renew, basicly we need to send in to the department of minerals (i think) detailed plans of how we make the particular devices in mind and have an examination of ytour manufacturing areas. If you pass you get the liscence. Naturally there would be more to it but thats the gist.

Anny aussies please correct me if im wrong, best to be shattered now than later just after buying 50 acres and find out it isnt enough D'OH!!

-Matt

[alany]

Nope, that's basically it in AU, at least on paper.

Even in this state, you pay about a kilobuck for the licence and they need to see the details for the device you intend to construct and need to make sure you are not going to kill someone if you have an accident. They basically don't care if you blow yourself up, which is fair enough really.

The devil is in the details. There is basically no recorse if they say "not good enough". So personal issues can mean the inspector keeps you tied up for years and years. And in NSW there is basically one gentleman that does all the work, so you better not piss him off. The law only includes methods for changing the law via the normal methods, there is no real method of 3rd party review and no second chances, you do your money for every application even if rejected for trivial problems.

Plus Australian explosive laws were just changed to force all the fireworks stores in the ACT to close except for the week of theJune festival. (and not new years!) So at least 5 retailers just went out of business and the three or four wholesalers are obviously headed the same way. I am not sure of the situation in NT, but the rumblings are for Federal explosives laws next year, banning *all* 1.4 fireworks and adding severe restrictions on shipping of 1.3 materials. If you want to do pyro in AU you best become a part-time professional this year.

[miniskinny]

I am posting in regards to United States laws, sorry if this is a bit off topic...Sheriff came by the other day, and was fairly appalled at my hobby. I've had to cool down just about 99 % on fireworks/composition manfacture since his visit, despite my fairly rural location. I'm wondering if anyone knows any federal licenses that'll help me get through this (By the way, the main reason he was by was because I was splitting several stumps with flash powder; es license?)
thanks,

[RegimentalPyro]

I thought hobby scale [not for resale] manufacture was legal in the US? What was the sheriffs objection? Were you in a residential area?

Mind you - I suppose if you were using flash as an explosive, then I suppose you can no longer claim its just for fireworks. Consider yourself on the list mate.

[Phoenix]

I'm guessing that to split a stump you were using rather more than 50mg of flash in the device, so you were in breach of federal law. Not meaning to be rude, but considering you and your fellow US hobbyists' current situation was brought on by people manufacturing illegal salutes like you were, now is an even worse time than usual to go blowing up stumps with flash powder.

US books usually make some reference to ensuring you comply with all local and State laws, so there might be a permit you need in your State.

I believe you'll also need a suitable magazine if you want to store finished fireworks or compositions. Plenty on that in the rec.pyrotechnics archive.

Edited by Phoenix, 02 June 2005 - 06:21 PM.

[italteen3]

Well mini FP manufacture is illegal here in the US without a Federal explosives license. Pickup the Orange book from Skylighter like I have you will learn alot!

I briefly skimmed through it, and trust me there are a ton of things to know. Not too much to be overwhelmed though. First off the one thing you canNOT get around is age. You must be 21 or older to get licensed. I have read on Tom Dimock's pyro page that it is possible to try and get licensed under a parent, but Im not sure if that parent needs to be supervising you every bit until you are of age. For you that might not be bad on your own property but when my future building is a 2 1/2 hour drive away I will just wait 3 years and keep my hobby to a bare minimum. Since acquiring the book I have stopped making flash, even in the small quantities I only did. It is not punishable as a misdemeanor but a federal offense.

Any blowing up within a few miles of your house they could possibly link to you. Not definate but just a reason for me to stop doing that as a precaution.

If in fact fireworks are legal, Class C ofcourse, in your state then any firework similar, size and weight, is allowed to be made on a hobby scale I believe. This again depends from state to state. I talked to someone online and they said in their state it was perfectly legal on small scales, but this is not 100% certain so do a bunch of research.

Personally I would stick to small shells, BP, and most quiet things if you cant seem to stop pyro, until you are fully licensed, on a Federal, State, and local level. That is what I am limited to as of now. I spend my pyro time now trying to perfect my BP, BP based comps, and shortly stars and 1 3/4" shells. Not going to impress anyone but keeps me occupied and does not attract the sheriff's attention.

[miniskinny]

It was foolish to take pyrotechnics outside of, well, pyrotechnics. I'll be looking into Minnesota law, but so far my cyber-searching has found nothing. I'll try to befriend the neighbors more, specifically the sherif, see if I can't be allowed a little lee-way on this issue, seeing how I'm about 10 acres from anyone's house. I'll probably also but an "orange book", sounds like some good reading.
Gratzy,
mini