19 replies to this topic

[dfk]

It's been a little slow around here so I thought I would post this link and give everyone somethin to look at.

nice site

Theres a lot of good video's including one with a nice 6lb strobing stinger! Had to watch that one a few, to believe it.
Its all home made and looks pretty good, check it out.

[alany]

Yeah the Pyrofish site is great. A few of the rec.pyrotechnics regulars are represented there.

Hasn't been updated for a while though...

[italteen3]

I liked the site alot! Never heard of them before but thanks for sharing. Had some really cool videos I enjoyed, know of any other sites with home pyros showing off some of their creations I would love to see.

[Matt]

I would say Stuart, Pyromaster and I, but we aint got s**t on those videos! dexter has some interesting videos.

-Matt

Oh and Alan has been putting some videos up that have taken my fancy.

Edited by Matt, 12 April 2004 - 12:49 AM.

[alany]

We suffer from legal and chemical restraints. The Yanks can just do it, so it isn't really a fair comparison. I know I could do *much* better if I wasn't afraid of getting caught testing it and could get KP, AP and MgAl as easily as the Yanks can. Maybe I should go live on a farm in the middle of nowhere or something...

Hell they get Visco so easily they can afford to waste it on projects like this:

http://www.skylighte...co_Fuse_Rockets

Anyone tried that yet BTW?

Re; my videos, I should probably do a best-of page, because right now as a diary you have to wade through megabytes of crappy failed tests to find stuff that is even remotely impressive. What have you liked of late? I've been having a pretty rough patch where I am trying a lot of new ideas and failing completely That and being sick for so long has limited my output...

[Richard H]

I've made micro rockets using a length of visco attached to a cocktail stick and they work rather well

[Matt]

Alan, all that just teaches us to be more gratefull and appreciative, not saying the yanks arent but I would imagine we'd pass out for a tad longer when comming across a 25 kilo bag of perc....

-Matt

[alany]

I've made micro rockets using a length of visco attached to a cocktail stick and they work rather well

Did they have a nozzle like that?

I thought the idea was pretty cute, although an expensive way to make a rocket. Might even be slower than the way I make bottle rockets, it looks a bit fiddly compared to 4-5 ramming cycles. I'd be tempted to close one end of the pre-rolled tube with glue/wadding, then stuff in the visco pieces and choke to finish.

Alan, all that just teaches us to be more gratefull and appreciative, not saying the yanks arent but I would imagine we'd pass out for a tad longer when comming across a 25 kilo bag of perc....

Oh yeah! I've still got a few kg left, but the prospect of unlimited KP and other 'exotics' is pretty mouth watering. I think MgAl and Visco are the things I am currently the most green about. Even so, high purity KNO3, pre-airfloated C, vulcanising sulfur, commercial convolute tubes, wide choices of kraft, yum! I could definately make use of that, even if I can make-do with local alternatives.

Oi, you didn't answer my question, or have all my videos of late sucked that bad?

[Matt]

teehee I didnt see that, Im liking your stingers. I think you should be making more shells though. I really cant remember my absolute favourites but I wouldnt check it just about every day if I didnt like SOMETHING.

I have a 1.3 kilo block of Mg comming so I may finally get around to the attempt of making MgAl (for those who remembered last time I said I was gonna do it )

What do ya mean commercial tubes?? you sook! learn to roll em for longer, I sat down today and watched hot shots 1 and 2 whilst making 60 2 inch cans with liners waiting to be disked and loaded.

I got my 235 meter roll of 60lb VIRGIN kraft the other week, that plus my 35lb recycled is all the variety I need!

-Matt

Edited by Matt, 12 April 2004 - 01:48 PM.

[alany]

teehee I didnt see that, Im liking your stingers. I think you should be making more shells though. I really cant remember my absolute favourites but I wouldnt check it just about every day if I didnt like SOMETHING.

Every day? *blush* Guess I should shoot some stuff this week then. Can't have you getting bored. (I check yours quite often too... and quite a few others, but no one is updating much lately, are we all burnt out?)

The only thing good about my stingers is the size, and the Titanium.

I was looking into 6 lb stingers yesterday, I can make the tooling easily enough, but the tubes are monsters. I could order them from skylighter, but I am trying not to pay the non-Yank shipping tax Harry insists on charging. I've decided to go back to fundamentals for a while, I want to perfect 4 oz and 1 lb rockets, and fix up my whistle rockets which are in a pretty sorry state.

Everyone tells me I should make shells. Ugh, they take so much stuff! I prefer candles. I think my main objection in the past was ramming spoulettes and making lift. I should probably take your advice and use up my plastic shell casings, I've got quite an assortment now, including this odd-looking bombette:

http://nexus.cable.n...90/p0003753.jpg
http://nexus.cable.n...90/p0003757.jpg

I have a 1.3 kilo block of Mg comming so I may finally get around to the attempt of making MgAl (for those who remembered last time I said I was gonna do it  )

I've got three big chunks of Mg plate sitting here, I just don't have the space to do the melting.

I also have lots of Mg turnings, but I am not really sure what to do with them. They are too springy to mill and too big to use as-is. I am a bit fearful of sticking them in a coffee mill and attacking them with snips would take days.

What do ya mean commercial tubes?? you sook! learn to roll em for longer, I sat down today and watched hot shots 1 and 2 whilst making 60 2 inch cans with liners waiting to be disked and loaded.

I roll lots of tubes, and yep watching TV is an ideal time to do it. But there is just no comparison between a homebrew tube and a commercial rocket tube. That is probably the biggest secret of my stingers and 2 oz payload lifting rockets, they can handle enormous pressures and resist ablation.

Commercial tubes are heavy and expensive though, and it is hard to get ones smaller than 3/8".

I got my 235 meter roll of 60lb VIRGIN kraft the other week, that plus my 35lb recycled is all the variety I need!

Where did you get the 60 lb virgin kraft from?

The 35 lb recycled stuff is trivial to get, but I've had hell getting virgin of any grade in AU. I called APM directly, but they only want to sell complete rolls - like the ones that need a truck to move. I use a lot of chipboards, mainly recycled stuff from food packaging, with just a bit of kraft over-wrap. The recycled stuff is OK for that, and mine bags, and pasting-in too, as long as you are careful and the can and disks are good quality. My latest roll of recycled doesn't fall apart too quickly in the paste, so I guess I am lucky.

What I really need is a 2" wad punch...

[italteen3]

Yeah that is one of the things I am spoiled with is access to chemicals, fuse, supplies, tooling, etc. I do appreciate it and will learn to much more as time goes on and I move onto bigger projects. Only thing is I live on one acre of land so my lab and small projects are fine but nothing big often would be good considering I cannot get proper licensing for another year.

Wish I lived on a farm.....

Alany do you have a link to your video pages?

[Matt]

(I check yours quite often too... and quite a few others, but no one is updating much lately, are we all burnt out?)

Nope, just summer. Will start up real soon.

Shells take crap all, just keep it under 3 inch and make more or store more than 100g of BP or stars.

Got my kraft from R.Ashcroft Its 89gsm virgin kraft. cost me $85 shipped, I think shipping was 30 but you live in the same state i think so youd get off cheaper.

Yea I think ill turn up a 2 inch disk punch. When I look at my pyramid of cases I think "noooo I have to cut sooo many disks" If I make one successfully ill ship one to you if you would like.

-Matt

[dfk]

What do ya mean commercial tubes?? you sook! learn to roll em for longer, I sat down today and watched hot shots 1 and 2 whilst making 60 2 inch cans with liners waiting to be disked and loaded.

That's a lot of cans! Might I ask are these for shells, mines maybe both?

BTW, In what manner do you use the term 'Yankees' what's it supposed to mean?
Is that supposed to be derogatory?

Please enlighten me.

Everyone tells me I should make shells. Ugh, they take so much stuff! I prefer candles. I think my main objection in the past was ramming spoulettes and making lift. I should probably take your advice and use up my plastic shell casings, I've got quite an assortment now, including this odd-looking bombette:

I agree with everyone, some shells would be nice. Small film can shells don't use a lot of comp and can give a nice full effect.
You can get as detailed as you want, on some of my better ones I've added some type of streamer star for tail and charge with flash for burst. Some of these have looked as good as 2&3" Chinese shells I've seen.

I also have mag turnings and those same bombetts. The mag I'm not sure what to do with and was going to ask members for suggestions. ....um tried the coffee milling thing which was exhilarating but did nothing for the betterment of my mag.

The bombetts are designated inserts but would take a rather big shell to be effective as such.
Before I gave up experimenting with these I tried filling one's reservoir with a rather fast burning Kc103 SRN03 red. I made the mistake of compressing it to much, slowing the burn to failure and lets just say that was one of my few pyro occasions that had me running. I think I'll try these again using some crackle comp. probably burn fast enough being mostly MP.

[StfuStuf]

Yankees, thats how i know them as, and I'm Canadian! Wooohooo, i don't think of it as a derogatory term, more so of historical reference. Or something to do with Yankee Doodle...

Yanks, well what else do you call them? But if there is a forum member who is offended by this term please let me know.

[Matt]

Its a term for americans. Dont yoh watch simpsons when they went to australia? homer asked for a giant beer and the bar tender sais "whats wrong yank?" homer sais "well.... its kinda big.... I guess..." hehe. Wouldnt have a clue where it came from, perhaps something to do with the new york yankees

I dont beleive in making mine cans, strictly shells. Soon my 50 shot fanned 2 inch rack will have all its mortars (32 so far) then ill test a couple shells to get a good configuration then... fill the bloody thing with 50 shells woooo!

-Matt