25 replies to this topic

[cplmac]

I checked out PFP last nite and today made a couple of the blue flash mixes. The Degn perch mix and the pyro-tec chlorate/magnesium formula. Neither one had even a hint of blue and were only moderately loud.
In the video the degn fires first. The degn was pretty bright and white, the pyro-tec was a touch yellow.

blue flash test

[pyromaniac303]

I checked out PFP last nite and today made a couple of the blue flash mixes. The Degn perch mix and the pyro-tec chlorate/magnesium formula. Neither one had even a hint of blue and were only moderately loud.
In the video the degn fires first. The degn was pretty bright and white, the pyro-tec was a touch yellow.

blue flash test

Maybe this isnt the right topic for flashes, use the search function to find the correct topic, this topic is only for lance formulas.

Id guess that its the pieces of burning casing flying off which gives the yellow flame.

In the days when not many blue formulas were available, they used to use antimony trisulphide for a makeshift blue (according to Pyrotechnics, by George W Weingart). I have a few 'blue' lance comps in his book which I might try out one day if i ever get hold of some SbS3

Edited by pyromaniac303, 11 February 2007 - 09:40 PM.

[cplmac]

Yeah I'm not sure why I posted that here, must have been a brainfart. With the antimony, do you mean as a replacement for the mag or as a replacement for the Cu?

[pyromaniac303]

Yeah I'm not sure why I posted that here, must have been a brainfart. With the antimony, do you mean as a replacement for the mag or as a replacement for the Cu?

Neither, as a totally new formula:

Toy Blue Light comp by Weingart

Saltpeter 5
Sulfur 2
Antimony Trisulphide 1

Used in 6" x 1/4" tubes, and there is no mention of ramming the tubes to compact the comp either. Anyone got any info on what shade of blue this would burn? I would have thought it would be more white than anything else, but antimony trisulphide appears in a couple of other old blue formulas I've seen.

[pyrotrev]

The easiest (and pretty good) blue lance formula I've come across is the KClO4/CuO/Parlon(or saran) mix in Lancaster.

[karlfoxman]

Trev, ive used that and its a great mixture to use, as is the very simple Potassium perchlorate, Strontium carbonate, redgum mixture. This is our standard lance formula we use, never has let us down! Also dood burn rate and fairly low smoke output.

As for blue flash I believe you can only make it with Paris green as colourant but thats for another topic.

[BrightStar]

I'm a fan of Conkling Blue - also KClO4 / CuO / Parlon based. The lance casing does make a difference with blues - white copier paper for example will burn bright orange and spoil the effect.

[Creepin_pyro]

As for blue flash I believe you can only make it with Paris green as colourant but thats for another topic.

So as not to steer too far OT, I've found that you can get a really vivid deep blue flash by granulating this AP-based lance comp along the lines below (I think wood meal is added to slow this one down when used as a lance): I've only done very few tests, but it looks great initially...

Ammonium Perchlorate: 70
Red Gum: 30
Copper Oxide: 15

It also makes a lovely lance on its own! Also some of the elemental Copper formulas from the skylighter archives are quite unique and pleasing on the eye. Worth considering.

[pyromaniac303]

Just remembered about this old topic, and now I have antimony trisulphide I tested a couple of the above Weingart toy 'blue' lances. To put it simply they aren't worth bothering with, and were not in the slightest bit blue, by any stretch of the imagenation. They burn quite rapidly, being uncompressed (hence the reason to make them 6"in length) with a white flame. I also tried thinner variants, below 3/16" ID they no longer burn through the case fast enough to be of any use.

There is mention of similar devices in Lancasters book, not tried the formula listed in there, but will probably end up with similar results.

I'm glad I only made 8g of comp...

Edited by pyromaniac303, 25 March 2008 - 04:17 PM.

[MDH]

Heh. Why not burn sulfur by itself, that'll give you a nice blue...

[seymour]

If it were that easy...