NorCalPyro

Great discussion and comments! I am using perc and salicylate diapered for mine. One of the more experienced shell builders I spoke with liked a granulated whistle made with Vaseline. For those using a flash bag, have you noticed any change in the break performance of your shells as opposed to having the booster loose in the BP hulls?

Thanks for the beta gents. Very helpful. I appreciate the words of caution.

Any advice on best procedures for pressing? Does pressing and a blast shield go hand in hand for most folks?

Seymour and GZ22: Thanks for the feedback.

I have been using leather welding gloves, cotton clothes and full face shield when ramming. If I understand correctly the greatest risk is ignition of the comp rather than an explosion. Is this generally correct? When does an an explosion become more likely? (I'd like to stay far, far away from that!) I am dedicated to minimizing risk. Pyro is fun, but.....

I've stayed away from Ti though I do have some Fe/Ti. Seems like it is best to press this rather than ram it. Any advice/safety suggestions on using Fe/Ti in a fountain would be appreciated.

GZ22: How do you know if you have "dead pressed" a fountain?

I've read through this thread and have a couple of questions related to manufacturing fountains. I apologize in advance if this is the wrong thread Admin.

I've been making fountains lately with some nice success. A couple of things are unclear to me and I could use some help.

Some folks seem to be ramming comps which include metal such as Fe and Al. Is this acceptable? I have done this with Fe and Al but am now thinking this is a bad idea.....

With comps that can be rammed, how do you know how hard to ram? Is it possible to ram and compact too much and to degrade performance?

Will a hand operated arbor press (1 Ton) give sufficient force to press fountains?

Final question, can anyone recomend a good book on fountain construction and compositions?

Thanks for the help.

Thanks for the reply Mumbles.