Gary_1323

I'm bumping this topic to show you all a fairly interesting video posted by a russian forum member.

Again, this demonstrates how in the right environment, copper produces intense blue at very high temperatures:

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=Rds_KhCR19Q

An impressive blue!

I have synthesised oxidising oxo-acid salts of Cu, specifically copper nitrate and perchlorate, but I have found that they are so hygroscopic that they form a pool of liquid within an hour of being removed from the dessiccator. This hygroscopicity detracts from their oxidising action and also makes compositions unstable. This is a little disappointing, since perchlorate salts of Cu, such as Cu perchlorate, contain their own source of chlorine, which means that a separate chlorine-donor probably would not be required.
Also, Cu has a catalytic action, much like other transition metals. This catalytic effect might sensitise a composition, rendering it dangerously unstable to heat, percussion or friction.

From my point of view, you can't beat the 'tried and tested' non-hygroscopic Cu compounds in the +2 oxidation state- copper carbonate, copper oxide and finely powdered Cu mental (Cu in its elemental form, which has an oxidation state of zero).
I have synthesised carboxylic acid salts of Cu (oxalate, salicylate and sorbate) with promising results. I'll make a video of my experimental research and post it here- stay tuned!

its actually quite easy if you can find a piece of land that nobody will object to you making explosives, Planning permission is the hardest part, once you have that everything else should be fine. though it helps if you have HSE on your side as they can cause a lot of grief if you don't comply.


cad's are the hardest thing as everything you make and want to transport (to sell) must have a cad and can be quite costly for the initial cost.

i know 1 British company in cambridgshire that make big shells but only for there own use when they need them, i suppose the costs to sell to other companies is not worth while when you can buy new 12" shell for £110 and not many companies use them much, we only used 8x 12" shells this November.

2 other companies i know have tried so hard to setup a manufacturing facility but been let down on planning permission or setup costs because of unreasonable requests from HSE

Most of the hobbyists among us, who keep to the 100g rule, and make small pyrotechnics (fountains and the like) for their own personal entertainment or research (immediate use, no storing of finished articles) are unlicensed, right?

Of course, a licencing and HSE approval is compulsory if one is to legally manufacture pyrotechnics for commerce or distribution. I can imagine that the start-up costs for a manufacturing facility are prohibitively expensive.

How did Gareth get started up, if I may ask?

Considering that I do not have a few spare million on me right now, I am considering getting involved in more feasible areas of pyro, such as:

1.Training to become a part-time professional firer for displays.

2. Starting up a chemical supply company dealing with technical and reagent grade chemicals for the scientific, education (schools, colleges and unis) and hobbyist (pyro, pottery, home photography, home brewing, amateur chemistry/home science) markets. This is where my chemical knowledge comes in handy. For example, I have much experience with safe handling and correct storage of chemicals, incompatibilities, CHIP and MSDS.
There is a brilliant US-based company called united nuclear.com, (http://unitednuclear.com/ ), which sells chemicals to amateur chemistry/home science enthusiasts. I might consider starting up a similar sort of company. Of course, I will not neglect the needs of the pyro hobbyists - I would include a range of oxidisers, metallic and organic fuels, colour-producing agents and binders in my inventory.

It goes without saying that I will need to consider legal requirements relating to the supply of chemicals to individuals, labelling compliance, liability disclaimers, etc. To cover my backside, a customer agreement and a full set of T and C's relating to the sale and appropriate end-use of chemicals would need to be drafted up. No chemicals would be sold to under-18's.

First have a few spare £million and a site with an explosives manufacturing licence from the HSE, Second there is almost no market to cover the costs.

A few million quid? I wish I did have that sort of money!

Thanks Chaps

Could hardly bear to watch it myself when I heard the brummy accent come from the telly.

Thanks to someone here for putting them on to me, you know who you are. Once again thanks.

Sorry for the lack of appearances here for a while. It has been a hectic last 6 months with one thing and another (even worked for Beyonce at Glastonbury this year, now that was an experience).

Yes the stars were a little raspberry, however in my defense they were colour changers rolled on go the morning before the film shoot!

Hope to have a video of our display this year (about 1 tonne of pyro, 600 ish mortars etc), when I get a copy of some video from some friends that filmed it.

It was the first outing of my new home brew firing system, which was developed and built in the two weeks before bonfire night. That was hard work. I may even share the code for it and the circuit board designs so you guys out there can make cheap pro systems (after a thorough shake down)

Digger (Gareth?): please correct me if I am wrong, but I take it that it was you who appeared on the One Show?

I note that you apparently manufacture CAT 4 (ball shells and the like) for use in professional displays and special effects.
Please tell me a bit more about this- being an avid pyrotechnics enthusiast, it would be great if I could earn a supplementary income by manufacturing CAT 4 articles for use by the professional display and special effects market. For the time being, my interest in pyrotechnics is solely from a hobby perspective. I am an organic chemist by profession, and although I have no intention of abandoning my lucrative and highly rewarding full-time 'day job' in the chemical industry, I would love to get involved with pyrotechnics on a part-time basis (i.e. during weekends) to earn a supplementary income. May I ask you if you are self-employed, or do you work for a pyrotechnics manufacturing company (are there ANY British pyrotechnics manufacturers still in business these days , or has everything been relocated to China, which is where most fireworks are made these days?)
I take it that there is an awful lot to consider before one can manufacture pyrotechnic articles for consumer use- insurance, licencing, finding suitable land, workshop and storage space, health and safety hurdles. Was that green wooden shed one of your manufacturing/shell assembly workshops?

Speaking of the programme, it was nice to see fireworks being portrayed in a more positive light for a change, rather than the constant negative press they usually get due to misuse of CAT 3 consumer fireworks by mentally retarded morons, overzealous Health and Safety and oppressive 'Nanny State-ism', and the relatively high expense of CAT 3 consumer fireworks in these times of economic austerity.

Try reverse psychology. Whenever you catch her doing something like watching soaps, tell her she spends more quality time doing that than with you. She will probably get very defensive. Ask her how she feels in her defensive mode then tell her that she now knows how you feel about pyro.

It's not that you don't want to not spend time with her, but that everyone needs a way to unwind. Hers may be watching soaps or retail therapy, yours may be pyro. She may understand a bit better then.

Great advice, Mortartube! Thanks.