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Aerial Shells


Chris

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allright i have been asking alot of qusetions but this is the last is this fuse 1/4" time fuse the proper time fuse for fusing my 4" shell i am pretty sure it is i just wanted to double check.
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For plastic shells, yes it is the proper fuse. For paper you can make the fuse any size you wish, but the 1/4" is pretty standard.
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  • 2 weeks later...
allright progress is good i have my mortar fuse and shells i just need my chems i was putting my plastic shell in the mortar and i noticed that if i leaned the shell to one side so one side is touching the wall and the other isn't there is just about 2/8" clearance (1/8" clearance when the shell is placed right in the middle of the mortar so it doesn't touch the walls.) is this acceptable? or is this too much clearance and will let the gases escape?
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That clearance will be fine. If you want a tighter fit. Add some tape, or paste some paper on them. I hear pasting on them gives a better burst.
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I made some 1/2" ID Go-Getters for a 4in canister shell I'm making. Blue (on the left) & Red (on the right), each with ~1g of 70:30 flash in the nose:

http://www.apcforum.net/files/GoGetters.jpg

 

I used the AP / Al based formulas rather than the KNO3 / Mg ones. I opted to use 2x strands of chinese paper fuse instead of blackmatch, mostly as I don't have any :P Making them was a snap. Definitely glad I had a vapor mask, though. I lit a 1/4 oz. condiment cup that had a teaspoon or so left over comp in it, and ....Holy Crap! It jetted a flame that must have been 3-4ft. tall! I can't wait 'till the shell's done.

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I've always wanted to see a picture of go-getters, thanks!

Since I want to make some myself (when my chemicals from KeteN, hopefully!!!) I thought about what to use for fuse, now Thermolite is impossible, chinese paper fuse difficult to roll, what else?

Some sort of visco or blackmatch?

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Blackmatch is specified...though I suppose that fast visco could be used. The Chinese fuse I have burns a little less than 1in / sec and takes fire if you look at it wrong, so I thought it would work fine...we'll see.
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Well, I suppose if I wrapped black match in tissue paper it would burn faster... not QM fast, but fast enough to use in go-getters.
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nice what are the measurements and formulas? i have yet to see a good video of go getters im assuming you used the united nuclear way? one more thing i never understood how they would fit into a shell they are awfullly big and elongated so it would be hard to get a symetrical break.
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What's the goop you used to seal the top? Paint?
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I made some 1/2" ID Go-Getters for a 4in canister shell I'm making. Blue (on the left) & Red (on the right), each with ~1g of 70:30 flash in the nose:

I used the AP / Al based formulas rather than the KNO3 / Mg ones. I opted to use 2x strands of chinese paper fuse instead of blackmatch, mostly as I don't have any  :P  Making them was a snap. Definitely glad I had a vapor mask, though. I lit a 1/4 oz. condiment cup that had a teaspoon or so left over comp in it, and ....Holy Crap! It jetted a flame that must have been 3-4ft. tall! I can't wait 'till the shell's done.

Well, I do hope you get to fire them all before the NH4NO3 formed by the reaction of the NH4ClO4 in the comp and the KNO3 in the fuse has time to suck up too much water.

(KP blackmatch is recommended )

 

Might not actually even be a problem, I'd guess the melted parlon will seal the fuse off from much moisture ? Anyway, they look real nice, good luck with the shell ! Looking forward to the video.

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snip... im assuming you used the united nuclear way? one more thing i never understood how they would fit into a shell they are awfullly big and elongated so it would be hard to get a symetrical break.

Nope...the UN formulas are KNO3/MG comps. I stated in my previous post that these are Ammonium Perc/AL. Search rec.pyrotecnics and you'll find lots of formula examples of both types. I'm posting a few pictures of the shell assembly, so you can see how I loaded them. Might be right, might be wrong...it's my first canister shell, so who knows?

 

What's the goop you used to seal the top? Paint?

The goop IS the Go-Getter composition. It's made with lots of Parlon and mixed with 90:10 dried Acetone / Xylene into a batter and squirted into the tubes like ketchup...Mmmmmm. Once the solvent dries, they're basically solid plastic.

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Well, I do hope you get to fire them all before the NH4NO3 formed by the reaction of the NH4ClO4 in the comp and the KNO3 in the fuse has time to suck up too much water.

(KP blackmatch is recommended )

 

Might not actually even be a problem, I'd guess the melted parlon will seal the fuse off from much moisture ?  Anyway, they look real nice, good luck with the shell !  Looking forward to the video.

 

I was figuring that the use of CaCl dried Acetone/Xylene would remove any water and prevent the aqueous double-replacement reaction from occurring....the surface of the dried Go-Getter is hard and feels very plastic-like. I think the comp is pretty impervious to moisture once it's set...here's hoping anyway :)

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Here's the progress on the canisters...I'm making two. This can is built "upside-down", with the bottom disk affixed last. Here's the 1st row of Go-Getters loaded in the top, alternating Red & Blue:

http://www.apcforum.net/files/1strowgogetters.jpg

 

Second row loaded. Burst is 4:1 KP crispies and -16mesh BP sifted in:

http://www.apcforum.net/files/loadedgogetters.jpg

 

Second Canister is five 15g 70:30 Ti Salutes with a 100g Ti Bottomshot. This can was made "rightside-up" as the bottomshot is a 3in can and was tamped in tight with oatmeal (didn't have any sawdust):

http://www.apcforum.net/files/bottomshotloaded.jpg

 

Five sequential (I hope) salutes:

http://www.apcforum.net/files/salutesloaded.jpg

 

All topped up:

http://www.apcforum.net/files/saluteswithburst.jpg

 

Both cans spiked up with double strands of mercerized Cotton twine and waiting to be pasted in. Thanks to Pass-fire for the off-center spiking notes!:

http://www.apcforum.net/files/4incansspiked.jpg

 

I know it's ghetto to use visco for timing, but I don't have any time-fuse and haven't achieved Zen with spollettes, yet. I've have good enough luck with spherical shells using visco taped for time and plastic straws to pipe the fire to the shell center, so I thought I'd keep using it.

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What's the goop you used to seal the top? Paint?

The goop IS the Go-Getter composition. It's made with lots of Parlon and mixed with 90:10 dried Acetone / Xylene into a batter and squirted into the tubes like ketchup...Mmmmmm. Once the solvent dries, they're basically solid plastic.

Oh, that's pretty cool. I always wondered what they looked like. Are you going to give us the video, because I'd really like to see them in action.

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Yes would you plaese post your formulas for those. And how big should the tubes be for a 3" shell?
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Update: the cans are pasted in with 4 layers of 30lb craft and currently drying nicely next to some 3in comets I made a while back:

http://www.apcforum.net/files/dryingcans.jpg

 

 

how would those go getters fit into a 4" round shell?

Like shit...the tubes are 9/16"ID x 1.5" long x 1/16" wall.

 

Yes would you plaese post your formulas for those.  And how big should the tubes be for a 3" shell?

 

50 Ammonium Perchlorate

20 Parlon

15 xCarbonate, where x is the metallic colorant of your choice

10 Aluminum (I used 5μm spherical - might be too hot)

5 Saran

 

I have no idea how big the tubes should be for a 3" shell. I don't know if these ones are the right size for this shell. That's half the fun - figuring these things out.

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OK thanks. I looked at rec.pyro and all the formulasthat I found there where based on metal nitrates.<Which I have been low on for ever. Barium nitrate-had a little once made strobe powder with it. Strontium-had 4 oz. used it all in various things. Sodium-made some but threw it away because it didnt look right and I wasnt sure of it purity. Thats all the nitrates besides KNO3 that ive had. Got planty KNO3. But I just made a chem run about 110 miles to pick up some carbonates of various metals form an art supplier not too long ago. I dont have saran though. Is that an OTC available chem. or can I replace it with something else?

 

Just curious but whats the comets made of? Cant even imagine a 3" comet 0_0. Thats gotta be a big! I think big comets are call meteors IIRC. Not sure how big they gotta be to be considered that. Just read it the other day. Made a 1 3/4" but its not gonna get launched. The powder burn nice but the stars rain glowing chunchs of charcoal. They look nice when they hit trees though. Hay I did put a ~5g flash charge at the top of it. Maybe that will blow it all out and make a good fireball of charcoal in the sky. I think I may just launch that thing. I gonna do it in a more safer place on the 4th instead of my back yard. I have a bunch of trees, grass, dead things and other flammable stuff laying around. I dread seeing burning things fall below 20 feet. Its also surrounded by tons of tall cedar trees. One catches and you can pretty much kiss the rest good by.

 

You going to launch those soon or saving them for the 4th?

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^Oh I see! Them are some very nice looking comets. What store did you find that binder stuff at? Or did you order it? I live in the US.

 

And the fuse that is attacted to that comet, whats it made of? It looks like 2 strands paper fuse in a tube, but does that work as quick match? I read that Skylighter article on the chineese paper fuse being put into tubes and being used as quick match but when I ordered some and tryed it it didnt do anything but burn normal. I emailed them and discused it but they didnt know why it wasnt working, and I couldnt understand how it ever would have worked. He said he had seen it work but I think he was lying. There was no way fire was going to jump down that fuse.

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qwezxc12 those are some nice shells. I would love to see a video of them in action. Yay 100 posts!
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Not in relation to this thread. But thats a pretty sweet pic fight fire. You make that?
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Well last night was a f**kin' great night...three 6in and four 4in ball shells, two 4in cans, three 3in comets, a five shot 2in comet fan, and a four shot 2in bag mine fan...awesome to finally light something! :D

 

As promised, here's the 4in Go-Getter can:

http://www.apcforum.net/files/4inGo-Getter.jpg

 

Video

 

Shell weighed in at 529g, lift was 45g homemade -16mesh.

I attached a small cup of left-over blue go-getter comp as a rising effect...you can see take fire from an attached piece of match halfway up and burn up instantly. The inserts went off too quickly, I think...I figure either the paper fuse piped fire to the flash headers directly or the 5μm aluminum was too reactive.

 

So next time, I'll try coarser aluminum and add a delay layer if I put headers in the go-getter inserts. Overall though, for my first attempt at an Italian style shell (and go-getters for that matter), I'm happy with the way it worked out.

 

I'll be posting more vids as soon as I convert the files.

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