About this blog
3" Shells for the Fourth 2010
Entries in this blog
I'm writing this blog entry because I'd like to share my techniques and findings. I think it will be a nice introductory tutorial to those who are considering making paper ball shells. Starting my second big shell building project got me thinking about efficiency. I wanted to get these shells built in the minimum time possible, while still being as safe as possible. Of course, it is safer to build one shell at a time- the total amount of pyrotechnic compositions on the bench at one time is a l
SHELL X1: Used Long Hangtime Willow Stars, white chinese time fuse, ~1g whistle boost, and crappy BP rice hulls. It was my first pasting job, and it was lumpy and bumpy. I used 28g glazed cannon powder given to me over a decade ago for lift, and it did not perform well enough, although shell diameter was not consistent and may have allowed too much gas to pass the shell in some spots. The shell was strong, however, and went off even though there were some time fuse issues. SHELL X2: Improv
Here's a really long entry chronicling my entry into pyrotechnics and aerial shell building. It's cobbled together from several entries I've made leading up to actual shell production. They aren't necessary anymore, but I'm preserving this for posterity. #1 - Intro I figured I'd make a blog to document my progress from deciding to dabble in pyrotechnics all the way through hand firing a display sometime around the 4th. Maybe it will be a good reference for someone in the same position in the f
