Aerial Shells

[Bonny]

I finally brought my camera to work and loaded up the file...home computer is too shitty and vid wouldn't work for some reason. Any way here is my attempt from several months ago at a 5" double petal.The outer was 3/8" rolled ruby red MgAl and the inner was ~1/4" rolled Bleser White Glitter. I used 3" (2.5") hemis for the inner petal. I don't remember the specs on shell weight, but the lift was 1/10 of my 2FA equivalent. Burst was BP coated vermiculite with some perc/Nabenz whistle (powder) added as a booster. The time fuse was WAAAY too long and the shell burst on the way back down.I think IF I try another double petal I will need a much harder burst or maybe a flash booster in the inner petal, to avoid the bouquet. Also my RR stars were not primed quite enough and I had a bunch of blind stars. The glitter though was not primed at all.

 

[TheSidewinder]

Even with the troubles you had, that was a very nice shell. Good job.

[50AE]

Here's my first round shell and it's a 3"

 

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/1439/picturev.th.jpghttp://img241.imageshack.us/img241/334/picture010i.th.jpghttp://img525.imageshack.us/img525/1981/picture002mfy.th.jpg

 

The stars are Winokur 12 glitter. The burst charge is 30 mesh golden powder with 1g flash boost. The lift is corned BP. There are 16 layers pasting.

 

I used golden powder for break because my BP wasn't ready and I was hasty. I hope its high mesh doesn't block the fire propagation inside and blow the stars blind. But I won't fire it now, because the grass is dry.

[TheEskimo]

Anybody use fiber-reinforced gummed tape from Staples? I find that using my 4 hour paulownia on grasseed, with 3 layers of tape, with a layer of masking tape to make it fit into the mortar, will give me an amazing break.

And 50AE, I can't wait for that shell...looks great.

[Ventsi]

Bonny: That shell was wonderfull! I thinks id all the stars lit and you had a harder burst it would have won a competition.

 

50AE: You might want to put that shell in the fridge or an airtight box. Golden powder is supposed to be as hygroscopis as RCandy.

 

Eskimo: Is that stuff normal kraft tape with fiberglass or is it actually gummed tape? I think I looked at it and it was like $10 per roll.

Side note- DON'T buy kraft paper from OD or Staples ,Home Depot has thick and thin kraft for some unbeliavable prices.

Edited August 13, 2009 by Ventsi

[TheEskimo]

The stuff is fibreglass-reinforced gummed tape. It is water activated. Dab with a sponge, and sticks like hell. Also, there's no need to wait for it to dry I even make homemade hemispheres with it.

[Swede]

Here's my first round shell and it's a 3"

 

That's a nice looking shell. I'm interested in hearing how the golden powder works.

[Pyroboy]

Here are two 6" Shells of mine. The first one was the first 6" Ballshell i have ever made. The second fired last weekend. Both had an inner petal from Veline Red, the outer petal was Chryanthemum 8 to silverstreamer/ Win 20.

 

 

first 6" Shell

 

 

And the second one with rising effects.

 

 

http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/6517/dsc01740vjo.jpg

 

6" Aerial Shell

 

 

 

Hope you enjoy watching, thanks for comments .

 

Pyroboy

[PyroMan LTU]

those were amazing! especialy the second one, with rising efects, good job! 5/5

[TheSidewinder]

Two very nice shells!

 

And yeah, the second one was sure a nice set of effects. Good job!

[Mumbles]

Yes, those were both very nice. About the only suggestion I could make would be to spread the rising effects out a bit more. It might have just been because the camera didn't pan up fast enough, but they all seemed kind of stacked up at the end. Even that is only a very minor thing. Very nice work.

[TrueBluePyro]

That was a great shell with a great break and awesome effects, i aggre, The effects did kinda biuld up at the end, even so it looked great mate.

[FREAKYDUTCHMEN]

Very well done! Looks like the first one was lifted a bit too high?

[pianomistro]

Awesome set of shells! I've seen some nice rising effects, but those took the cake. It's not often that you see homemade shells with good tails.

[Seymour]

This is one of the best first posts I've ever seen

 

What did you use to time the ascending splitting comets?

 

The strobe cores of the stars were nice, AP or Barium nitrate based?

[50AE]

Here's my first round shell and it's a 3"

 

http://img241.imageshack.us/img241/1439/picturev.th.jpghttp://img241.imageshack.us/img241/334/picture010i.th.jpghttp://img525.imageshack.us/img525/1981/picture002mfy.th.jpg

 

The stars are Winokur 12 glitter. The burst charge is 30 mesh golden powder with 1g flash boost. The lift is corned BP. There are 16 layers pasting.

 

I used golden powder for break because my BP wasn't ready and I was hasty. I hope its high mesh doesn't block the fire propagation inside and blow the stars blind. But I won't fire it now, because the grass is dry.

 

 

Alright, I shot my first shell yesterday and you can see it at the end of this video :

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OFJjGJrT_8...re=channel_page

[TheEskimo]

That was good. Nice and symmetric.

[Beprotizzz]

Wow, it's really your first shell? If it is, you are incredible Your first shell and so nice

[50AE]

It's truly my first shell, but I've read a lot before making it. Thanks.

 

Now I'm making two 3" shells. The first is emerald green with BP on hulls, the second one is TT with H3 screen granulated, I want the compare the two powers of the break. I will post them here as soon as I light them.

 

Edit : It's not my very very first shell, but maybe the 3rd one. It's my first one round by shape and by caliber 3"

Edited August 29, 2009 by 50AE

[TheEskimo]

Errr...I hope you are keeping the TT and the H3 separate, considering the sulfur in the TT. Maybe I'm just overreacting, but I have always read to never let sulfur and chlorate get in close contact.

[Twotails]

I just made a nice shell (hopfuly this one will work now that i have better lift powder)

its using Lancasters Gold star formula found on PFP with a change to it. I swaped the two binders (dextrin, and shallac) for NC. It tested it in my stargun first, and they look nice, the short tail floats like fireflies. I have in it a 3" plastic shell with BP break( to keep incompatabilits separate, i took two round coffee filters, placed my BP into the middle, and glued the papers together. I made it just small enough to fit in the shell, replaceing the two separate sides of burst.) I also made a tiny 1/2in shell that i just did off, made it the same way. It was cool, tiny but cool. It would be cool to fill a larger shell with those tiny shells, filling in the gaps with falling leaves fuse.

that will be my next project.

[Ventsi]

It's truly my first shell, but I've read a lot before making it. Thanks.

 

Now I'm making two 3" shells. The first is emerald green with BP on hulls, the second one is TT with H3 screen granulated, I want the compare the two powers of the break. I will post them here as soon as I light them.

 

Edit : It's not my very very first shell, but maybe the 3rd one. It's my first one round by shape and by caliber 3"

 

 

Be carefull with that H3, I had a 2.5 sphere with some rock hard 3/8 TT stars get turned into a beatifull cloud of star fragments/green fuse. The audience loved it though. But then again my pasting was like 20 layers. I'd say put some cornflakes in there to soften it up or make sure your stars are bound with with some crazy amount of CMC.

[50AE]

I've put two layers of tissue paper between the stars and the burst.

 

Ventsi, thanks for informing me . I'll keep the pasting layers to 14 then.

[Twotails]

Just got done launching the 3" shell, sadly it must have gotten stuck in the Morter, and it turned into a flower pot. but it was amazing, the best i've made yet ( well best arial shell). I would have liked it if it came out of the tube, but atleast the stars lit, and dident get blown blind. I'll try posting the video. I used lancasters gold star formula, 13.5% pot.perch, 13.5%Pot.Chlorate, 15%Pot.Nitrate, 49% Lampblack, 6% dextrin, 3% shellac, 120 mesh. In which i substituted 9% NC(mesured dry, then desolved in <1c acetone).

[Arthur]

DO review the other causes of flowerpotting. If the lift is too strong it is possible for the lift flame to penetrate the shell by breaking the fuse or the fuse seal.