Frozentech Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 Ya cause that sounds like just a double break shell. Ultrabuf is pretty close. Bottom shots are a heavy report, usually a very thick-walled canister salute that is the bottom layer of a cylinder type shell. I don't personally consider it a 'double break shell' though, for example a color to report shell I think of as a single break. I consider "break" a specific term that means to open up a shell and spread the contents into the sky. A bottom shot can either be packed into the bottom of a cylinder shell where it gets ignited and kicked out by the break, and goes off say, 2 seconds later, or it can be stacked under other breaks of a maltese style shell. Maybe it's just semantics but if you have a shell with say, a red break, a white break, and a blue break, then a bottom shot, it's referred to as a 3 break with bottom shot, not a 4 break shell. My favorite shell that I make uses bottom shots. It's technically a single break shell though, a Color to Whistle to Report shell. Color stars, then Ti whistles, then a 200 gram bottom shot, all from one break charge. ( my young daughter calls it "red and green and screaming and golden kaboom" , which describes it pretty well ) http://www.pyrotechs.org/content/view/27/30/ has a basic overview tutorial on it.I really recommend Bill Ofca's "Techniques in Fire" manuals, or the Fulcanelli articles from Pyrotechnica IX and XI for more info on bottom shots and multi-break shells. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ULTRABUF Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 Nice job frozentech, thats some really quality stuff you have there. I've been on that site before but I didnt know it was yours, its really great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qwezxc12 Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 Yeah, no kidding. Excellent tutorial! One question, though...What dictates the shell's construction with regards to the time fuse end disk added to the shell first or last? When I built a 4in go-getter canister shell, I built it "upside down", just like the Passfire 4" Color Break Canister Shell tutorial. The time fuse end of the can is assembled first, then inserts and break, then the shell's solid end disk affixed last. My 4in multi-salute to bottom-shot can was made like yours..."right-side up". Other than the need to tamp the bottom-shot in, any insight on why each method is used? Does some factor other than personal preference dictate one over the other? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frozentech Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 Yeah, no kidding. Excellent tutorial! One question, though...What dictates the shell's construction with regards to the time fuse end disk added to the shell first or last? When I built a 4in go-getter canister shell, I built it "upside down", just like the Passfire 4" Color Break Canister Shell tutorial. The time fuse end of the can is assembled first, then inserts and break, then the shell's solid end disk affixed last. My 4in multi-salute to bottom-shot can was made like yours..."right-side up". Other than the need to tamp the bottom-shot in, any insight on why each method is used? Does some factor other than personal preference dictate one over the other? Heck, I don't know LOL... I think you hit on it though, I do them "bottom up" when there's a bottom shot, if it's just stars, inserts, or crossettes, etc, I do the fused end first and work "top down". I think it's a matter of convenience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frozentech Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 Psyco, People get "caught" when the display fireworks they irresponsibly sell to an unlicensed and/or untrained individual end up killing or seriously injuring the shooter or innocent bystanders. The reason a license is required is to ensure that the person will have undergone some basic training and is aware of the safe operating distance and storage requirements that have been set to make using display fireworks safer. We don't take kindly to assholes that cause problems for the display community and I fully hope that your uncle's friend gets his ass nailed to the fucking wall. True story. 2 deaths around the 4th of July this year happened just that way. A woman in Michigan took a 3" shell in the face, and a guy in Kansas had a 4" flowerpot in his face and died. Both got them "black market", and the BATFE is hot to burn the people they bought them from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psyco_1322 Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 Thats strange how that crap happens. Must be pore construction. Ya come to think of it selling isnt a good idea now. I live in Kansas and dont remember hearing about the 4". When was it? And just what is the purpose of a big boom in with your nice effect stars and such? That sounds kinda like a cheesy add in. It doesnt really seem like it would fit in with the rest of the shells performance. But im waiting for approval on registration to view that page. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frozentech Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 Thats strange how that crap happens. Must be pore construction. Ya come to think of it selling isnt a good idea now. I live in Kansas and dont remember hearing about the 4". When was it? And just what is the purpose of a big boom in with your nice effect stars and such? That sounds kinda like a cheesy add in. It doesnt really seem like it would fit in with the rest of the shells performance. But im waiting for approval on registration to view that page. Kansas man dies in fireworks accident Story by The Associated Press 9:13 a.m. Wednesday, July 4, 2007 Authorities have identified a 25-year-old man who died after a fireworks mishap in rural Miami County. Sheriff's deputies say Brock Barrett, of Mission, was critically hurt at 9 p.m. Tuesday night when a 4" mortar went off as he lit fireworks at a family function in southern Miami County. Barrett was rushed to Overland Park Regional Medical Center, where he died at about 2 a.m. Just google "kansas fireworks accident" "what's the purpose of a big boom in with your nice effect stars and such ?"Well, the way Shimizu puts it is (a)"powerful harmony breaker," and "flashes present a spectacular sight and a sharp time contrast against calm round chrysanthemums" (he actually developed a music-like notation for choreographing fireworks) and claims they increase the emotional intensity of a display . It's like asking why have a bass guitar or a heavy drumbeat in your music I guess. To me, they are like a mini-finale to a single shell. Plus, they just rock. Look for some of the shells that al93535 has posted video of, and you'll see what I mean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frozentech Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 BTW, here's the (rather screwed up) video of a shell with a bottom shot, the same type from that tutorial. One of these days I will get a good video of one. http://www.apcforum.net/files/4inchCWR2.wmv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psyco_1322 Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 Looks to be a little underlifted. But other than that it was a pretty nice shell. I might try putting some in my shells. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ULTRABUF Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 I just finished my first 3" shell today, just waiting for the glue to finish drying. I used rolled Chrysanthemum of Mystery stars, bp on rice hulls for burst, a 1 gram booster of a 50/50 flash/bp mix. The flash was just 50/50 KNO3/Mg, I don't want to waste what little perch I have left on flash. The shell weighs around 116 grams, I used 12 grams of lift. Some of the stars probably cracked a little bit, I had a little trouble closing the shell. I used plastic hemis, I spiked it with fiberglass tape and I pasted about 5 layers of recycled kraft with elmers glue over that. I'll probably shoot it sometime in the next couple days, planning on getting a video. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gods knight Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 nice shell! ,better than how mine look hope to see that video! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ULTRABUF Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 Thanks dude. Hopefully it works ok lol, it would suck if it didnt. If this one goes ok I will start making a few more with different star comps, I only used Chrysanthemum of Mystery cause I was running low on sulfur and it doesn't use any. But I just ordered 3 lbs so I think I might try rolling some glitter or something soon.Edit- It's almost 10 PM, I'm about to go light it off in a few minutes, should have video tomorow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ULTRABUF Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 Sorry to double post but heres the video of the shell. It looked really nice in real life but you cant see the stars very well in the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmszoo89KSE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psyco_1322 Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 My first 2 3" shels flower potted. But thats because I tryed to make them from note cards and jjust dumped in some lift until it looked good. I got them down now. Its easier to make shells that work if you do it right. lol But its a nice and pointy shell. I really like that Warning Explosive! label you got on there. It made me laugh, even though its serious. Just seen the vid. It looked like a good hard break. The stars didnt burn long though. Could have shattered them. How big where they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ULTRABUF Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 Thanks psycho. They varied from around 3/16" to 1/2". They did burn longer than in the video, they just didnt show up. The next one I make will have Reeper Silver stars, so those will probably show up on the camera better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweetybird88 Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 I sure hope so because from what I saw it was a very nice looking break. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psyco_1322 Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 Whats the comp for Reeper Silver? It sounds interesting. I might try it if I have the chems. Hoping to pic some up at the PGI convension, to avoid shipping costs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mumbles Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 it's blackpowder with 15% 325 atomised Aluminum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ULTRABUF Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 Mumbles I thought it was 85% BP, 10% atomized Al, and 5% dextrin? I'll double check the comp. database.Edit- Yep, 85/10/5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweetybird88 Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 According to Rooster it is 85/10/5.http://www.apcforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=44 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psyco_1322 Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 I have 325 bright and 100 grannular Al. Which would work better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mumbles Posted August 3, 2007 Share Posted August 3, 2007 I thought the blackpowder included the dextrin, oh well. The 100 mesh granular will work better. The flake will burn too fast, and look more like a white star rather than a tailed star. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psyco_1322 Posted August 4, 2007 Share Posted August 4, 2007 OK thanks for that. I made a bright willow with the flake but its been to long to remember what it looked like. Hay pudi,Who do you work for? I thought you said something about working for some pyro company. I might be wrong though. Who alls going to the PGI convention? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ULTRABUF Posted August 4, 2007 Share Posted August 4, 2007 I know that wheat paste is commonly used for pasting shells, and I have a question. What are the advantages of wheat paste over using white glue, does it dry faster, harder, etc.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pudidotdk Posted August 4, 2007 Share Posted August 4, 2007 Hay pudi,Who do you work for? I thought you said something about working for some pyro company. I might be wrong though. Yup you were wrong, I'm just an amateur. But having pyro as work would be cool though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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