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Aerial Shells


Chris

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Ya I should have googled it. Kinda strange, guess its kinda like silicon in a way.

 

 

Oh and got me some gummed reenforced craft today from Office depot. My hands were sticky before I got out of the building.

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What is Diatomaceous Earth?

The idea of adding diatomaceous earth to the prime qwezxc12 posted is to make the surface of the star more rough, kind of like a fine sandpaper, so that it lights easier. If I've gotten it right:) Just like a cut star lights easier than a round star because of its edges.

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Made this yesterday, firing tonight, laugh if you want.

http://www.apcforum.net/files/S4023902.JPG

 

Oh and got this at some army surplus store. $5.50

http://www.apcforum.net/files/S4023895.JPG

 

Plus these got spiked and pasted last night. The 4" Spider will get fired for sure tonight as its my brothers birthday and its St. Pattricks day so thats a good excuss to shoot some stuff. The other large 3" is a ground bloomer shell, and the small one is my go-getters on crack shell.

http://www.apcforum.net/files/S4023916.JPG

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Wow, score on the NC lacquer! Nothing like making mil-spec dragon's eggs :D

 

Nice can shells, BTW...awaiting video...

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*****SNIP*****

Oh and got this at some army surplus store.  $5.50

*****SNIP*****

OMFG!!!

 

NICE SCORE!!!

 

If I'm reading the codes on the label correctly, it was made in June, 1961.

 

Do you realize the "collector" value of what you have there *MIGHT* (and I stress MIGHT) be quite high?

 

As in, "a hell of lot higher than buying a full replacement gallon", at any of the pyro suppliers we have?

 

If I were you, I'd research that BEFORE you so much as open it, let alone use some.

 

If the *original* seal on the spout, under the cap, is still there it could be more so. Form the pic, I suspect it's long gone, but the can and contents might still have a good value.

 

That's a product that evolved from the original Butyrate Dope formerly used to coat aircraft fabric until ummm.... I wanna say the 50's but not sure.

 

And until the damned Government Nannies made it almost "Unobtanium" here, I used Butyrate Dope on my Model R/C aircraft's fabric-covered wings.

 

The demand, and prices paid, for some things considered "collectible" by others, is stupefying.

 

Just a suggestion. Do with it as you will, though.

 

It *should* be of very high quality given it's milspec, but maybe a "real" expert here can say for sure.

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Shooting was post poned because I forgot my camera and I wasnt shooting anything with out recording it.

 

Yes mumbles, they are a kind of firecracker, rolled some craft tubes and loaded them with whistle + Ti, thought that the Ti would look like white stars so thats what I used.

 

Hmm didnt really occur to me that the NC was that old. Now you say something I do see the date on it, didnt really study it to much. It had some crusty crap around the lid that I chipped off, burned good, not so clean though - kinda had a bit of black come off. Its not completely full, its about 1/2 to 3/4 full im guessing from shaking it. I cant get the damn lid open, didnt try to hard on it though as I really didnt want to screw up the lid. Its been beat around a bit, the side pretty banged up and the lid looks like I want the first person to have difficulty opening it. I will definetly look into its worth, I can live with out it if someone thinks they need it.

 

There was another can there that had cellulose acetate butyrate in it, <I think thats right, correct me if im wrong. Now im thinking about going back for it.

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Yes mumbles, they are a kind of firecracker, rolled some craft tubes and loaded them with whistle + Ti, thought that the Ti would look like white stars so thats what I used.

I don't know how Ti will fare, but I can tell you that is the case for Mg turnings. A very cool effect to add to the break of some of my smaller shells. Really enhances any small salute too with a great visual effect.

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There was another can there that had cellulose acetate butyrate in it,

Yes! Go and grab it! (Assuming price is OK.)

 

It's been a long time and the memory is hazy, but I think that *IS* the original Butyrate Dope I was talking about.

 

And NOW I'm wondering which evolved from which. NC -> CA lacquer or CA -> NC lacquer.

 

I know they're chemically very different, but for years the total weight of the COATING alone, on a fullsize aircraft, was a MAJOR factor, and many people spent a long time working to find a coating that weighed less than another one. Some pretty exotic (and dangerous) formulations were tried along the way.

 

Damnation, I wish I hadn't let my R/C knowledge erode into nothing.

 

All those old coatings that were used on "real" fabric-covered aircraft, were put to good use for Radio Control aircraft, and remained the coating of choice for many years after Aviation had abandoned them in favor of Alumunim skins.

 

NC, Butyrate, and a couple more I've forgotten. And like I said, the damned Nannies have made it all but impossible to get in amounts of more than an ounce of two, at a Hobby Shop.

 

In any case, if you discover that these have no collector value they're STILL a great deal at that price.

 

Good luck!

 

M

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Here is the video of the 1 7/8" sun and planets. Sounded like only about 3 of the 7 planets went. Timing was a bit off. Sparks didnt come out to good either.

 

http://www.apcforum.net/files/S4023933.AVI

 

Havent shot anything else yet, but the time will come.

 

Some other random pics:

http://www.apcforum.net/files/S4023920.JPG

 

http://www.apcforum.net/files/S4023952.JPG

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A worthy attempt with the sun and planets. A successful sun and planets that small would truly be an amazing feat.
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Psycho, If you still have that laquer around at PGI time, I will gladly buy some off you.

 

Nice Justanother!

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Can you give some notes on that 6" er?

 

-Joe

Shell weighed about 900g. My scale only goes up to 500g so in a pinch I weighed it on a spring scale used to weigh food. 100g of lift because it was poor quality, and I wasn't sure on the shell weight. It had 5/8" pumped TT stars, BP on puffed rice with 5g flash for burst. Only two layers of fiberglass reinforced tape. The rising effect that got cut short was a pair of greenmix/MgAl stars ( MgAl mesh was whatever passed through a kitchen strainer).

 

Oh and the guys voice is a friend of ours who so graciously provided me with a launch site suitable for 6". :)

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can hemp seeds be coated with burst?

 

just like rice hulls only hemp seeds?

 

because i have a lot of them, and i have an idea for a very cool green patern shell :D

 

trying to stick to a theme here.

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They should work. Might be a bit dense for burst. They'd make great cores, though....

 

M

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Since I'm just CERTAIN he's getting them from a bag of Bird Seed, they're irradiated and already incapable of germinating.....

 

:rolleyes:

M

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well i was definatley thinking of rolling stars using them as corse...but the whole sprouting thing is a very valid concern.

 

the seed will release enzymes when in contact with water, and trigger the consumption of the stored nutrients to produce the sprout. especially when coated in comp...because the seed will "think" it's been planted.

 

lol

 

it's actually a very valid concern. the mechanical action of the growing sprout would no doubt crack open the stars and cause them to crumble.

 

my concern was mainly the bp/dextrin adhering to the slick shiny surface of the seeds.

 

oh...whiel on the subject...

 

is hemp ash still sold? i noticed it was in the ingredient list for several stars comps in an old pyro book.

 

again...keeping with the theme :lol:

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The slick shiny surface shouldn't be a problem. Lead shot has a slick surface that you would think is difficult to adhere to,but it works well as a star core. I think that lead under a microscope would have a rough surface maybe crater-like which would help explain why the composition grips it. Its a shot in th dark an I could be way off though.
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because i have a lot of them, and i have an idea for a very cool green patern shell biggrin2.gif

 

 

Would this be launched from a HDPE bong mortar? Be safe; don't drink the residual water :o

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lol. I would have just planted the seeds and then burned the results of that.

 

Ive seen birdfeed just start grown stuff right where it fell so Im not sure that its completely immune to life.

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