What did you do today in pyro?

[mikeee]

When your charcoal is done producing noticeable flames you want to stop the air flow

from entering your TLUD as quickly as possible, this will minimize the amount of ash

in your charcoal. A solid cover over the top of the cooker and closing the valve at the

bottom of the cooker will produce a higher charcoal recovery rate. The longer it takes

to extinguish the coals the higher the ash content in your charcoal. Some people will

pour the hot coals into a smaller can and apply a solid lid to stop the cooking process

quickly, the smaller the can the less oxygen there is to keep the coals burning. A cooker

full of burning coals will produce a considerable amount of vacuum on the chamber and

pull oxygen in from any available vent source.

[dagabu]

I made a time fuse punch modeled after Caleb's, pretty darn slick!

 

 

Edited March 12, 2017 by dagabu

[OldMarine]

What were those originally?

[BlueComet24]

It looks like a grommet press that works like so:

I'm betting Dag milled the other parts.

[mikeee]

Quick and easy body piercing.

[dagabu]

I only turned the bottom tool, its stainless steel and not pretty like Caleb's. The black tool with the drill rod was the 1/4" grommet setter, its threaded and hardened so it was good steel to start with. I am still tempted to buy the tool set from Caleb and put it in my machine, he does great work!

 

The reason I made this one is that I wanted to experiment with smaller punch holes, I chose 0.100" using a #40 bit (yes, I know that it's 0,098") and a #38 for the punch. The 0.100. go/no-go gauge fits tight and the 0.099 will not be retained by friction alone so its somewhere in the middle.

 

I will be using a single strand of home made BM that is pulled through a single 7/64" die and then a finishing die 3/32" ID with a long taper (made with an 1/8" reamer) made from Delrin. The BM should JUST slide in and perfectly fill the punched hole, I wont have to crimp the time fuse with pliers nearly as hard as using a 1/8" hole and two smaller strands of BM.

 

Also, it was a very good excuse to get out of the house and get into the shop!

[whitewolf_573]

Today i have made green mix (after yesterday milling kno3 and the few charcoal - 200g - obtained from my first tlud batch, that was clearly undercooked, being mostly not burned wood with only the first cm of the stick slightly burned) and now i am milling it,

I have stopped the mill after 1h and half milling and tested a bit of the bp , like a teaspoon, i think is quite fast I will mill it 3h.

 

test I https://youtu.be/TknVDxukhrM

test II https://youtu.be/TXsTQv96mvU

Only used a teaspoon for the tests, put in a 4" line (or like) and in a small pile. I think is quite fast. But once arrived visco i will do more tests and more accurate.

 

(Last time i do it without having visco or blackmatch. I used a piece of tisue paper, and almost scorch myself the eyebrows, because being too close to bp. An accident happens to easilly. Always we have to remember the consecuences of not take safety the first. Better safe, and green than get burned)

Edited March 12, 2017 by whitewolf_573

[lloyd]

Made some bismuth crackle as a test from 130g of Fireworkscookbook.com newly-found Bi2O3.

 

I tried several grains. They all worked as expected. This one is JUST at 10-mesh:

 

https://www.facebook.com/100009450127031/videos/1817306305261023/

 

Lloyd

[calebkessinger]

Looks like everyone is having fun!

That looks great Dave! I was sure happy with my first one I built. I made a few changes and then set up the cnc machines to cut em out perfectly. The upper pin on mine is made from a single piece of stainless turned down, and the lower is aluminum with a blind hole sized perfectly for the depth so the core doesn't pooch out the back when punched. I started with the nicest looking grommet punch I could find on Amazon and went from there. Super duper happy with how they turned out.
Dave, Turn the top of the pin down where the handle hits it and they work better.. lowers the handle a bunch and you get better leverage. I've got mine low enough now that I removed the stop bolt under the handle. ( I need to update my pics and take a video )
http://www.woodysrocks.com/store/p196/Hand_Operated_Fuse_Punch_.html

 

Woohoooo Lloyd!

You might just bring me over to crackle! That darn consumer stuff burned me out for some time but it hardly compares to the real boom of good home made!

[dagabu]

Thanks Caleb!

 

I will definitely do that. I did drill a new hole for the cotter pin about 1/8" lower and used a SST rod to push the spring down, I wanted to get the gap just right and I just bet that turning that plunger down will make this baby perfect! I have to say that this is by FAR the best punch I have used!

 

I didn't get the nice one, I got the cheap one just in case I messed it up and I'm impressed, even the $38.00 one I have is working very well.

 

Thanks for inspiring me once again, I really needed some shop time and this was just the ticket!

 

The pin was made long enough to make sure the slug of TF is completely ejected and I tapered the bottom of the die to allow it to be pushed clear.

 

Edited March 12, 2017 by dagabu

[calebkessinger]

What's the rod dimension in the cheaper one? .743 diameter?

If so.. my "kits" will drop right in and I would be glad to sell them that way.

[dagabu]

Yupper, 0.743", just like yours. Shoot me a price please, I would like to try both but I am out of shop time for the month.

[calebkessinger]

Updated that listing.

So now people can buy the entire punch assembled and tested, or just buy the kits.

http://www.woodysrocks.com/store/p196/Hand_Operated_Fuse_Punch_.html

 

Punch is 160 + shipping
kit is 78 + shipping

 

again.. I bought the slickest machines I could find off Amazon.. they were 75 at my door I think.

[Boophoenix]

Wolfe, just guessing as it appears this way to me and I wondered about it seeing your earlier photos. I could very likely be wrong.

 

I think false bottom needs to seal to the sides of the pot. The earlier images you showed with the splits stood upright you're restricting airflow while letting it all run up the sides where it can't seal off like a split placed over a whole.

 

That in combination with not enough inlet air as Lloyd mentioned is likely your problem I suspect. Opening up more air flow will help the burn, but I think the flame may still chase down the sides giving you slight issues with material in the center.

 

Luckily uncooked wood is very forgiving I think and can just be coked again. I'd be very interested in the results with Lloyd's advice prior to cmpensating for my idea on the riser plate if you have the time and materials.

 

One last tid bit, but you probably know this one. TLUD cooking requires pretty dry source materials.

[Mumbles]

I'm intrigued by the grommet punches. Do you guys think it'd be doable to modify one into a tube punch as well? I'm not sure what sort of force they can produce. Just thinking out loud here. I was thinking of something along the line of a tool to punch holes for fuse or a slurry prime.

[calebkessinger]

That's an interesting idea. I'm not sure what they will do..

But I can find out.

I have a stack of them here, and just regular arbor presses also. What size tubes are you thinking of?

[Mumbles]

I don't know. I was hoping to dig some information out of you guys about potential clearances or suitable sizes. The tubes I have in mind would probably range from about 5/8" to 1-1/4" outer diameter. I suspect they'd need a support if being punched empty.

[whitewolf_573]

Wolfe, just guessing as it appears this way to me and I wondered about it seeing your earlier photos. I could very likely be wrong.

 

I think false bottom needs to seal to the sides of the pot. The earlier images you showed with the splits stood upright you're restricting airflow while letting it all run up the sides where it can't seal off like a split placed over a whole.

 

That in combination with not enough inlet air as Lloyd mentioned is likely your problem I suspect. Opening up more air flow will help the burn, but I think the flame may still chase down the sides giving you slight issues with material in the center.

 

Luckily uncooked wood is very forgiving I think and can just be coked again. I'd be very interested in the results with Lloyd's advice prior to cmpensating for my idea on the riser plate if you have the time and materials.

 

One last tid bit, but you probably know this one. TLUD cooking requires pretty dry source materials.

 

Thanks

 

 

What i call a false bottom, and used as one, is this

 

I just make a hole in the "real bottom" and inserted a threaded fitting (i think is called that way,) that is connected to an elbow fitting / joint and this to the valve, so to not have to make the hole in a curved wall of the bucket. Also this way the air enters inside the bucket in the middle of it.

 

I just put that frying pan - without handles or anything - for grilling chesnuts, to support the wood sticks over the fitting and for trying to distribute the air a bit.

 

As the frying pan is a bit smaller (like 8cm less diammeter) i drilled the lateral of the pan so to let some of the air go through the wood that was around the pan.

 

 

.

I think false bottom needs to seal to the sides of the pot. The earlier images you showed with the splits stood upright you're restricting airflow while letting it all run up the sides where it can't seal off like a split placed over a whole.

 

That in combination with not enough inlet air as Lloyd mentioned is likely your problem I suspect. Opening up more air flow will help the burn, but I think the flame may still chase down the sides giving you slight issues with material in the center.

 

 

You mean that a smaller bucket where the frying pan would fit snugly, without holes in the side, and wood arround it, but only over the pan perforated surface would be better ?

And also perhaps some cold welding to weld the pan to the bucket.

 

Also the other day i only opened the air valve like 1/4" or a bit less perhaps, thinking that the less open the better to not overcook it.

 

Also i have read in fireworking that for splits the cooking was done 1h later, and i just , even seing smoke closed the valve 1h latter and put some wood piece and weight over the perforated lid where was the stack.

 

But perhaps 1h isn't enough. I didn't have masking tape , that i have read is a good way to know how the burn goes. Now i have it.

 

Also the holes in the stack seem to be too small, as shuldn't be seen any smoke, what - see smoke - could indicate not enough seccondary air intake no - the stack holes.

 

I'd be very interested in the results with Lloyd's advice prior to cmpensating for my idea on the riser plate if you have the time and materials.

 

I will try to open more the valve and make bigger stack holes, then we'll se if that doesn't help, anyway i esteem your help

 

One last tid bit, but you probably know this one. TLUD cooking requires pretty dry source materials.

 

 

Yes, my wood i think is quite dry, or at least who sold me said was quite dry.

Edited March 13, 2017 by whitewolf_573

[Boophoenix]

I can't tell for certain from the above picture, but I may have made a false assumption to early. It looks from the photo above as though the pan is resting on the bottom of the cooking pot? If this is so find something non sparking to put under the frying pan to allow for more circulation. I'd aim for nearly an inch ( 25mm ) for air to circulate below the pan.

 

I wouldn't secure the pan into the pot there are better ways to handle that if it becomes a problem. Provided the above statement is accurate.

 

Something I plan for mine is to place a small raised disk over the air inlet air port to force the air outward further towards the circumference of the pot. Just guessing again as I've not built mine yet I'm still trying to figure out how I wanna valve it, but I think I'd go for about a 1/4 or 1/3 of the diameter of the overall pot with maybe a small hole in the middle of it.

 

Don't worry about the stack vent holes yet. With the size of your stack and the duct work you'll need to get the pot started pretty good to let the heat take over to creat the draft. As it's starting you could probably stick a screwdriver or a stick in between the lid and the pot to help with feed air to start while it heats the stack. That doesn't mean light it with the lid on. It needs a good heat from a fire before placing the lid on.

[dagabu]

I don't know. I was hoping to dig some information out of you guys about potential clearances or suitable sizes. The tubes I have in mind would probably range from about 5/8" to 1-1/4" outer diameter. I suspect they'd need a support if being punched empty.

 

Yea, I dont see why that would be an issue, a small cradle under the tube and delrin rod (inside the tube) and a punch to cut the hole. If it's a self ejecting punch, you could do any number of them without having to clean it out.

 

Ill check with my supplier for the circle cutters (Caleb, I have not forgotten about them, I just got the backing plates from my son last week) and see how small they come. An ejector in a short punch would work too.

 

Caleb could kick one of those out pretty quick. I would use a hollow punch and see how it worked first.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/252226235183?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true

[calebkessinger]

[BlueComet24]

Finally got a chance to do some pyro stuff after almost 4 months of being too busy. Milled a batch of rocket propellant and filled and pasted two N1 shells.

[MudDuckPyro79]

Just got dun pumping these out about half hour ago. Took about an hour to pump them.I'll break em up Tuesday or Wednesday an shake some 2 an 3f out of em.

[MudDuckPyro79]

I finished pressing 5lb.8oz of black powder and crushed into 2f-3f-4f-and meal-d. Got some HOT willow and some very good white ash for lift. Just messing around with a burn rate test of both and I do believe that the white ash is as good as the willow to not much difference at all.

[NeighborJ]

The white ash is great for BP. I like it for pressing rockets because it seems to be the least spongey and won't have nearly as much relaxation as ERC. I use hotter charcoal for some things but ash can be used for just about anything and has consistent results every time.