OldMarine Posted May 12, 2017 Posted May 12, 2017 You ARE pressing behind a shield; yes? PVC has a nasty tendency to fragment... LloydYep, got the press from Caleb with the shield in place. I've grown very fond of these old eyes.
NeighborJ Posted May 18, 2017 Posted May 18, 2017 I took today off from work to go to a job interview, so to calm my nerves I spent the rest of the day making an entire new set of 4# BP tooling. This set replaces one which got destroyed when a tree fell on my shed last winter. It took all of seven hours to make and is ready to rock and roll. Can't wait to test it.
NeighborJ Posted May 22, 2017 Posted May 22, 2017 (edited) I tested my new 4# motors with an insert shell today. Everything went off without a hitch but I've got some improvements to make. The insert timing needs work and the rocket went too high for my liking. The shell was a 5" 800g can. My camera didn't show the burst well so I used the footage from my stoned neighbor's phone. Dude!!! Edited May 22, 2017 by NeighborJ
NeighborJ Posted May 23, 2017 Posted May 23, 2017 Rockets are one of the world's true delights. I can't get enough. I may need rehab.
OldMarine Posted May 23, 2017 Posted May 23, 2017 Rockets are one of the world's true delights. I can't get enough. I may need rehab.No, revel in the power of the dark side. 2
NeighborJ Posted May 23, 2017 Posted May 23, 2017 The dark side? Is that a twelve step program or do they call them increments? TWELVE INCREMENTS OF UNMANAGEABILITY. 1) Admit that the world has become unmanageable and needs to accept my hobby. 2) Came to believe that thru application of my will, the world will learn to accept it. 3) Turn their will over to the power of the dark side. 4)..... I think theirs something not quite right here?
OldMarine Posted May 23, 2017 Posted May 23, 2017 I've taken to carrying a couple of ½" rockets in the truck with me just in case I start suffering withdrawals.
Sparx88 Posted May 26, 2017 Posted May 26, 2017 (edited) Started hurrying up or maybe more specific getting started. Edited May 26, 2017 by Sparx88
OldMarine Posted May 28, 2017 Posted May 28, 2017 Pressed a batch of 3/8" and 7/8" Bleser Purple. I'm going to use the larger ones in a cake or two.
rogeryermaw Posted June 5, 2017 Posted June 5, 2017 friday night i made a five gallon batch of erc charcoal. saturday and sunday i made 4 runs of excellent b.p., granulated and drying. total of about 4 pounds, and i plan on making large batches of a different color star each day this week.
OldMarine Posted June 5, 2017 Posted June 5, 2017 The Bleser purple sucked. I assume I did something wrong because I had to put kerosene on them to get them to light in the burn barrel. Must have transposed weights on a couple of chems. Took no chances and switched to Yankies purple instead. Going to match then with some D1 glitter.
Maserface Posted June 5, 2017 Posted June 5, 2017 Yankies purple will look great with D1- I've done shimizu purple with N1 and it looks pretty sweet.
DavidF Posted June 6, 2017 Posted June 6, 2017 Which Bleser purple Patrick? I did the #6, and it sucked. It wasn't purple, and also needed a burn barrel to ignite. Even then, it was whitish. I think maybe the formula was misprinted. I'm no expert on formulas, but it doesn't seem to have fuel- unless one considers PVC a fuel? This is the formula, from page 13 of my book. #6 Purple 68- Potassium perchlorate11- PVC 6- Copper oxide (I used black) 9- Strontium carbonate 5- Dextrin
OldMarine Posted June 6, 2017 Posted June 6, 2017 (edited) Dave, that's the one. Lloyd laughed at my tiny one lb batch but I'm glad I didn't waste more chems.I need to work on my chemistry. Edited June 6, 2017 by OldMarine
pyroman2498 Posted June 7, 2017 Posted June 7, 2017 Worked a show a few weeks ago and got to test out my firing system that dewy sent me ! Works great ! Kinda wish they would schedule me to work more shows and as 1. They pay is pretty OK for the small shows I've been doing but # 2 is the most important 2. I have a burning passion for Pyro and I love to set shows up and setting them off is also pretty awesome , expecially when you get awesome crowd reaction !
lloyd Posted June 7, 2017 Posted June 7, 2017 (edited) Wait 'til you're the lead-shooter on a large theme park 4th of July weekend! Two things are apt to happen then:1) You will be AMAZED at the audience reactions! At Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, we got three full minutes of cheers and applause from over 10K park visitors! And the police told us there were at least 900 vehicles parked on the roadsides outside the park, watching. <grin> 2) You will face a decision of whether or not you really LIKE to shoot such shows! The last time I shot 'the fourth' at BGW, we did three (count 'em) musically-synchronized 4000-shell shows on three consecutive nights, from two firing locations about 800' apart by 'bird', but 2 miles by road. And at least 3000 of those shells on each show (3" to 12") were individually-loaded aerials, not 'cakes'. We weren't sure we'd live UNTIL tear-down, and tear-down was a real bitch! Then, of course, back by daybreak the morning after to check for duds and debris we'd missed. I still love it, but at my age, I don't think I could handle another 3-show sched like that. Lloyd Edited June 7, 2017 by lloyd 1
rogeryermaw Posted June 20, 2017 Posted June 20, 2017 Made 3 lb each of red nitrate/mgal and green nitrate/mgal composition. Bind n cut tonight
Bigmark Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 Finished taping and adding lift to the 14 2" shell's I started last week. And knocked out 2 3" shells and pressed up some 1/2" Butter popcorn. I am really digging the little 1/2 combo pump I got from caleb.
usapyro Posted June 21, 2017 Posted June 21, 2017 Figured out a use for old -325 MGAL that wants to stick to itself... Turns out the stuff burns incredibly bright in a 50:50 ratio with KNO3. Will bind the stuff with Red Gum or NC + Acetone to make some ultra bright comets. 1
OldMarine Posted June 22, 2017 Posted June 22, 2017 Pressed up a dozen ½" BP+20% Whistle rockets tonight. I plan on making bag headings for them to test the various purple and blue stars I've been making up to compare. Going t be rainy most of the rest of the week which is ideal for possible round trip stars!
OldMarine Posted June 23, 2017 Posted June 23, 2017 Got my first request for a custom firework today.The company mechanic asked if I could make something blue for a baby sex reveal and I was tickled pink....errr...blue because I'm currently experimenting with various blues! He's in a residential area so I thought I'd make up some mines for the occasion.
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