What did you do today in pyro?

[RiderX]

I'd like to replicate that height. How much BP did you use?

between 30-35 grams depending on shell weight , i think it has more to do with getting the shell fit in the mortar better

im using skylighter red gum bp kit

 

my first batch was pathetic launched a dummy shell first with 30 grams and it didnt make it anywhere near high enough , so for that batch i was using 45 grams , this batch with 30-35 grams is going much much higher then the first batch

 

 

the first batch i dont think i screen mixed well enough and i also got it to wet with the red gum alcohol mix ( i didnt relize how lil it would take to get it wetter ) i actually had to sit and wait for some of the alcohol to evaporate so i could work it into a ball

 

this last batch i screen mixed the piss out of it and got it just right like a ball of putty

 

heres one of those shells fired with the first batch iirc i used 35-40 grams on this shell

 

when i paste a 3" shell now i aim for a 2.850 finished outside diam , a few have ended up slightly larger at 2.880

 

next shell's ill prolly back down the lift charge by 5 grams or so on each next shell till i end up with the shells at a good hieght and not overly high

Edited July 23, 2017 by RiderX

[memo]

are you priming your stars ? how many days are you drying the stars and how ?

 

memo

[RiderX]

are you priming your stars ? how many days are you drying the stars and how ?

 

memo

not priming directions say its not needed unless stars are pumped

 

i dry the stars on a screen left outside in the sun , i have only made 2 batches of stars , the first batch i waited 1.5 days and grabbed a star and lit it with a lighter it lit easy and burned all the way though a bit slow , tried a shell with it that night , but didnt video it , stars burned to the ground but lift hieght was low

 

this second batch i made 2-3 days ago and they are still on a screen drying , normally humidty is very low here 3-5% but its rain season now and been atleast 50% last few days

i need to make another batch of bp so it will be atleast another 2 days before i even try to use the stars

Edited July 23, 2017 by RiderX

[memo]

riderx i would prime some of your stars and see how they light, to me it sounds and looks like your star were not all the way dry.

 

memo

[starxplor]

I made my 3 shells for the year this past weekend. Lift was horrible and break was OK but the best of each was not the same shell.

These were launched around 10:15pm so there is still some light in the sky:

Edited July 27, 2017 by starxplor

[RiderX]

I made my 3 shells for the year this past weekend. Lift was horrible and break was OK but the best of each was not the same shell.

These were launched around 10:15pm so there is still some light in the sky:

that last one was cool breaking on the way down

nice to see im not the only one with issues

 

5/8's comet burn test, notice anything wrong ? have not a single clue what i did wrong specially since this is the same batch of comp i made the last stars from

apparently when i break stuff i break it good

Edited July 27, 2017 by RiderX

[starxplor]

Maybe your issue is lighting it on the ground instead of in the air... heh.

[RiderX]

Maybe your issue is lighting it on the ground instead of in the air... heh.

im assuming that would burn even faster in the air , that comet should have taken 5-6 or so seconds to burn according to the chart i have

[starxplor]

Oh, yeah, if that is the issue, airborne wouldn't help. I thought it was a colour issue.

[RiderX]

Oh, yeah, if that is the issue, airborne wouldn't help. I thought it was a colour issue.

worst part is i have no clue why they are doing it the comp was an old batch what i did at the time was make a 20.2 ounce batch instead of a single 10.1 batch and then i split it into 2 storaege containers for later use , the first half of that batch worked great , the second half is burning like u see in the video

[OldMarine]

Pressed some ¼" stars of ChrisH pink stars subbing phen/hex for the red gum. Have them in the dehydrator at 160° and after an hour they're hard as marbles. I'll try them in a mine tomorrow evening

[rogeryermaw]

mumbles pink looks awesome don't it? that shot with the spanish blue really got me wanting to try these out...well that and my daughter loves pink!

 

today in pyro in diminished my stash. gotta get it all gone and cleared out. want zero finished product here when inspection time comes!

[OldMarine]

I was avoiding unmasking across forums, but you're correct! My Granddaughter loves it.

My pink? Yes baby, that's yours. Priceless!

[Baldor]

Disassemble, clean, grease, assemble and adjust a brand new mini lathe. I'm half way assembling and adjusting.

[OldMarine]

Finally picked up a tiny cylinder hone to smooth out the ID of my hollow rammer for my quick shot gerb tooling. It was a pain trying to slick that thing up using my finger and grit-cloth.

[RiderX]

made 2 more shells with d1 stars with different comp then i have been using , got 5 total to shoot tonight hopefully all 5 work ,2 of them have ground flowers in them

[lloyd]

I got word from a manufacturer that my latest new shell design worked a treat, and they're sending me a sample to shoot here!

 

I worked for weeks on that new scheme!

 

Lloyd

[RiderX]

i shattered some more stars

 

ps atleast the new d1 formula im using works better

 

one shell went blind , and the other worked about the same as the 3 in the video but i forgot to hit record

Edited July 30, 2017 by RiderX

[RiderX]

just finished grinding up 7 pounds of potassium nitrate , and screening it threw 100 mesh screen , that took forever but atleast now when i need it i wont have to grind what i need on the spot

[OldMarine]

Put a desiccant pack in there or you'll have a solid lump and shake it up regularly.

[RiderX]

Put a desiccant pack in there or you'll have a solid lump and shake it up regularly.

i have some packs in the tubs already, and ill screen it when again as i need it

[PeteyPyro]

This past weekend, in pyro, I installed solar powered 'climate control' into my 'completed stuff' magazine. It stays cooler, and nice and dry now. Its a good 450 feet away from the main house and in law suites, and 250' from the oxidiser and fuels sheds. I feel safer. It might not be 'approved', but as long as it doesn't flood, it should be good for what is intended. Keeping me far away.

I don't know how to fix these last two photos (landscape mode?)

Edited July 31, 2017 by PeteyPyro

[PeteyPyro]

i shattered some more stars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDBlwXP62wg

Nice tails, RiderX.

 

ps atleast the new d1 formula im using works better

 

one shell went blind , and the other worked about the same as the 3 in the video but i forgot to hit record

 

I'm still dialing in my camera to capture greens and blues without washing out or 'bleaching' of saturated colors. Its an 'exposure' adjustment in the camera submenu.

[RiderX]

thanks i really really like the tails , now if i could just get the stars to look the same and stop breaking

 

im using my htc cellphone need to play with the settings alil more and see if i cant make it focus faster , havent tried my gopro yet but it shoudl do color well , but sounds on it sucks

Edited July 31, 2017 by RiderX

[lloyd]

Rider,

There's an odd phenomenon with charcoal stars. If you're using water/dex binding, pressing them too hard can actually result in some 'rebound' of the fairly-elastic charcoal particles, and it can cause stars to crack upon emergence from the pressing mold or shortly thereafter. Sometimes the cracks aren't evident, but they're still there. I don't press above about 1250psi on anything, color or charcoal.

 

Further, too-fast drying can cause what you see. Charcoal stars should be dried several days in a warm but shaded spot, so as not to shrink too much on the outside as the inside is still swollen. Time is your friend -- don't get in a hurry. If the outside shrinks while the inside is wet, they will crack.

 

AFTER drying for at least 2-3 days in the shade, they can usually survive being put in a heated, dehumidified drying chamber, but not over about 100 degrees F. They take - typically - at least a week to dry thoroughly, depending upon their size.

 

'Hope that helps!

 

Lloyd