Jump to content
APC Forum

Recommended Posts

Posted

Here are some of the case former bodies with the ends trued up with a recess machined into the end for the end caps. This provides more surface area for the glued in end caps and provides a mechanical support at both ends. The wood end caps will have about 1/2" to 3/4" inserted into the recess and the larger diameter will glue to the flat surfaces on the ends of the staves. The end caps will be turned to the same diameter as the rest of the former.

 

 

post-11643-0-54702200-1453057763_thumb.jpg

  • Like 1
Posted (edited)

Got most of the end caps and handles turned for the 6", 7", 8" and 10" former.
Next step is gluing them together so I can put them back on the lathe.

 

post-11643-0-17135600-1453076334_thumb.jpg

 

post-11643-0-85413800-1453076380_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

Edited by mikeee
  • Like 2
Posted

Made up a pound of KP burst comp for gerb prime prior to trying my first blue gerb. Like Ned suggested, I'll just use it for step prime on all my fountain comps.

 

Next up? Maybe getting me a little former from Mikeee.

I was dead set on rockets next but my son is just as dead set on mortars. I told him if he helps we'll do both.

Posted

Make both and once you have both reliable you can start putting shells on rockets :)

Posted
mikeeeeeeee those came out nice
Posted

Getting a little closer to putting a finish on the tools.

They came out amazingly light weight for the sizes.

These were made out of light weight economical pine wood.

6" = 4 pounds

7" = 4.5 pounds

8" = 5.5 pounds

10" = 10 pounds

 

post-11643-0-34085000-1453172190_thumb.jpg

 

post-11643-0-60332500-1453172215_thumb.jpg

 

post-11643-0-85317100-1453172244_thumb.jpg

 

post-11643-0-75865200-1453172268_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

Posted

Extended Thrust Curve 4 oz BP motors. (3.5 sec)

Posted

yesterday I made 150 grams sodium nitrate, today made 100 gram test run of yellow stars 3/8s rammed. they are in the dry box . give them a test tomorrow.

 

memo

Posted

I couldn't wait for the morning, the stars had been in the dry box for 8 hours and they seemed dry, very pleased with the out come. they burn very fast , bright yellow and strobe a bit. I am a happy camper.

 

memo

Posted

What formula did you use?

Do you know was the strobe due to coarse mgal or ot fully dried core?

Posted

its the formula I got from maxim on this forum, I used some course mag/al .

Posted

this is the formula I used, it was from pirotex not maxim . he had another fomula

Name of composition: Sunrise yellow
Composition Type: Color metallic
Creator: Pirotex
Color/Effect: Bright yellow
Precedure/Preparation: Pump with water or 25% alcohol in water.

NaNO3 - 55%
Magnalium - 25%
S -10%
Charcoal (airfloat) - 5%
Dextrin - 5%

Posted

It's my opinion, of course, but my opinion is that NO sodium yellow is any color except "vomit".

 

If you want really nice, 'tunable' yellows that you can make ANY shade you want, try an 'additive' yellow made by combining green and red flames.

 

55 parts barium green + 35 parts strontium red (with otherwise the same formula) create a truly pretty "sunshine yellow" you'll immediately appreciate next to those barf-colored sodium ones!

 

Lloyd

Posted

Lloyd, I'm starting to think sodium yellow has done something to you in the past! Lol!

You are both vehement and consistent in your hatred across all the forums I can find. I'm just glad I'm not sodium yellow!

Posted

Lloyd I know you don't like this yellow, I have no barium or strontium. I can make my own sodium nitrate so now I have yellow. all my chemicals that were coming into the country last November was taken by customs and I was told I needed a chemical importers license for each chemical I wanted to bring into the country at a cost of around 500 bucks and that does not include the lawyer..... sooo its puke yellow for me.

 

memo

Posted (edited)

"You are both vehement and consistent in your hatred across all the forums..."

-----------

Patrick,

I'm only hateful of sodium yellow. I LOVE people!

 

But no. Nothing 'bad' ever happened to me, either building nor shooting shows, concerning sodium yellow. It's just that the first time I compared an additive yellow to the sodium, the Na version ended up looking like a sodium vapor street light -- UGLY, dingy, pukey orangish-yellow, even when lightened by a great excess of metal.

 

The only effect that ever caused me personal insult during a show was a green strobe that burnt clear to the ground, and put two nice holes in the roof of my Suburban (parked way too close to the shoot site!).

 

Lloyd

Edited by lloyd
Posted

My first priority in pyrotechnics is safety, which includes toxicity. For this reason, I am not ready to handle barium nitrate, carbonate, or chlorate. Do you think there is a way to get a more "true" yellow (less orange) by adding enough boric acid or barium sulfate to a sodium-based comp? I've never made yellow stars, but the sodium ones look fine to me anyway. I'm just curious if it's possible and feasible. Also, I'd really like to make a decent green with boric acid or barium sulfate, but I don't think it's been done so there are no formulas.

 

I'll try to stay somewhat on-topic here. Today I started to draw up some blueprints for a 1/4" set of coreburner tooling. I'm not sure if I'll make the tooling, but it would be my first coreburner set and good practice for larger coreburners. I think for the time being I'll continue to attempt to get my 1/2" semi-endburners to not CATO. Maybe I should not use my hot ball milled BP. I guess I'll try green mix, and if they still CATO, then I'll try 60/30/10.

Posted (edited)

Comet,

I won't ridicule you for your concern, but its sorely misplaced.

 

Ordinary hand washing hygiene is sufficient to protect you from barium compounds. Barium is not a 'cumulative' poison, so even if you were to ingest enough of it to create ill-effects, it would be transient. And you'd have to ingest a lot, compared to so many other toxic substances we come into contact with every day!

 

You CAN'T get enough barium into your system to harm you if you practice even the most basic care in handling and hand-washing afterwards.

 

Please move up to "the next level". You can't do much in fireworking without barium compounds.

 

And no... adding green(ish) to sodium results in a more puke-colored flame than before.

 

So... if you were thinking about adding boron green or barium (sulfate) green to anything, why wouldn't it be a strontium red?

 

LLoyd

Edited by lloyd
Posted
Lloyd, one of the reasons I prefer Potassium Benzoate to the Na salt in whistle rockets is the sodium yellow flame. I find the slight lavender tint from K more pleasing if every thing else is equal. Fortunately, a little charcoal or Ti can cover up the Na yellow. I have never tried a Sodium Nitrate star even though I have a few pounds of it stored.
Posted

I'm glad to hear that I'm just being paranoid. If it's not a cumulative poison, then it sounds like it's not so bad. I've heard the acute symptoms of barium poisoning are extremely unpleasant, but it takes a ridiculous amount to actually kill. Perhaps I'll get some strontium and barium nitrate or carbonate in the near future. I'd love to make some of the comps that use barium nitrate, but have been avoiding them for a while. For now, I'm focusing on getting my stars to light reliably and I'm planning on making glitters soon.

Posted

"I'm planning on making glitters soon."

----------

I've got one I named "Buttered Popcorn Glitter", when you're ready. Some other guys here have tried it. I'll let them comment, since my opinion would be biased.

 

Lloyd

Posted
So far I've heard one of the best (and one I really like the look of) is N1. How's yours compare?
Posted
Lloyd's sodium star review....post-20116-0-81925700-1453339587_thumb.gif
Posted

"So far I've heard one of the best (and one I really like the look of) is N1. How's yours compare?"

 

------------

Ned's formula is good. I like mine better... larger "puffier" glitters. What works best is what works best for you. But if you try N1, try mine, too. You might like them both!

 

Lloyd

Posted

It looks like your glitter contains antimony trisulfide, which I'd rather avoid for now. It is a nice glitter, but I think I'll stick with N1 and maybe D1.

×
×
  • Create New...