starting rolled stars

[Merlin]

I want to try rolled stars and I have heard BBs for cores. Sounds like a grenade. Should I use BB's? What about plastic air-soft pellets?

Any suggestions appreciated.

[braddsn]

If its your first time rolling stars, I suggest whole peppercorns. Its all I use to this day. They are absorbent and have a rough texture so they pick up comp nicely. Starting a batch of stars is the most difficult part and peppercorns make it a breeze.

[TYRONEEZEKIEL]

I use #9 lead shot and have no problems. Peppercorns are probably a good alternative although they are a bit large and light.

[Merlin]

Thanks will try them both.

[AzoMittle]

I like to use actual stars for cores. Salvaged crackle, dragon eggs, star comp pressed through a screen, or cut to < 1/8". It doesn't burn for long or bright so don't bother with colors. Things like dragon eggs or Luce Forte work well imho. You can even roll it from the comp you are using itself so as to give the longest burn time.

[Rocketier]

What works nice aswell is discodip we call it. It's the coloured candy which you put on icecream or cakes. When wet they get sticky. Steelshot works very good it's a bit heavy compaired to discodip and seads so it rolls from the start. Although mentioned I dislike seads because of the fact that they absorbe water and tend to expand which can crack your star. BB are in my opinion to big. The star size is depending on de device your making, I expect you are a beginner and working with 2" maybe 3" devices. Then your star should be at the max 6mm to 8mm width.

Edited May 8, 2015 by Rocketier

[Sparx88]

Probably want to avoid anything like steel or bb's. Stick with organics or lead shot #8 or smaller. I also use peppercorns and that's about as cheap and easy to source as toilet paper. If your not well versed in rolling and I'm not, don't try using the lead shot and smaller media like that until you have some experience because you'll just end up pissing yourself off.

[Rocketier]

until you have some experience because you'll just end up pissing yourself off.

Hahahahaha that's fun dude. It's patience patience patience.

[MWJ]

I started with No. 9 shot, but you have to be very patient. I wet the shot in my hand then put them into the roller on slow then slowly add a tiny bit of comp at a time until they get about 1/8" or so bigger then you can start to add a bit more at a time. Don't use too much water (very fine spray mister) or they will stick together and you'll either have a mess or you can just break them apart one at a time. I found that color comp is easier to start with rather then a charcoal comp. like C-8's or T.W.'s. I got my spay mister at the Wal-Mart eye place. It's the mister they have eye glass cleaner in them. I paid $3.00 for the bottle. Like I said go SLOW and you'll be fine. The lead shot has some weight to them and that makes them easier to work with. But the bigger the core, the easier to work with. I like to get as much comp. on them as I can because I make them 5/16" with prime. The more comp. the longer they last when ignited.

[pyrojig]

Lead is a good one to start with. I like David Blessers book " Round stars and round shells" for learning rolling etc( shell building ) Its usually $20. Well worth it. # 6&8 shot is a good one to start with just make sure if salvaged from shot gun shells to use acetone or thinner to remove the oil first ;/

[Sparx88]

That's something I never thought of cleaning the shot. As much as I shoot 12g I'm embarrassed. Though when I first started using lead I wasn't very good at it and oils on the shot could make things difficult since we want things to stick to them.

If you want to try using lead do it just don't loose hope and get sad when they don't cooperate. Take your time and try not to rush it.

[pyrojig]

Yup, also some folks like David Blesser ,like rolling cheap Bento clay 1st as it bites to the shot quite well, and the comp to that .I find it not necessary , but as stated above , patience is a must , when starting your cores . I like the thought of the comp melting the cores to a degree and making the fall out less of a issue . .

[Arthur]

I've some concern about lead cores -they are there for ever and make a mess. I was in Kimbolton Fireworks factory and saw stars rolled by having a roller full of powder tumbling then adding a little water spray at a time to get stars to form on the top of the tumbling powder which then grew by taking on the powder underneath. No cores at all.

 

For immediate ease I've heard of mustard seed being used in the UK. Other suitable organic material will be available in your locality.

[enanthate]

Over here we got "foreigner shops", its a small shop FILLED with stuff, spice mixes, noodles, strange fruits etc etc. They had plenty of options, i found a large bag with hard seeds(or something) that didnt go soft or expand in water. These are perfect.

Its like peppercorns, but quite smaller.

Dont remember their names, but like i said, those shops got plenty options.

[GMetcalf]

I've never thought of mustard seeds despite having them on the shelf for years... Thanks Arthur!

I've personally just never had the patience for rolled stars and can get away with colour changing effects with my star pump so haven't committed any great amount of time to it.

[MrB]

I've some concern about lead cores -they are there for ever and make a mess.

I agree.

 

I was in Kimbolton Fireworks factory and saw stars rolled by having a roller full of powder tumbling then adding a little water spray at a time to get stars to form on the top of the tumbling powder which then grew by taking on the powder underneath. No cores at all.

I've never got this to work. It might be needing a larger roller, and powder volume then i / we work with. "Ricing" composition works, easy if you rice & dry, harder but gives a more solid core, if you rice straight in to the roller, but the amount of water in the composition seams critical when doing this. Want small specs rolling along nicely, not sticking to one and other. I tend to have dry comp in the roller, rice in to it, and let them roll for a while. Same composition being riced, as the dry stuff. Grow them enough to let you strain of the excess composition, and it can be reused in the next batch, as the ricing stuff. If you don't want to do that, you can just keep on misting the stars, sooner or later they should eat all the lose composition. Just depends on how large you want the inner core.

 

But the easy way out keeps being a cheat. I use a LOT of commerciall dragoneggs as star-cores. From these small green 2 part plastic shells called crackling balls. This year i'm running low, since nobody sold the right stuff around newyears eve, they all sold balls with a larger clump inside. Might be good for large stars, but they are to large for me.

B!

[Msher1438]

When using those commercial dragon eggs as cores, can you hear them when they are way up there as like in say a 4" shell?

[Arthur]

I saw the dry powder method work at Kimbolton, so it works! BUT they had a huge roller with probably 25 - 50 KILOS of ingredients in there. It's a simply means of mixing the chems too -nothing resists being tumbled in a drum for 15 minutes.

[MrB]

When using those commercial dragon eggs as cores, can you hear them when they are way up there as like in say a 4" shell?

I think it depends a lot on what you roll on top of them. But most the time, yes. Nothing like when they are on the ground, but still a nice effect.

 

I saw the dry powder method work at Kimbolton, so it works! BUT they had a huge roller with probably 25 - 50 KILOS of ingredients in there. It's a simply means of mixing the chems too -nothing resists being tumbled in a drum for 15 minutes.

Oh it works for sure. I'm just not thinking it's feasible with our volumes.

B!

[Msher1438]

I want to try using those commercial dragon eggs as cores but don't know what they are composed of therefor safety concerns me. Is it fine to roll pot perc or chlorates over them? I'm sure it would be fine to roll a charcoal comp over them though such as willow.

[Ubehage]

But the easy way out keeps being a cheat. I use a LOT of commerciall dragoneggs as star-cores. From these small green 2 part plastic shells called crackling balls. This year i'm running low, since nobody sold the right stuff around newyears eve, they all sold balls with a larger clump inside. Might be good for large stars, but they are to large for me.

B!

I'm also using the green balls as shells, as they fit nicely as a 1"-shell.

But, they are not easy to find the empty balls for sale anywhere. :/

[MrB]

I'm also using the green balls as shells, as they fit nicely as a 1"-shell.

But, they are not easy to find the empty balls for sale anywhere. :/

Meh.. Plastic. You shouldn't. Shame on you. ;- )

B!

[Ubehage]

Meh.. Plastic. You shouldn't. Shame on you. ;- )

B!

I agree, and I am a bit shameful about it.

For that reason, I keep production low. But it's my only choice for 1-inchers :/

[frederick]

Millet seed is my preferred core. They are much smaller than peppercorns, very light in weight, but that means a bit more patience is required when starting the cores. Fine mist sprayer is essential until they get some size but for stars under 3/8 the smaller core means a little more comp and a little more burn time.

 

I usually start with 4 tbsps of millet and 1000-1200 grams of comp. This normally produces a finished batch of micro stars in the 1/8 to 3/16 range and is all my roller can handle. Aside from going slow its also much easier to start large batches. You can start with 1 tbsp if you like, but the wiggle room on the amount moisture you can apply without issues drops significantly, and can be frustrating if your impatient.

[Arthur]

Are any of the sugar sprinkles for cake baking of any interest as star cores? They should burn up when the star has finished.