insutama Posted May 21, 2015 Posted May 21, 2015 im just wondering how i could make a small little firecracker that when it exploded it shot colors everywhere. I know how to make the firecracker tubes and i know how to make the firecracker part but im just wondering what i could add to it to make it a nice little colorful display. I want these to be quite small and not very powerfull just somthing to kind of dazzle the eyes any ideas on how i could make this ?
pyrokid Posted May 21, 2015 Posted May 21, 2015 (edited) There used to be a Chinese import product in the United States called "successive happy news." these consisted of small ladyfinger firecrackers with an extra long fuse, nested inside a larger thin walled paper tube. Color stars were placed in the empty part of the larger tube. The firecracker fuse would ignite the color stars, which would be scattered by the subsequent explosion of the ladyfinger. I've toyed with trying to employ this principal in color salutes, but never tried it. I found a few bricks of these in Missouri a few years ago, and they are very light. There is a lot of empty space in the brick. Edited May 21, 2015 by pyrokid
GMetcalf Posted May 21, 2015 Posted May 21, 2015 My thought would be, basically, a mini shell. Coloured microstars of your choosing, packed in a tube with some hot Black Powder or maybe some Flash Powder if you're feeling adventurous. I dissected some Chinese single-shot 1.5 inch mortars a few years ago and the shells inside them were basically firecracker tubes packed with microstars and Flash Powder which appeared to have been made using Bright Flake Aluminium instead of Dark Aluminium. I imagine a mini version of this could well produce the effect you're after!
FlaMtnBkr Posted May 21, 2015 Posted May 21, 2015 G, I think what you are referring to is usually called a bombette. Have you seen a consumer device that does what you're describing? I have read that there are now colored dragon eggs which would be about perfect but I've never actually seen them, much less a formula. If you aren't looking for an earth shattering boom, I would try some mouse turd stars made from your favorite color formulas with a good prime of hot BP. Then make a thin tube from a wrap or two of kraft paper and add a teaspoon or so of stars and a fuse and pinch/glue the ends closed. Then the fuse lights the prime which pops the tube open and scatters the burning stars. I haven't tried this with colored micro stars but is worth a shot. I have done this with dragon eggs that contain titanium and it's like a 100 strip of firecrackers in a second or two while throwing sparks in a 20' circle, all from something about the size of a M80. They are fun and make a racket and might work with colored stars, though not as loudly. Probably what I would try first if I'm understanding you correctly.
insutama Posted May 22, 2015 Author Posted May 22, 2015 that sounds exactly like what i want now i guess ill have to learn how to make micro stars
GMetcalf Posted May 22, 2015 Posted May 22, 2015 G, I think what you are referring to is usually called a bombette.I knew there was a proper name for it! Thanks! Have you seen a consumer device that does what you're describing? I have read that there are now colored dragon eggs which would be about perfect but I've never actually seen them, much less a formula.I've seen these a few times in cake inserts bought here in the UK. I did attempt to dissect some once and they appeared to be the same composition throughout and contained a lot of flake metal, whether this was Aluminium or Magnalium I didn't work out. But they were definitely uniform and not a colour composition rolled onto a Dragon's Egg as I first thought they were. that sounds exactly like what i want now i guess ill have to learn how to make micro stars Make up your preferred colour composition as normal and then wet it to somewhere between the consistency for pumped stars and cut stars. Then simply granulate through a screen, much the same as you would Black Powder. Choose your mesh size based on how small you want the stars. Alternatively, you can do it the way I do and cut them. It's the same as making regular cut stars but on a much smaller scale. Roll out the wetted composition really thin and then using a nice sharp knife, cut it into 2mm by 2mm cubes. If you're working with an Acetone soluble binder it's best to only make a small batch at a time (maybe 50g of composition) as it'll dry quite quickly and cutting stuff small is kind of time consuming! Then simply prime your stars as normal.
OblivionFall Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 Cylinder Shell with some Flash for break in it?
Shunt Posted June 13, 2015 Posted June 13, 2015 The device the OP wants sounds like something that should be up in the air for safety. Bombettes lit on the ground like a firecracker with stars blowing in all directions at ground level sounds like a bad idea to me.
Wiley Posted June 13, 2015 Posted June 13, 2015 Maybe not if it's tiny. I remember a consumer item called a "double color crackling something-or-other, that consisted of two 1/4" ID tubular plastic casings stacked on top of one another with a fuse running through both. Each casing was filled with some magical dragon egg composition that actually popped a pale red or green. When each of the "breaks" split open and did their thing, they covered an area about 6' across in crackling colored coolness. Not quite what you're looking for, but it is a cool effect that should be fairly easy to reproduce with homemade DE.
JMcDouges Posted July 1, 2015 Posted July 1, 2015 (edited) I'm not sure if you are still experimenting with this insutama, if you are I hope you post the results back here. I'm interested in seeing if you were able to get this working. Also, for anyone who prefers visual learning, here's a quick visual tutorial on the small star screening method GMetcalf mentioned (courtesy of Creagan / Whichita Buggy Whip). Edited July 1, 2015 by JMcDouges
insutama Posted July 1, 2015 Author Posted July 1, 2015 Hey yes I am still super intrested in this im just waiting on some chemicals so I can make colored stars right now all I can make is glitter and charcoal stars I guess this would only work on parlon based stars Unless it works with using water and dextrin based stars but somehow I bet you need to use the laqour so it drys fast enough anyone else have any Experiance making micro stars this way and would it work with tt stars using water instead of laqour thinner ?
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