Edited Shimizu Tiger Tail Star Composition Not Igniting

[wizard7611]

Hello! I have recently received a formula from an experienced pyrotechnician lately, and wanted to use it for my comets this year. Once I created the composition, I noticed it wouldn't burn, but instead spark. The formula I asked for was a nishiki kamuro formula, that way I could have very nice looking comets. Anyway, he told me to use the Monocapa prime on these comets to ensure they don't go blind in the sky. These stars were bound using water, pumped at a one inch diameter by one inch height, rolled around in prime, and then tested using a propane torch. I have already made a 13 pound batch of it, but am dying to save it. The prime seems to ignite very well, but as it reaches the star composition, it doesn't ignite at all. I tried this three times already, ensuring the stars were completely dry, yet, I received the same results.

 

Here are the formulas for both the prime and the edited Shimizu Tiger Tail star composition:

 

Edited Shimizu Tiger Tail Star:

 

Charcoal, Airfloat 10.5
Potassium Nitrate 10.2
Titanium, Spherical (30-100 mesh) 3.0
Fero-Titanium 60:40 (40-325 mesh) 4.5
Aluminum, Atomized (325 mesh) 1.5
Sulfur 1.5
Dextrine 1.2

 

Total Parts: 32.4

 

Monocapa Prime:

 

Potassium Perchlorate 24.6

Potassium Nitrate 31.1

Charcoal (air float, Willow or Paulownia) 11.5

Red Gum 4.1

Sulfur 4.9

Iron Oxide(Black) 7.4

Magnalium (230 mesh, or dark aluminium) 12.3

Dextrin 4.1

 

Total Parts: 100

 

 

[fckiamdead]

Hello! I have recently received a formula from an experienced pyrotechnician lately, and wanted to use it for my comets this year. Once I created the composition, I noticed it wouldn't burn, but instead spark. The formula I asked for was a nishiki kamuro formula, that way I could have very nice looking comets. Anyway, he told me to use the Monocapa prime on these comets to ensure they don't go blind in the sky. These stars were bound using water, pumped at a one inch diameter by one inch height, rolled around in prime, and then tested using a propane torch. I have already made a 13 pound batch of it, but am dying to save it. The prime seems to ignite very well, but as it reaches the star composition, it doesn't ignite at all. I tried this three times already, ensuring the stars were completely dry, yet, I received the same results.

 

Here are the formulas for both the prime and the edited Shimizu Tiger Tail star composition:

 

Edited Shimizu Tiger Tail Star:

 

Charcoal, Airfloat 10.5

Potassium Nitrate 10.2

Titanium, Spherical (30-100 mesh) 3.0

Fero-Titanium 60:40 (40-325 mesh) 4.5

Aluminum, Atomized (325 mesh) 1.5

Sulfur 1.5

Dextrine 1.2

 

Total Parts: 32.4

 

Monocapa Prime:

 

Potassium Perchlorate 24.6

Potassium Nitrate 31.1

Charcoal (air float, Willow or Paulownia) 11.5

Red Gum 4.1

Sulfur 4.9

Iron Oxide(Black) 7.4

Magnalium (230 mesh, or dark aluminium) 12.3

Dextrin 4.1

 

Total Parts: 100

 

 

Are you sure they are completely dry? (They take a looooong time to dry..)

 

Also you have to use a very fine powder on the kno3 and charcoal.

 

And finaly som TT only sparks on the ground but "burn" in the air, test them in a stargun..

Edited July 6, 2015 by fckiamdead

[gregh]

Yeah, what he said. Put that in a gun and fire it. You might be surprised at what you find. Comps like tigertail and willows will look like a lump of smoldering coal when lit on the ground. They only function correctly when moving through the air.

[Arthur]

Tiger tail is very under oxidised for stoichiometry it only burns when flying through the air. It can also take weeks to dry.

[wizard7611]

Holy shit! Weeks? Damn, thanks for all of the help! I can't wait to give it a try!

[wizard7611]

Oh, I forgot. What if my stars crack?

Edited July 7, 2015 by wizard7611

[Arthur]

Pyro is NOT for the impatient, in fact most accidents and incidents come down to not leaving enough time to do it right.

[wizard7611]

I understand. What do I do if my stars crack?

[Mumbles]

Rewet and repress them depending on what caused it. Cracking is generally an indication of an adverse reaction, or drying things unevenly or too fast. If there's a reaction, they're ruined most likely and should be dispose of. If they're cracking because you're impatient, they can be reprocessed.

[Rocketier]

I think the edited tigertail formula is not okay yet.

 

Tigertail:

KNO3 44%

C 44%

S 6%

Dex 6%

 

Your edited tigertail

KNO3 31,3 %

C 32,4%

Ti 3%

FeTi 13,8%

Al at 4,6%

S 4,6%

Dex 3,7%

 

The only compoos I know with such a low oxidiser both 29% is the spanish formula Willow and Kamuro like you said.

Most glitter compoos with metals do have BaNO3 to it or a higher KNO3 %. Also most do have 5% dex yours 3,7%.

 

When you closelook (camera) to a tigertail star burning on groundlevel you can see tiny smouldring balls running over the surface of the star then if big enough jumping off. In the air these balls make the nice long hangtime tigertail effect. Important when making tigertail is let the nitrate soke into the C so enough water has to be used.

 

I rolled a batch of Kamuro stars with in my opinion shitty(self made) pine C and the did not harden at all. Made a new batch with good denser C and was perfect. So your C can do wrong as well.

 

Look to the Improved snowball formula from Ned Gorski

 

Improved Snowball

Potassium nitrate 35

Barium nitrate 16

Sulphur 9

Antimony trisulfide 13

Charcoal 9

Aluminium 10

Dextrin 8

Boric acid 2%

Add 8% by weight of 5% alcohol

Edited July 8, 2015 by Rocketier