Ground Bloom Flowers

[Sparx88]

Most of us use the ready made consumer ground blooms. It's the lazy man's go-getter!

Yep, that be bout the size of it. I do have to say that sometimes they can burn a little long for anything under 175'. At least the 3 color changing ones. Oh and to those not knowing don't do these in a neighborhood, when spent they come down like hot rocks..in all directions. Love the whipping whirring sound they make with the color.

[OldMarine]

I've already tried jumping jacks, since I had a ton of them (my son used to love them when he was younger). I loaded them in a 1.75" can shell. They were kind of disappointing mainly because of the very short burn time on them.

Same here. Looked about like flying fish fuse.

[dynomike1]

I did some in a 5-6" ball shell. Havent shot them yet. I also did some Zingers, and some ground blooms mixed with Zingers.

Edited May 2, 2017 by dynomike1

[MadMat]

OM Don't even mention flying fish around me! Everytime and I mean everytime I have tried to do soemthing with that "stuff" it has failed. Ive tried it four times in various shells and they have all failed and in all different ways. That shit is like kryptonite to me I guess.

Edited May 2, 2017 by MadMat

[lloyd]

Mat,

I guess I'd have to say that I don't like flying fish fuse. Not because it's unreliable, but because, except for VERY low-altitude shells, I think it gives a paltry effect.

 

There are all sorts of 'spinners' out there, but a hand-made tourbillion with some good, coarse metal is my favorite aerial spinner.

 

Lloyd

Edited May 2, 2017 by lloyd

[MadMat]

Lloyd,

I've had all manner of failures with FF fuse, most of which had nothing to do with the fuse itself. For example, if I had to guess, I would say, I am quickly closing in on making my 100th shell. Since starting making shells, I have had exactly two flower pots. The first one, was probably within the first 3 shells I made, and was from poor technique/experience. The second one, much later along was... you guessed it, an FF fuse shell. Now I am not a superstitous person, but I'll be dammned if there isn't something going on

[OldMarine]

I use the FF in consumer mines and canisters so it works alright but anything but red and green is pretty meh. I did some work at an alternator rewinding place today and they gave me a little box of ½" x 1½" thickwall tubes that they use to protect the studs and connections on the alternators for shipping. I'm going to try making my own little tourbillions for a shell with them.

Edited May 2, 2017 by OldMarine

[Sulphurstan]

Most of us use the ready made consumer ground blooms. It's the lazy man's go-getter!

If they're the same I use to dismantle as a teenager, they are lightly pressed composition , right?

[lloyd]

Sulfurstand,

 

MOST consumer-goods are "lightly pressed". If you make your own from more-active compositions, I'd suggest that you press them as hard as you would gerbs (if not as hard as rockets).

 

Lloyd

[Sulphurstan]

Ok, thank you for the information Lloyd.

I was just wondering if parlon bound would do,with Ned gorski's composition mentioned before...

Edited May 2, 2017 by Sulphurstan

[Ubehage]

If anyone is interested, here's a video of how they actually work (Just a slow-motion video of a blooming ground.flower):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx0_QnRurrU

[lloyd]

Thanks for that, Ube! I'd never seen one in slo-mo before, and didn't realize that they also rolled as they spun.

 

That seems almost counter-intuitive.... but there's the proof!

 

Lloyd

Edited May 3, 2017 by lloyd

[davidh]

Lloyd, they work best if you drill the nozzle a bit off center of the tube. Otherwise, they tend to roll once and turn into a sideways gerb.

[lloyd]

ACtually, my point was that it's not really clear how they roll and still tend to propel only in one direction. With their rolling, you'd expect the thrust to be more-or-less equalized both in the direction and counter to the direction of spin, so that they wouldn't spin.

 

I have made such spinners that did NOT tend to roll, and they seem to spin faster, even to the point of taking off occasionally.

 

I just found it very interesting that with thrust pointing both in the direction of rotation AND opposing it, that they spun, at all!

 

Lloyd

[OldMarine]

I think the rolling combined with spinning is what gives them the flower shape rather than just a disc shaped display. The ones I've purchases have a substantial amount of empty tube at one end which I assume is to not only lengthen the tube but to change the center of balance as well.

[lloyd]

I 'read', Patrick. But the issue of 'opposing thrust' still has me confused.

 

I don't know how to understand that, unless the rolling - itself - is uneven, and the thrust is mostly in the direction of spin. But seeing the vid didn't convince me of that. It's confusing enough that I may have to do some experiments (again on the back-burner, because of theme park projects...) to see what's actually going on!

 

My entire schedule for the next 30 days has been 'purchased' by a very-special customer for a research project. I cannot divert my attention from that. So, the 'fun stuff' has to wait.

 

Lloyd

[Yus]

Some small experiments were done. I tested colour compositions in fireworks wheels.

Fist one is only nitrate based: Ba(NO3)2 or Sr(NO3)2 - 70%, AlMg - 15%, PVC - 15%.

Second composition contains both nitrate and perchlorate potassium: KClO4 - 20%, Ba(NO3)2 - 40%, AlMg - 20%, PVC - 15%, C - 5%.

 

https://youtu.be/73yNKB9HF4c

 

https://youtu.be/w3DR5Nali6E

 

These compositions can use in Ground Bloom Flowers.

Edited May 11, 2017 by Yus

[lloyd]

Yus,

They were both very good wheels in terms of their thrust and flame production. As you can clearly see, the gold-to-green transition was the more-pleasing of the two.

 

That's not because your colors were poor on the first, but because two different colors ordinarily do not 'appear' well on a wheel when displayed at the same time at the same diameter. The green and red 'blended' due to the rotation speed and human eye 'latency', thus making the circle appear yellow, rather than red AND green.

 

If you wish to use different colors on a wheel, one choice is to sequence them, as you did on the gold-to-green. It will result in a much-more-pleasing effect!

 

The other method would be if your wheel had multiple vents, and the red and green had been emerging from different radial positions.

 

That can be accomplished by pressing one color for (say) half the length, then a clay plug, then the other color for the other half -- then drilling multiple separate nozzles for each color in each half of the spinner. (and, of course, matching them with piped match, so they ignite simultaneously).

 

Lloyd

Edited May 11, 2017 by lloyd

[Yus]

Lloyd, thank you very much for your comments. I will test more and new wheels with modified colour compositions with titanium are already waiting to be fired. Last your idea concerning wheel with two nozzles for different colour flame is nice. I thought to make something similar. One more solution it is to use combination of simple wheel and glued colour lances.

Edited May 11, 2017 by Yus

[lloyd]

YES! You have it Yus! Proceed, and show us your results!

 

Lloyd

[OldMarine]

I use comps that complement each other. I like purple with gold Tremalon since they don't blend and at the true diameter you see the purple and on the periphery you see the glitter from the Tremalon. It is a beautiful effect IMHO.

[Yus]

New tests. Silver, glitter and colour compositions were used.

1) KNO3 - 68%, S - 15%, C - 17%, Ti (60 mesh) - 3%. Silver.

2) Sr(NO3)2 or Ba(NO3)2 - 40%, KClO4 - 20%, AlMg (500 mesh) - 20%, PVC - 15%, C - 5%, Ti (60 mesh) - 3%. Red or Green.

3) KNO3 - 68%, S - 15%, C - 17%, AlMg (35 - 200 mesh) - 10%. Golden Glitter.

4) KNO3 - 55%, Ba(NO3)2 - 5%, S - 10%, C - 10%, Al (500 mesh) - 10%, BaCO3 - 5%, Fe2O3 - 5%. Glittering Silver Core.

 

https://youtu.be/NzhMOFKRhrM

 

https://youtu.be/54vxDiQ6las

[nish]

Hey thanks for posting that slow motion video link, its nice to see how it works =)

[Asaster420]

I've already tried jumping jacks, since I had a ton of them (my son used to love them when he was younger). I loaded them in a 1.75" can shell. They were kind of disappointing mainly because of the very short burn time on them.

I would recommend putting the jumping jacks ON a shell, not in, mindful to keep amount relative to size. I do this with dragon eggs, crackers, bees, stars or whatever. Some things work better by putting them into a plastic bag to try to ensure the blow by from the lift lights them instead of the quickmatch or fast fuse.

[Yus]

Playing with Wheel Fireworks (different constructions in combination with different compositions).

 

http://s019.radikal.ru/i608/1706/e2/d76e823fa78b.jpg

 

https://youtu.be/Hr0Q4Ljudrk

 

https://youtu.be/Y8jnusHy7H8