slowing down star drying

[RiderX]

i think my starts are drying to fast , as mentioned in another thread if u dry them to fast the outside turns into a shell and doesn't let the moisture out of the center

ill have to take a picture of some of my stars but i think i have this happening.

 

i broke ipen a few stars today to check them and the outside layer looks different and is very hard while the inside is soft and looks more grainy i guess i would call it

 

ill have to see if i can take some pictures but by cell sucks at taking upclose pics

where i live humidity is almost non exsistant

[RiderX]

on a second closer look its just my larger comets/tails , the smaller stars look good and light easy with a lighter , the commets/tails wont light unless i scrap away the outer surface and then they will light with a lighter

Edited July 24, 2017 by RiderX

[Merlin]

When you make charcoal based stars you should allow them to dry at room temperatures and humidity for a few days before applying heat to dry. Comets should be given a couple weeks before applying heat depending on their size. If they are not allowed to dry under ambient conditions initially even if they do light they will be long burning and likely return to ground before burning out.

[RiderX]

When you make charcoal based stars you should allow them to dry at room temperatures and humidity for a few days before applying heat to dry. Comets should be given a couple weeks before applying heat depending on their size. If they are not allowed to dry under ambient conditions initially even if they do light they will be long burning and likely return to ground before burning out.

im not using a drying box or anything , these just sat outside on a screen, humidity is so low here the water is evaporating out of the comp fast

 

the larger ones have a hard skin all around the outside the 1/4 inch and 3/8s ones dont have it

 

 

best way i could describe it is like the hard shell stuff u put on ice cream cones

Edited July 24, 2017 by RiderX

[Merlin]

Ok that sounds good. Make sure they are not getting direct sunlight. They should dry in the shade.

[DavidF]

You could also put them in a sealed container and let the moisture equalize. The outside will soften back up and allow more moisture to start coming out. After that, you could dry them the rest of the way with a towel over top.

[OldMarine]

I start all of my stars drying in a lean to on the side of my shed so they're in the shade and protected from rain and dew. I keep a box fan blowing across them for a few days before moving them to the dehydrator to finish up.

Dave's suggestion of putting them in a sealed bowl works and has allowed me to save a few batches that were driven in from going in the burn barrel!

[RiderX]

i imagine that when i get a star plate and goto using that vs's cutting the stars i shouldn't have this issue since less water needed in the star comp?

[OldMarine]

Your total drying time may be shorter but the process remains the same. Cut glitter stars take almost twice the time to dry as pressed ones so you do gain that much speed. I was just making comp a pound at a time until I got frustrated waiting for each batch to dry. Now I make several pounds of my favorites so I can build without waiting on stars to dry and getting impatient and rushing the process. I might be in a hurry but those stars sure aren't!

[RiderX]

well i forgot to check the weather last night and its been raining since about 3am my comments were still outside drying but they are really soft now.They didnt get wet , do i just let them re-dry now or will they be messed up?

[Wiley]

They'll dry, just don't force them. Ive had cut glitter take weeks to fully dry, and it glitters just fine.

[RiderX]

They'll dry, just don't force them. Ive had cut glitter take weeks to fully dry, and it glitters just fine.

thanks i picked one up this morning to see if they had been affected by the rain and when i put pressure on it it squished , but ill just leave them alone and let them do there thing

 

kinda sucks caus ei wanted to mix up about 2 pounds of star comp today and 2-3 pounds of bp , the bp i know i cant do cause it needs to dry fast so it doesnt recrystallize

 

im assuming the star comp would be fine though

Edited July 25, 2017 by RiderX

[Wiley]

I've dried powder in cold/wet before without issue. A box fan on the highest setting will quickly dry it to the point that it lightens in color and is safe to handle without it crumbling easily. Then into the hot box for a couple days until it's nice and crispy.

 

Moving air is your friend.

[RiderX]

I've dried powder in cold/wet before without issue. A box fan on the highest setting will quickly dry it to the point that it lightens in color and is safe to handle without it crumbling easily. Then into the hot box for a couple days until it's nice and crispy.

 

Moving air is your friend.

was just thinking about that since the red gum bp is made with denatured alcohol it will evaporate quickly , but im thinking at may also absorb the moisture out of the air so ill wait on it ill atleast get the meal mixed up today and ill granulate it tommorow

 

all the bp ive made so far drys in 1-1.5 days so i dont need to plan as far ahead with it as i do the star comp

Edited July 25, 2017 by RiderX

[rogeryermaw]

One strange effect i noticed when drying some cut glitter stars recently was after a couple days drying in climate controlled conditions, then about 4 hours drying in the box, they come out of the dry box warm and still very soft. As soon as they cool down, they harden up to the point i can no longer deform them without tools.

[RiderX]

One strange effect i noticed when drying some cut glitter stars recently was after a couple days drying in climate controlled conditions, then about 4 hours drying in the box, they come out of the dry box warm and still very soft. As soon as they cool down, they harden up to the point i can no longer deform them without tools.

wow that is wierd

 

if i need ot make a drying box i have the perfect thing to use for it , i have some old water cooled bitcoin miners that put off a good bit of heat from the radiators , best part is theres no source of ignition using those

[RiderX]

well i test lit one of those comets and damn it burned so much faster then the other batch i made. I would deff say they are dry and ready

[Wiley]

To know whether or not they are dry, put them in a ziplock bag and set in the sun. If condensate appears on the inside of the bag, they're not dry.

 

Stars, powder, and fuses can all burn even while still "wet." Make sure stuff is dry before assembly.

[RiderX]

ive got something wrong , when it gets dark tonight ill do another burn test with a comet and record it , the whole comet burns up super fast , nit even enough time for the shell to get to proper hight

[PeteyPyro]

I'm waiting for sunset, and your video post. We enjoy seeing your progression to success with your bp, shells and stars/comets. We love it when a plan comes together, and a successful star is born ❇

[RiderX]

I'm waiting for sunset, and your video post. We enjoy seeing your progression to success with your bp, shells and stars/comets. We love it when a plan comes together, and a successful star is born ❇

sunset for me isnt for another 4-4.5 hours , though it is cloudy out so maybe it will get dark enough a bit earlier.

 

i think these comets are burning entirely to fast 1/2 by 1/2 inch comet and its gone in a flash, or im just not used to a properly burning one lol

[RiderX]

this was a 5/8's star/comet

 

should it burn that fast?

Edited July 27, 2017 by RiderX

[Mumbles]

No they should not. Even a BP comet probably wouldn't burn that fast. What sort of aluminum did you use in the comet?

[RiderX]

No they should not. Even a BP comet probably wouldn't burn that fast. What sort of aluminum did you use in the comet?

skylighter 325 mesh 32 micron spherical , same stuff i used the first time

 

Edited July 27, 2017 by RiderX

[RiderX]

The D1 formula is:

Component Ounces Black powder meal 5 ounces Sulfur 0.8 ounces Atomized aluminum 0.5 ounces Sodium bicarbonate 0.5 ounces Dextrin 0.3 ounces Total batch weight: 7.1 ounces

 

Edited July 27, 2017 by RiderX