Star Roller

[Star_Roller]

This is my easy to make star roller that I made for the common pyro that has very limited building skills, but make professional looking stars.

First off this is how it looks.

http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/5702/starroller34on8yf.jpg

 

 

Now this is a step by step on the materials you need.

 

First you need to get a hold of a simple slow rotary motor.

I used a kids pottery wheel that looks like this.

http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/3417/starroller42mu9qw.jpg

 

Also here are these pics that guest posted on the other forum.

http://www.xsorbit2.com/users/apcforum/Attachment/pottery3.JPG

 

You can probably find one of these kids pottery wheels on the internet *ebay* is where guest got his.

 

Now once you have found a slow rpm rotary motor you need to find a container you would like to use to roll your cores in. (try a couple different containers to find the optimium roll, which is about 60 rpms or so.

I used a simple green plastic flower pot since I make huge batches of stars that I make for me and my friends.

http://img312.imageshack.us/img312/3995/starrollerbowl27he.jpg

http://img312.imageshack.us/img312/3330/starrollerbowl9ce.jpg

 

When useing a plastic flower pot notice that there are holes on the bottom. I countered this by using a backing on the bottom of this which can consist of anything really. Some examples would be another plastic container upside down and epoxied down tight. ( This is what I used ) *must be smoothed out*, also plastic styrene with PVC cement works well. But keep in mind how your going to connect it before you place a backing on your container you might need screws, so you would want the backing over the screws so there are no leaks or anything the the stars could rub against and maybe not roll right.

 

Now I screwed mine on with the little orange disc that came with the set.

Not very detailed picture but this is what I did.

http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/5818/starrollerbowl34hh.jpg

 

Then when you have connected this you can add your backing or if you all ready have get to rolling them stars.

 

Here is a couple different batches I have used.

http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/9549/starroller29gj2gf.jpg

 

This is how big roll them for my 2 and 3 inch shells before I prime them but I use then coats of prime on them. Also I core them to so the spit sparks.

Also this is what I use for my cores. They are small lead shot.

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/9/dvc001227fw.jpg

 

I will be making a new container soon and will go into detail on this. Also I will soon make star rollers for my friends for some money I might sell them here but I have to make sure the motors I'm making work.

 

Any tips Suggestions or questions please post and I will anwser them.

Please no PM's got a lot of PM's last time that were not necessary.

 

Thanks and Let your stars roller round.

[Givat]

LOL quest man, not guest

 

And I'm using this too as a star roller, but you can't make here alot of stars because the motor isn't so strong, when I made a 250 gram batch I needed to help him rotate

 

 

And bubbelpower, after you make the stars you use "star sizer plate" to separate different sized stars

[FASTNITRO]

Where can i get a slow rotary motor? What HP?

[leosedf]

I had the same idea with you man since i have a motor like this.

It's a pretty strong one and with ideal RPM for this job, it can run almost forever with no problems.

 

Will construct it soon and maybe i can get some pics of it!

[shadopyro]

Hm, actually i have an old rock tumbler fitted with a fan motor, think i'll try modify that as the fan motor is really rather weak and useful for only small jobs...perfect for starrolling.

[psymon]

So how do you build up the stars? Do you just add some powder and then mist with a hand mister spray the stars as the motor turns? How many layers or how much powder do you add per time? Do you just use plain water or 50/50 alcohol mix?

[ewest]

The answer to the questions you just asked is "it depends". Which consequently is the answer to every question in pyrotechnics But you do seem to know the basic procedures of star rolling.

 

Rolling stars gets fairly complicated and it's way too much info to be able to answer your questions in just one post. Search the forum for some other threads on round stars (I know we have some) and if you can't find what you need, ask again in those threads or start a new one if it contains a new topic.

 

To give you a head start, you build up the stars by alternating with a fine mist of alcohol/water and composition until they are the size you want. You let the machine roll around and do all the work for you. The kind of cores, composition, alcohol/water ratios, when to stop for drying times, these all vary with the type of star you're making.

[Draco_Aster]

Hm, actually i have an old rock tumbler fitted with a fan motor, think i'll try modify that as the fan motor is really rather weak and useful for only small jobs...perfect for starrolling.

Yah, I made mine out of a fan motor and an old scooter, both from the dump shop. It works purfectly with the only exception being that when new poweder is added it slows down, when the stars have formed it speeds up. So you have to keep an eye on it.

 

If anybody wants more detail on how to make this roller then just send me a PM. Im sure I could whip up a PDF.

 

http://www.apcforum.net/files/sideview.JPG

 

NOTICE HOW THE LEVER ON THE BASE OF THE SCOOTER ALLOWS THE BOWL TO TILT TO THE RIGHT ANGLE AND MAKES FOR EASY STORAGE/TRANSPORT.

 

http://www.apcforum.net/files/base.jpg

[blaadjes]

Omg that's so funny.

Just finished my new starroller yesterday, and I use the exact same device like that oldsk00l potterybaking set at the beginningpost, but never saw this tread before.

It works great to me, but still needs some practice to get nice round stars.

 

Greets

[pyrogeorge]

My new Star Roller and some D1 stars

 

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/9646/starrollerbase.jpg

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/9919/starroller1.jpg

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/6786/starroller2.jpg

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/2834/starroller3.jpg

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/5195/starroller.jpg

http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/2698/rolledstarsd1.jpg

[Arthur]

Now I happen to have an out of service direct drive turntable here 33 and 45 rpm only and the tone arm is broken, so it's beyond economic repair as a turntable.

 

If I sit a wok on top and run it at an angle will it roll stars?

[Mumbles]

How are your stars so silver if they're D1? You almost have to use a bunch of bright flake Al to make them that color. D1 is always dark gray or black for me.

 

I don't think the turn table would have enough torque to roll stars. I can stop a record with no problems.

[qwezxc12]

My new Star Roller...

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/9646/starrollerbase.jpg

 

Allright! Another enterprising soul using a windshield wiper motor! They have awesome torque, plus a high/low DC input for more speed adjustability. What are you using to power that roller? I use an ATX computer power supply (an ancient 350W one at that) and it works like a champ.

[leosedf]

Old pic of mine: http://www.pyrobin.com/files/image000.jpg very handy to use. Powered by a 12V 7A power supply which i have for stuff like that.

Turntable will not work.

[pyrogeorge]

How are your stars so silver if they're D1? You almost have to use a bunch of bright flake Al to make them that color. D1 is always dark gray or black for me.

 

Mumbles, my al is flake 325 mesh.

 

soon i will upload video from my roller

 

@qwezxc12

 

The supply is a 12v-5A DC

Edited March 30, 2009 by pyrogeorge

[scrappy]

hey george, that looks alot like mine,

 

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/9053/starrollerce0.jpg

 

its powered by a variable speed, 0--->20v 5amp transformer, and works excellent

Edited April 2, 2009 by scrappy

[pyrogeorge]

yes,it is brother-rollers

[scrappy]

LOL, when i made it i never needed alot of stars, but now i have grown a little and have gone from 2.5" cans to 4" hemis, i need to up size my tub, but i,ve been thinking lately about a new model, as per' passfire , with the car tyre, i have a spare 2 hp mill motor just sitting idle, does anybody own a tyre roller ?

[pyrogeorge]

you can put bigger container.i have also a bigger container for more stars..

[FrankRizzo]

hey george, that looks alot like mine,

 

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/9053/starrollerce0.jpg

 

its powered by a variable speed, 0--->20v 5amp transformer, and works excellent

 

You don't really roll stars in the living room though, right?

[scrappy]

you can put bigger container.i have also a bigger container for more stars..

 

yea i do, i use that bowl for test batches, i,ve got another tub for rolling larger quantities

[pyrogeorge]

nice press but wrong topic i think

[andyboy]

Not a nascar-roller per se but I've made an attachment to my ball-mill so a garden tractor tire can rest snuggly without tipping or binding. One piece of machinery and two uses, less space taken from my hobby-room.

[scrappy]

nice press but wrong topic i think

 

thanks george , yes it is wrong topic as i couldn't find the press topic, i don't want to mix anything up so i have removed it

[pyrogeorge]

i have too a pic from my press but i don't know where to post it.