Whistles/screamers

[ExplosiveCoek]

Unfortunately I don't have any cab-o-sil. So ball milling it is not an option. Everyone I've talking to about the whistle also is just putting it in a blender and not in a ball mill. I could try to heat it for a wile to get it dry though !

 

Then maybe it went wrong with pressing the stuff. The last times I couldn't really compact it since I've broken something in my shoulder . I'll roll a small tube (like 10 mm) and give it a try with a vise or something similar ! Thanks!

 

edit:

 

It worked ! I pressed it with something like a vise and now I have a nice sharp screaming fountain, thanks !

Edited December 24, 2008 by ExplosiveCoek

[ExplosiveCoek]

No way I'm going to put the combined stuff in my mill/blender, I've already put to much work in that mill .

[tentacles]

It worked ! I pressed it with something like a vise and now I have a nice sharp screaming fountain, thanks !

 

Good to hear! It's always the little things, eh? I figured even coffee milled whistle fuel should produce a whistle at least, even if it's no good for rockets.

 

You don't *have* to have cabosil to ball mill the fuel, but it sure helps. Adding .25% to KNO3 before milling produces frighteningly fine stuff! I open the tub as carefully as I can, and there's KNO3 floating everywhere.

[ExplosiveCoek]

Yes, always just that little trick you got to know . I do know a couple of people who use it right out of the blender for rockets though, they are quite powerful when the correct spindle is used.

 

It's is definitely a nice and handy chemical to have, but I don't know where to get it here (I'm from Holland). I don't have to mill my KNO3 luckily, only for meal. But then I just mill the C to 'almost' airfloat first and then the whole bunch together for another couple of hours. Produces nice stuff so you won't hear me complaining .

[GraafVaag]

Even in Holland you can get cabosil. It's in fact very very very fine Silicon dioxide. About as fine as cigarette smoke IIRC.. Edited December 25, 2008 by GraafVaag

[tentacles]

Cabosil is a certain form of silicon dioxide, it's fumed colloidal silica.. It actually prevents particles it's near from sticking to each other. It also has some activity to actually repel water. Any kind of anticaking agent is helpful, though, so a very fine particle size silica would certainly help, a dash of diatoaceous earth or similar perhaps.

[Swede]

Any differences between sodium and potassium benzoates as far as performance? I was not aware that the sodium version was hygroscopic. This seems so typical... so many sodium salts LOVE water, while the potassium salts are much easier to store.

[tentacles]

It's hard to say, actually, both can be very powerful, but the sodium is perhaps cheaper and easier to get a rippin fast motor out of.. But the hydroscopic nature make it a bear to store and use. Sodium salicylate is a better sodium salt for rocket fuel, powerful, good sound..

 

Here's some tests by Dan C: http://www.creagan.net/fireworks/rockets/whistletests.html

 

If you're looking for the all out most powerful whistle, look for copper oxychloride catalyzed Na benzoate, or copper chromite catalyzed K benzoate.. I'm a K benz man myself, the salicylate is expensive, and finding *good* salicylate isn't always so easy.. just ask cplmac.

[Dr Boom]

Swede-

 

Been working with a couple whistle formulas and thought I'd put this in. I've done whistles from 1/4" to 1" and must say I've had the best results with Sodium Salicylate, not to say its more superior but seems to be more forgiving with loading densities and moisture. Haven't used Na-benzoate yet but do have K-benzoate and it gives me trouble sometimes.

 

Below are a few photos with my most used size of whistle for a 6" shell insert using Na-salicylate

 

70:30 weight ratio with KCl04/ Na-salicylate is used for these tubes- loading is a full tube and hand pressed to about 1/2 the original volume- I just use the weight of my arms as I'm sitting. The tube, end plug and superglue top out at 2g and the loaded insert is 5g.

 

This is the end plug with "dollar store" super glue- I use this because its not only cheap for cardboard-cardboard contact but also keeps the weight down.

 

 

Dimentions of Inserts:

 

 

 

 

Now, anyone with Na-salicylate experience feel free to chime in with a waggin' finger and say:

"Uh uh- Doc you are wrong!" But it just seems to me that the K-benz is more tempermental with loading and such.

I have used a 60:40 weight ratio with KCl04/K-benz with good results but haven't tried either of these mixes in a rocket config. The link that tentacles posted is great info and I have to agree with the vid on that page. I haven't had any whistle mixes deflag in my face while mixing but short of sitting in a dark bunker devoid of anything electrical or static producing- I try to keep safe practices.

 

Happy noise makin'

 

(sorry for those crazy large photos- need to adjust the camera for web posting!)

Edited March 22, 2009 by Dr Boom

[Swede]

Thanks Dr. Boom! I don't know how I missed your post.

 

This is some excellent information. I have both the salicylate and benzoate, now, so I have a chance to experiment a bit. Great pics and explanations.

[Yankie]

Tried hand pressing a 12.5mm whistle today, seemed to work fine. I pressed in 3 stages and you can hear the alteration in pitch as the density changes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x70a1AeM1xk...re=channel_page

it was quite loud too.