Stars

[Foxfire87]

When I search for information on making stars I get some basic info, but I'm looking for a source to answer a lot of questions I have. Is there a good book on only stars and their primes? So I've learned to make some basic charcoal stars, and basic rubber stars from skylighter website. My questions are is there a way to determine how the stars are processed by looking at what's in the formula? When looking for new formulas, I never see if I can press them, cut them, or what. Then a lot of new formulas have chemicals I have not used yet and i dont feel comfortable using them before i can read all about them and how to mix things. I dont know how to furthur my knowledge from here on making stars or effects. So any good all around books you can recommend for a beginner in these areas? Thanks

[BetICouldMake1]

Generally any star comp can be cut, pressed, or rolled. Certain comps might be harder to roll (high charcoal content) or tricky to cut (large amounts of coarse metal) but generally these can be overcome with attention to technique. The manner of making stars generally has more to do with their final application than the composition. Round stars fit nicely in round shells and make for a very symmetrical break. Pumped stars stack nicely in cylinder shells. Cut stars can be used in any type of device, but are more commonly found in cylinder shells. For someone just getting started I definitely recommend cutting stars. There's not expensive equipment required and they work nicely in simple single break shells. If round shells are your thing you might not get as perfectly round a break as you would with rolled stars, but you can still make a nice shell and get other aspects of building dialed in before spending the time and money learning to roll stars.

 

The one thing a formula can tell is the intended binder. Any composition containing dextrin or SGRS is meant to be damped with water to activate those binders. You will sometime see comps that use parlon, red gum, or phenolic resin as binders. Parlon uses acetone as the solvent and red gum and phenolic use denatured alcohol. Unless there is an issue with adding water to a composition (one containing magnesium for example) you can usually add dextrin or SGRS and bind with water. I often do this as I don't like the added cost (and stank) of using volatile solvents.

 

Primes tend to fall into two categories: a basic scratch mix bp prime or "hot" primes. bp primes are screen mixed, not ball milled because you want them to be relatively slow burning to ensure ignition. Hot primes come in many flavors, but are usually a variation of bp plus some metals like silicon/magnalium. The goal is to have a hot burning but slaggy mix for harder to light compositions.

 

This is a good resource for chemicals and their incompatibilities. As a VERY general statement, there are relatively few incompatibilities in modern formulations, especially if using potassium perchlorate formulas. If you are using potassium chlorate, magnesium, or ammonium perchlorate you'll need to be more careful.

 

In terms of books you might look at Shimizu's Fireworks: The Art, Science, and Technique and Blesser's Round Stars and Shells. They are widely available online.

[Mumbles]

There really isn't a great answer to your question. For a single best source, perhaps "Round Stars and Shells" by Dave Blesser. As the name implies, it really only deals with round stars though. "Fireworks: Art, Science, and Technique" by Takeo Shimizu is also pretty good. You may more commonly see it abbreviated "FAST".

 

Generally to determine what method is best to form stars, you want to look at the binder. If there's dextrin, it's probably meant to be bound with water. If there's only something like phenolic resin, red gum, shellac, etc. (usually at least 7-10%) it's probably meant to be bound with alcohol. If there's a large component (at least 12-15% usually) of parlon, it can be bound with acetone. I put those generally in what I consider a hierarchy. If a composition contains dextrin, red gum, and parlon, I'd still bind with water for instance. Stars designed to be bound with Parlon will usually say so as well. No source of information is perfect though.

 

Realistically, most formulas can be cut, rolled, or pumped. The effect may be different between all 3, but for the most part all will work. A notable example is glitters. You will probably read some people saying that glitters can't be cut, or they must be pumped, or more than 8% water kills the reaction something to that effect. I can tell you right now, that is not true. You can easily cut, pump, or roll glitters. Most glitters at least. All 3 methods will give a different effect in my experience. The comment about the maximum amount of water is not entirely devoid of truth. I find pumped glitters give a nice fine tailed, elegant, sometimes lacy, sometimes shimmery effect. Cut stars often give a coarser, flashier, less regular effect. Rolled stars are probably somewhere in between, though I admit I don't have as much experience with them.

 

I gave glitters as probably the most extreme example, but other compositions exhibit less obvious effects. It comes down to water content affecting chemical particle sizes or allowing/disallowing some chemical reactions. It may also have to do with density and aerodynamics. Charcoal stars follow the same general trend. Cut tend to be a little bushier, pumped tend to be a little slower and streamlined, and rolled is probably in between. Colored stars are generally pretty open to all star forming methods. You may notice some difference in ease of lighting or burn speeds, but overall they'll still be colored and behave about the same.

 

Anything water bound can be made via all 3 methods fairly easily. Alcohol bound is a little more suited to wetter methods like cutting and rolling. It also tends to be stickier, so it can be more challenging until you get used to it. They work pumped, but may require higher pressure and may be more fragile before dried. The big exception tends to be acetone bound parlon stars. They are quite sticky, and really work best when cut or more specifically screen cut.

 

The best way to get experience is to just try something out, or ask if you're unsure and someone can guide you in the right direction.

 

[Edit] BetIcouldMake1 beat me to it by a couple minutes while I was typing. I agree with everything he said as well. He gave a lot of good information I didn't.

Edited April 9, 2020 by Mumbles

[Foxfire87]

Beticouldmake1 and mumbles, thank you for taking the time to give me this great information. This already helps me out. I saw the book on round stars and shells but I just assumed it wouldn't help me much since I've never rolled stars and dont have a rolling machine, shimzu fast book seems to be hard to find, and when I do find a copy it's just too expensive for me. I'm glad to know I can just use this site and there's so many knowledgeable people willing to help. One last question on the stars, so if any formula can be made any way you like, is it possible to also change the binder in the parlon bound stars that I screen slice?. Add dextrin instead and pump them?. I just purchased a beginner star plate, 3/8". It seems that water bound stars are easier to press? I want to make more pressed stars other than charcoal stars, I want to press colors, that's why i asked which formulas should be made which way. Any suggestions on beginner color compositions i could press easily?

[SharkWhisperer]

Beticouldmake1 and mumbles, thank you for taking the time to give me this great information. This already helps me out. I saw the book on round stars and shells but I just assumed it wouldn't help me much since I've never rolled stars and dont have a rolling machine, shimzu fast book seems to be hard to find, and when I do find a copy it's just too expensive for me. I'm glad to know I can just use this site and there's so many knowledgeable people willing to help. One last question on the stars, so if any formula can be made any way you like, is it possible to also change the binder in the parlon bound stars that I screen slice?. Add dextrin instead and pump them?. I just purchased a beginner star plate, 3/8". It seems that water bound stars are easier to press? I want to make more pressed stars other than charcoal stars, I want to press colors, that's why i asked which formulas should be made which way. Any suggestions on beginner color compositions i could press easily?

Here's a link to Blesser's 1988 Round Stars and Shells. It also has tons of info that is applicable to all stars, cut and pressed alike. Good info. And ya don't need no stankin' rolling machine to roll stars, just a large plastic kitchen bowl with a smooth interior, for starters. Can make a roller simples if you decide you like the approach; cheap and pretty simple construction--several tutorials/threads here and elsewhere on making them.

 

Copyrighted link removed

Edited April 12, 2020 by Mumbles

[BetICouldMake1]

Beticouldmake1 and mumbles, thank you for taking the time to give me this great information. This already helps me out. I saw the book on round stars and shells but I just assumed it wouldn't help me much since I've never rolled stars and dont have a rolling machine, shimzu fast book seems to be hard to find, and when I do find a copy it's just too expensive for me. I'm glad to know I can just use this site and there's so many knowledgeable people willing to help. One last question on the stars, so if any formula can be made any way you like, is it possible to also change the binder in the parlon bound stars that I screen slice?. Add dextrin instead and pump them?. I just purchased a beginner star plate, 3/8". It seems that water bound stars are easier to press? I want to make more pressed stars other than charcoal stars, I want to press colors, that's why i asked which formulas should be made which way. Any suggestions on beginner color compositions i could press easily?

 

There shouldn't be a problem adding 5% dextrin to a formula for pumping. Parlon is primarily a chlorine donor in compositions. Activating it with acetone to use as a binder is really just done out of convenience since it allows for very fast drying times.

 

In terms of recommendations for comps I think that has more to do with which you find produce good color than anything, or what chems you have or have access to. For your basic colors I'm fond of Buell Red, Emerald Green Magnalium, Hardt Sulfur Blue, and Yankie Purple.

[Foxfire87]

Thanks again, good info for me to start with, lol I thought I needed a star roller to make those stars. Well with this coronavirus having us staying home around here I have lots of time to read and create. Thanks again, most appreciated