PyroBillandtheboys Posted October 23, 2020 Posted October 23, 2020 So Im fairly new to the Rockets and pyro community. Ive already had good results with black powder rockets, sugar rockets and strobe rockets. Now getting into whistle rockets (sali) and the whistle mix. I notice that if my whistle mix has been sitting for a day or so, it needs mixed back up. Other wise its back to back CATOS.. also wondering the same with finished rockets like strobes and whistles.. if they sit for longer than a day they seem to just blow up instead. Even if I tape off the ends of the rocket and store in a bag with desiccant packs... am I doing something wrong??? I seem to have 6 Rockets work back to back perfectly. Then the next day the opposite. Any advice would be appreciated!
PyroBillandtheboys Posted October 23, 2020 Author Posted October 23, 2020 Edit* I will use the same supplies one day And make awesome strobe rockets and then do the same the next day with the same whistle mix And supplies. And get nothing but CATOS am I letting the mix sit too long? Is there a time limit
gdeputy Posted October 23, 2020 Posted October 23, 2020 That is strange. I've used 2 year old whistle mix without issues. EG, mix was made and stored for 2 years before pressing into rockets. Not my favorite thing to store, but i've not had any issues with old mix and cato's. I'm just using the skylighter mix, nothing special or very hot. i store in a sealed plastic container. 1
PyroBillandtheboys Posted October 23, 2020 Author Posted October 23, 2020 @gdeputy did you have to mix the stuff up again before using it? How have your rockets been performing after holding for a few days.
gdeputy Posted October 23, 2020 Posted October 23, 2020 No, its not settling out or anything like that, just open container and use. It is a little clumpy sometimes, but thats just due to the mineral oil content. When i make the rockets they've been used within 2 weeks max, but never had any issues with catos or performance. I'm curious what you mean by having to mix it up again. Is your mix clumping up to the point you cant use it without breaking up the clumps, or...?
PyroBillandtheboys Posted October 23, 2020 Author Posted October 23, 2020 Mixing up again meaning that I tested 2 strobe rockets back to back and they CATO. Then I go right back and mix (shake the bag of whistle for a minute) and do the same thing I did making the first two that CATO, and they fly perfectly. Its driving me nuts. I start thinking Ive got it down and then I feel back to square one.. I know for fact that it is the whistle mix.. Ive bought the perch. Sali. And red iron from Fireworkcookbook. Could that be the problem?
gdeputy Posted October 23, 2020 Posted October 23, 2020 What mix and process are you using? I've always done the process here without any issues. I think the mix is a little on the 'slow' side because i've made some pretty aggressive tooling with big cores on up to 3lb rockets, and have yet to have a cato. https://www.skylighter.com/blogs/how-to-make-fireworks/whistle-mix
PyroBillandtheboys Posted October 23, 2020 Author Posted October 23, 2020 I used the exact recipe shown On skylighter here step by step using the mineral oil. I first used melted wax with the Coleman fuel From woodysrocks recipe on YouTube. I found it to be too aggressive. So then went to this and had success the first 6 rockets I made back to back and then the next ones I made the following day were catos back to back. Then the next day 2 CATOS untill I mixed it up in the container better and the 2 I made after flew perfect the same day.
PyroBillandtheboys Posted October 23, 2020 Author Posted October 23, 2020 Cant seem to find a method to the madness. Ive ruled out everything down to the whistle mix. Ive made tons of rockets that work with more whistle less whistle more strobe less strobe and they all worked back to back. Something is going on with my whistle mix
NeighborJ Posted October 24, 2020 Posted October 24, 2020 Sodium salts are affected greatly by changes in humidity. Sodium salicylate and sodium benzoate starts degrading quickly and will form ever larger particle sizes the more humidity cycles they are exposed to.
Dipsomaniac Posted October 26, 2020 Posted October 26, 2020 Try storing in a container/tuppaware with salt. Salt will absorb the moisture in your rockets. Its how i store my sugar rocket motors.
rogeryermaw Posted October 31, 2020 Posted October 31, 2020 (edited) ozark was having issues firing rockets after storage getting a high cato percentage. i have stored k benny whistle for over a year in shockingly i don't give a shit conditions and works fine after pressing but never tried a stored rocket motor. don't know if it makes a difference but i use paraffin to bind the mix instead of oil or vaseline. j is 100% on point about Na salts though. i couldn't store soda whistle mix for 2 days in high humidity. it lost so much power they would hit the ground still burning or barely leave the pad. as far as strobe, i'd ask some of the more experienced guys but a.p. is pretty aggressive and my instinct is that the metals in strobe will degrade over time even with treated metal. pressing is likely to disturb some of those coatings and i have experienced strobe fuel getting weaker over time even just stored, not pressed. Edited October 31, 2020 by rogeryermaw
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