Header ideas

[Uarbor]

I was wondering what the absolute simplest rocket header would be for a beginner. Something really easy just to create some type of effect.

[Arthur]

I have some simple rockets with just a single colour star at the top.

 

From this design you could progress into one colour changing star and then one star loaded insert.

[BetICouldMake1]

The simplest in terms of construction would probably be a salute. Black powder works fine or you can use something more powerful depending on your level of experience/comfort. If you are already making stars or have some on hand you could do a basic "bag" heading where you tie/glue a few turns of paper on top of the rocket to form a bag and fill it with stars and a little black powder. It will just kind of poof open and give a little splash of color.

 

Edit: here's one of ned's old tutorials demonstrating a bag heading https://www.skylighter.com/blogs/how-to-make-fireworks/4-ounce-black-powder-rocket

Edited May 11, 2021 by BetICouldMake1

[Uarbor]

Thanks guys I am definitely a beginner so no flash for report for me. I'm about to make my first batch of black powder so I'm thinking that will be what I do for a report. I saw something on skylighter that said flying fish fuse effect. Are they talking about cutting up little pieces of fuse?

I am making sugar rockets for now by the way

Edited May 12, 2021 by Uarbor

[ronmoper76]

I'm not sure about you but i get these containers all the time. Back when i didnt have alot of supplies laying around i would fill these with stars and burst with a hole drilled through the lid and a piece of blackmatch sticking out. They fit right on the end of a motor nicely and light every time when the delay burns out. The material they are constructed from is extremely tough and they take considerable pressure to burst. I tried a number of powders inside,whistle mix being my favorite but black powder worked nicely and i bet my BP sucked,yet the containment they provide is impressive. I'm not sure safety wise how they break apart,shrapnel wise i never found pieces left over from one. Three grams of flash inside of one emulates something of way bigger size.I found them very forgiving for a beginner,as long as you can make a decent star and prime it right and get the lid on tight it's going to work nicely,never a poof of smoke and lousy spread of stars due to weak confinement.

Edited May 13, 2021 by ronmoper76

[Uarbor]

Is there anything I can add to Sugar Rocket Fuel that will give it a tail that you could see it night? Something like charcoal?

[ronmoper76]

Is there anything I can add to Sugar Rocket Fuel that will give it a tail that you could see it night? Something like charcoal?

Ask the other guys here as well,but i believe something like 80 mesh charcoal might do it. I made hp140 fuel before and it calls for this ingredient. The tail did change significantly just like adding a course metal does.I have tried TI-DI,titanium sponge,and charcoal and they all affect it differently.My first rocket i ever built was sugar rocket,ridiculously large and a funny story,but that was the last one i built as well.I don't know much at all about them,other than its some fast burning shit,lol

Edited May 18, 2021 by ronmoper76

[Uarbor]

I had my first successful rocket with black powder report. I did this mainly just to test my delay mix. Now I need to learn to make some kind of stars. I was hoping to find some kind of star recipe that uses the chemicals I have a now for the most part. Which is essentially what is needed to make black powder. I was thinking of something with firefly aluminum. Any suggestions are welcome.

[pyrokid]

I have not had so much success with my initial attempts at firefly stars. I tried to cut them with a dextrin binder, whereas the original formula specifies that they should be bound with wheat paste. My point is that they may be more demanding than what is initially apparent. An easy star composition with BP components that I am particularly fond of is tiger tail:

44 KNO3

44 charcoal

6 sulfur

6 dextrin

 

Mill this composition, process into stars, and break it hard with granulated BP. An easy modification is to add 10% Ti or FeTi for metallic firedust.

[Uarbor]

I have not had so much success with my initial attempts at firefly stars. I tried to cut them with a dextrin binder, whereas the original formula specifies that they should be bound with wheat paste. My point is that they may be more demanding than what is initially apparent. An easy star composition with BP components that I am particularly fond of is tiger tail:

44 KNO3

44 charcoal

6 sulfur

6 dextrin

 

Mill this composition, process into stars, and break it hard with granulated BP. An easy modification is to add 10% Ti or FeTi for metallic firedust.

Thank you I was just reading about this actually. I can't wait to give it a shot. Trying to get it figured out by the 4th of July

[Mumbles]

There are a few others that might be well suited to you if you find tiger tail to burn a bit too long. There are two other very similar formulas called Chrysanthemum 6 and Chrysanthemum 8 that are heavier on the potassium nitrate and lighter on the charcoal, but use the same chemicals. They will burn progressively faster the lower the number. There is a more detailed explanation behind the names relating to the ratio of potassium nitrate and charcoal, but I wont bore you unless you're interested. For comparison, tiger tail is Chrystanthemum 10 and straight black powder is something around Chrysanthemum 2.

[Uarbor]

There are a few others that might be well suited to you if you find tiger tail to burn a bit too long. There are two other very similar formulas called Chrysanthemum 6 and Chrysanthemum 8 that are heavier on the potassium nitrate and lighter on the charcoal, but use the same chemicals. They will burn progressively faster the lower the number. There is a more detailed explanation behind the names relating to the ratio of potassium nitrate and charcoal, but I wont bore you unless you're interested. For comparison, tiger tail is Chrystanthemum 10 and straight black powder is something around Chrysanthemum 2.

Thanks for the tip. I am so glad that these types of headers are less complicated to make because these are my absolute favorite type of fireworks. It seems like all the colors require perch which I have not worked with it all. And when I look on skylighter it says it's a federally controlled thing or whatever. So I don't want to try to order it.

[Uarbor]

My next question is about having a black powder report that is not anemic. I don't know how to get confinement in the end of the rocket tube without using something that could become shrapnel if the rocket comes down and then explodes. Right now just putting tape over the end gives me a slight pop which is fine for testing but on the 4th of July I'm going to want it to be louder. And please don't suggest flash because I have no intention of messing with that anytime soon. I was thinking of ordering some of those cardboard plugs and gluing them in

[Uarbor]

I came up with a new plan on going to try or shrapnel free confinement of the black powder report. The rocket tubes are three-quarter inch ID and I believe they are 1 in od. I have some 1 in ID tubes I'm going to hammer a plug of kitty litter in the end of the 1 inch tube then cut it off with my bandsaw so it's only about an inch long and just glue that over the top of the end of the rocket tube. I think this will also give me a chance to see if my Rockets can carry the Tiger Tail headers I will weigh the extra clay in my confinement cap and see what the Rockets can carry.

[SharkWhisperer]

Thanks for the tip. I am so glad that these types of headers are less complicated to make because these are my absolute favorite type of fireworks. It seems like all the colors require perch which I have not worked with it all. And when I look on skylighter it says it's a federally controlled thing or whatever. So I don't want to try to order it.

Potassium perchlorate (perc, not "perch" the fish) is widely used and widely available, without getting your name on a list. It's not scary. It's just another oxidizer. It contains more oxygen per molecule than KNO3, but needs a little extra heat to give up that oxygen. It's a standard oxidizer in fireworking. In general it's a little safer than potassium chlorate to use in most comps. Perc is moderately toxic if ingested but you won't have large amounts absorbed through your skin, especially if you wear a pair of nitrile gloves when mixing perc-based comps. Its moderate toxicity (interferes with iodine incorporation into thyroxine in your thyroid gland primarily, but a few other effects, too) is the reason the US military etc have been exploring substitutes. And it's the foundation of many colored stars % primes, and the oxidizer in the most common 70:30 flash. It's not going away anytime soon. And it's not scary to work with. FWC and Pyrochemsource both sell it for $7/pound, but if you can reach fellow member Crossout, he's got a barrel he's selling off at a better price (if you're ordering 10+ pounds) that works nicely. You'd do yourself well to learn to handle perc, and maybe also to stock up on a bit if you plan on staying in the hobby and are not BAFTE licensed, because this is one of ATF/CPSC's future targets, because "they know what's best for you", hah ha! And don't buy stuff from SkyRobber--every single thing on their site is priced well over what you can find many other places, sometimes 2-3x the going price. Just....don't. Unless you're allergic to money and want to donate yours as fast as possible!

[SharkWhisperer]

My next question is about having a black powder report that is not anemic. I don't know how to get confinement in the end of the rocket tube without using something that could become shrapnel if the rocket comes down and then explodes. Right now just putting tape over the end gives me a slight pop which is fine for testing but on the 4th of July I'm going to want it to be louder. And please don't suggest flash because I have no intention of messing with that anytime soon. I was thinking of ordering some of those cardboard plugs and gluing them in

BP needs solid confinement to make a decent report. That's why essentially all 1.4 consumer fireworks use some type of flash powder for reports. And they're both dangerous if they "come down" and then explode. That's not good form, and is to be avoided at all costs. But that's really not difficult to prevent. With BP, cardboard plugs glued in will not give you decent confinement--that's just the way it is. They'll burn more than blow. You'll get a "pop" instead of a "boom". You could wrap the hell out of them with strapping tape or something, but that's no guarantee. Flash, if dealt with responsibly and with appropriate caution, is not the devil. But without applying appropriate cautions, yes, it will happily remove digits and quench your eyesight. BP can also cause damage--don't underestimate it. Though it's possible to get decent salutes with BP, most don't bother because there's a perfectly good alternative (that's used in many consumer fireworks, is stable for years, and doesn't require the artistry that making great BP does). Binary 70:30 flash. It's good you're apprehensive about testing it. But it is something to be respected, not feared. A gram of FP deflagrating within 10 feet of you will temporarily blind you (day or night) and surprise you with its energetics. So, if you decide to dabble that way, please, please, only work with small quantities at first, and be extreme in learning and following safety protocols. Better yet if you can find an experienced pyro nearby to show you the ropes. Little things to consider like static electricity, which can set off FP in certain circumstances when BP would be immune. Whatever you go with, think things through and do it as safely as possible.

[SharkWhisperer]

I came up with a new plan on going to try or shrapnel free confinement of the black powder report. The rocket tubes are three-quarter inch ID and I believe they are 1 in od. I have some 1 in ID tubes I'm going to hammer a plug of kitty litter in the end of the 1 inch tube then cut it off with my bandsaw so it's only about an inch long and just glue that over the top of the end of the rocket tube. I think this will also give me a chance to see if my Rockets can carry the Tiger Tail headers I will weigh the extra clay in my confinement cap and see what the Rockets can carry.

Those bentonite/cat litter nozzles and endcaps are the weak points in your planned salutes, and will become projectiles when it blows (just like a BP motor cato'ing). So you're going to make 3/4" ID salutes (1-pound rocket tubes) to top off your 3/4" (1-pound) rocket motors as a header??? How is that any different from just pounding a solid bentonite/litter endcap atop the propellant, drill out a small fusehole (any salute will need fusing), add BP "salute" and then another bentonite endcap, all within the same uncut tube? Seems like you're planning to turn a 3-step process into a 5-step process without any discernible benefit. Extra work for why???

Edited May 24, 2021 by SharkWhisperer

[ronmoper76]

Those bentonite/cat litter nozzles and endcaps are the weak points in your planned salutes, and will become projectiles when it blows (just like a BP motor cato'ing). So you're going to make 3/4" ID salutes (1-pound rocket tubes) to top off your 3/4" (1-pound) rocket motors as a header??? How is that any different from just pounding a solid bentonite/litter endcap atop the propellant, drill out a small fusehole (any salute will need fusing), add BP "salute" and then another bentonite endcap, all within the same uncut tube? Seems like you're planning to turn a 3-step process into a 5-step process without any discernible benefit. Extra work for why???

He has a point i went down that road before i started making shells. Your tube is already tough as hell and adding 2 clay plugs with a passfire will give you your biggest bang for your work. I won't lie I never tried BP because i never had anything hot enough to get a good result. But i have tried whistle,flash,junk strobe fuel,and they all gave a hell of a report. Those rocket tubes are strong.I imagine hot BP would as well

[SharkWhisperer]

He has a point i went down that road before i started making shells. Your tube is already tough as hell and adding 2 clay plugs with a passfire will give you your biggest bang for your work. I won't lie I never tried BP because i never had anything hot enough to get a good result. But i have tried whistle,flash,junk strobe fuel,and they all gave a hell of a report. Those rocket tubes are strong.I imagine hot BP would as well

Dude, take a video please of 5-10 g of your nasty old granny BP and of your "seen the light" new hot BP burning in a pile. Just for amusement! As you know, once you get good BP dialed in, it is a life-changer for any pyro!!

 

It's tough to get a decent salute from BP alone...even hot BP.

[Uarbor]

Those bentonite/cat litter nozzles and endcaps are the weak points in your planned salutes, and will become projectiles when it blows (just like a BP motor cato'ing). So you're going to make 3/4" ID salutes (1-pound rocket tubes) to top off your 3/4" (1-pound) rocket motors as a header??? How is that any different from just pounding a solid bentonite/litter endcap atop the propellant, drill out a small fusehole (any salute will need fusing), add BP "salute" and then another bentonite endcap, all within the same uncut tube? Seems like you're planning to turn a 3-step process into a 5-step process without any discernible benefit. Extra work for why???

The only reason why I was afraid to hammer a plug down on top of the black powder.

[SharkWhisperer]

The only reason why I was afraid to hammer a plug down on top of the black powder.

You're already beating the crap out of your BP. That stuff's forgiving and will take it without a problem (unless you're hovering overhead dropping ashes from a lit cigar). All BP motors (Estes and most fireworking) have an endcap that gets pounded/pressed atop the BP propellant. One more clay cap pounded/pressed atop your "salute" won't make your BP any "angrier" :-)

 

You can beat on BP, even the hottest/fastest, all day long without a problem. So long as there's no sparks. But I'd still wear eye protection just the same!

Edited May 24, 2021 by SharkWhisperer

[Uarbor]

Potassium perchlorate (perc, not "perch" the fish) is widely used and widely available, without getting your name on a list. It's not scary. It's just another oxidizer. It contains more oxygen per molecule than KNO3, but needs a little extra heat to give up that oxygen. It's a standard oxidizer in fireworking. In general it's a little safer than potassium chlorate to use in most comps. Perc is moderately toxic if ingested but you won't have large amounts absorbed through your skin, especially if you wear a pair of nitrile gloves when mixing perc-based comps. Its moderate toxicity (interferes with iodine incorporation into thyroxine in your thyroid gland primarily, but a few other effects, too) is the reason the US military etc have been exploring substitutes. And it's the foundation of many colored stars % primes, and the oxidizer in the most common 70:30 flash. It's not going away anytime soon. And it's not scary to work with. FWC and Pyrochemsource both sell it for $7/pound, but if you can reach fellow member Crossout, he's got a barrel he's selling off at a better price (if you're ordering 10+ pounds) that works nicely. You'd do yourself well to learn to handle perc, and maybe also to stock up on a bit if you plan on staying in the hobby and are not BAFTE licensed, because this is one of ATF/CPSC's future targets, because "they know what's best for you", hah ha! And don't buy stuff from SkyRobber--every single thing on their site is priced well over what you can find many other places, sometimes 2-3x the going price. Just....don't. Unless you're allergic to money and want to donate yours as fast as possible!

wow pyrochemsource does have good prices. Are there perc is out of stock but that's okay I'm not quite ready for all that yet let's just see if I can get some charcoal Stars up into the air and burning. I'm still dialing in my rockets. I did purchase a universal 1 lb rocket tooling kit that I'm going to try to make some black powder Rockets after I am done playing with sugar rockets. I just suffered a setback today with my "ball mill" I got one of those two jar Rock tumblers and did the mods to speed it up to Optimal Milling speed. I made up my star comp and I decided to use the second jar which I had never used before so I didn't have to clean out the first jar. Turns out the second jar had a defect in it where the bottom wasn't quite attached in one spot and I lost half my star composition. I have to clean everything up real good because there is now grit in the bearings of the rollers. I can see I'm going to have to make my own Mill. Luckily fabricating something like that is right up my alley

[Uarbor]

You're already beating the crap out of your BP. That stuff's forgiving and will take it without a problem (unless you're hovering overhead dropping ashes from a lit cigar). All BP motors (Estes and most fireworking) have an endcap that gets pounded/pressed atop the BP propellant. One more clay cap pounded/pressed atop your "salute" won't make your BP any "angrier" :-)

 

You can beat on BP, even the hottest/fastest, all day long without a problem. So long as there's no sparks. But I'd still wear eye protection just the same!

all my Rockets have been sugar Rockets thus far. But I did get some tooling for black powder. I guess I'm going to have to get over my fear of pounding on black powder. I always have the horror story in my mind of a friend who was loading his Flintlock and he rammed the powder too hard and shot the ramrod ball and patch straight through the middle of his hand. I like to tell myself it had something to do with there being an ember from the previous shot still in the barrel. I still think about that every time I load my muzzle loader for deer season. Edited May 24, 2021 by Uarbor

[SharkWhisperer]

wow pyrochemsource does have good prices. Are there perc is out of stock but that's okay I'm not quite ready for all that yet let's just see if I can get some charcoal Stars up into the air and burning. I'm still dialing in my rockets. I did purchase a universal 1 lb rocket tooling kit that I'm going to try to make some black powder Rockets after I am done playing with sugar rockets. I just suffered a setback today with my "ball mill" I got one of those two jar Rock tumblers and did the mods to speed it up to Optimal Milling speed. I made up my star comp and I decided to use the second jar which I had never used before so I didn't have to clean out the first jar. Turns out the second jar had a defect in it where the bottom wasn't quite attached in one spot and I lost half my star composition. I have to clean everything up real good because there is now grit in the bearings of the rollers. I can see I'm going to have to make my own Mill. Luckily fabricating something like that is right up my alley

Chris' prices at fireworkscookbook.com are equal or slightly cheaper than PCS. Think the same for perc.

 

Don't discount sugar rockets. Sugar propellants actually have a higher specific impulse than BP does. If you're used to using table sugar/sucrose, then you would be happier using sorbitol instead. A little more expensive, but no burnt fingers! Sugar/nitrate comps need to be worked/packed quickly, while they're still finger-burning hot. Sorbitol/nitrate not at all--that stuff can be manipulated with bare hands and no burns for a long time and at much cooler (no gloves) temperatures. Night n day.

 

If you bought a HF mill, they have an excellent 90 day, no questions, return policy. I've never heard of the jar bottoms falling off, so that's a new one. You should be able to get your loot back. But it's never encouraging to hear that a half pound of flammable comps or whatnot got released from a defective mill jar. Ack!

[Uarbor]

Chris' prices at fireworkscookbook.com are equal or slightly cheaper than PCS. Think the same for perc.

 

Don't discount sugar rockets. Sugar propellants actually have a higher specific impulse than BP does. If you're used to using table sugar/sucrose, then you would be happier using sorbitol instead. A little more expensive, but no burnt fingers! Sugar/nitrate comps need to be worked/packed quickly, while they're still finger-burning hot. Sorbitol/nitrate not at all--that stuff can be manipulated with bare hands and no burns for a long time and at much cooler (no gloves) temperatures. Night n day.

 

If you bought a HF mill, they have an excellent 90 day, no questions, return policy. I've never heard of the jar bottoms falling off, so that's a new one. You should be able to get your loot back. But it's never encouraging to hear that a half pound of flammable comps or whatnot got released from a defective mill jar. Ack!

sadly I chinced out and purchased a cheap Chinese knockoff of the Harbor Freight mill on eBay. Everything looks identical to Harbor Freight except for a few details. The whole bottom didn't come off there was just like a 1-inch section that wasn't vulcanized. I ordered a new set of jars that are Harbor Freight already for now that should hold me over until I make the kind of Mill I'm going to end up needing once I start making the black powder Rockets. By the way I have been just pounding in granulated candy fuel. It seems to work pretty darn good I see no reason to burn my fingers. I did watch some videos on the sorbitol thing though. Edited May 24, 2021 by Uarbor