Problem with my fountains

[Uarbor]

So I made up a couple of fountains using one of skylighters recipes for the gold glitter fountain. Very beautiful but very non energetic. I don't think this would even spin a wheel. I moistened the composition a bit before ramming it just like I do with my black powder Rockets. And I also Consolidated it just as hard as I do with my black powder Rockets. These were 1-pound fountains the first one had a quarter inch hole decreasing the size of the hole did not make the Sparks shoot any higher which I thought was weird. Is there something wrong with my methods? Should I not be dampening the composition? In any case I wanted to make some wheels for the Fourth of July because I want to have a more old-fashioned display like when I was a kid. Is there a more energetic formula I should be using for a wheel? Happy to get any advice thanks in advance Edited June 18, 2021 by Uarbor

[Carbon796]

Small apertures and higher velocity's, will often kill/diminish spitzle formation. You may want to look at the glitter formulas. That Kurt M. uses for his glitter tourbillons.

[SharkWhisperer]

So I made up a couple of fountains using one of skylighters recipes for the gold glitter fountain. Very beautiful but very non energetic. I don't think this would even spin a wheel. I moistened the composition a bit before ramming it just like I do with my black powder Rockets. And I also Consolidated it just as hard as I do with my black powder Rockets. These were 1-pound fountains the first one had a quarter inch hole decreasing the size of the hole did not make the Sparks shoot any higher which I thought was weird. Is there something wrong with my methods? Should I not be dampening the composition? In any case I wanted to make some wheels for the Fourth of July because I want to have a more old-fashioned display like when I was a kid. Is there a more energetic formula I should be using for a wheel? Happy to get any advice thanks in advance

Try it without wetting. That's a low-oxidizer formula somewhat similar to some slower burning charcoal-based star comps, and those will not work well until they're completely dry... A slowish comp is probably made even slower by wetting, and might be made still slower burning by making it super dense, so maybe no need to press so hard.

 

I don't recall ever wetting a gerb mix in my life, and I make a lot of fountains. Only exception is the granulated BP (no binder) I've incorporated into some gerbs. A few % water makes regular BP consolidate better for rockets and doesn't negatively impact burn rate but it will slow burning at/above 3% or so. For gerbs I just don't see a need to wet before pressing/ramming and could guess possible detrimental effects of dampness on burning.

 

And as you know, halving the nozzle diameter decreases its surface area by 4-fold, and thus should increase exhaust gas velocity by 4-fold.

 

I see Skylighter calls for a denatured alcohol granulation step...I'd think repeated screen mixing would get the comp sufficiently mixed, and would eliminate another drying step. Simple to test your (dry) screen mix before granulating and see if it works ok.

 

Don't add water to a strontium nitrate-based comp.

Edited June 20, 2021 by SharkWhisperer

[davidh]

You moisten your comp before ramming without first granulating and drying it? No wonder it doesn't work well!

[Arthur]

Fountains usually only have enough thrust to launch sparks, to make a wheel spin you need a much more energetic comp. dampness can be a killer, have you ensured that your fountain is truly dry before firing it? Sometimes if the fountain you want isn't energetic enough you need to spin the wheel with drivers and watch the effect of the fountains being driven round.

[Uarbor]

You moisten your comp before ramming without first granulating and drying it? No wonder it doesn't work well!

you hit the nail right on the head that's exactly what I did. I only made enough comp to make 2 fountains just as a test that's why I did not bother with the granulation process. They were definitely still moist when I fired them. They were beautiful fountains they are just never going to spin a wheel at least not if they are made like that