Pyro Tools

[Douchermann]

Comet tooling (for solid comet, cored commet, crosset break ect). I made my set out of bondo though

[Mumbles]

You can't make starpumps from a lathe. That requires a milling machine I believe it is refered to as. A drill press also works. Milling machines and lathes are incorrectly lumped together sometimes, though there are combo machines. The drifts for rockets will require a milling machine or drill press too I believe. You can only turn the spindle portion of the rocket tooling. Someone who knows more about this will be able to tell you more correctly though.

[Mephistos Minion]

Actually mumbles, I made my starpump entirely with a lathe. The drilling can be done much more easily on a lathe (with a nice perfect center drill) than on a drill press. I can turn out one of those pumps now in aabout 1 hour. My spindle was also made on the lathe (including the base) and I am making the rammers on it too.

[rocket]

I would make tools on a lathe as well but a belt on it broke. I was about to make a spindle but that’s when the belt went, I have made a star pump with it.

Works well

[Mumbles]

Sorry, I was thinking star plate, not star pump. I am not too into metal working so I am not sure how everything works, and what each machine is capable of.

[Mephistos Minion]

I had guessed that perhaps you were confused between plate and pump. You are correct that a milling machine and drill press are indeed needed for a star plate. I am considering making a star plate from Aluminium at school. Probbably only 12 star capacity to save on materials if anything goes wrong (which it most likely will).

[Givat]

I made today 4 tools:

1/2" core rocket tool

1/2" driver/fountain tool

3/4" core rocket tool

3/4" driver/fountain tool

 

I think it's a nice achievement for one who never used a lathe and made all this tools all by him self =]

 

The 1/2" rocket tool and the 3/4" driver tool:

http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/203/075inchdrivertools1fj.th.jpghttp://img177.imageshack.us/img177/3583/05inchrockettools3rd.th.jpg

[Givat]

sorry for the double post, but I thought this post will be seen more if people will see there is a post they didn't raad yet.

 

This is a request for all the people with bought tools for stingers/rockets/fountains/strobe rocket/etc'.

 

If you can please measure all the measurement of your tools and post them here. I think it will help alot of people in this community.

 

example: (not mine)

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/3226/05spindle27og.th.jpg

[millhouse]

Hello everyone. As i found this thread about tools,i though i can post a pic and a video of my Visco fuse machine,i finished it today,made one fuse,but still dont know if it will act properly

http://www.apcforum.net/files/MVI_0068.AVI

http://www.apcforum.net/files/IMG_0070.JPG

http://www.apcforum.net/files/IMG_5.JPG

[asilentbob]

There is a guy not to far away from where i live with a metal shop and im betting that he would happily make me some BP rocket tooling and a star plate, mabey more.

 

Anyways, last night out of boredom i made a star pump out of a syringe and im thinking of putting a little rod at the end of the plunger so that my stars will have a cavity to fill with something.

 

I'm thinking of making 1" crosette comet tooling, but wooden dowel is all i have available and i don't really feel like carving it by hand.

[asilentbob]

Well, i just tryed out my syringe star pump and WOW i really love how much more professional the stars look over my cut stars. I made 18, about 5/8" wide base and between 5/8" and 3/4" tall stars. I also made some black match and im milling some more BP for star priming.

 

The composition i used was left over black match paste (dunk string pull out and squeeze out extra paste back into bucket.), so slightly less KNO3 in it, then i added to this some old BP/steel, no measurements here, just a test. Then to this i added a little more linseed coated steel.

[Pretty green flame]

Yay, made my first set of rocket tooling (just the spindle) on my new lathe and it looks nice. One question though, can the spindle be made out of brass or sould it be stainless steel. I have seen some brass spindles but how do they perform when you are pounding them with a mallet when making a rocket, do they bend easily, what's the critical thickness when they become easily bendable?

 

Thanks

[Mephistos Minion]

Brass can be used, it is relativly easy to machine (although must be done at a higher speed) but I would personally just use stainless.

 

Thought I should post this here too, so it dosen't get lost in the random thread. Here is my 6 ton press that I made in metalwork:

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v466/mephistosminion/HydralicPress.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v466/mephistosminion/HydralicPressCloser.jpg

 

Yarr, thar be the beast that can crush a man's skull like 'twas a cup of paper.

[Pretty green flame]

Emm, yes. Does anyone have any simple ideas on making shell moulds. And pics would be nice (mould and the finished product).

 

 

Thanks for your help

[moonshot]

Here is a pic of a star pump I made. The tube is commercial 3/8" ID aluminum.The plunger I turned from 3/4" aluminum round stock. I made the tube long so I can pump individual stars or a long column of comp and cut it into the size I want. It's pretty basic but works great. I'm just getting into making effect stars and started by pumping some BP meal mixed with iron filings. I tested them in my star gun and they burn with a course reddish spark tail and leave a glowing slag ember that hits the ground. 70% meal and 30% Fe. I have also pumped some meal and aluminum stars but haven't tested them yet.

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/di.../Picture011.jpg

[Aquarius]

As for using a lathe you can make perfect tooling (with some skill): Rammers with perfectly alligned hole, tapered spindles, de Lavalle nozzleformers, cylindrical shell casing formers, comet tools etc.

 

My 2 cents: begin with aluminum, a cheap and easy material for turning. Make a few prototypes, and proceed to stainless steel.

 

I make all my toolig on my own lathe. it ain't't cheap, but you can customize everything for your needs, like ID, spindle length etc.

 

Good luck

 

PS: Do not forget wood. Many tools can be constructed in wood instead of a more expensive metal...

[Mumbles]

I'd suggest dropping to 10% iron. It will give a nicer effect, eliminate the burning slag hitting the ground, and be cheaper on the metals.

[moonshot]

Thanks for the tip mumbles. I will try some stars with 10-15% Fe and see if that cuts out the slag. I will test my aluminum/meal stars in a couple days to see how they work. I wanted to start with a fairly large ratio of metal just to see how the stars would burn. Also it is fun just to shoot them from the star gun. Every pyro needs one! I'm using a metal cutting band saw with a fine blade to make aluminum flake like -30 mesh. So far its all testing at a basic level so I can get the hang of screening chems together and pumping consistent sized stars. I also will turn a plunger with a narrow tip to see if I can make some stars with hollow cores to fill with different comps.I will post pics when I get done.

[pudidotdk]

Hi! I wanted to make some rocket tooling, because where I live we aren't able to purchase that. Also it is quite expensive. My uncle had a lathe and some aluminiumrods, slightly thicker that I wanted (which is perfect!)

 

Drawing

Rocket tools

Attaching spindle

Spindle on base

Rocket-Tube

Ramming (just photo, not actually rammering anything)

Other attachment to the base

Normal rammer

The 'A'-rammer

Small rammer 1

Small rammer 2

Knurling

 

And I also have a video with making and performance

-> Video using the tools

[ewest]

Wow, nice job on the tooling and I like the video too, very professional.

 

By the way, you're almost as fast as the Japanese making fireworks And you work on the floor like they do too.

 

Keep up the good work.

[Mardec]

Well I make my rockets on the floor too, I think any table would just break when you see me hammering my poor rod

[Dr. Hextromeister]

And I also have a video with making and performance

-> Video using the tools

Found that video while browsing yesterday.

 

 

 

I wish I had a floor...... A good floor that is....

[Mumbles]

A ramming block is an acceptable alternative to the floor. A stump works. A wooden box filled with concrete also works.

 

Most of you won't remember Thugsta, but he had an accident. He was ramming rockets in his garage on the floor, without any shoes on. The rocket exploded possibly from a static spark, and he lost part of his hand. Just be careful this time of hear with the lower humidity, and make sure to stay grounded.

[ewest]

By the way, The Japanese work on the floor not because of lack of tables or work stations. They work on the floor when assembyling fireworks because if a component were to fall over, it wouldn't have far too fall if it were already on the ground. It's just another of their safety procedures.

 

Me personally, I hate to bend over like that. I'd rather work on a table top. I'm getting ready to sink a concrete post in the ground just outside my work shop so that I can ram things on. I had one that I could move around but it still wobbled too much.

[pudidotdk]

I actually don't like to work on the floor, but it's the best I've got

My dad promised that one day he will plan a room for working, so I'm looking forward to that

Anyways, today I made a cool starpump which is designed after the commercial ones.

It took me some hours (perhaps 2-3) but it paid of very good! It makes one star at a time (1 cm diameter) very fast! And best of all: it cost nothing because I had the parts lying around the house!

 

Starpump - down

Starpump - up

Filling pump

Pumping the star

Ejecting star (My favorite part )

Taken apart (a little dirty)

These stars were made in no time...

 

I love that pump..!