Random Thread #1

[Mumbles]

I wasn't aware that dawntreader was still in business. Skylighter sells it. If not benzoates or benzoic acid is reasonably cheap for home manufacture.

 

I think I have a video of a silver meal based tremalon ASB. I'll see if I can find it for you. Very very pretty actually. I may have a few more for you once I fire these crossettes I've been pressing up.

[asilentbob]

I eagerly await any good glitter vids you can send me! I have a silver tremelon composition written down next to the gold one somewhere... I need to keep my notes together.

 

Today I pressed about 3/4s of the C6 I made into 5/8" stars. About 110 total. I don't know what I'll do with the rest of the C6. I also mixed up 800g of standard Shimizu Willow. I'll stargun test a few sizes before pressing it all into whatever size I think is best. I also made 200g of 6:3:1 BP propellant and wetted it ever so slightly and passed it through a window screen. Most of it is finer than sand. Should be fine. Just looking to keep the dust level down. I plan to see how it performs in a hand rammed 1lb BP rocket with the "Universal spindle" tooling before making more and/or tweaking it...

 

Need to pre-crush more cowboy charcoal really soon. Thinking wooden post + bucket this time. I'd like to pre-crush the whole bag in one day... get it all over with... then airfloat most of it... and screen out some 80mesh or so... all in one day... I think that would be at least 15lbs...

 

All things lightly colored... fear your proximity to me.

I AM THE BRINGER OF THE FINE BLACK CURTAIN.

I AM THE CHARCOAL MAN.

 

BTW first day of the new semester tomorrow.

 

Edit: Just got a $200 paycheck for the NYE shows! Don't know what I'm going to spend it on yet. So many possibilities. I really should sell a bunch of junk and get a decent laptop.

[shagaKahn]

Ever on the cutting edge of cheapness, I've got a sushi bar that saves old chopstix for me.

 

Tested my exclusive welded-together-at-the-butt chopstix BP rockets on Sunday--and they worked like a treat!

 

 

http://www.efn.org/~mikemcoo/stix4rockets1.jpg

[mormanman]

Chopsticks, thats funny.

 

But I really need any answer to this:

I made a 4 ton press out of some bolts and nuts and some MDF board. It works pretty good too. But where am I suppose to fine a die. I saw the comet press one but I don't know what that big white thing is. I still need to bolt the jack down though.

[qwezxc12]

Chopsticks, thats funny.

 

But I really need any answer to this:

I made a 4 ton press out of some bolts and nuts and some MDF board. It works pretty good too. But where am I suppose to fine a die. I saw the comet press one but I don't know what that big white thing is. I still need to bolt the jack down though.

Come on now...if you're talking about this "big white thing" in the comets thread:

http://www.apcforum.net/files/3inCometPump1.jpg

...four posts after the picture, I stated exactly what it was, and two posts after that, I listed where I got it. Can't be much easier than that...

[mormanman]

Wow, I didn't know. Thanks qwezxc12.

[asilentbob]

QWE... I'm jealous that you have a pelican case . I want to get one for when I get a laptop.

 

Seems my chem lab teacher has a bit of knowledge on composite propellants. I'm thinking that this semester will have its share of good discussions.

[mormanman]

Alright, qwezxc12 I bought a 4" one.

[bmarley5780]

I will be have some 3" dia. UHMW next week, Same stuff as qwezxc12's but pink. Ya, I know but hey what can ya do!

 

Message me to talk,

[Mumbles]

Just thought I'd point out something. qwezxc specifically got those sized in order to have a combo powder die and comet press. Using a straight 3" or 4" will only be useful as a powder die.

[mormanman]

Just thought I'd point out something. qwezxc specifically got those sized in order to have a combo powder die and comet press. Using a straight 3" or 4" will only be useful as a powder die.

I don't mean to correct you, mumbles but why can you use it vise versa. I think qwezxc said that that is the way he used his, unless I read it wrong and I have been know to do that.

 

 

On another note, has anyone read the Rockets Red Glare by Wernher von Braun and Frederick I. Ordway III, its a good book. It talks about the ancient Greeks using rockets and other Pyrotechnics for warfare. It also talks about Marcus Graecus, the guy that organize the (I want to say) first recipe pyro book, the Liber Ignium ad Comburendos Hostes, more commonly called the Liber Ignium. I'm pretty sure that that is where Bob got his signature from. Its a good book I recomend it, and I got I from my school.

 

Also, today I corned some of my Ash bp and man that stuff is fast.

[Bonny]

Also, today I corned some of my Ash bp and man that stuff is fast.

I'll keep that in mind.That brings another tree to my possible attention at the lake. In the yard I have: willow (no idea what kind, but good for BP), black poplar, silver maple, birch and green and black ash...not to mention jackpine close by...My mother probably won't miss a few branches here and there

[qwezxc12]

Just thought I'd point out something.  qwezxc specifically got those sized in order to have a combo powder die and comet press.  Using a straight 3" or 4" will only be useful as a powder die.

I don't mean to correct you, mumbles but why can you use it vise versa. I think qwezxc said that that is the way he used his, unless I read it wrong and I have been know to do that.

The reason mumbles said it may only be good for a powder die is the size of the comet you will make. Say for a straight up 3" rammer one would assume you are using a piece of 3" pipe. 3" Schedule 40 pipe has an ID of 3.068", so you have two problems:

 

1) Your pump will only have a clearance of .034" between the sleeve and rammer, which is kind of tight and it may bind if the pipe is rough on the inside.

 

2) But the bigger issue is that standard sized mortars have IDs in inch increments...so a comet with an OD of 3.068" can't be fired from a 3" mortar (won't fit), and it can't really be fired from a 4" mortar (too loose)

 

I specifically bought a 2.5" rammer and a piece of 2.5" schedule10 pipe that had an ID of 2.63" for a sleeve. So my rammer has .065" clearance and won't bind in the sleeve, and the finished comets have a clearance of .187" in a 3" mortar, which is perfect and leaves me a little room for paste-wrapping the comets with a few turns of craft.

 

When I refer to it as a "3in comet pump", it's meant that it makes a comet that is fired from a 3in mortar...the same way a 3" shell doesn't really measure 3" OD. The actual hemi is more like 2 5/8", but we call it a 3"in shell because that's the mortar that the finished shell is fired from.

 

Hopes that makes it clear.

[qwezxc12]

QWE... I'm jealous that you have a pelican case . I want to get one for when I get a laptop...snip

Yeah I have a few...that one was actually one of my work tool cases. You can see the HKIA (Hong Kong Int'l Airport) security stickers on it. You need a good case when your tools travel the world. But my favorite one is my Pelican 1720, though:

http://www.apcforum.net/files/Pelican1720closed.jpg

 

 

Why?... (isn't it obvious?)

http://www.apcforum.net/files/Pelican1720open.jpg

[mormanman]

The reason mumbles said it may only be good for a powder die is the size of the comet you will make. Say for a straight up 3" rammer one would assume you are using a piece of 3" pipe. 3" Schedule 40 pipe has an ID of 3.068", so you have two problems:

 

1) Your pump will only have a clearance of .034" between the sleeve and rammer, which is kind of tight and it may bind if the pipe is rough on the inside.

 

2) But the bigger issue is that standard sized mortars have IDs in inch increments...so a comet with an OD of 3.068" can't be fired from a 3" mortar (won't fit), and it can't really be fired from a 4" mortar (too loose)

 

I specifically bought a 2.5" rammer and a piece of 2.5" schedule10 pipe that had an ID of 2.63" for a sleeve. So my rammer has .065" clearance and won't bind in the sleeve, and the finished comets have a clearance of .187" in a 3" mortar, which is perfect and leaves me a little room for paste-wrapping the comets with a few turns of craft.

 

When I refer to it as a "3in comet pump", it's meant that it makes a comet that is fired from a 3in mortar...the same way a 3" shell doesn't really measure 3" OD. The actual hemi is more like 2 5/8", but we call it a 3"in shell because that's the mortar that the finished shell is fired from.

 

Hopes that makes it clear.

Yeah, that cleared up alot. But I can still use it as a die right? If not I'm going to be PISSED.

[asilentbob]

Mormanman, you REALLY need to slow down and think things all the way through sometimes.

 

QWE, lol yeah guns were the first things that came to mind.

 

Looks like I have gigs for the 4th and labor day. Not confirmed, but likely. Also might be offered gigs from different companies for different shows on the same dates... Networking is good ... If it comes down to it I'll probably go with the company putting on the bigger July 4th show... Then go back to the other one for the labor day show... We'll see.

 

I'm a bit ticked off... I have a pretty good really old mostly forgotten movie thats 706Mb and I'm trying to burn it onto a 700Mb CD-R... The solution... Compress it!... But now WinRAR is going waaaaay too slow...

[mormanman]

Mormanman, you REALLY need to slow down and think things all the way through sometimes.

I know I just get excited some times.

[TheSidewinder]

Yeah, we were all there once, just don't let your excitement get the best of you.

 

Remember that Pyrotechnics is a hobby in which you generally don't get to learn from your mistakes. Your first big mistake, is likely to be your last one.

 

We want everyone here to stay safe and healthy!

[mormanman]

Yeah, we were all there once, just don't let your excitement get the best of you.

 

Remember that Pyrotechnics is a hobby in which you generally don't get to learn from your mistakes. Your first big mistake, is likely to be your last one.

 

We want everyone here to stay safe and healthy!

Funny, scary and true. I like it.

[jacob]

qwezxc, if you don't mind me asking, what do you do for a living?

it sounds interesting.

[hst45]

qwezxc12, is that an Aries MK-258? I thought you'd be a Gen-IV guy, you international man of mystery (cue the James Bond theme).

[qwezxc12]

jacob,

 

I'm senior field engineer at a radar / air surveillance company. A large portion of my job is either surveying for or installing systems here in the states and overseas.

 

It is interesting...Definitely not the job I thought I'd be doing. I'll try to post some pictures sometime.

[qwezxc12]

qwezxc12, is that an Aries MK-258?   I thought you'd be a Gen-IV guy, you international man of mystery (cue the James Bond theme).

Nope, it's a Trijicon Tri-Power on an ARMS forward throw-lever mount. It has a BAC chevron and runs on ambient light or tritium with a battery back-up. It's FAST, great for training and competitions. I like it much better than other sites I've tried / owned, including the Aimpoint CompML2 and EoTech 550 (and I own two of those). The ARMS mount makes for a perfect cheek-weld when you bring the weapon up on target from a muzzle-down carry or low-ready position.

Trijicon Tri-Power

http://www.trijicon.com/part_views_top/lg_Trijicon_028_TriPower.jpg

 

Sorry for the double post...

 

...edited further to tell hst that all I know about NV would fit in a thimble.

[crazyboy25]

I have seen some large shells as well as commercial shells use a long lasting fast strobe as a core or pistil. It flashes very fast, faster then regular barium nitrate strobes. Are these the AP/Mg strobes mentioned by Takeo Shimizu? Or an entirely different comp? Sorry I couldn't find a video, I could have sworn AL had a 6 or 8" shell with these in the inner petal...

[Mumbles]

The strick to those is to take a normal strobe and increase the strobe rate. This generally involves using finer metals. Wouter Visser's page has a buch of strobes with the strobe rates liste. The shimmering type of effect should happen around 6 or 7 Hz. I've heard that too fine of metal will make the star burn continuously, but I have to wonder if the star is just strobing too fast for the human eye to recognise the oscillations.

 

Say the formula calls for 60 mesh Mg. Start replacing a few parts at a time with say 100 or 200 mesh Mg. Don't just use 200 mesh right away. You Might want to make up, say a 100g batch of strobe mix sans metal, and make smaller 10g batches with various proportions of metals until you get it where you like it.

 

http://www.wfvisser.dds.nl/compoDB.html