Random Thread #1

[MilkyJoe]

Hey, Just wondering how one of these would go in a 16 cue firing system using a 100ft cat5 cable.

12V Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery

 

Thanks!

[mike_au]

I would be careful using LiIon for a firing system, you might wind up with fire at both ends.

 

Lithium ion batteries have a tendency to get very warm when overloaded and have in the past ignited/exploded.

 

Also 1800mAh isn't that much, I think that if you opened the box up, you would probably find it is just 10 rechargeable AA batteries inside. (whoops, I was thinking NiMH, LiIon isn't 1.2V/cell) but still, 1.8Ah isn't a great deal.

 

I have recently come into possession of a massive UPS and I am still trying to decide what to do with it. If I decide to pull it apart, then you are welcome to a few of the SLA batteries that it uses.

 

In any case, I think a SLA would be a far better choice.

Edited August 10, 2009 by mike_au

[optimus]

Coupla random shots for ya - just incase anyone here is into bikes, or more specifically, Hydrogen Peroxide fuelled rocket bikes : P

 

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2597/3805935770_9c4092262b.jpg

 

This machine managed 0-260mph in a little under 5 seconds (seen at the Bulldog Bash biker festival)

 

And to finish, possibly the coolest exhaust ever?

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3425/3804115563_1122a20e02.jpg

 

Full gallery can be found HERE if anyone's interested.

Edited August 10, 2009 by optimus

[BigBang]

Ventsi

 

I use that RIO for thermite and it works great. It would probably work for anything else as the sand doesn't make up too much of the mix.

 

On another note, does anyone here know of a place that sells something like military HCE smoke grenades? Looking for some smokers for skydiving.

[RUUUUUN]

I take it robbing an army convoy is out of the question???

 

Paintball places sell some fairly good smoke grenades for paintballing... I don't know if they are on the lines of the HC(which is only white mind you) in smoke production however...

[optimus]

I saw some of these the other day... very cool indeed...

 

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2422/3804032321_c889c3aac2.jpg

 

Orange seems to work well against a blue sky, and these military type smokers seem to be widely available assuming you're in the US...

 

http://www.dbcpyrotechnics.com/servlet/the...ADES/Categories

 

Careful how you attach it! Don't want a hot smokey leg!

[mike_au]

If your not in the US, you can probably still get the orange ones from a boating store. I don't think they would carry any of the other colours though.

[The-T]

Fireball =P

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6HRs1pMqe4

[BigBang]

Great! I had looked at boating smokes, but they're $70/smoker from West Marine. The paintball white smokes are just a paint because they're usually fuse lit and white.

 

But optimus, the link there is perfect. Thanks!

 

...BTW that's a pretty nice fireball for something so small. Also pretty unusual to not set the ground blazing since it's liquid, good stuff.

[pyrogeorge]

Hi,

I found two kilos of al shavings 10mesh from machine-work,are they usefull in pyros?can i use it in skylighter firefly composition?it want Aluminum, flake, firefly. 10-12 mesh..

[50AE]

Here's a video of this copper oxide/KClO3 blue.

 

http://pyrobin.com/files/mov04585.mpg

 

Potassium Chlorate ........ 64.5 %

Red Gum ................... 9.9

Cupric Oxide .............. 13.4

Parlon .................... 5.4

Charcoal .................. 2.0

SGRS (Binder) ............. 4.8

Edited August 16, 2009 by 50AE

[flying fish]

Here's a quick question for you guys...

 

I've had a chronic problem with charcoal stars producing worrysome amounts of fallout... I'm kinda tired of it.

 

Are there any "tricks" to ensure that the stars break up enough upon burning, such that large glowing chunks do not make it back to earth? I'm looking mostly at compositions like Tigertail, C6, some spider formulas, and similar. In all cases I have milled the components for about 6 hours, using Weeping Willow Charcoal...Most used 6 to 8 % dextrin as the binder. My most recent batch contained dextrin and red gum, because I had given up on the aqueous binder due to humidity. This particular batch was supposed to be fast spider stars. Perhaps the fallout in this case was due to the combination of binders, both slowing down the mix.

 

Or...is it just "normal" to get fallout with charcoal stars?

[TheEskimo]

It's strange for me, too. I was making TT with homemade pine, and I wanted a longer lasting tail. So I try them with Skylighter airfloat, and now I have FS all over the place. It's a bugger, especially when other people are there to see it, or the wind blows the FS where it shouldn't go.

P.S. I feel so wasted. Just ran 9 miles in Cross-Country practice in 90 degree heat, with high humidity.

Edited August 17, 2009 by TheEskimo

[scarbelly]

Damn, long run... does that include warmups and cool downs and stuff?

 

Is it just me or are XC and track, the only sports that really make sense (maybe swimming too). Like, there are times in your life when you will have to run, and when track was started all of the warlike stuff made sense. But like when are you ever gonna need to hit a ball with a bat and then run around a dirt diamond touching the bags before someone gets the ball back to you? I have no problem with baseball and other such sports, and I think they're actually pretty fun, but they don't really seem to have a point other than that.

 

(I thought I would say this because people always are stupefied when they become aware that someone runs XC and they say things like, "Why would you do that for fun?")

[flying fish]

Baseball is fun because it involves high speed projectile(s) . Same with hockey, to an extent. The "attack and defend"-ness is prevelent in that game especially. You never know when some terrorist will be chasing you, and all you have is a stick and a puck...

[TheEskimo]

No, thats just the run. We also have warmups and cooldowns. And it sucks, because we're running around this huge lake, and it looks so nice.........Fortunately, we have members and friends that have houses there, and we can stop for water. And the assistant coaches drive around with water on the hotter days. But there are 1 or 2 killer hills......

[flying fish]

I have to write a paper/ presentation for my senior ethics class (aka senior fail class...everyone hate it!)

 

I'm supposed to pick a "social entreprenuer" to write about. Preferably someone that is technically interesting. My initial thought was someone along the lines of Dean Kamen (I asked, he was already taken by another student...topic has to be unique). Any physicists / chemists/ etc. that could be considered social/environmental entreprenuers? Basically looking at people who started an enterprise with the intentions and result of bringing about sustainable social or environmental change and improvements.

[Swede]

Alfred Nobel! He certainly brought about great change in mining and construction. It wasn't always good, but it was change. Then he developed the Nobel prize to try and massage a misplaced guilt... the guy didn't have anything to feel guilty about. It's like the Wright Brothers - their invention brought death to millions because it was turned into a weapon, but by itself, it's an important invention, useful, and world-changing.

[Richtee]

I have to write a paper/ presentation for my senior ethics class (aka senior fail class...everyone hate it!)

 

I'm supposed to pick a "social entreprenuer" to write about. Preferably someone that is technically interesting. My initial thought was someone along the lines of Dean Kamen (I asked, he was already taken by another student...topic has to be unique). Any physicists / chemists/ etc. that could be considered social/environmental entreprenuers? Basically looking at people who started an enterprise with the intentions and result of bringing about sustainable social or environmental change and improvements.

William Shockley would be an interesting subject. Genius and a racist- THAT will get attention! ;{)

[Pretty green flame]

I have to write a paper/ presentation for my senior ethics class (aka senior fail class...everyone hate it!)

 

I'm supposed to pick a "social entreprenuer" to write about. Preferably someone that is technically interesting. My initial thought was someone along the lines of Dean Kamen (I asked, he was already taken by another student...topic has to be unique). Any physicists / chemists/ etc. that could be considered social/environmental entreprenuers? Basically looking at people who started an enterprise with the intentions and result of bringing about sustainable social or environmental change and improvements.

 

Mikhail Kalashnikov FTW

Well maybe not, but would be one hell of a choice

[TheSidewinder]

Actually, Klashnikov *would* be an ideal subject.

 

A "peasant-genius", whose innovations in the weapons field are relevant even decades later.

[flying fish]

Thanks guys! Lots of great ideas. I'm considering all of them, but I kinda like the idea of Kalashnikov. I don't know enough about him to know whether he really qualifies as a social entreprenuer...of course, I don't even know where to draw the line between "social / environmental" and "just regular" entreprenuer. I think it has something to do with creating a sustainable enterprise by delivering some kind of solution or product to a neglected sector of the market (like the poor) and improving the target community.

 

If the AK manufacturing provided jobs to the poor or something "good" like that, it would be legit for the project....Otherwise, maybe a stretch. I'll have to give it some thought.

[TheSidewinder]

Well... I think Kalashnikov would fall within the category of socio-political entrepreneur, given that he was a product of the Soviet Union.

 

Within the strictly-controlled framework imposed by his government's military, he certainly revolutionized the small arms made available to the USSR's allies. His simplistic design for the AK-47 meant that a Neanderthal wielding no more than a stone mallet could strip, clean, and repair it.

 

But after re-reading your paper's requirements, now I'm not so sure he would pass muster. Because of the Soviet machine in place at the time, he didn't ever profit from his work. Social engineer, yes, (whether he wanted to be or not) but his sole purpose for getting into arms design was his desire to help defend his country from the Germans in World War II and not a desire to affect social change.

 

Ya might ask your teacher if he qualifies, and be ready to defend the choice.

[TheEskimo]

Anyways...a couple of random questions....

I have a half-face gas mask that was used for painting. The filters are VOC filters. How well would this protect against nasty things like BaNO3? I have used this before for flake Al, charcoal, and other random things, but those are rather tame compared to BaNO3. With Al, you die years later of Alzheimers, with BaNO3, you die a day later in convulsions, pain, etc.

Question #2....I am just starting to make FP, because I want some more oomph for my shells, and polumnas. I have some -325 bright flake Al. Skylighter says that this can make slow flash...has anyone used it? I might just have to go with Dark Al, but it seems to me that, as a trade off for power, using the larger mesh Al would impart some measure of safety regarding static, and general shock and friction.

Thanks everyone.

And flying fish...hows about Henry Ford? Founded the basic assembly line production method, which is used all over the world, which revolutionized the way people worked, and how stuff is produced.

[Swede]

I believe a VOC filter should adequately protect you from particulates, but it would always be best to use a pre-filter so you don't load up the VOC cartridges. Even a layer or two of cotton cloth, rubber-banded to the filter body, would help.

 

Most of the better masks have interchangeable filter cartridges. The dust/particulate cartridges are the cheapest, and it'd be worth it to get a few if you can afford to do so.

 

Another simple rule is to do stuff like that outside, positioned upwind of the mixing.

 

Guys, I am really digging on the activity here. Has anyone else noticed a huge uptick in postings? Is it Rogue Science guys? If so, welcome, and thank you for approaching this in a safe and mature hobbyist POV.