_DB_ Posted June 25, 2006 Posted June 25, 2006 I've always wanted to get into HV, but never have for some reason. I think a good starter project for me would be a nice Jacob's Ladder.
aquaman Posted June 26, 2006 Posted June 26, 2006 Rogue Chemist- That is awesome. I remember taking apart cameras to shock/scare people like that but never used it to create sparks. The next time you make one, take a few photos and make a tutorial. I would much like to make something like that.
Swany Posted June 26, 2006 Posted June 26, 2006 I've also been procrastinating about going into HV. It isn't really build a Jacobs ladder or whatever, rather it is construct power supplies for various purposes and then use them to create displays, as far as I can tell... I had a camera flash based circuit at school, was dinging around with it during Spanish II first hour, and inadvertantly charged it and shorted it on my finger. Nice 2 burn scars left from that. Arc welded flesh. Mmmmm.... Shorting them out on desks is not a good idea, as it pits the surface and scares everyone. Either way, interesting. If I dissapear for a while; it probably means I'm dead. Thinking of all that I do, I would hardly be surprised. And in other news: Poor Kilo G/Nelson. Anyone know anything? Hope it all works out. He is a character and exellent to do buisness with. And in other other news, I'm becoming a boywer as a side-hobby. I'm in the process of butchering an osage bow, badly. It's quite fun.
Rogue Chemist Posted June 26, 2006 Posted June 26, 2006 The extent of my HV is mainly what stuff I can get from university junkpiles and disposable cameras. I have around 100 camera circuits right now, because....I dont like paying for batteries, so instead I get used cameras for free and take the battery and circuit out. Havent paid for AA or AAA in months now. More money for chems.
mr.pyro Posted June 26, 2006 Posted June 26, 2006 Im really happy because I just got back from MLG la, if anyone knows what that is. I am very satisfied with my performance and watching the drunk antics of freinds is very funny.
d4j0n Posted June 28, 2006 Posted June 28, 2006 This sounds really really impractical, but I have a bunch of colored sparklers from canonfuse.com, wondering if I could take the powder, cut it with dextrin, and press stars. I am at a lack of chems for this fourth.
Swany Posted June 28, 2006 Posted June 28, 2006 Well, what do you think? Chances are dextrin is already present. Just crush, mix with water, and make your stars. Fountains may be cool as well.
justanotherpyro Posted June 28, 2006 Posted June 28, 2006 I have found that crushed sparklers mixed with BP are the poor mans colored/effects stars.
optimus Posted June 28, 2006 Posted June 28, 2006 I think most coloured sparklers are more likely to be bound with Shellac... Not sure if this can be re-activated with alcohol, or whether it would be better to add some additional dextrin/another binder.
Mephistos Minion Posted June 28, 2006 Posted June 28, 2006 They would be fecking slow stars though wouldnt they? Especially with MORE binder added.
optimus Posted June 28, 2006 Posted June 28, 2006 Not too sure about that - I've made some 'Ruby fire sticks', and stars made with the same comp burnt almost too fast. It really depends on the composision of the sparkler... Slow-burning stars aren't necessarily a bad thing - they're certainly great for microstars and small bombettes.
justanotherpyro Posted June 28, 2006 Posted June 28, 2006 The ones I tried with straight sparklers burned to slow and were difficult to ignite. Thats why I laced the comp with BP.
_DB_ Posted June 29, 2006 Posted June 29, 2006 I found out last night that some aluminum powder that my dad can get for free from work might work good in a star composition. I mixed it in a 4/6 ratio of Al/Meal and it burned quite nicely. Pretty It's more white in real life. All of the sparks falling from it would probably make a nice tail. I have no ideal of what kind of Al it is, I think it comes from grinding down and cutting Al rods. I want to think it is spherical Al since it won't work at all in flash.
Swany Posted June 29, 2006 Posted June 29, 2006 Spherical is specially atomised, but it would seem that basically any shape of fairly fine Al works nicely for a tail and white effect.
Matador Posted June 29, 2006 Posted June 29, 2006 Just a suggestion regarding the old forum (that's how I made my way here). I notice there is still the occasional post over there from new users.It might be a good idea to lock all the forums and place a prominent note saying that that forum has closed and link to the new one.If that is at all possible.
PyroJoe Posted June 29, 2006 Posted June 29, 2006 Well I just solved my round star problem! I thought I screwed up 3 pounds of blue stars, because of a crappy layer of prime I put on them. They would not light from a star gun or anything, so I kept adding better primes on the outside and they would just burn to the crap layer and stop. I finally decided to roll a good thick layer of tiger tail comp. on the outside of these stars and they work perfect now! Im so excited Now they are tigertail to blue, but the tigertail comp is quite short. Still a good effect though. Current 4th of july stars:2.5 lbs. magnesium green2.5 lbs. magnesium red3 lbs. blue To do tomorrow morning. 2.5 lbs. silver streamer4 lbs. tiger tail Then on saturday and sunday, maybe monday its shell building time! The best part. All the stars will be done and I won't have to worry about mixing messy chemicals anymore, just focusing on art and what colors I want to put in things. Im also going camping with my friends tomorrow night, can't wait!
justanotherpyro Posted June 29, 2006 Posted June 29, 2006 I have hit that stage too. I have rolled red to green, red to blue, TT to blue, TT to green, Flitter to green, Flitter to blue, and many other various combinations and effects. I loaded 12 3" shells tonight, and man its a bitch. Tedious as hell. I still have to spike them, attatch a lift charge and rising comet and fuse them. and I still have 10 more 3" to go before I even get to the 4"ers The only thing that keeps me going is knowing that my 4th show will be pretty nice with a few 4" shells, tons of 3", 17 easter egg 2"ers, and 72 Store bought 2" artillery shells. Also homemade rockets from a fellow pyro.
aquaman Posted June 29, 2006 Posted June 29, 2006 I forget how tiring pyro is. I'm in a mad rush to get everything done early so I can relax on say the 3rd but I got a lot to do. I just got done mixing the star comps. (12) for the 4th. I got to pump/roll them tonight so they have time to dry before then. I then also have to roll about 50 tubes tonight also. I've been making stuff today since 9:00 and I'm already tired (2:30 now so 5.5 hours working). see you guys later.
PyroJoe Posted June 29, 2006 Posted June 29, 2006 Haha, seems like we all wait an entire year for the 4th. Then when it comes around we procrastinate to the last second. Stars barely dry, shells spiked the night before. Fun stuff. Its all rewarding in the end though. Especially this year since a LOT of people found out I do pyro and they are coming late on the 4th to watch a little "show" hopefully everything works out and I get a lot of "Oooos" and "Aahhhs". Now I need to go cut 5 more pounds of stars in 1 1/2 hours before I leave to go camping. We are camping about 30 minutes away from Wyoming where we can get aerial shells and roman candles. So i'll be buying some consumer fireworks tomorrow for sure.
lacrima97 Posted June 29, 2006 Posted June 29, 2006 Well, I was messing around with something, and a star hit the ground in an adjacent field. The field went up in flames. Luckily, I have like a 150ft+ water hose. I was hurting so bad from breathing the smoke. I'm very glad I got the fire out. Live and learn I suppose.
justanotherpyro Posted June 29, 2006 Posted June 29, 2006 Haha, seems like we all wait an entire year for the 4th. Then when it comes around we procrastinate to the last second. Stars barely dry, shells spiked the night before. Fun stuff. Its all rewarding in the end though. Especially this year since a LOT of people found out I do pyro and they are coming late on the 4th to watch a little "show" hopefully everything works out and I get a lot of "Oooos" and "Aahhhs". Now I need to go cut 5 more pounds of stars in 1 1/2 hours before I leave to go camping. We are camping about 30 minutes away from Wyoming where we can get aerial shells and roman candles. So i'll be buying some consumer fireworks tomorrow for sure.I started working in the end of June. I had to experiment with star comps, learn how to roll stars, figure out burn times, experiment with color changes, and everything else. I can't say that I havn't enjoyed it though. A few days to dry stars is a little short. Thats the worst part is making a small batch of stars to experiment with, dry, test, and then make a bigger batch for shells, and then dry those. Its all coming together here at the end though thankfully.
Pyrohawk Posted June 30, 2006 Posted June 30, 2006 Well folks.....like every year my family and I are leaving for vacation and will be gone for the next week. Every year we go to Myrtle Beach on the 4th of July weekend... Kinda sucks not to be able to do any of my own pyro but they do have an incredible display there. Basically every single tourist and person in the state buys fireworks (SC is very firework friendly) and goes to the beach to light them on the 4th. Its an all night party all up and down the beach till the wee hours of the morning!! When I get home I have a couple shells, a couple rockets, a handful of starmines, and some other randomn junk that I will light. So videos of my 4th will have to wait till a week afer the actual 4th..... Well, good luck everyone on your 4th, be safe, and have fun!!!
lacrima97 Posted June 30, 2006 Posted June 30, 2006 Ha, my brother got on this site and he really likes it. He's 12, ha. He's like "who is Bigbang, whats barium nitrate" and stuff like that. He seems pretty interested. Hmm.
asilentbob Posted June 30, 2006 Posted June 30, 2006 Well, i just found out today that my black match has mysteriously gone to near crap. It will burn through a wraped on layer of masking tape with out quick matching, but the string stays intact, just a little charred. This makes me hessitant to use it for cross-matching time fuse. So.. I'm wondering if anyone has had luck cross-matching time fuse with falling leaves or flying crackling fish fuse. I also have super cheapo chinese visco. I might have time today to try a shell to see if the black match will work, if i don't use it i guess ill just use the falling leaves fuse with the cuts on both ends exposing alot of surface area, then lightly primed in meal. Anywho, today is pretty much my production day, all day. Edit: And skylighter is having some fuse promotion thing, so check it out, running through july 3rd. Stay greene!
justanotherpyro Posted June 30, 2006 Posted June 30, 2006 You could cut the time fuse and wiggle the razor blade alot to expose a good ammount of the core and pinch a bunch of BP into it perhaps, or expose the core and prime with a BP slurry. I havn't tried these though.
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