Reloadable canisters

[Twotails]

I just want to see what people use/have made.

 

I've made some pretty good reloadable canisters for my fountins, its a 6inch long, by 2 1/4 ID(exept the ones made from steel) wide metal canister, wall thickness is 1/2inch. I've had several made, my first was aluminum ( the bottoms screw off to reload), and the rest have been made from Stainless steel ( i dont worry about sparking, for these i incresed the ID so it will fit a pre filled cardbord fountin, The ID is 1/2in wider then the first aluminum one) now, they are expensive to make, they cost me $40-$150 to get made (luckly i go to a shool with a metalshop, all i have to do is pay about $60+ cost for the metal. the steel fountins cost $120 , and i think the aluminium cost me $40).

 

I figure in a few years, they will pay themselves off.

 

So, what so use, Paper, or somthing else?

[optimus]

Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but why would you put a fountain in a metal shroud?

[NightHawkInLight]

There is not much that is reloadable in fireworks. Most things that can withstand the constant and intense heat of a fountain would be extremely dangerous in the event of an explosion. Even in your super heavy duty canisters, a fountain made improperly with metal fuels or the like could potentially explode. And there's not much you could do to slow the shrapnel from something like that. That is why not many use metal for something so simple as a fountain.

 

Explosion in paper = confetti

Explosion in metal = threat of death to yourself or others even at a great distance.

[50AE]

In few words, a pyrotechnic mixture in a metal container is a potential grenade.

[Pretty green flame]

Wait what? Are we talking about canisters (as in SHELLS) or casings for fountains? I a couple of words, both are stupid ideas and you'll most likely end up hurting yourself, in one way or another. Don't do it.

[andyboy]

Not to mention the shit you will be in if the wrong someone sees you with a metalpipe with a fuse sticking out. No matter what you say it will be perceived to be a pipeb*mb by the mob. Sounds like a kind of neat idea anyway, 1/2 inch steel could probably take whatever you throw at it if the top is open, but I would probably stand well away from it or test it thoroughly.

[Twotails]

Well, i use them for BP fountins, and stricly BP fountins, The maximum about of metal i use in them is rarely more than 5%. I had them made so they spesificly wont explode( the aluminum one is an exeption the bottom one screwd off, it was made before i added this safty to them) unlike the screw-type design of the first, i made it so if the pressure exedes what it can handle, the nozzle pop's out.( although this has given me trouble, there harder to clean) The next time i have to have them made, im going to see if i can get wooden nozzels made insted of the nozzles i already have. I no longer use my aluminum canister, it sits on my desk filled with lead grinding media, and i use it for a paper weight. I also use these becouse, my blasting range includes a sandpit, and bunker(modified with frontbeing made from cinderblocks filled with a sand and cement mixture , and a double pane of bullet resistant glass) I dont take safty lightly, its the same bunker i stand behind when i operate my hyrdolic press. the original bunker and sandpit were part of a shooting range.

[TYRONEEZEKIEL]

I actually think this idea is plausible. In rocketry, we use reloadable motors that are made out of metal casings, and high pressure graphite nozzles. These are designed to rip and split in an event of a CATO, rather than send shrapnel everywhere. Look up animal motor works for these tubes, you may find what you are looking for.

[crazyboy25]

I don't see the appeal. For $40 I could get a few pounds of perchlorate why waste it on a metal fountain? I rarely make fountains but when I do I use paper it costs pennies and is very safe. Metal could hurt you but this can be avoided by burying it or standing far back. You would need to set of thousands of fountains for this to "pay for itself".

[mike_au]

Safety issues aside, I can't see how they would pay for themselves in a reasonable amount of time. Maybe the Al one might, I can see someone spending $40 on tubes and nozzle mix over a year easily enough, but you say the steel ones still use cardboard tubes and cost more. $60-120 would buy a bloody massive amount of nozzle mix.

 

As well as that, a single fountain isn't really that impressive so most people would want 3 or 4 at least, if not a dozen. I don't see myself spending $180-360 on nozzle mix in my whole life. I paid about AU$4 for a kilo of bentonite, so AU$180 would buy 45kg, even if you throw grog and paraffin into the mix you are still looking at a good 20kg for that price, I could make thousands of fountains out of that and I wouldn't be limited to doing three at a time and then reloading.

 

It is a neat idea, but as others have pointed out, it has some safety issue and unless they could be made much cheaper I just don't think most people could justify the cost.

[MilkyJoe]

Heh Mike, my Mum picked up a 25kg back of Bentonite for around $12 a while back... if you ever run out let me know

 

Even if you have made it as safe as possible it still lacks practicality. Another great thing about paper is can make any size tube you want for little extra cost per tube, though if you use metal and decide you want to move up to a larger sized fountain then you'll probably find material costs can get quite high the larger your sizes.

Edited August 13, 2009 by MilkyJoe

[Twotails]

The main reason they are so expensive is that they are coustom made, and the metal used. The aluminum one is cheaper, and the next few sets i'll have made from aluminum, but with the safty mesures of the steel ones. I have four fountins, only three i use(the three steel ones) another reason there so expesnsive is that there made from stainless steel to retard corrosion, and provide durability. I like them becouse they can take the heat of most compositions, and i dont have to get rid of them after a burn. i also find that a roman candle/lances/ect fits into them snugly, so therefore it acts to weigh them down.

[Mumbles]

Why have any more made at all? This is dangerous stuff you're discussing here, and it's pretty obvious you're not well versed in pyro.

[NightHawkInLight]

Why have any more made at all? This is dangerous stuff you're discussing here, and it's pretty obvious you're not well versed in pyro.

Not to mention for the amount of money you have already spent/are planning to spend, you could have a very well stocked workshop capable of producing any sort of firework you desire. If you really want to make something with steel, start building a magazine and work on obtaining an ATF license.

[scarbelly]

I don't really see why you're doing this... If all of your roman candles and lances and fountains and such are already contained in a paper tube, why bother inserting the paper tube into a metal one? Why not just bury them in the ground or glue them to a stand? Easier, cheaper, safer.

[Twotails]

I have been studing pyrotechnics for roughly two years, I know the dangers of a metal canister, and the main objective towards a metal canister was to originaly beat the price of tubes and nozzle mix. This was like one of my pet projects, With further testing i might be able to make them cheaper. with the new one's much like hobby rocket engines ( which the nozzle blows out under too much pressure) Safety is being brought back into check. I also liked the fact that i can have them on my work bench and know that i made it(well, technicly i had them made but you get the point) In total i've shot them close to a hundred times sence they were made. and i'll probably retire them soon, i might cancel the next few that are made, and maby spend the money on an excaliber rocket ( just saw one online, it looks amazing). so any way, what are some of the various containers/canisters you have used in the past?

[NightHawkInLight]

If you feel you must make them, don't make them so a plug will blow out. Compositions tend to accelerate under pressure to an extent that by the time your plug was gone they would have exploded just the same. Follow the design of high power rocket motors, thin, and built in a way that an explosion causes them to shred rather than shatter. It is the same reason HDPE mortars are used for shells rather than PVC.

[flying fish]

I wasn't going to say anything since I originally just saw it as a "pet-peeve" issue, but keep in mind that when you say "canister", if taken out of context people here are going to assume you mean canister style aeriel shells, as those extremely popular amoung builders...and the various shorthands for canister shells ("canisters" or "cans") are kind of engraved into our langauge.

 

As far as tubes go...have you considered rolling your own? You can make them around a cylindrical case-former after dipping paper (kraft or other types) in a solution of binder (dextrin, wood glue, etc...). Of course you'll also want something like wax paper to prevent it from sticking from the case former. I've made my own and they dry very hard...I think a mere ~10 layers, made for a 2" shell was nearly impossible to crush in my hand. For a fountain you'd roll it much thicker of course...