Multibreak Canister Shells

[Ventsi]

For NYE I want to throw together a few nice Italian style multi break aerial shells. These will be fairly small in diameter around 2.5" or so.

 

I was wondering which method I should use, the process which utilizes wrapping the first break on a complete second break shell and spiking over both shells thus building up excessive volume and making for a crappier break.

If you can't understand my rambling here is a video that shows what I am talking about.

 

Or I am thinking I could make the second break and instead of time fuse insert a 1/4 tube that would barely stick out of the shall, then construct the first break with two time fuses attached to it, one to be ignited at launch and the other one crossmatched inside of the shell so it ignites once the first break goes. The timing for the second shell would be inserted into the 1/4" tube and heavily glued in.

Here is a crude drawing:

 

Here is another video from the same guy that seems to start explaining this process but doesn't.

 

I am sure there are other ways and if the more experienced members could point me in the right direction that would be lovely . I am looking for more of a big strong rossesete effect in case you're wondering.

[Mumbles]

You've just discovered my secret method of making sun and planet shells. That way I can fuse all 7 planets and my sun all with time fuse. I use a 3/8" hole in the bottom of the planet break. The tube I place into the bottom break and glue my time fuse into it. The whole thing just sticks into the top break. It allows me to crossmatch my time fuse, and still be able to fit it into the shell.

 

I can't speak about what method is best. I generally use a modified version of the second. I build all my breaks individually, spiked and pasted. I then assemble them, and spike them all together at once, followed by an additional pasting. I was just talking with Nighthawkinlight the other day about this. There was concern that my breaks could fall apart in mid-air, but I've never had that problem. It's obviously only an issue for 3 break and up.

 

I don't know how well the rosette mix will transfer fire. It still is a salute afterall.

[Ventsi]

Ahh, another entrepreneur. Thanks Mumbles I suppose I'll do it that way , aside from being easier ,it would be a heck of a lot more consistent too.

 

About the rossete mix, what is it? I am going after the effect using hot H3 as burst which is my standard for can shells, I imagine you are talking about just straight flash?

Edited September 30, 2009 by Ventsi

[Mumbles]

You should probably read up on effects before trying to create them. Hardt and Fulcanelli papers both have info. Rosettes are a granulated flash mix. Chlorate, bright flake al, and Sb2S3. They make their own burst, being a flash powder. They simply fill little pupadelle casings. It replicates the Ti salute effect, though pure white and somewhat more elegant. There is less noise.

[Ventsi]

Huh, I thought a Rossete was a hard broken canister shell with a perfect break, I forget where I got that information. I think it might have been a competition video and I misunderstood it. My apologies

 

I am just after hard broken good symmetrical canister shells, no salutes like you are talking about, though they do sound interesting...

Edited September 30, 2009 by Ventsi

[NightHawkInLight]

Huh, I thought a Rossete was a hard broken canister shell with a perfect break, I forget where I got that information. I think it might have been a competition video and I misunderstood it. My apologies

 

I am just after hard broken good symmetrical canister shells, no salutes like you are talking about, though they do sound interesting...

You have some serious work to do for perfectly breaking 2.5" canister shells. Make sure everything is pressed into them TIGHT. Tighter than tight. When it looks like there's no way you can fit another star into a ring, do it. The shell will stretch slightly to allow it. Make sure to use plenty strong stars to avoid breaking them. They should form rings in the shell tight enough that they will not fall out when held upside down. Then really pack the break in there so there is no way for the stars to get pushed inwards durring spiking. Use granulated BP for break with plenty of binder to keep the grains hard.

 

It will be very difficult with those small shells, but possible. Use good discs on the ends, spike and paste well...And do a few single shell tests before a multi break to work things out. You may benefit from a dirty flash booster. I've found the following to be ideal:

 

Potassium Nitrate - 50

Sulfur - 30

Dark Al - 20

 

Depending how many breaks you make it may not be possible to get away with time fuse because of the long burn time. You should be fine up to 3, but then you start working with half inch or less sections of fuse that are impossible to secure in a shell. At that point you will need to move to spolettes. Or possibly glue your tiny bits of fuse into a longer tube for insertion. Wouldn't be the first time.

[Ventsi]

NightHawk, trust me, properly made H3 is some crazy stuff, I managed to get good breaks in 2" cans using a 5/8" canule and for the 2.5" im planning on a 1" candle instead. I'll be using small 1/4" color stars so packing them in there should not be too hard. Dirty flash is cool stuff but needs a crapload of compression to burn fast, and I don't have any dark Al.

 

BTW I shattered a 2.5" sphere using H3, no booster or anything, the break was spot on though .

 

I need to wrap this up and get going, I'll see if I can post from my cell.

[Mumbles]

I would definitely place the second time fuse into the bottom shell and insert it into the first. I wouldn't take any chances of it getting pulled out accidentally with the burst of the first or anything like that. You don't want to put in all the work just to have it half function.

 

A 1" cannule seems pretty big, but whatever you feel works, use it. One trick I've found to getting too hard breaks is to pack in all my stars with polverone, bound green meal. Tap the shell to settle polverone into all the spaces between the stars. You'll feel the difference when they're packed in nice and tight. The sides of shell become hard as concrete. I always get a little compression(mostly due to paper) when spiking, but if I pack them in properly, there is very little hour glass shape. Hemp twine has been helping me get harder, more consistent breaks. Wetting your spiking string with wheat paste before spiking will really tighten them up as they dry. I'm not sure what exactly Nighthawkinlight is talking about with rings of stars to tell you the truth, but perhaps he can explain more.

 

There are many hybrid methods out there. I can't promise perfect results the first time, it doesn't happen to anyone. You'll have to read about them, find what works best with your supplies, skill set, and preferences and go from there. It sounds like you have a pretty good idea about what is going on, and I am sure your shells will turn out great.

 

Also, there is a cheating way to make double break shells. Put the two bottoms together, and a fuse at the top and at the bottom. Your desired shells are probably small enough to make this work. It's not good to get into this practice, but it's an option if you can't feasibly work it out more traditionally.

 

Let us know if we can be of any more assistance. I'm sure everyone is glad to help. It'd be nice to have some competition with small to mid sized canisters at PGI in a few years.

[Pretty green flame]

This tutorial may ba a bit low tech but it should give you the basic idea of multi break construction.

http://www.apcforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=1791

As with most things in pyrotechnics, a bit of trial and error type work is neccessary to get things right.

 

PGF

[NightHawkInLight]

I'm not sure what exactly Nighthawkinlight is talking about with rings of stars to tell you the truth, but perhaps he can explain more.

In those small canister shells I like to pack in stars as if they were inserts. Make them form fit nice and tight like puzzle pieces. Your pulverone method is likely far faster. I also pack granulated BP into all the empty space, what little I end up with between stars.

[Ventsi]

I'll try the pulverone method.

And yes PGF thats what I am planning on doing, thanks anyway though.

[firetech]

Ventsi, the method I use is almost exactly the same as the guy uses in his video (the first posted vid), where each shell is built on the one before it. The first shell built being the last shell to break. That gives a pretty good idea of how I make my multi-breaks. It works pretty well and has been successful for me. I'm doing them on the same scale you are but a little smaller.

Good luck.

Edited September 30, 2009 by firetech