Pyro Porn : I Love This Tail : What Is It ?

[eddiegnz1]

I can't stop watching this video...seen it 167 times. What a ridiculous obsession I have with those gorgeous stars

 

 

3 Color Star (Spiderweb to Violet to Gold Strobe)

As an amature/beginner hobbyist, I'll never get my stars to look that good. But how can I modify a Tiger Tail formula to get as close as I can possibly get to the tail on that video???

The stars in the the video were made by an extreme expert veteran who (for good legitimate reasons) does not share his secret formula (I wouldn't either because he makes a living selling them, so I fully respect that). But I'm a home enthusiast that will never attempt to make a 3 color star...nor anything of that scale. And I will certainly never sell fireworks that I make. But he's a very good guy and was kind enough to share some clues and tips with me about it (he probably realized that I pose no real threat to ever become his competition). The star is a 3 color star but I'm only going to attempt the first two colors (exclude the final gold strobe). In this post, I'm only requesting help with the first color (the Tiger Tail): He said all of the following about the first color:

 

1) the name of his first color is "Spider Web"

2) his "Spider Web" is similiar to the tigertail formula, however it contains lampblack and something else (secret) and the proportions have been changed slightly"

3) his formulas have been designed to be rolled or processed on a grand scale. Big heavy batches in big manly rollers. He said I'd find his spiderweb formula very difficult to roll in a small roller with a small batch.

 

The attributes I love about his "Spider Web" is that the tail seems longer than a typical tigertail but not too long like willow. And the tail is not a wide trail of sparks (it's a more solid line). The tail is not a random fliker. The tail is so clean and neat that it looks fake as if it was a computer generated animation. His tails are like very neatly drawn lines. And the color of the "spider web" is so perfect for the black sky.

 

Any suggestions on tweaks and modifications I can make to the tipical tigertail formula in my efforts to get closer to that tail? My first wild and inexperienced gues is

 

**Potasimu Nitrate 35

**Charcoal Airfloat (pine) 35

**Lampblack 16

**Sulfur 7

**SGRS (not Dextrin) 7

 

I know what you're thinking, the real secret ingredient is his expertise from years of experience and study....I understand...

[Miech]

Just make bigger stars. Those will also give you a curved path through the air (the spider effect), although your bouquet might get a little sparse. The formula you posted there will probably burn very dim, a little like a typical willow composition or even less bright. I'd probably use Shimiz's willow composition, made with pine charcoal and maybe a little iron powder.

[Mumbles]

Just make bigger stars. Those will also give you a curved path through the air (the spider effect)...

 

Miech, that is almost the exact opposite of the spider shell effect.

 

As far as the formula, you might not want to go any slower than tiger tail. The transition is the hard part, you can always modify the speed later. The speed is pretty much controlled by the Nitrate:Charcoal ratio. In tigertail it is 1:1 with 44 parts each. You might want to speed it up slightly, which would give a brighter thicker tail. It will minimize fall out with smaller shells too, as it seem you not going to try to replicate the 8 or 10" shell size. Perhaps try 50:38, and add some lampblack. Ball mill it, and use pine charcoal or some other semi-reactive charcoal. Something like:

 

KNO3 - 50

Charcoal - 28

Lampblack - 10

Sulfur - 7

Dextrin -5

 

[edit] The formula I gave is almost exactly Chrysanthemum 8 with 10 parts lampblack.

[dagabu]

I agree, the willow and some TT call for very close charcoal and KNO3 amounts where all of the spider webs call for about double (or more) know than what you have listed.

 

D

[NightHawkInLight]

I have to say, I don't think you will get a tail that looks as smooth as that on a much smaller scale. It looks to me like plain old C6 or C8 could be a pretty close imitation, a little lampblack would tune it in as Mumbles listed. The big thing here in the appearance as far as I can tell is the size of the stars and the distance they're being viewed at. Normal stars taper out toward the end as they burn out because the star shrinks to nothing. These have a solid tail all the way through because they are rolled around a large core, and even when the streamer comp is about to go out it is still burning with a fairly large surface area.

[Ventsi]

If I may say, this is a commercial company. LBS stands for Little Big Shots, Albert Knoblach, the guy who was on Dirty Jobs runs th company by himself. He states that the outer layer is a spider web formula. If you watch the episode he actually gives the formula.

 

Bill Ofca's Gold Spiderweb star:

 

Potassium Nitrate 53.571%

Charcoal 32.143%

Sulfur 7.143%

Dextrin 7.143%

 

Ohh, and he states he uses lampblack in the formula.

Edited January 6, 2010 by Ventsi

[NightHawkInLight]

You know I was told when they were airing that episode but I had to miss it. Is it anywhere online?

[dagabu]

You know I was told when they were airing that episode but I had to miss it. Is it anywhere online?

 

Its on pyrobin.com

[FREAKYDUTCHMEN]

Every camera pics up fireworks differently, so a good camera also works

[Richtee]

While "porn" in a title in our venacular may seem correct... it really isn't what you want in the search engine world.

 

Speaking as a moderator on a couple other sites...

[dagabu]

While "porn" in a title in our venacular may seem correct... it really isn't what you want in the search engine world.

 

Speaking as a moderator on a couple other sites...

 

Porno for pyros?

[craig]

u were on about willow any chance u can tell me the chemical i need to make them and how u get them to fall low the stars and how much i need to make a batch up i wanted to no if u can help with the willows with the stars in the center of the willow as it brakes and if u no how to make the willow stars for the colour stars on the ends of the willows

[Seymour]

u were on about willow any chance u can tell me the chemical i need to make them and how u get them to fall low the stars and how much i need to make a batch up i wanted to no if u can help with the willows with the stars in the center of the willow as it brakes and if u no how to make the willow stars for the colour stars on the ends of the willows

 

Willow has quite a few uses in fireworks. There are many different species of willow trees used to make gunpowder charcoal.

 

A slightly under broken shell with long drooping streamers is sometimes called a Willow Shell.

 

Some formulas, notably one by Takeo Shimizu (a name you'll hear around a bit, because he wrote a book you should get) are named Willow. These stars usually have a very long dim gold tail. I suspect they might be designed for willow shells.

 

You appear to be talking about the willlow type drooping stars for shells., sort of, but it's far from clear, and I cannot help you too much for that reason.

 

If so then the answer is to have the stars burn for long enough that they droop once they've lost momentum. A red Peony on the other hand will not droop because the stars burn out before they loose momentum.