Adding a Center Pistel To a Ball Shell

[jrin0630]

I searched in a number of places including Passfire and couldn't locate this topic. So my question is how do I make a center pistel for a 3" ball shell? Not that the actual effect matters that much, but I was thinking of something like Tiger Tail with a Golden Streamer type pistel. How do I arrange the pistel stars? I was thinking they need to be in the middle of the TT stars, but then what about the burst? Could I arrange them in WITH the burst charge and get that pistel effect? Or is there some other kind of arrangement that creates the center pistel? Thanks...

[Miech]

Just fill the shell as you usually do. Then, after putting in the bursting charge, make a small hole in the bursting charge. Toss some stars in the hole, close the shell and proceed as usual. In general, streamer stars are more suited to a petal than a pistil, but I guess it is just a matter of taste.

[jrin0630]

Just fill the shell as you usually do. Then, after putting in the bursting charge, make a small hole in the bursting charge. Toss some stars in the hole, close the shell and proceed as usual. In general, streamer stars are more suited to a petal than a pistil, but I guess it is just a matter of taste.

 

 

Thanks....I'll try that and see what happens.

[Chris]

I think you might be refering to a palm pistil. There is a difference in performance between a center placed (color) pistil and a palm pistil. A palm pistil is the kind of pistil sometimes seen with bigger peony sheels. 3" will sizewise be little tight for a decent pistil, but absolutely doable. The palm pistil is done by placing fast burning streamer comets (or stars) with a long hang time symmetrically in the burst. You will get a good spread by placing the pistil stars a little away from the outer 'petal' of stars. Usually 6 - 8 pistil comets are used. I think that Shimizu states that the distance (or speed) a star flies from burst is directly proportional to its cros sectional density. This translates that if you use color stars as the main petal, you can even place the streamer comets in the same 'plane' with the stars. Since color stars usually are more dense than streamer stars, they will move further out, while the pistil stars create a big palm inside the shell. Below are few pics to illustrate my point. Hope it made sense.

 

Peony with palm pistil: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30048753@N05/2823613325

 

Peony with color pistil: http://www.ctpyro.com/resources/Ned+Gorski...+red+pistil.jpg

[dagabu]

I have had good luck with layering my outside stars against the shell, putting a small layer of rice hulls against that, set a tissue paper cup in the shell and fill with a layer of the pistil stars.

 

http://www.apcforum.net/forums/uploads/1250150951/gallery_9798_35_5909.jpg

[Mumbles]

That would be a full petal, not a pistil which are slightly different. Pistils are less defined, and probably all you'd be able to fit into a 3" shell. I normally just mix up the burst and stars in the center. It doesn't take much.

[firetech]

If you check out a flower that has a pistil, you'll notice that the stalks are random and unorganized unlike the petals. Therefore, in a shell that has a pistil it is supposed to be unorganized. The image above shows a double petal because it has two layers of organized stars.