Skycastlefish Posted July 12, 2010 Posted July 12, 2010 Hey APCers,I recently graduated from fountains and cremoras to stars and mines. Mumbles gave me this comp as a good beginner star Degn Spider StarKNO3 - 15C - 9S - 2Dex - 2 These stars are great! They don't need prime, they stream nice. What would be a good second star formula to try out? I'm looking for something to contrast the effect of these streamers so I can mix stars. I'm hoping to avoid poisonous chems. Any advice?
Ralph Posted July 12, 2010 Posted July 12, 2010 I like RG (formula and discussion is in the link) they work with out prime also and the only additional chem you need is spherical/atomised Al which is cheap. the barium containing versions would be poisonous but not supper bad here is a
al93535 Posted July 12, 2010 Posted July 12, 2010 Go with the same star, except now add 10% titanium, or sperical aluminum for a silver effect
Skycastlefish Posted July 12, 2010 Author Posted July 12, 2010 Thanks guys. Up until this point I've kept my BP chems and my metals separate so this is an important step for me, I want to do it right. If I'm adding Ti, for example, would I screen the BP chems by themselves then combine the Ti and BP in a plastic container and shake to mix? Also, I've read that wet aluminum powder releases a flammable gas? i think? Is this irrelevant when mixed as a small percentage? In other words, now that I'm bringing metal into picture, what new safety precautions should I think about? I've got a +/- 350 mesh Al that is an industrial byproduct, so I imagine its been superheated and would cool to be spherical? Might this work?
al93535 Posted July 12, 2010 Posted July 12, 2010 Yes, screen and mix the comp as usual then add the titanium and mix it in. As for the aluminum, usually a nitrate and aluminum would require boric acid in the comp. A prefered method is to have the dissolved acid in the water you use in the comp. In this case with relatively coarse spherical aluminum, there isn't much need. Any -100 flake aluminum or any aluminum under 50 micron you need to add the boric acid. You NEED to be sure about what chemicals you are working with! If you don't know, just add the boric acid. New safety precautions? Here you go: Imagine that at any time, and completely spontaneously your comp can ignite. Now take precuations on those assumptions.
Skycastlefish Posted July 12, 2010 Author Posted July 12, 2010 As for the aluminum, usually a nitrate and aluminum would require boric acid in the comp. A prefered method is to have the dissolved acid in the water you use in the comp. You NEED to be sure about what chemicals you are working with! If you don't know, just add the boric acid. New safety precautions? Here you go: Imagine that at any time, and completely spontaneously your comp can ignite. Now take precuations on those assumptions. OK, that was my next question. I thought that KNO3 + Al + H2O + Minutes = unstable. So I could add a small amount of boric acid to a 2 parts water, 1 part sta-flow mixture and spray to dampen? Sounds like good safety guidelines
Ralph Posted July 12, 2010 Posted July 12, 2010 OK, that was my next question. I thought that KNO3 + Al + H2O + Minutes = unstable. So I could add a small amount of boric acid to a 2 parts water, 1 part sta-flow mixture and spray to dampen? Sounds like good safety guidelines it really depends on your aluminium most normal glitter aluminium (spherical/atomised) is fine (unless your doing like a 10kg batch) and in some formulations (like those with sodium hydrogen carbonate) boric acid will do nothing. why use sta flow and not the traditional binders mentioned in formulas ?
Skycastlefish Posted July 12, 2010 Author Posted July 12, 2010 why use sta flow and not the traditional binders mentioned in formulas ? Well, I've never used dextrin. Not because I have a problem with it, its just that I learned to make bp with water and sta-flow and it has worked great, is equally compatable, cheap, and its a starch. Simple carbs are simple carbs.
Ralph Posted July 12, 2010 Posted July 12, 2010 try dextrin I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the hardness of the stars didnt you use it in the spider stars ?
Skycastlefish Posted July 12, 2010 Author Posted July 12, 2010 didnt you use it in the spider stars ? No. I added a zero to everything and omitted the dextrin. This left me with 260g that I wet with a little water, a tablespoon of sta-flow, more water, and a tablespoon and teaspoon of sta-flow. I'm happy to try some dextrin though.
Mumbles Posted July 12, 2010 Posted July 12, 2010 I'm sorry I never got to your PM. Glitters are a nice next step from BP formulas. If you want something to pair with the charcoal streamer, I'm quite fond of purple. Both Yankie Purple, and Majdali purple are very nice.
Skycastlefish Posted July 13, 2010 Author Posted July 13, 2010 No problem. I ask so many questions - I don't expect anyone to keep up with them. Hmm, Yankie Purple isn't yielding a quick search result, I'll keep looking and get back to you if I can't find them. Can I add 10% titanium to any black powder star formula? Like tiger tails? Also, most of the Ti I'm finding for sale is mixed with either Al, Fe or is large, like 10-30 mesh. Whats the deal with that?
Skycastlefish Posted July 13, 2010 Author Posted July 13, 2010 OK, I found the Majdali, still haven't found the Yankie...
Mumbles Posted July 13, 2010 Posted July 13, 2010 Phil is a great guy. Titanium isn't cheap in general, just so you're aware before the sticker shock. http://www.ihaveadotcom.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=72_119&products_id=335 Yankie Purple: http://www.amateurpyro.com/forums/topic/3500-yankies-kp-purple/
Skycastlefish Posted July 13, 2010 Author Posted July 13, 2010 Phil is a great guy. Titanium isn't cheap in general, just so you're aware before the sticker shock. http://www.ihaveadot...products_id=335 Yankie Purple: http://www.amateurpy...kies-kp-purple/ Alright, I just purchase some Ti, redgum, and dextrin (just for you Ralph ) Phil's prices seem fair and I don't mind spending a few extra bucks for quality and customer service. I watched the vid of Yankie's purple and its, well, purple! I know camera's tend to make blues look purple, but it looks like exactly what I'm looking for.
Siegmund Posted July 23, 2010 Posted July 23, 2010 Phil is a great guy... etc etc Could I suggest you add ihaveadot to the supplier reviews page? (I found this thread while searching for reviews - he's one of the few who will put up with the ORM-D fuss to ship oxidizers to Alaska.)
pyrochris732 Posted July 24, 2010 Posted July 24, 2010 i made some silvery white stars with 50% potassium perchlorate and 50% atomized aluminum. I pumped them with a 1/2 " star pump and they are amazing.
Mumbles Posted July 24, 2010 Posted July 24, 2010 If you add 5-8 parts red gum or shellac for the aluminum the tail will get much longer.
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