Need a new break/salute charge

[geoffism]

A shorter version of the question below; is there any additional risk to a 50:50 Magnalium, potassium perchlorate flash powder mixture as oppose to 2:1 and 7:3 Aluminum + potassium perchlorate mix?

 

 

 

More Info:

 

I have a 6 inch shell with several willow stars. I have the burn time down perfect but the problem I am having is I can't get the shell to break hard enough to spread stars out. I have tried the following as a break in various quantities:

 

- BP meal

- BP in various granulation

- BP coated rice halls

- 70/30 potassium perchlorate and 5413 super

- 2:1 potassium perchlorate and 5413 super

 

To remedy my problem I was thinking of mixing 50:50 Potassium Perchlorate and Magnalium as pyroguide says this is more powerful then the flash I have been using. Pyroguide also says this mix is more sensitive but it doesnt state what it is more sensitive to like shock, friction, static, etc. In what way is this more sensitive and is there any other safety precautions, problems or warnings i should be aware of before I mix this. I also want to accomplish a nice big salute mixed in with the 6 inch willow shell so having some powerful flash to break this is I'm sure necessary. I also love salutes and if this is indeed more powerful I would love to shoot a salute with this stuff in it. This mix is also a bit cheaper then the flash i've been making.

 

 

Thanks

G

 

 

EDIT:: if this is considered HE please pm me your answers and close the thread. I don't have HE access yet.

Edited August 28, 2010 by geoffism

[Ralph]

yes magnalium flash is more sensative than Al flash more sensative translates to additional risk.

 

Sounds like your BP sucks balls if your having a bp broken 6" break softly you may need to rethink your bp alittle

[geoffism]

yes more sensitive but in what way? static friction shock or some other way or are those things increased? Is the sensitivity increased so much that I absolutely should not do it like KMnO4/MgAl?

 

My BP is pretty good stuff I use a ball mill and the CIA method and it burns wicked fast. I have also tried commercial stuff in various granulation. My shells are also bound together extremely tight

Edited August 28, 2010 by geoffism

[Seymour]

The performance of the MgAl flash will significantly be based on the size of the MgAl particles, the finer the better obviously. Much of the stuff used for stars will probably add some kick to the shell, but not a whole lot.

 

I personally do boost my shells with flash, but I strongly suggest that you really paste your shells well first.

 

Perhaps you already do (and ignore me if that's the case), but without pasting (you should paste paper and plastic shells) you re just going to get the contents dumped in the sky.

 

If you boost it hard you will not need as much pasting.

 

Personally I like lots of pasting and a very modest flash booster to notch it up a bit.

[Algenco]

I agree with Seymour, needs more pasting/spiking

[geoffism]

Believe me its been pasted and spiked very well... any info on magnalium flash? I don't mind risk and danger but I do need to know what it is and how much.

[jimbo]

probably more sensitive in all aspects,friction,shock,heat and static so just be extra careful

[Ralph]

Believe me its been pasted and spiked very well... any info on magnalium flash? I don't mind risk and danger but I do need to know what it is and how much.

 

If its pasted well and your getting a break that's really that bad either your BP sucks (what I believe to be the problem) or your not coating on enough onto your hulls adding the flash might make it break harder but ewith out decent bp in there no way of lifting it well and the fire wont pass to the stars as it should

[Goofy]

@geoffism,

 

First, you don't need any more powerful flash than 70/30 kclo4/5413S Al to break your spider shell! It works REALLY well. Too much and it will just shatter your stars.

 

If you want to make Mg/Al flash then the question is why but for curiosity? The added risks associated with its mfg. and the pain to ball mill the metal portion fine enough don't really warrant its use when what you really want it is to just break your shell harder. There are several other ways to do that which have been offered.

 

I think the others are telling you your issue is either your BP is not hot enough for your current confinement or you current confinement is not strong enough for your BP. Whether you believe your BP is hot enough or that you have enough paste wraps isn't really important. It's rather, "What results am I getting with my current "system"? The burst charge is just one variable that can be manipulated. There are others.

 

#1. Assuming you are using a 6" PLASTIC Ball shell with 3/4" or 7/8" round stars of a C6 or C8 mix and NO paste wrap you should be using about 25 to 30 grams of slow flash 3/3/1.5/3/1.5/1.5 ( KCLO4 / KNO3 / Ba(NO3)2 / AL 809 / Sb2S3 / S ) in a centeralized bag (not just dumped in on top of the hulls). This being surrounded by 7:1 BP: hulls and glued shut will break like a salute in the sky and that is a WAY weaker flash mix than 70:30! This method was described in Bill Ofca's Technique in Fire volume 3 Design and Assembly of the 6" American Crown Chrysanthemum Plastic Ball shell.

 

#2 Assuming you are making paper shells, which generally have much more confinement than the plastic, just dial the flash burst charge up or down depending on the # of paste wraps your putting on. You'll probably use significantly less flash.

 

#3 If you're making cylinder shells then keep the burst charge in the center in a bag or similar, use you polverone as filler, (some even omit this) and again dial the flash bag up or down for taste. You should be cracking the sky is no time!

 

Hope that helps and good luck,

 

Goofy

Edited August 29, 2010 by Goofy

[geoffism]

I'm definitely curious if i can i would like to add this FP to my salutes from now on and I have extremely fine magnalium so i wont have to mill it. It is definitly not my BP because i use it as lift and it goes extremely high I just want to make sure magnalium flash isnt like KMnO4/MgAl

[al93535]

One crucial piece of information you left out. How many grams are you going to use to break the shell with?

 

I make and use Mgal flash powders everyday at work, KClO4 and -325 mesh mgal. It's not all that powerful. However, get some of the milled -600 mesh mgal from ebay and WOW! A gram in the open will report as loud as if it were confined! This would be ideal in a crossette, or other small device where you are limited to a very small break charge. I would consider mgal flash more dangerous not because its more sensitive, (you should be careful as hell and always ready for an accident). Instead, if you are using really fine mgal, a tiny amount will do alot more damage because it will explode in the open. Its nothing like KMnO4/MgAl. If it were any more dangerous to make then 70;30 flash, we wouldn't use it in the industry.

 

Now in a 200 gram 4" salute, you will NEVER see a difference in sound, thump or anything using milled perchlorate and 1 micron magnesium compared to -100 mesh perchlorate and -400 american dark aluminum. I have first hand experience with that, including the -600 mesh mgal.

 

What I use in my 6" shells: KP on rice hulls 5:1 ratio. Booster: 4 grams of loose flash in the center KClO4 62%, 10890 aluminum (-400 american dark eqiv) 27% sulfur 11%. Thats what I use in my salutes, and it works great as a booster in the shells. For a harder break, try 5 grams.

[Cookieman]

With good pasting and a strong energetic burst charge you should'nt have a problem in getting a good symmetrical break.I find for me that willow stars are harder to dry, easy to light,and easy to shatter.I use a KP burst charge with 5% Mg/al added to it.