Japanese Starmines

[AdmiralDonSnider]

It´s no secret that I´m into Japanese fireworks. Jap starmines seem to be another type of fireworks rarely if ever seen in the western hemisphere. The following lines try to explain the concept (no pyro prophethood intended).

 

"In (some) contrast to the western meaning of the term, japanese starmines not only employ ordinary stars and small flowers (or pupadelles), but also commonly sized aerial shells to produce low-, mid- and high-air effects in sequence.

 

See Shimizu FAST p.267 for a description and drawings. Ordinary mortars are bottom-fused with timefuse or quickmatch, equipped with a "lift cartridge" (or loose lift), pasted paper, and loaded with two round 3" shells in a row, followed by small flowers and stars. This is covered with a cardboard plug to prevent premature ignition.

 

The effect is an ordinary mine display (as known from western fireworks) followed by small flowers breaking mid-air and two or more chrysanthemum effects developing at the usual height. Great for a finale chain and definately a spectacular sight when fired simultaneously. These are expected to consume less materials than one large shell by the way."

 

I´d love to talk about possible failure causes for example; the lift requirements do seem pretty economic - but what can go wrong, not only doing possible harm, but also wasting multiple shells?

 

Other issues:

What to use as a mid-air effect (small flowers are uncommon in US/EU style of pyro)?

Which effect combinations could be pleasing? Any special ideas...

 

Definately a project to come up, maybe even as soon as this new years eve....

[Mumbles]

Not to steal your topic, but there is another type of japanese star mine where it looks as if a full sized shell is breaking on the ground making a full hemisphere of stars. I've been very interested in that effect. Someone from my club knows how to do it, but wont give it up just yet. He says they're fired from mortars.

 

Anyway, I really like the combination of firefly with blue. I bet red over the top would be a nice finish. Another cool combination would be to use gasoline or cremora for a fireball as the low level effect.

 

 

Small flowers don't seem to be all that popular in the US, or within the amateur pyro community in general. It seems people are too focused on getting chinese style over broken shells. It also goes against the current faster the better mentality. I myself love canister shells, the more complex the better. Along with that comes lots of practice with making small flowers, albeit cylindrical ones.

 

The one thing I would be worried about is HDPE mortars. I just don't trust them for heavy loads. I'd start using steel not much above 3" mines.

[Pyro1]

Mumbles, i too like those ground bloom type shells, so much so i tried to recreate the effect.

i used a hdpe 3inch mortar cut to 2x 3inch shell hight above the plug, so very small, i built only half a 3inch shell with a layer of pulverone before the stars were placed in, i used a good benzolift as my filler then covered the top with stars and then covered the top of the half shell with a pressed disk of 6 ply 60gr kraft, i also used quick match as the time fuse so almost no delay, the lift charge was 6gr of the same benzolift, then i pasted i single piece of 60gr kraft around it all to finnish it off.

so really it was a controlled half shell flower pot, in a tiny mortar.

it worked fantastic and just like the ones you see on youtube, except small scale.

sorry i dont have any pics or video, but i will video the next one.

 

 

Paul.

[dagabu]

Not to steal your topic, but there is another type of japanese star mine where it looks as if a full sized shell is breaking on the ground making a full hemisphere of stars. I've been very interested in that effect. Someone from my club knows how to do it, but wont give it up just yet. He says they're fired from mortars.

 

Anyway, I really like the combination of firefly with blue. I bet red over the top would be a nice finish. Another cool combination would be to use gasoline or cremora for a fireball as the low level effect.

 

 

Small flowers don't seem to be all that popular in the US, or within the amateur pyro community in general. It seems people are too focused on getting chinese style over broken shells. It also goes against the current faster the better mentality. I myself love canister shells, the more complex the better. Along with that comes lots of practice with making small flowers, albeit cylindrical ones.

 

The one thing I would be worried about is HDPE mortars. I just don't trust them for heavy loads. I'd start using steel not much above 3" mines.

 

I can't get to YouTube here so I cant see the shells, are they the water shells?

[Pyro1]

I can't get to YouTube here so I cant see the shells, are they the water shells?

 

 

its a similar affect but done from solid ground

 

Paul.

[Xtreme Pyro]

Mumbles, i too like those ground bloom type shells, so much so i tried to recreate the effect.

i used a hdpe 3inch mortar cut to 2x 3inch shell hight above the plug, so very small, i built only half a 3inch shell with a layer of pulverone before the stars were placed in, i used a good benzolift as my filler then covered the top with stars and then covered the top of the half shell with a pressed disk of 6 ply 60gr kraft, i also used quick match as the time fuse so almost no delay, the lift charge was 6gr of the same benzolift, then i pasted i single piece of 60gr kraft around it all to finnish it off.

so really it was a controlled half shell flower pot, in a tiny mortar.

it worked fantastic and just like the ones you see on youtube, except small scale.

sorry i dont have any pics or video, but i will video the next one.

 

 

Paul.

 

Something a little like this maybe?

Ive always wondered how those were made. Ive also heard there are some that are made in a full hemisphere with no time fuse, little pasting and a weak burst charge (to avoid blowing mortars) to simulate the same effect.

[dagabu]

I have only seen video, I bet the Swish knows how they are made.

[Pyro1]

Something a little like this maybe?

Ive always wondered how those were made. Ive also heard there are some that are made in a full hemisphere with no time fuse, little pasting and a weak burst charge (to avoid blowing mortars) to simulate the same effect.

 

its almost the same effect.

my attempt produced an almost half sphere busrt though, this was achieved instantly above the short mortar.

their is one thing though , it was very quiet so on my next attempt im going to try to plug the mortar a bit but not too hard, just to give a bit more compression and hopefully a bit more boom.

 

Paul.

[Mumbles]

Well Dagabu, the only ones I've seen were fired at PGI this year, so practically everything could have been considered a water shell. Maybe that was the trick. Pick the mortars that were full of water so you could float a plastic shell on top.

 

The lack of time fuse is really interesting. I'd think you'd want some black match piping up into the shell just to be sure. I did wonder if it was an intentional flowerpot. This is definitely one of those things you'd want to fire from steel, or a mortar you didn't care about.

 

Unfortunately for those of us in the US, the mines as described in shimizu and by admiraldonsnider are all but illegal in PGI competition due to how tall they'd have to be. Not that I normally care about such things, but I sort of see the things I bring to club shoots as practice for what I might bring to PGI someday. If I could still shoot at home for my family, I might be more willing to try something like this. Still I'd love to see it in action.

[AdmiralDonSnider]

What amazes me is how little lift powder Shimizu proposes for his 2*3" plus small flowers plus stars mine: 19grams 4Fa. It seems that not much extra power is required compared to a single 3" launch (which uses about 10-12 grams), as the mortar-fitting shells will push the rest out anyway.

 

Nice combination you suggested, Mumbles. I often see photos of all the same color starmines (stars, small flowers and shells) - there´s one in Hardt of a jive color starmine front.

 

For me the starmine setup is a promising option for a finale. You don´t ever see something like this around here (but well: you don´t ever see any conventional mine either - if I think about it: the only things that you do see are chinese flash-broken cake shells, finalled with some brocades...).

 

I generally use fiberglass mortars, but another material may be safer indeed.