Should I mill the chemicals?

[Updup]

I just received all the chemicals I ordered from skylighter, and was wondering, should I mill anything before mixing up a batch of stars?

 

I'm going to start with the rubber red stars:

 

KCIO4: 30%

MgAl: 30%

Strontium carbonate: 20%

Parlon: 15%

Red gum: 5%

 

I was hoping nothing needs milling.

 

Everything looks pretty fine, to my very untrained eyes that is. I also couldn't find any prep info on the rainbow rubber stars article on Skylighters website so I was hoping to get some information on what solvent to use and such (Acetone right?).

 

Thanks in advance

[Ralph]

they should already be fine enough, I would assume you know milling the composition itself would be dangerous

[Updup]

they should already be fine enough, I would assume you know milling the composition itself would be dangerous

 

Yeah, I know not to mill everything together, also, I talked to Xtreme about it and went ahead and made a 10 gram batch unmilled, WOW those stars are BRIGHT! And I put in 10% too much strontium carbonate

[Bonny]

I would pre-screen the KClO4 before mixing and screening together as, in my experience, it tends to clump up. The SrCO3 clumps too, but it will break up with screening the comp and mixing. Carbonates tend to make a mess on the screen when screened alone.

[AdmiralDonSnider]

Red gum is available as both a fine and a coarse grade. You could put it in a blade mill for a few seconds when using the latter. Everything else usually is fine enough for use as is. The perchlorate clumps, yes, but I´ve found no need for prescreening. I break up the biggest lumps by hand when mixing it on the paper before screening. The rest is gently pushed through the mixing screen and becomes fine again. Let me mention that I´m using a rather fine mesh for mixing (40-60 mesh); I prefer this over coarse screens when using unprepared chems such as clumpy oxidizers.

[Updup]

Red gum is available as both a fine and a coarse grade. You could put it in a blade mill for a few seconds when using the latter. Everything else usually is fine enough for use as is. The perchlorate clumps, yes, but I´ve found no need for prescreening. I break up the biggest lumps by hand when mixing it on the paper before screening. The rest is gently pushed through the mixing screen and becomes fine again. Let me mention that I´m using a rather fine mesh for mixing (40-60 mesh); I prefer this over coarse screens when using unprepared chems such as clumpy oxidizers.

 

Well, I didn't screen my mix, and if I had, I doubt it would have done anything since the only mesh size I have is an AL window screen, but I just kind of pushed the little lumps I had with my mixing spoon, and the stars turned out great!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYYwbMTf14I&safe_search=on

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYLMkVSGH-U&safe_search=on

[Mumbles]

There is a difference between clumpy red gum, and the sand/grit/dirt/sticks in lesser quality red gum. One can be ground down, and the other is best to just screen out and throw away. The same goes with all the clumps in parlon, better to just toss them or save them for screen slicing.

 

You'll want to get a set of screens sometime soon. You wont know how you lived without them once you've used them.

[Updup]

There is a difference between clumpy red gum, and the sand/grit/dirt/sticks in lesser quality red gum. One can be ground down, and the other is best to just screen out and throw away. The same goes with all the clumps in parlon, better to just toss them or save them for screen slicing.

 

You'll want to get a set of screens sometime soon. You wont know how you lived without them once you've used them.

 

Yeah, I might get some screens from mcmaster, as those seem to be a good deal.

 

Also, the Skylighter red gum and parlon are 100% free flowing and pure

[Mumbles]

Run them through a 100 mesh screen and see if you're still saying that.

[Algenco]

I hear people talking about lumpy Parlon, I must be lucky, I got 15 lb and it is very fine and fluffy, no lumps

[dagabu]

I have an old food processor I got from salvation army for $5.00 that works extremely well at milling lumps down