Why is my stars not drying!

[ghost808]

Hey guys i recently made a batch of some stars.

 

COMPOSITION

KNO3- 75

Charcoal -15

Sulfur -10

Dextrin- 5

+10% Ti

 

I cut some and pumped others.

Its been drying for nearly 3 days already and its not getting any harder.

The pumped ones are pretty hard on the outside but as soon as i squeeze them a little they will burst and crumble.

 

Is it just that i have not waited long enough? Or is something else wrong with it it?

Thanks

[Mumbles]

You probably haven't waited long enough. Some charcoal streamers can take weeks to dry. You can also break a star open and scratch it with a finger nail or knife. It will leave a white trail when it is fully dry.

[davis050594]

What's the weather like there? How much solvent did you use? I just made some stars here in St. Louis a few days ago in 30-60 degree weather. 3-4 days after cutting they shot fine out of a star gun. The stars I tested were c-8 and d1. The spider and kno3 white wouldnt light out of the gun, but seemed hard enough to put into a shell. I trust that they will work after fully drying. They have plenty of drying time after completion of the shell.

[ghost808]

Well i live in hawaii so its pretty wet over here. Solvent? I think i used a little to much. 25% alchohol 75% water but i added a little to much. They seem to getting slowly harder and harder!

They're still damp but burn pretty good.

So yeah i think that all i need is more time.

[ChrisNZ]

How are you drying them.. Are they spread out in one nice layer on a sheet of paper/card in open air?

[dagabu]

I use a food dehydrator (at ease safety guys) to dry hard to dry stars.

[Updup]

What's the weather like there? How much solvent did you use? I just made some stars here in St. Louis a few days ago in 30-60 degree weather. 3-4 days after cutting they shot fine out of a star gun. The stars I tested were c-8 and d1. The spider and kno3 white wouldnt light out of the gun, but seemed hard enough to put into a shell. I trust that they will work after fully drying. They have plenty of drying time after completion of the shell.

 

Just FYI, if your KNO3 white is anything like mine, you'll need to prime them up nicely... Also, is it really okay to let the stars finish drying inside the shell?

[Mumbles]

Stars will not dry when sealed in a shell.

[pogue1000]

I use food dehydrator as well, do the safety guys not like the idea?

 

I dont leave my running when I am not at home. It does a great job at getting things dry especially with the cold upon us.

I use a food dehydrator (at ease safety guys) to dry hard to dry stars.

[50AE]

Mumbles, shell contents should progressively dry if they are in a cardboard shell, because moisture slowly passes through paper. This could take weeks and months though.

[ghost808]

How are you drying them.. Are they spread out in one nice layer on a sheet of paper/card in open air?

 

They are lying on top of some toilet paper and some typing paper.

They are still a bit crumbly so i use a sling shot to test them instead of a star gun.

I'm pretty surprised how nice these stars really are i would recommend this for a simple but nice effect!

[Updup]

They are still a bit crumbly so i use a sling shot to test them instead of a star gun.

I'm pretty surprised how nice these stars really are i would recommend this for a simple but nice effect!

 

Wait, so you pulled back the slingshot with a star in it, lit the star, and let go? How in the world did you manage that?

 

Also, I didn't think drying stars inside shells would work, so davis, you might want to let them dry before loading your shells, it would suck to have all your stars blow blind...

[Mumbles]

Mumbles, shell contents should progressively dry if they are in a cardboard shell, because moisture slowly passes through paper. This could take weeks and months though.

 

I wouldn't really call that a reliable method, and would never count on such a thing. If for no other reason as there so no way to tell when/if the stars are actually dry.

[dagabu]

I use food dehydrator as well, do the safety guys not like the idea?

 

I dont leave my running when I am not at home. It does a great job at getting things dry especially with the cold upon us.

 

 

I have a plywood box that the dehydrator lives in, its lined with flashing so There is no way it will burn if the stars go up. I personally do not believe that a dehydrator can cook off any comp.

 

I wouldn't really call that a reliable method, and would never count on such a thing. If for no other reason as there so no way to tell when/if the stars are actually dry.

 

I have had a half dozen willow star shells that I made late last year and are still not dry. The stars have lost all but the last 4% of the added water I used when I pressed them in September of 2009. The loose stars will burn now but the ones in the shells come down with all of the charcoal still intact.

 

Where I can agree with the build it wet proposition is where Acetone is used, it seems to take a week to dry out a shell that was put together wet with acetone bound stars. It comes in real handy when stuffing a bunch of falling leaves into a ball shell

[Mumbles]

Wait, so you pulled back the slingshot with a star in it, lit the star, and let go? How in the world did you manage that?

 

Also, I didn't think drying stars inside shells would work, so davis, you might want to let them dry before loading your shells, it would suck to have all your stars blow blind...

 

Obviously you hold the blowtorch with your teeth.

[dagabu]

Obviously you hold the blowtorch with your teeth.

 

LOL!!

[ghost808]

Wait, so you pulled back the slingshot with a star in it, lit the star, and let go? How in the world did you manage that?

 

Also, I didn't think drying stars inside shells would work, so davis, you might want to let them dry before loading your shells, it would suck to have all your stars blow blind...

 

Haha well where you place the rock in the sling shot i used a bottle cap and taped it on. I then attached a fuse to the star and lit the fuse and shot the star so it ignites in mid air.

It not the best method but it seems to work haha!!

 

 

 

[Algenco]

Haha well where you place the rock in the sling shot i used a bottle cap and taped it on. I then attached a fuse to the star and lit the fuse and shot the star so it ignites in mid air.

It not the best method but it seems to work haha!!

 

 

 

 

 

somewhat, the velocity of the star as it's burning is important.

 

What may look good from the slingshot could blow blind in a shell.

 

A "star gun" will give you a better idea about how well the star lights/burns.

 

I use 6" pieces of copper pipe, 1/2" and 3/4"

[davis050594]

Wait, so you pulled back the slingshot with a star in it, lit the star, and let go? How in the world did you manage that?

 

Also, I didn't think drying stars inside shells would work, so davis, you might want to let them dry before loading your shells, it would suck to have all your stars blow blind...

 

The stars had been out drying for a while. I didn't think to test the ones I primed out of the gun. I primed half and left half with no prime to test the ignition. I think I'll know if only half of the stars go. They were almost 100% dry.

 

 

 

[50AE]

Not saying you should rely on it, but I say moisture passes through paper. A reason you have to keep your shells in a dry place. I've only made shells with slightly damp rice hulls, fired them after a month and they did very good.