D1 Glitter

[Zmuro]

What mesh size is airfloat charcoal in D1 composition? Some say that the boric acid shouldn't be used because it counters the effect of bicarbonate, so is that true? Can it be ball milled for about 3-5 min just to achieve homogenus mixture?

[RubenE]

The boric acid will get neutralized by the bicarbonate, so it would be a "waste" to add it. And when using atomized Al it is very unlikely that the composistion ignites spontaneously. I usually ball mill all the ingridients except the Al for like half an hour, and the I screen in the aluminium. Allthough I have heard that the best way to make glitter it to make sure that all the components are finely powdered and the screen them together. No ball milling. I'm gonna try that soon to se if there's any difference.

 

Shoot me if I'm wrong.

[pudidotdk]

I make sure the chemicals are fine grounded, then mix it in a plastic bag 'till homogeneous.

[Miech]

The best D1 glitter I ever made was made by grinding all ingredients excluding aluminium with a mortar and pestle for about 5 minutes. I think it is not the general mesh size of the ingredients that matters, but the variation in particle size. Also, the particle size and shape of the aluminium is of great influence. Spherical atomized #250 aluminium is superior to most flake aluminium.

[Zmuro]

I ball milled it for 5 minutes and screen in the aluminium and the composition barely burn and with no sparks, so it seems that my chemicals are not fine enough. So what should I do with 1kg of composition, I know I can't ball mill it.

[oskarchem]

Well, wet it and make stars out of it.. Normally glitter comps don't burn in powder form...

[KAP]

I made this today, I should have looked into its burnrate before I pumped them. I pumped 3/4 x 3/4'' comets.

 

I really like the bursts of the aluminum, I used skylighters 325 spherical Al.

It does seem slow, and to slow for thundering aeriolites (I made some of those to).

I may end up breaking up the comets and make a 3''polka shell with no rules on star size, just as long as they don't reach the ground.

[KAP]

Disreguard the last post, it seems to burn just fine. I rammed 6 1'' Aeriolites and the delay time is perfect 1'' deep rammed slightly dampened, its about three seconds before the Flash Thunder Charge with Ti for Bling Bling.

I am a impatient pyro suffering from IDS, I have to go light somthing.

[Yankie]

I have only ever made one batch of D1 before and I used Aluminium that i simply filed, it was spectacular, just to think what i could acheive with the proper Al, I have a choice of 200 mesh atomized or 325 mesh atomised, would the larger particles make brighter flashes? which one should I get?

[FrankRizzo]

The larger mesh will increase the delay and make *slightly* brighter flashes. Get the -325.

[Yankie]

hmm, won't that look better? and its not 325 its 300. but it cost 32.50 to get 500 grams courier

[frogy]

$30.92 USD for 500 grams? hmm...

 

Any other "deals" there on aluminum?

 

There's no way I would fork out that much.

[FrankRizzo]

Fred,

 

Do you have a ball mill?

[Yankie]

Yes i do have a ball mill. which reminds me to post the video on youtube. why do you ask? if its anything to do with milling al foil then dont bother as i want a specific mesh size and dont want to run the risk of the mill exploding.

[Updup]

Well, I'm conFUSEed (Stupid pun.. I know).

 

Do I ball mill each chemical and then screen or shake everything together?

Or do I bal mill everything to a fine powder and further shake/screen in the Al?

[Mumbles]

Up to you. Ballmilling everything (sans Aluminum), will make the star burn faster and shorten the tail and glitter delay. I personally just screen all of my glitter compositions together. All of my chemicals except KNO3 are already fine powders, so I really should be ball milling that stuff.

[dagabu]

Up to you. Ballmilling everything (sans Aluminum), will make the star burn faster and shorten the tail and glitter delay. I personally just screen all of my glitter compositions together. All of my chemicals except KNO3 are already fine powders, so I really should be ball milling that stuff.

 

I blade mill my KNO3 and pass it through a 60 mesh screen and pass everything else (including Al) through a 8 mesh screen (window screen or larger) three times to mix. As Mumbles says, it will really take the beautiful effect away from D1 if you mill it.

 

That being said, I have made D1 cores that I milled to airfloat and added Al at the end, I wanted them to blink on and they did.

 

D

Edited January 6, 2010 by dagabu

[Updup]

So everything dosn't have to be airfloat?

My sulfur is about as fine as it gets.

My kno3 is fairly fine, you can see the particles though.

My charcoal I've blade milled, although it's not airfloat.

My dextrin is fine.

And my AL (When i get it, i was finally shiped todat after skylighter had a big overload on orders) is 325 mesh.

 

Should I just mix? Or prosses anything further?

 

Thanks for the last bit Dave, three times with a window screen, got it .

[Bonny]

So everything dosn't have to be airfloat?

My sulfur is about as fine as it gets.

My kno3 is fairly fine, you can see the particles though.

My charcoal I've blade milled, although it's not airfloat.

My dextrin is fine.

And my AL (When i get it, i was finally shiped todat after skylighter had a big overload on orders) is 325 mesh.

 

Should I just mix? Or prosses anything further?

 

Thanks for the last bit Dave, three times with a window screen, got it .

 

 

As dagabu said, blade mill and screen the KNO3 through a 60 mesh (or 100mesh if you want) before using

I would also ball mill or further blade mill the charcoal before using. I screen charcoal through 100 mesh and call that my airfloat.

 

Be sure to use different blade mills for fuels and oxidizers.

[Mumbles]

I've been blade milling my nitrate through a 60 mesh screen as well. I think it might be a tad bit damp, but it's been creating fallout issues with glitters. Not this formula specifically though. It seems pretty good in general.

[dagabu]

As dagabu said, blade mill and screen the KNO3 through a 60 mesh (or 100mesh if you want) before using

I would also ball mill or further blade mill the charcoal before using. I screen charcoal through 100 mesh and call that my airfloat.

 

Be sure to use different blade mills for fuels and oxidizers.

 

Sorry, I didnt mean that the way it sounded. When I make airfloat, it all has to pass 100 mesh, when I buy it, I use as is. I also screen my homemade stuff through 60, 40, 20 and 10 mesh screens. This only applies to pine for me, I use hard wood for BP, pine is for stars and tails.

 

NOTE: As Mumbles can attest, Ned just posted pix somewhere else (rhymes with assfire) of a "Biochar" method of making charcoal that may have brought back my faith in the craft.

 

D

Edited January 6, 2010 by dagabu

[firetech]

http://pyrobin.com/files/glitter.wmv

 

-325 mesh Al from UG. Great stuff.

[Updup]

http://pyrobin.com/files/glitter.wmv

 

-325 mesh Al from UG. Great stuff.

 

 

Bit off topic, but how is one -325 mesh Al anydiffrent form the next? Does the alloy its made from really effect anything?

[Mumbles]

Different size particles, different shape, and different size distribution. Just because something is -325 doesn't mean it isn't all the size or shape. Something that is 30 micron and something that is 5 micron are both still -325 mesh.

[dagabu]

Bit off topic, but how is one -325 mesh Al anydiffrent form the next? Does the alloy its made from really effect anything?

 

Yes, I have around a dozen different Aluminum's, I dont know of any but MgAl that is an alloy, I think all of the flakes and sphericals I have are pure (with a trace of other stuff) Al.

Each one will do different things such and Andjis Al. It will not blink on and off like that, some leave tails, others flash.

 

D