oldguy Posted March 3, 2011 Posted March 3, 2011 Okay everyone will laugh. But, I found Crisco shortning with about 20% stearine & hexamine added makes a pretty darned good binder.At least in flares. Not sure about anything else. Crisco's main Ingredients is soy bean & palm oil.
Bonny Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 Okay everyone will laugh. But, I found Crisco shortning with about 20% stearine & hexamine added makes a pretty darned good binder.At least in flares. Not sure about anything else. Crisco's main Ingredients is soy bean & palm oil. That's pretty interesting.I'd think being mostly oil, that it would bind anything at all. Are you pressing the flares into tubes? The Crisco might just be sort of "oiling it up" and gently holding it together, rather than actually binding it.Try making some stars with it and let us know what happens.
NightHawkInLight Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 I imagine it would work similar to vaseline in whistle rockets. I wouldn't really call it a binder in the usual sense, but it would aid in consolidating the grain and I suppose offer a little bit of a 'binding' quality. Cheap and interesting. I'd like to see some videos of these flares you've been spending so much time working on.
oldguy Posted March 4, 2011 Author Posted March 4, 2011 That's pretty interesting.I'd think being mostly oil, that it would bind anything at all. Are you pressing the flares into tubes? The Crisco might just be sort of "oiling it up" and gently holding it together, rather than actually binding it.Try making some stars with it and let us know what happens. Yes, I bought the tall $99 Harbor Freight press just for that purpose. So I could press tubes. Adding a little stearine, which is used in candle making, hardens the Crisco up.Plus adds a little secondary fuel itself & a little hexamine adds that much more.Palm oil content of some Crisco is about 40% & is used like Kerosene all over Asia. The Crisco I used was the block type.You can set that on a shelf for years & it stays in block shape & doesn't spoil or go moldy.So, it's a little harder than normal Crisco & the stearine + hexamine makes it that much more solid. Road type safety flares use Diesel & very fine sawdust (almost wood meal) as a binder.So, there is not much of a "binder" effect there either, but that works. Sadly making "stars" is a long way down the road for me.
oldguy Posted March 4, 2011 Author Posted March 4, 2011 (edited) I imagine it would work similar to vaseline in whistle rockets. I wouldn't really call it a binder in the usual sense, but it would aid in consolidating the grain and I suppose offer a little bit of a 'binding' quality. Cheap and interesting. I'd like to see some videos of these flares you've been spending so much time working on. I will try to post a video ASAP. I was a pyro virgin just a a little over a month ago.So, it's been a learning curve, starting from scratch. Edited March 4, 2011 by oldguy
Bonny Posted March 4, 2011 Posted March 4, 2011 Sadly making "stars" is a long way down the road for me. From what I see in your posts, I think you're more than ready to start making stars... and shells, even if you are an "Old Guy"
oldguy Posted March 8, 2011 Author Posted March 8, 2011 I'd like to see some videos of these flares you've been spending so much time working on.Not a video, just a bad snapshot.I was a little to close with the camera.I needed to be 50 or 60 ft back for a better picture.
Arthur Posted March 8, 2011 Posted March 8, 2011 Nice work, do I recall someone posting about peanut butter and an oxidiser as portfires?
oldguy Posted March 8, 2011 Author Posted March 8, 2011 Well, I found a far better binder with Gilsonite.Simply because it actually binds like rock hard glue, once it dries.A little Gilsonite powder disolved in Naptha does the trick.Gilsonite is the same binder used for binding clay pigeons. It also makes a great coating for reactive metals, and/or iron filings.Pre-coat the metals, then use the same solution as a comp binder.Gives a lot of protection for a comp with both redox & rust issues.
dagabu Posted March 8, 2011 Posted March 8, 2011 I have a 20# of Asphaltum too, I think I will take you up on using it as a binder. It sure cant hurt!
oldguy Posted March 23, 2011 Author Posted March 23, 2011 I just read a few recent patents that have to do with coatings for very hydroscopic water soluble sodium & calcium nitrate bulk fertilizers. The object of the integrated coatings is to greatly reduce the hydroscopic nature of the fertilizer prills. A part of the coating is palmatic acid. A white wax like organic substance derived from palm oil. I also found palmatic acid is also used in some military flares and/or munitions for the same purpose. Palm oil is also a low grade fuel. Turns out a major constituent of Crisco sticks is in fact palm oil, which is around 40 some percent palmatic acid. So, Crisco may not be all that great a binder.But from what I gather from these expert wizards, palmatic acid repels moisture enough to greatly reduce the hydroscopic nature of both calcium & sodium nitrates.
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