Some beginners questions

[ChloRure]

Hi!

 

I'm new to pyro but I really like this hobby. I have already some chemicals on hand but I still miss some and need advice on some way to get good results.

 

My first question would be the kind of Alcohol I need... I tried to search on forums and google but can't get a definitive answer.

I currently have 99% Isopropyl alcohol that I mix with water to get 75/25 % ratio... seem to work good for BP with homemade dextrin.

 

Talking about dextrin, I think that homemade one do the job, but since commercial one is cheap is it a good idea to buy some ? Is the result a lot better...

 

Yesterday, I tried to do Yankee's purple and Veline red stars, and they claim to use 75/25 again. Is it the same alcohol ? I read somewhere about denaturated alcohol ? I can't find it in Canada, I can get Methyl Hydrate Alcohol but not denaturated... but pretty sure I can get it online if I want.

Also, is the result the same if I use Acetone since I can get it local ?

 

Currently, I am cutting my stars cause it's probably the easiest way for me right now. When ppl tak about rolling stars, they are actually just rolling them by hand or pressing the comp with a sheet of metal with round hole in it then putting the stars in a roller and add comp right ?

 

I have other questions but will keep reading, just wanted some informations to get me on the good track.

 

Thanks

Sorry for bad english btw.

[TheArchitect23]

My first question would be the kind of Alcohol I need... I tried to search on forums and google but can't get a definitive answer.

I currently have 99% Isopropyl alcohol that I mix with water to get 75/25 % ratio... seem to work good for BP with homemade dextrin.

99% Isopropyl alcohol is fine, 25% alcohol to 75% water ( use distilled ) don't be tempted to up the alcohol content to speed up the dry time, it breaks down the dextrins binding properties. its only added to help the water absorb into your comp better.

 

Talking about dextrin, I think that homemade one do the job, but since commercial one is cheap is it a good idea to buy some ? Is the result a lot better...

commercial dextrin is very cheep, the time and energy spent on making it is mute. the quality is also most likely consistent versus home made.

 

Yesterday, I tried to do Yankee's purple and Veline red stars, and they claim to use 75/25 again. Is it the same alcohol ? I read somewhere about denatured alcohol ? I can't find it in Canada, I can get Methyl Hydrate Alcohol but not denaturated... but pretty sure I can get it online if I want.

Also, is the result the same if I use Acetone since I can get it local ?

denatured alcohol is basically ethanol with one or more additional chemicals added to it to render it unfit for human consumption.

 

Currently, I am cutting my stars cause it's probably the easiest way for me right now. When ppl tak about rolling stars, they are actually just rolling them by hand or pressing the comp with a sheet of metal with round hole in it then putting the stars in a roller and add comp right ?

rolling, pumping and cutting are all easy tasks once you get the hang of it. i personally started out rolling first. a simple 5 gal bucket, one 1/2'' bolt, some nuts and washers chucked into a slow sealed motor ( like a windshield wiper motor ) these start off as cores. i like lead shot, or crackling micro star cores.

 

for pumping, you can find many star plates around. size and number of holes are the price maker. these can also be thrown into your star roller and make larger if you want, however usually they are inserted as-is.

[Arthur]

If you do a lot of reading the forum already has all the answers. Cut stars are the easiest way to start as you only need a knife! Pumped stars need a star pump for each size, rolled stars need a large star roller (which is like a cement mixer!) and a lot of skill.

 

Look for "methylated spirits" that's the UK name for ordinary alcohol (ethanol) which has been denatured with methyl alcohol (makes you blind) to prevent it being fit to drink Hence it is free of duty.

[ChloRure]

Yeah I know what denatured alcohol is vs Isopropyl but I am not sure that I can swap denatured for Isopropyl, will it desolve redgum / parlon the same way as denatured will do ?

 

As for lead shot core, is this not a dangerous way ? I mean when the shell explode, thos lead shot will eventually fall down ?

[TheArchitect23]

As for lead shot core, is this not a dangerous way ? I mean when the shell explode, thos lead shot will eventually fall down ?

 

yes, and no....

you use very small lead shot. like #10 bird shot, for shells over 3 inches i have never heard or seen them hit anything. i assume they melt, or turn into dust in mid air.

you would not want to use them for smaller shells as the amount of comp rolled on the shot wont burn long enough to heat the lead to melting point. you could use crackling micro-stars or cut small squares of any comp, then use those in your star roller.

[Mumbles]

Yes, isopropanol will work just the same as ethanol. I regularly use isopropanol to add to water, and bind things using red gum. It works just fine. It works the same as denatured alcohol with parlon too. However, neither dissolve parlon in the first place, so that probably isn't all that useful of info. I will note that those formulas you mentioned can be wet with straight water too if you want. There is nothing special about using alcohol in the water besides the fact that it breaks the surface tension and absorbs a bit faster. The drying times really are not that different. I wet with straight water and add a splash of alcohol at the beginning to get it into the composition easier. There's probably less than 5% in the final mix.

 

Commercial dextrin is better than homemade. It's more consistent, cheap, easy to get, and most importantly is a better adhesive. You really don't realize how good dextrin can be until you get some of the good commercial stuff. I'd never dream of making my own dextrin again after having used the good stuff.

 

You can actually hand roll small batches of stars in a bowl or wok by hand. It does not require a motorized roller, but it makes it much easier to do large batches and keep down arm fatigue. Heavy cores like lead make getting started easier, and easier to do small batches. If you want to avoid it, there are a number of other materials that will work just fine.

[ChloRure]

Thanks for the clear answer Mumbles. You are right about the alcohol in veline and yankies stars, they are now hard as rock and working fine.

 

As for the stars core, I will try with corn cob and rolling them in a jar or something like that.

[Demi]

Thanks answered a few questions I had too!