dangerousamateur Posted April 21, 2012 Posted April 21, 2012 Hi, by colored microstars I mean something like that: Has someone here experience with that matter? What compositions (non AP) did you use and how did you make them? Just like granulated BP?
WSM Posted April 22, 2012 Posted April 22, 2012 (edited) Hi,by colored microstars I mean something like that: Has someone here experience with that matter? What compositions (non AP) did you use and how did you make them? Just like granulated BP? I've dissassembled some of these and they use various color compositions pushed through a, say, 8 mesh screen to make little snake-like star chunks, and also some spherical microstars (floor sweepings or leftovers; who knows?). Using any bright and deep-colored star composition should work. They use an interesting prilled NC propellant (military surplus?) to push the microstars out of the tubes. The Tropical Fish fountains perform best when elevated so I placed them on a board clamped to the top of an A-frame aluminum ladder, and got a better display (Your milage may vary...). WSM Edited April 22, 2012 by WSM
pyrokid Posted April 22, 2012 Posted April 22, 2012 Here is a microstar question: How is good star ignition achieved in color salutes? For those that haven't seen them, they are huge breaking shells that are every bit as loud as a salute but with a cloud of color around them.
JFeve81 Posted April 22, 2012 Posted April 22, 2012 Here is a microstar question: How is good star ignition achieved in color salutes? For those that haven't seen them, they are huge breaking shells that are every bit as loud as a salute but with a cloud of color around them. The cloud of color you refer to makes me think more of a salute surrounded by something like powdered colored chalk.
Mumbles Posted April 22, 2012 Posted April 22, 2012 I know what he's taking about and it's definitely not chalk. The flash/spray is colored, not the smoke. In any case I have no idea how they are made to light. I've often thought they were possibly more similar to rosettes than traditional salutes. A granular material is used to break the casing and make the stars instead of a powder. To get more power out of them I guess they could use a mixture of powder/fine granules with the coarser stuff. The instructions for rosettes always say to remove the fine stuff.
JFeve81 Posted April 23, 2012 Posted April 23, 2012 Here is a microstar question: How is good star ignition achieved in color salutes? For those that haven't seen them, they are huge breaking shells that are every bit as loud as a salute but with a cloud of color around them. I know what he's taking about and it's definitely not chalk. The flash/spray is colored, not the smoke. In any case I have no idea how they are made to light. I've often thought they were possibly more similar to rosettes than traditional salutes. A granular material is used to break the casing and make the stars instead of a powder. To get more power out of them I guess they could use a mixture of powder/fine granules with the coarser stuff. The instructions for rosettes always say to remove the fine stuff. Any one of ya'll got a video or something to one of these things?
dangerousamateur Posted April 23, 2012 Author Posted April 23, 2012 Hmm. I would use my microstars embedded in BP, either molded or rammed...Seems like I have to try out some formulas myself.Can't be much of a mystery? I found nothing with the search funktion. But microstars look soooo cool I can't imagine there is nobody here that could give out some experience? -----------------------------------------------------------------The color salute story has nothing to do with microstars imho. I did some color salutes myself, barium/strontium nitrate + Mg +PVC - I found they all suck. If you look at them directly, and in most cases people WILL do that, they look white anyway. Shooting a rocket into a cloud/misty layer gives better color from indirect, non blinding light. I'd like to see a video too.
warthog Posted April 24, 2012 Posted April 24, 2012 (edited) I think it was in the PGI Anthology that I read of someone making microstars from a mini star plate made from those plastic round holders that .22 LR cal rounds come in that were then glued together to make the top part solid enough to hold the tiny pins (brass rod that you can get from a hobby store cheap). The bottom plate was the part that stays on th plastic box which they filled with prime. What they would do is make a very small patty of star comp them use the pin plate to push the comp through the hole plate and into the prime. Then they gave the microstars a shake or two in the prime and sifted them out to dry. They just did this until they had the amount of microstars then wanted and in the colors they desired and then they made regular sized stars out of the rest of the comp. Since it isn't gonna cost much to try and I like to go plinking, I thought I would see how well it works... if it works out I guess I can make a little tutorial on how I made it. Unfortunately the current bricks of .22 LR I have just have the little round holders in a cardboard box, So once I get the pin plate put together I am probably going to use a .22 WMR box for the bottom. There is a slight taper to the .22 WMR round so the tops of the .22 WMR are slightly smaller than a regular .22 LR so it shouldn't make much difference for the bottoms though I haven't ever looked into this before now so perhaps I should before making it... In any case I also want to make a three plastic piece thing bottom so that if I feel the need, I can apply a little consolidation pressure tot he stars to make them burn a bit slower. Of course the difference in burn times is likely to be hard to catch with the naked eye with a star this small. I just want to be sure it makes it out of the nozzle on the fountain before it burns up. Edited April 24, 2012 by warthog
pyrokid Posted April 24, 2012 Posted April 24, 2012 This is the effect I was referring to. It is certainly an attention getter. I think I heard talk that the stars were actual grains of rice coated in color comp, so it seems like micro stars would give the same effect. Ignition remains an issue.
WSM Posted April 25, 2012 Posted April 25, 2012 Here is a microstar question:How is good star ignition achieved in color salutes? For those that haven't seen them, they are huge breaking shells that are every bit as loud as a salute but with a cloud of color around them. I would make small, bright stars and prime them heavily with a fence post prime or a modified super prime, to ensure good ignition. Some old-timers have used the same composition to burst the shell and prime the stars. There are many ways to deal with this problem... WSM
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