My first 3" fireworks on the 4th

[ZeusThunderbolt]

Well my video camera skills need a lot more work than my fireworks. Sorry the video is so bad.

 

1. 3" Mine, tiger tail + 15% Ti (this was a batch I made up with 1/3 80 mesh charcoal, way to many sparks, so I just decided to use them in mines)

2. 3" mine, green rubber stars

3. 3" mine, a few red rubber stars that were left over on top of tiger tail stars (out of focus)

4. 3" Mine, tiger tail + 15% Ti

5. 3" Mine, Blue rubber stars (these looked bad out of a star gun, but not as bad as I thought, they burned way to long)

6. 3" plastic can with white strobe effects fuse (totally out of focus, but works well)

7. 3" plastic can with red flying fish effects fuse (totally out of focus, but works well)

8. 3" plastic round shell, red rubber stars (not bad for my first shell, some blind stars)

9. 3" round, green rubber stars (totally missed it on video)

10. 3" round, tiger tail +15% Ti stars (all airfloat charcoal) (totally out of focus, but the best one yet)

11. 3" plastic round shell, red rubber stars (not bad, no focus)

12. 3" round, green rubber stars (pretty good)

13. 3" round, tiger tail +15% Ti stars (the best of all)

then 5 3" salutes

 

first a few stills of them in process

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDhXxszEuf4

[stug161]

Those are really nice. I had a half dozen 3" made up for this year but we are in a super drought, and Im not too confident that my stars wont fall to the ground still burning so I have had to hold off. Did they all perform how you wanted? On shell #13 what type of Ti did you use?

[The504]

That's some nice work!

[dagabu]

Turn the auto focus off please...

 

-dag

[ZeusThunderbolt]

Those are really nice. I had a half dozen 3" made up for this year but we are in a super drought, and Im not too confident that my stars wont fall to the ground still burning so I have had to hold off. Did they all perform how you wanted? On shell #13 what type of Ti did you use?

 

Thanks stug

The Ti is Skylighter spherical -40 -325, then I screened it to -80. The tiger tail shells came out the best, they only had 1/8 tsp of slow flash booster in the burst charge. The red and green had a full tsp of slow flash in them and there were definitely some blind stars in them. I think all the ball shells were too high, this was my first try for every thing and I think my Black powder is a lot hotter than i thought. But for my first shells and mines I was very pleased.

[ZeusThunderbolt]

That's some nice work!

 

Thanks, it was a lot of work for two and a half minutes, but it was worth it all, it's a awesome feeling the first time.

[ZeusThunderbolt]

Turn the auto focus off please...

 

-dag

 

Yep, I spent months reading and learning and making the fireworks. And then I didn't even take 5 minutes to figure out how to use the video camera. But next time the shells will be better and so will the video.

[eminemdpc]

That was awesome! Good job on the shells! I'm new here and am very interested in making some shells for next year.. Can you give me any helpful tips? I want to start with aerial salutes..

[dagabu]

I want to start with aerial salutes..

 

That's a first!

 

-dag

[Mumbles]

One tip would be not to start with salutes. They're definitely not something you want to start with. They're far and away the most dangerous shell, and not something you want to make a beginners mistake with. They're very unforgiving. Star shells will be more rewarding and not attract as much of the wrong kind of attention.

[eminemdpc]

With the salutes I thought it would be easier.. Fill it up with flash and close it up.. But your right it is much more dangerous.. Does everyone make their own stars or can you buy them? Thanks for any info given!

[californiapyro]

for all practical purposes, you need to make them. yes salutes are easier, but also terribly dangerous and much less rewarding than color shells. buy kno3, sulfur, and charcoal, make some tiger tail stars and granulated BP, make a 3 inch shell

[spitfire]

@ eminemdpc i suggest you first focus on making good BP to lift your shells and break. While the mill is running, make some TigerTail stars. They require the minimum of chemicals and can be very rewarding when they function well. Salutes are something you shouldn't mess with until you master the more important building techniques. Just my 2 cents for your safety.

 

EDIT: i forgot the poster... Zeus thunderbolt, nice job! Too bad the filming wasn't that good, got that problem most times too.. But your shells functioned very well! Keep up the good work.

Edited July 10, 2012 by spitfire

[eminemdpc]

Thanks everyone for your advice!

[ZeusThunderbolt]

eminemdpc,

I agree with everyone else, don't start with salutes. As far as everything else I shot, they are all based on tutorials you can find, at a vendors site called Skylighter. Most of the tutorials even include videos. There are also plenty of beginer theads here on APC too. Now I might sound like a hypocrite since I am a beginer and I made salutes for my first shoot,and I am telling you not to do it. But I am also 50 years old, and I have lost that youthfull atitude of, "I am invincible" and "It will never happen to me". I made salutes because they are crowd pleasers and not because I enjoy making them. I started last November, reading, planning, and testing. I read almost ever new thread here at APC and over at Passfire, and tons of the old threads. This is not a hobby to be taken lightly. Some of the most important stuff I read is on safety and the accidents others have had. When you hear about a pyro with years of experience, having an accident, it really teaches you how serious this hobby can be. Please be carefull.

Edited July 11, 2012 by ZeusThunderbolt

[eminemdpc]

Hey Zeus.. I'll start with the star shells.. I'll also look into the Skylighter website.. Appreciate all the advice.. Thx!