Fountain question

[roketman21]

Should basic fountain comp be ball milled? Or is just screening good enough? Thanks for any help

[dagabu]

I have never ball milled any fountain or gerb comps. I mix it a few times through window screen and call it good.

 

-dag

[taiwanluthiers]

bp style comp should be ball milled, but before adding any sort of metal powder. Do not ever ball mill comps containing metal. A simple fountain is meal powder with the addition of Ti powder.

[roketman21]

Thanks for the help guys

[nater]

I don't ball mill my BP based gerb mix as well. A lot depends on the effect you are after. I have some steel that is beautiful mixed with a slow BP base. It makes delicate gold sparks that almost glitter. On the other hand, I like Ti gerbs to burn fierce and throw the sparks as high as possible.

[Bangkokpyro]

I never mill the B.P component part of a fountain formula unless it specifically calls for 'meal'.

Just make sure the chems will pass a 100mesh screen then run them through a 40 mesh screen a couple of times to incorporate the ingredients

Diaper in the metal part after screening and away to go; press, ram or whatever.

Most fountains don't need a fast burning comp and some with small chokes will CATO with milled comps.

Here is a video of a couple of big fountains, The comp was very coarse. 60 mesh Nitrate , 400mesh sulphur and 80 to 40 mesh Charcoal all run through a 12 mesh screen twice.

 

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

[dagabu]

I never mill the B.P component part of a fountain formula unless it specifically calls for 'meal'.

Just make sure the chems will pass a 100mesh screen then run them through a 40 mesh screen a couple of times to incorporate the ingredients

Diaper in the metal part after screening and away to go; press, ram or whatever.

Most fountains don't need a fast burning comp and some with small chokes will CATO with milled comps.

Here is a video of a couple of big fountains, The comp was very coarse. 60 mesh Nitrate , 400mesh sulphur and 80 to 40 mesh Charcoal all run through a 12 mesh screen twice.

 

BP, that was a great video, was that a Clark's Giant Fountain? I have just made my little gerbs with coarse comp according to the formulas. They are cute, only last a few seconds and spray about 10'.

 

-dag

[Bangkokpyro]

No not a clark's fountain. I don't like them. IMO they are messy to make with Red Gum/Nitrate, need a long drying time, expensive tubes and tooling and don't burn for long concidering the length of tube. They don't realy look so good either.

I used a 3 inch ID 12 inch long tube with 1/2 inch thick walls. Choke was 11/16th . Comp was a modified B.P with 25% Iron 8 to 12 mesh. Burns for a bout 18 seconds and height reaches 60 feet. It rains down a lot of hot metal. Next time I make one I will put it on top of a 10 foot heigh pole for better effect.

[roketman21]

Very nice fountain and thanks all of you me and my bro made a pretty decent fountain mix haven't put any together yet but should be soon.

[dagabu]

No not a clark's fountain. I don't like them. IMO they are messy to make with Red Gum/Nitrate, need a long drying time, expensive tubes and tooling and don't burn for long concidering the length of tube. They don't realy look so good either.

I used a 3 inch ID 12 inch long tube with 1/2 inch thick walls. Choke was 11/16th . Comp was a modified B.P with 25% Iron 8 to 12 mesh. Burns for a bout 18 seconds and height reaches 60 feet. It rains down a lot of hot metal. Next time I make one I will put it on top of a 10 foot heigh pole for better effect.

 

I love the simplicity of the design! Good job.

 

-dag

[mikeee]

Bangkokpyro,

 

I got ahold of some 3" heavy wall cardboard tubes and plan on making some large fountains.

What do use for the choke/nozzle material on top of the fountain.

I was considering using a 1" thick piece of steel or aluminum and drill and thread it for a stainless steel bushing/nozzle.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Mikeee