Steel -80 mesh for Stars

[AirCowPeacock]

Spent a few minuets trying to find a star using steel, but couldn't. What do you think about these ideas?

 

 

C8 adaption

 

Potassium nitrate 48%

Airfloat Pine Charcoal 38%

Sulfur 4%

-80 mesh granular Steel 10%

Dextrin +6%

 

Water as solvent

 

 

Perchlorate/Metallic fueled

 

Potassium perchlorate 40%

-325 mesh bright flake Aluminum 45%

-80 mesh granular Steel 10%

Red Gum 5%

 

Acetone as solvent

 

 

Aluminum reduced BP Based w/ Firefly Al

 

-325 mesh bright flake Aluminum 15%

Sulfur 5%

Firefly Aluminum 10%

-80 mesh granular Steel 10%

Meal D 55%

Red Gum 5%

 

Acetone as solvent

 

 

Charcoal reduced BP Based

 

Airfloat Charcoal 25%

Sulfur 5%

-80 mesh granular Steel 10%

Meal D 55%

Dextrin 5%

 

Water as solvent

[Peret]

Don't know so didn't vote. There's probably a reason you can't find any published formula. If I had to guess, I'd say it's because iron/steel sparks are a low light, short range effect and would not be visible in a star.

[AirCowPeacock]

Well I figured there was a reason I couldn't find any published formulas. I might try anyways, but I was skeptical steel had a place in stars before I even looked for a formula. I thought it was worth a try though. If I do try I'll post my results to this thread.

[psyco_1322]

With steel this fine, it's going to be almost identical to charcoal in effect. Even then, it's going to be hard to see in anything bigger than mini devices. You're first and last formulas are nearly the same thing, charcoal streamers, you will never notice the steel in them. I have no idea why your firefly has bright Al in it, maybe you meant charcoal, but I doubt either way you will notice it there either. The second formula is going to be such a silver star it definitely won't be seen in it. On a side note, if you like that formula and it lights fine for you, you could bind it with dextrin. Red gum is usually in silver formulas to slow and steady the burn to keep the propelled "swarming" of the stars down, since it's basically bound flash.

 

If it is high carbon steel and makes nice branching sparks, it would probably be best in sparklers. Another use might be just adding it by itself to your Meal D at 10%, since milled powder makes hardly any lasting sparks. This could be then used to make hummers or farfalle with the soft gold sparks. Things like that usually require a fast burning powder, and when you add in charcoal to make an orange/gold effect, it slows down the powder too much, where steel has less of a negative impact of the burn rate. You could also try it in some colored stars or fountains, dim colors like blue or purple would probably be best. Again, without being relatively close, it might be hard to see.

[dagabu]

Degn, Steel Star

 

 

 

Potassium Nitrate 16

 

Steel Filings 5

 

Charcoal Airfloat 2

 

Meal Powder 2

 

Shellac 0.5

 

-dag

[nater]

I have some iron powder that makes a beautiful fountain, but it has a few downsides. If the iron is uncoated, you need to fire the fountain immediately. I had one that had to be stored for a month before I could light it and the effect was ruined. It is also a really delicate effect, the fountains don't look nearly as good from 100 ft away as they do 20.

[Carbon796]

I use this formula for steel comets, you could try it for stars.

 

Potassium nitrate. 54

C air float. 10

Sulfur. 15

Steel powered. 14

Mag / Al 325 mesh. 03

SGRS. 04

 

For the steel I'm using brake drum / disk turnings coated in wax. Your 80 mesh should work perfectly.

Edited September 9, 2012 by Carbon796

[dagabu]

I like brake turnings the best too, I can get them for beer.

 

-dag

[AirCowPeacock]

Thanks Carbon796, I'll try that. Tell you how it goes.

[optimus]

I think it would go well with blue, something like Snowden charcoal blue. This steel gerb comes to mind too:

Blue Steel Fountain (Gerb) Parts/Percent by Weight Ammonium perchlorate 65 Hexamine 10 Stearic acid 7 Copper carbonate 6 Steel, fine powder 12