Best star formula for a beginner

[nesc39]

Hello everyone, as someone who is new to this hobby I was wondering what you guys would recommend for a star formula for someone new. I don't care about the color I'm more concerned with safety. I've read so much about the danger of formulas like flash and whistle mix etc. ( I know these aren't used for stars) that I'm constantly thinking things like; is a shock gonna set off my star mix, is it gonna ignite when I screen it, can something that would seem safe( like water) actually cause a violent reaction, the list goes on. So what I am asking is that in terms of relative safety, what is the easiest, insensitive, star mix that you can recommend I research?

[Sinken]

The best newbie-star? Tiger tail, or some other coalstreamer.

 

Tiger tail:

 

KNO₃: 44%

Coal: 44%

Sulphur: 6%

Dextrin: 6%

 

I usually mill it, then wet it with water, and roll it/press it etc. If you don't have any tools, you can roll it with your hands.

 

This composition is as stable as you get it. I haven't been able to set it off by anything other than flames.

 

Edit: It's also insanely beatuiful if done correctly, and you can find a lot of guides on Youtube. It's also quite cheap.

Edited May 21, 2013 by Sinken

[FlaMtnBkr]

Any BP based charcoal or glitter star is about as safe as you get.

 

There are very few formulas that can be set off by the setback of a shell being lifted. The only one I'm familiar with is a green that uses barium chlorate for the oxidizer. Even flash with chlorate and sulfur can be lifted safely.

 

There are various safety guides around on the internet. Probably even some here. Search them out and read them every couple months if worried about safety. Print them out and put in your notebook. When you make something take notes on everything. Chemicals, weight, procedure, performance impressions, date, weather conditions, drying/milling times. The more info you have the better your chances if trying to reproduce something, including problems. More a suggestion then anything to do with safety.

[DubaiAmateurRocketry]

The best newbie-star? Tiger tail, or some other coalstreamer.

 

Tiger tail:

 

KNO₃: 44%

Coal: 44%

Sulphur: 6%

Dextrin: 6%

 

I usually mill it, then wet it with water, and roll it/press it etc. If you don't have any tools, you can roll it with your hands.

 

This composition is as stable as you get it. I haven't been able to set it off by anything other than flames.

 

Edit: It's also insanely beatuiful if done correctly, and you can find a lot of guides on Youtube. It's also quite cheap.

 

 

Wow this is insanely oxygen deprived,

 

I would suggest around 60% KNO3.

[psyco_1322]

Wow this is insanely oxygen deprived,

 

I would suggest around 60% KNO3.

 

Derrr...that's what makes it a great, long hanging charcoal star. Not everything is supposed to be balanced. We would never get the effects we do if everything was balanced.

[FlaMtnBkr]

Yep, that is standard tiger tail formula that just about every pyro has made at least once over the last few decades. I wouldn't change a thing. Edited May 22, 2013 by FlaMtnBkr

[Sinken]

Wow this is insanely oxygen deprived,

 

I would suggest around 60% KNO3.

 

Well, this is the known and loved Tiger tail. I'll upload a video to show how beautiful.

 

http://www.amateurpyro.com/forums/gallery/image/2229-1-inch-tt-starmine/

 

(And yes, I know it's underlifted, but once you put if in a shell, it creats a incredibly beautiful effect)

[oldspark]

Wouldn't something like Chrys. 6 be a better choice for the beginer, the high amount of charcoal in TT increases the drying time does it not, SGRS might be a better choice instead of dextrin also. Edited May 22, 2013 by oldspark

[Sinken]

Wouldn't something like Chrys. 6 be a better choice for the beginer, the high amount of charcoal in TT increases the drying time does it not, SGRS might be a better choice instead of dextrin also.

 

Well, besides faster drying, I can't see any differences, but as I said, any coalstreamer really.

 

Dextrin Vs. SGRS is as far as I know just a matter of what you have, neither much better than the other.

[oldspark]

The SGRS stars dry much quicker so it helps to be able to test sooner.

[Sinken]

Do you have a source on that? I've never heard that before. Edited May 22, 2013 by Sinken

[oldspark]

http://www.amateurpyro.com/forums/topic/7833-dextrin-vs-sgrs/

https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!topic/rec.pyrotechnics/IDz-6hFKv3M

As you can see in these posts there is some disagrement on the results, but good info to ponder.

[dan999ification]

Quote

Dextrin sticks snake snot to a marble but Sgrs sticks owl shit to a hot doorknob, that my friends is the difference. Quality.

 

For the record tt and other streamer stars can be made, dried, start to finish in less than three days.

Sure you can make some stars faster but being patient and learning at first will do you no wrong.

Charcoal stars are some of the most forgiving and least dangerous comps to start with but can be tricky to master, the fact you can learn without high costs and dangers is the advantage.

 

Dan.

[ollie1016]

Is it better to use the metal carbonate and perc , or say sr(no3) and MgAl? Has anyone got a condensed list of the formulas/ there own for SIMPLE star comps! I'm in the same position just starting on coloured stars.

[Sinken]

Is it better to use the metal carbonate and perc , or say sr(no3) and MgAl? Has anyone got a condensed list of the formulas/ there own for SIMPLE star comps! I'm in the same position just starting on coloured stars.

 

In my opinion, Strontium or Barium nitrat. You can make very pretty stars very quick, with 4 quite common chemicals.

 

Green/red pilebox:

 

60 Barium/Strontium Nitrate

15 Mg/Al

15 Parlon

10 Dextrin

 

You can either use Aceton or Water to wet it, allthough I usually use Aceton(they dry in a 4-5 of hours). If you use Aceton, add Dextrin anyway. The stars produce less smoke, and burn a lot longer with it: http://www.facebook....wP4&h=dAQG_5OUQ

 

Screen everything except the Mg/Al, and then mix them with the Diaper method. http://web.archive.o...e=Diaper_method(The orange ones in the first shell is from a unknown comp. I can't remember)

 

Wet it, and roll/cut it.

 

For blue I suggest Conckling blue #1

 

Edit: Here's a Red pilebox http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=3_sdjvfAu5A#t=29s

 

There's also Conckling blue #1, green pliebox, and a unknown orange formula.

Edited May 22, 2013 by Sinken

[dan999ification]

To save confusion starting out I recommend the veline system, a dozen or so colours with less than a dozen chems.

 

Dan.

[808goboom]

Tigertail is a good basic beginner star mix and really safe wen stored and prepared properly...it provides a really nice effect especially wen u can get the right mixture to create that thick tail....keep in mind charcoal based star mixes generally take a bit longer to dry, so prepare these stars in advanced,usually allow a 3-4 day dry time if the stars are exposed to some sort of thermal heat such as the sun or heater.

[ollie1016]

I've just done some TT stars, and I've had to let them dry for 6 DAYS in 20+ degrees sunlight! I tested some of then but the BP prime just burnt off and left the inside untouched! It was my first ever batch and I over wet them a lot! They are just about usable now, ill have to dry them for another 2days I recon!

[killforfood]

Hey Ollie,

 

I learned to weigh my dry comp and also weigh my spray bottle so that I could control the wetness to within a single percent. The comets that I recently made specified only 5% moisture. I would have heavily over wetted them had it not been for weighing the exact amout of water added. Eventually, I will get a feel for it and not need the scale anymore. I also made stars from the same comet comps. I kept track of how much water was needed to make a cuttable patty and it was about 20%. I worried that it would kill the glitter effect but they were only 1/4" stars and they dried quickly and glittered just fine.

 

KFF

[Seymour]

I've just done some TT stars, and I've had to let them dry for 6 DAYS in 20+ degrees sunlight!

 

Welcome to having stars 'driven in'. While it can occur across a wide range of compositions, this phenomenon is very common with high charcoal compositions that have been dried too fast initially.

 

A skin forms as the outside quickly dries off and this skin is surprisingly good at holding water in as you have discovered. It sounds like you only got a mild case. I've had stars with wet middles six months on...

 

While in ideal conditions you can have charcoal stars ready to use in several days or even the same day you made them and not be cheating with more volatile solvents than water, that;'s risking loking it in in my experience.

 

This can be a hobby that requires patience. I'd put tigertail in a light breeze in shade that is between 5 and 15 deg celcius for a week, then I'd chuck em in the sun for a few days. It won't always take that long, but it's good to know thy're definitely ready.

[Zumber]

its rainy season out here and I have been suffering with same problem.

I have made a batch of willow stars (35/45/12/8) and primed with BP prime and left it dry for 15 days in shadow and then for 1 hour in sun.....when I tested few of them only prime burns out and left inside untouched.

[Ferret]

ahhh yes. I am all too familiar with drying problems. Another problem I have experienced is over-wetting the composition leads to KNO₃ crystals forming on the surface of the star while drying. This is rare, I think, and may only be a result of extremely wet stars. Makes the star burn terribly as a result.

 

The lesson here is to use very little water when making stars, it often takes less than you think it will.

[ollie1016]

Hey Ollie,

 

I learned to weigh my dry comp and also weigh my spray bottle so that I could control the wetness to within a single percent. The comets that I recently made specified only 5% moisture. I would have heavily over wetted them had it not been for weighing the exact amout of water added. Eventually, I will get a feel for it and not need the scale anymore. I also made stars from the same comet comps. I kept track of how much water was needed to make a cuttable patty and it was about 20%. I worried that it would kill the glitter effect but they were only 1/4" stars and they dried quickly and glittered just fine.

 

KFF

 

 

Ill give that a try!

 

its rainy season out here and I have been suffering with same problem.

I have made a batch of willow stars (35/45/12/8) and primed with BP prime and left it dry for 15 days in shadow and then for 1 hour in sun.....when I tested few of them only prime burns out and left inside untouched.

 

Same with me! Only the prime burns

[oldspark]

I'll guess I will give my 2 cents, I also weigh the water and put in the amount that is recomended (a little less to begin witth and have dry mixture handy) and some times I think no way is this enough water, pretty soon the mixture comes around and its perfect. I just did this a few weeks ago with tiger tail stars and they dried very quickly, pumped with 10% water, basicly dried in a hot shop in 6 hours or so and burnt well. They were small stars though 1/4 inch. Edited July 12, 2013 by oldspark

[rog21787]

New at all this just started making rocket and fuel last month like to expand read this post and now I have to try. thanks for all info in this post let you know how it goes.