808goboom Posted July 1, 2013 Posted July 1, 2013 I am making 1/2" stars but I'm going to use them as comets in some single shot items and cakes....how long, should these 1/2" comets be because I don't want the, to burn out before it reaches its maximum height, yet I don't want them burning too low that they fall back to earth....I know some compositions have different burn rates....I have red, purple, tt, willow diadem, and w20. Lmk wut y'all think and wut the length of the comets should be for each star composition.
Zumber Posted July 1, 2013 Posted July 1, 2013 you will have to check it's burn rate in seconds and you'll need to match it according to your delay fuse/spolette time by varying it's length.
FlaMtnBkr Posted July 2, 2013 Posted July 2, 2013 Wut? There really is no way we can tell. Without knowing what it is going on and how hard (high) it is lifted, and the composition and how fast it burns, it is just a stab in the dark. Most comets are about as long as they are wide, so a half inch. But most comets are round and pressed. You just have to do what the rest of us do. Guess and experiment.
Maserface Posted July 2, 2013 Posted July 2, 2013 Make small batches of each and keep notes, weigh the comp rather than measure it's size. It's quite fun to trial and error IMO. I mean it's pyro
Arthur Posted July 2, 2013 Posted July 2, 2013 Tailed stars make a straight line if the star expires before it slows down. If the star slows before it burns out then it will show a curved trajectory. In a comet candle one adjusts the lift very accurately, in a ball shell it's controlled by the burst pressure so the burst charge AND the pasting. Cylindrical stars burn from the outside inwards. So the length matters little as the diameter is the governing dimension
FlaMtnBkr Posted July 2, 2013 Posted July 2, 2013 Unless the length is longer than the radius, then the length determines burn time. But with a cut star that isn't compressed there are too many variables. I just cut a big star and glue/tape it on to small shells. It gives a tail and if it goes out before appogee than so be it. If not it will be destroyed by the break. It really matters what it is being used for and the composition. If you want it to burn out just at appogee, you have to experiment, use the same weight of composition each time, pressed the same way, using the same chemicals mixed the same way. Otherwise each batch will have to be adjusted a little to compensate. That is why there are comet competitions. It isn't easy to make it burn out when you want and takes a lot of trial and error.
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