Star Propellant

[LambentPyro]

Hey,

I am curious to know why for a lot of stars that usually are a color to silver or something have a propelling effect when they change to silver. They like go in different directions. I mostly see it in that case, but also in my shell TT to Red, I saw a star scatter across the break radius.

 

Thanks!

[pyrokid]

It has to do with uneven star ignition. Mumbles said the other day that you often see this effect with fast burning compositions, like high MgAl color formulas. Imagine a fast inner layer being ignited on one end of the composition while the other end is still enclosed. Hope this helps!

[LambentPyro]

It has to do with uneven star ignition. Mumbles said the other day that you often see this effect with fast burning compositions, like high MgAl color formulas. Imagine a fast inner layer being ignited on one end of the composition while the other end is still enclosed. Hope this helps!

 

That's true, thanks!!

[Seymour]

I'd like to second everything Pyrokid said.

 

I've lit unprimed MgAl coloured stars on one side before in tests and had them take off and fly ten or so meters. It makes sense that some of the coloured rocket mixes are rather similar so some of the brighter red, yellow and green star mixes.

[PyroCube]

Just saw this video:

http://www.amateurpyro.com/forums/gallery/image/109-6in-slow-gold-brocade-ball-shell/

Does anyone know how that can happen with streamer compositions? These don`t burn really fast

and powerful, and yet there is a swimming effect in this shell..

 

Greets

[Mumbles]

Those are possibly made with cut or pumped stars. Wind also does some funny things sometimes. To get a true straight flight, you need round rolled stars. I've experienced this a lot in my reluctance to start rolling stars.. They break hard and straight out of the shell, but tend to take erratic flight paths once they've slowed a bit.

[karliWadt]

Related but almost unrelated. I've been working with pyro since university and would even go as far as saying im really quite experienced and component while working with pyro. My question is literally the propulsion of stars. I would appreciate any advice on how to propel stars further in an airburst cresanthemum effect? I've toyed with BP and don't seem to be able to throw stars without confining it to the point where i get a report and ideally want quiet burst. For this reason I've moved away from temptation to use a certain KCLO4 binary that has stolen fingers from many inexperienced people (although in my eyes it can be used safely to create effects in experienced hands) I won't mention anything to do with HE as i understand it isn't a good idea to advise someone new to a forum to manufacture octanitrocubane or something else horrendously dangerous! But a way to propel my stars would be really helpful. Its going as a header on a 2 stage BP rocket.

[FlaMtnBkr]

How do you expect to use a HE without a report, if a BP based break is giving you more report than you want? Just stick with tried and true methods and have standard fireworks that people around the world use.

[karliWadt]

That's my point i was saying im avoiding HE all together. Im experimenting with different methods and compositions purely to expand my knowledge and experience. Its very easy as everyone here knows to make something that explodes an idiot can do it but making something that's visually impressive and safe is much more difficult. And personally i like the challenge A friend even suggested some method involving visco fuse set into the stars :s

Just using single stage BP until i work it out. Not wasting hybrids and multistage on trial and error

[FlaMtnBkr]

Any reason not to use plain BP and conventional methods that have been around for a hundred years? There are reliable ways of making shells that are explained all over the internet (and in books).

 

There is never a need for high explosives in pyro and you can probably get away with just BP for breaking shells, though a booster can help at times, it isn't 'necessary'.

[Mumbles]

If you want propelled stars, you might want to look into stingers or go-getters. The issue being they don't typically fly straight. They are generally broken very softly, and then fly off a short while later.

 

A big break is going to make a big noise. No way around that.

[karliWadt]

Just trying to expand my own skill set is the only reason i wanted to avoid using BP breaker. I do apologise you seem almost offended by this 0.0 just thought if anywhere on the internet would provide an answer about amateur purotechnics it'd probably be the amateur pyrotechnics forum.

 

Thanks for weighing in mumbles! Will look into that as stated my area of expertise is actually rockets but have experimented alot with "firework" rockets over the past 3 or 4 years. Thinking of uploading a video of my next big venture (its a LOX-methane rocket) if that'd be of interest on this particular sight?

[karliWadt]

In truth only mentioned HE and flash in the first post as it was exactly that my first post. I understand this forum has strict rules on discussing such topics and didn't want to get banned. Nor did i want someone trying to suggest a fast track method to receiving a Darwin award. Its only right mind you because this can be a dangerous hobby and the untrained and under-informed are what make it truly dangerous. You're right what you say about HE having no place really. An RDX headed rocket is a missile at the end of the day. And im not here to build missiles!

[Mumbles]

My apologies. I actually meant to say serpents or go-getters. I accidentally said stingers and go-getters. A stinger is a type of spin stabilized rocket. A serpent is essentially a small black powder rocket used as an insert.

 

You have to understand that we get people coming here all the time trying to reinvent the wheel. It often comes across as laziness or stubbornness to at least try it the right way to some. Nearly every single time, they just rediscover that the traditional way or established way is generally better. That's not to say we're going discourage experimentation of course.

 

This said, I don't think you're going to have a lot of luck managing to get a bigger break with a quieter noise than BP. Most of the break sound is actually the casing rupturing. Another option is cylinder shells, which typically have a more subdued break noise, and are actually extremely well suited to the inserts I mentioned before. That might not exactly give you the effect you're looking for though,

[karliWadt]

Thanks for that will definitely experiment with cylinder shells. In all honesty im inclined to agree with you on the break noise as BP seems by far the quietest from a day in the field so to speak today. Actually found a way around it a little by accident using essentially quick match and a rocket nozzle jury rigged to burst the shell!

I apologise if i sounded a little ungrateful for the advice it came out wrong. I understand many people here have years of experience in advance of my own 6. Very informative site actually May be visiting more often

[scubadoo2]

Go-getters and serpents are still my favorite inserts. You can get so many different effects by modifiing these inserts a hundred different ways.

Seems that pattern shells are more popular now.