Occasional Happiness

[OneEyeCharlie]

Affirmative regarding the chunks. The Al chunks are rejects of extruded hinges for semi trailers. The Mg is a box full of 1/4" plate scraps. Both easy to break up for melting.

 

Good, clean, honest living on my part paying off :cough, cough:

 

A question... they have a few 5 yard dumpsters full of Al turnings from when they bore out the bolt holes on the hinges. Could this be used in fountains and waterfalls? It reminds me of store bought paper confetti with fine dust mixed in. Attached a hasty pic for reference

[TheSidewinder]

I'm *pretty* sure you'd have to grind those down further.

 

Flitters and so forth use some pretty coarse Al, but it's still much finer than what you've put in the pic.

 

Still, that's a good starting point.

[Mumbles]

I'd say you could use what passes a window screen, but it doesn't look like there is much of that kind of product in there.

 

The larger stuff could potentially be used in very large comets or fountains. 4" comets and 2" fountains would be about where I'd be looking at approximatly.

[oskarchem]

Ok, so just made my self a Passfire account, paid those 40$. Let's see what there is

[jacob]

I think you'll be pleased, I recomend the Ballmilling and corning machine articles first, they are quite a good read.

[crazyboy25]

WOOOOHOOOOO

 

I got my sulfuric and now nitric acid! Let the nitrating....BEGIN

 

 

Unfortunately I am now feeling rather poor this hobby isn't cheap

[GalFisk]

WOOOOHOOOOO

 

I got my sulfuric and now nitric acid! Let the nitrating....BEGIN

 

 

Unfortunately I am now feeling rather poor this hobby isn't cheap

Do as I do, derive a feeling of richness from your plentiful stock of chemicals and stuff, and don't look in your wallet

[WarezWally]

WOOOOHOOOOO

 

I got my sulfuric and now nitric acid! Let the nitrating....BEGIN

 

 

Unfortunately I am now feeling rather poor this hobby isn't cheap

All you need now is a large bag of artificial sweetener and life will be err sweet

[mormanman]

I just bought 3 bags of AN in the form of instant ice packs. Going to use it for negative x and fertilizer for my trees.

[marks265]

I'm seeing lots and lots of emerald green stars pound after pound there rolling all over OMG they-they work from da star gun YEEEEHAAA! And then there are red ones they are really really round and they roll over over if ya don't watch 'em! They are every where oh man oh man oh man they shot good too! I I I think i'm starting to get thoughts of blue rolling in my head. I need a really cheap chem supplier because this is just way too easy with the PYRO MACHINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I'm thinkin' 3" star gun!!!!!!

[InRainbows]

I'm thinkin' 3" star gun!!!!!

Your thinking mortar, buddy.Mind sharing those formulas?

 

I successfully rolled 13 3/8 ID tubes, 1/8 wall. One already hardened and they're pretty strong even though my Kraft is the worst thing you could have, I don't know what they thought you COULD use it for.

[justanotherpyro]

I believe they are these ones, correct me if I'm wrong Mark.

http://www.apcforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=2192

 

A tip from Sidewinder was to sub half the MgAl with a higher mesh ~40-60 for a crackly sparkly tail. Even without the change in MgAl these stars are very beautiful, rich and vibrant colors.

[marks265]

Yea, mortar -mine whats the dif right? I had star gun on the brain from my testing! I get 1/4" X 3" X 12" from work-shrink wrap tube cores. Don't tempt me with size 'cause I just brought home a chunk of 14" PVC for my corning drum. But I am impressed because My broken fingers have a hard time with a 3/4 x 7-1/2".

 

I used millet seed and started them with pop glitter. Then Yes I did roll the emerald green stars. I am way to sick of magnalium green with barium carbonate. I still owe someone several large beers for the barium nitrate I recently aquired!

 

I could not do the ruby red Because the I did not have what was needed. I made a Shimizu red. By weight it is;

 

Potassium perchlorate 66

red gum 13

Strontium Carbonate 12

charcoal 2 I used air float

PVC 2 I used parlon

dextrin 5

 

Very easy to roll in the pyro machine 700 grams was gone before I could blink.

 

All stars were 1/4". on the quick look average they were .218-.236"

 

That Eurters blue is also next on my list. I might have killed the name(spelling)

[TheSidewinder]

PRE-EDIT: Started this reply an hour ago, then got distracted. I'll have to edit a bit.

 

I had nearly forgotten my own tip, lol. Thanks for reminding me!

I'll repost it here so it gets freshened. I have no idea what post my original is in.

 

And I see they're the ones Mark used. Or wanted to, anyway.

 

They're the "Ruby Red MgAl" and "Emerald Green MgAl" comps listed under Stars -> Red Metallic and Green Metallic sections on Passfire. One's attributed to Kyle Kepley, the other is "unknown". Not sure if Kyle really is the "author" though. I've seen a couple slight variants of both.

 

And yeah, if you substitute a percentage of coarser metals for the -325 MgAl you can get a nice sparkly trail.

 

You'll probably have to experiment with a few small batches (100g) to get the mesh and amounts right. I used coarser MgAl only because I didn't have to bother checking further compatability, but I suspect you could use a wide range of metals. MgAl or Al Flitters, Firefly, mixed-mesh as I had, whatever. IIRC, that's a hot formula to start with and should ignite them all if it's the right mesh and percentage.

 

I took a 1-lb tub of mixed-mesh (+10-200 sweepings IIRC, it was the cheap stuff) MgAl that I had, and dumped it all onto a 60-mesh screen. Shook out what passed 60, mixed it up well, then measured out 12 grams of that, dumped the rest back in the mix, then repeated the process with a 40-mesh screen. (But I'm sure you could use straight 40 mesh.) Mixed, cut, primed, and even ground burning them impressed me. Thought +40 was better looking, so I cut a batch to put in some 3" cans and shot them. 2006 I think. (Has it been that long? *sigh*)

 

For a variety of reason I haven't experimented further, but I'd really like to see some of you do so with other metals, and report back.

 

And I think if you're going to use straight Mg you have to coat it, but I'll let an expert verify that.

 

TS

[justanotherpyro]

I had nearly forgotten my own tip, lol. Thanks for reminding me!

I'll repost it here so it gets freshened. I have no idea what post my original is in.

It was in a PM years ago..it really does feel weird to say "years ago". Time really flies. As far as occasional happiness goes, My first 6" shell was shot tonight and was a great success. I see why they are popular. Small enough to be convenient and fairly easy for the amateur pyro, but big enough to be some serious business. Definitely a happy medium. I think these will be quite the hit at this years 4th of July party.

[jacob]

I'm seeing lots and lots of emerald green stars pound after pound there rolling all over OMG they-they work from da star gun YEEEEHAAA! And then there are red ones they are really really round and they roll over over if ya don't watch 'em! They are every where oh man oh man oh man they shot good too! I I I think i'm starting to get thoughts of blue rolling in my head. I need a really cheap chem supplier because this is just way too easy with the PYRO MACHINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

That's it, next time I roll stars I'm doing it in a tire .

[oskarchem]

Yepee! Just passed my medical exam for my pilots lisence, so in 2 days I am going to start my course.

[bombboy218]

Hell yes i just got my license and for my 16th b-day i got a brand new 08 mustang from my parents and a 07 ducati 749 from my rich grandmother and 1500$ from all of my famly & friends and just bought 125$ worth of chemicals so i will be alright for awhile

[justanotherpyro]

Sounds like you'll be alright for more than a while I guess Congratulations are in order? Happy birthday.

[nick2354]

I bet u write that Mustang off, in the first week of having it.

[WarezWally]

Get rid of the car and keep the bike

[hst45]

Happy today. I have the day off from my crappy job and went skiing. Being a weekday and late in the season there was practically no one on the mountain. When I got there at 9:00 it was foggy and just starting to snow, so I spent most of the day skiing freshly falling powder while basically inside a cloud. Low visibility cut down on the speed, but I was on my slalom skis and had a blast ripping up turns. I never had to wait for the chair, or even ride up with anyone else. And, the lodge has Labattes on tap. No broken bones or pulled muscles came home with me, so all in all it was a fun day.

[NightHawkInLight]

Happy today. I have the day off from my crappy job and went skiing. Being a weekday and late in the season there was practically no one on the mountain. When I got there at 9:00 it was foggy and just starting to snow, so I spent most of the day skiing freshly falling powder while basically inside a cloud. Low visibility cut down on the speed, but I was on my slalom skis and had a blast ripping up turns. I never had to wait for the chair, or even ride up with anyone else. And, the lodge has Labattes on tap. No broken bones or pulled muscles came home with me, so all in all it was a fun day.

I did not get in near enough boarding this year...I'm jealous

But hey, spring break starts his weekend and I'm heading north. Maybe some snow left up there. Although I'm counting on there not being any...It's the annual spring backpacking trip. Got snowed in last year, and that was two weeks later than this trip I'm packing warm.

[InRainbows]

Today, I set off 4 3/8x3 1/2 rockets, the tooling was as follows- BBQ skewers, and a bic pen. First two were basic core burners- both flew perfectly. The third today, decided to not lift off, I'm blaming too short of a core. The fourth, coreburner with 7% 100-120 mesh aluminum, also flew great, although looked like too little aluminum.

 

I liked the results, especially since I didn't spend a penny on tooling, and since they're my 3-7th rockets.

 

Also, spring break. Huzzah!

[Swany]

In some sort of strange turn of events I can't stop winning science event thingys. Anyone going to be at national science bowl or international science fair?