firetech Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Pyromaniacman, if you don't mind spending just a few extra dollars you might want to consider investing in some PVC parts and making a new jar. The jars you are currently using would be fairly inefficient compared to a jar with the same volume but spread across a longer distance. It would provide more contact area between the media and comp resulting in acceptable powder in a lesser amount of time. Please correct me if I'm wrong about the volume and surface area concept I described...It makes sense to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mumbles Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Yep, you're wrong. Shorter but wider jars give a higher media to powder surface area ratio as well as increasing the impact rate and impact force. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firetech Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Haha, thanks for being honest and straight to the point Mumbles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarezWally Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 $550 Where do you live? Surely hunting around for a motor, pulley, bearings and some other common items would have been cheaper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueBluePyro Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Oh well, it doesnt matter now, Hess made it and its all complete, lets not knock it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swede Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Timely topic - Ball mills. About 8 months ago, there was a guy on eBay selling 5/8" diameter stainless rod stock really cheaply. I bought 4 ea 1 meter rods, and only now got to cutting them. Without a bandsaw, this would have been hell. I bundled the rods and using a stop, cut a pile of stainless media, about 3/4" long. http://www.5bears.com/firew/bsaw02.jpg They were plenty burred up, but I tumbled them overnight using coarse rock-grinding media + water, followed by fine to polish them a bit. They came out nice: http://www.5bears.com/firew/bsaw03.jpg I could have used about twice as many. As usual, you never seem to buy enough of anything when the opportunity is there, and the price is right. But this is going to be good media, and should do a gallon jar pretty easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacob Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 (edited) That was a good deal for stainless wasn't it. http://i41.tinypic.com/15me9ec.jpg I did the same thing as Swede except being the gluten for punishment I am I deburred eatch one on a belt sander, NOT something I ever want to do again. Edited June 2, 2009 by jacob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tentacles Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Jacob: Well, I can one up your sander - I used a LATHE to debur/radius my media - all 30lbs of it (so far). About half is 1/2" media, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarezWally Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Cutting all of that would have been murder on a hacksaw blade and on any sort of sanding medium. Nothing beats a cold saw for cutting metals, zero distortion and they cut bloody quick. Shame they cost an arm and a leg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacob Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Wow Tentacles, I did about 20lbs of 5/8'', that must've taken forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aimlesspayload Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 the good: PGI membership accepted, first bulletin came today, hotel for the PGI convention being booked, my first 3" canister worked. the bad: can't help set up my local july 4th fireworks display because I'm not 18. I'm gonna see if the guy will "not notice" if I show him my brothers id. (like I'll ask his specifically to not notice) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mumbles Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 I don't know if I'd chance it. They may look at more than just your ID. Every company I've ever shot with I've had to fill out a W-4 for. I've always gotten paid in cash, but the "employee" thing is for insurance. I don't know if I'd chance it. They may look at more than just your ID. Every company I've ever shot with I've had to fill out a W-4 for. I've always gotten paid in cash, but the "employee" thing is for insurance. See if you can help setup. They may still let you help out, but not fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankRizzo Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Not only that, but display companies often talk to other companies in the area. If you get caught trying to work, you may get black-balled and not be able to work for anyone in the area for future shoots. It's not worth it. Are you a junior member of the PGI? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mumbles Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 I found out (after I was 18 of course) that you can join the PGI with parental signatures if you are under 18. Full price of course, but if I had known about it I'd be halfway to being a PGI "old fart" in my mid 20's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mumbles Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 I finally got my crossettes breaking pretty well I think. I was 7 for 7 with nice wide angle breaks. I can finally say my crossettes broke, and not just split. I didn't notice if they were all into 4 pieces, but I'll take it as at least a partial victory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aimlesspayload Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 (edited) All I wanted to do is help set up, volunteering, free of charge. I dunno, I'll ask again and see if he understood this. And yeah, Junior PGI member as of about a week ago. My mentor made it sound like most people are willing to look the other way on age requirements in most instances. For example, he said that I most likely will be able to attend seminars at the PGI convention even through I'm 17, and if there's a problem he would just sit next to me. He is like 60 something though, maybe he's remembering a less strict time... Edited June 8, 2009 by Aimlesspayload Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSidewinder Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Aimlesspayload, I've not attended the last two PGI meets, but things *were* getting tighter. Much of that was due to complete boneheads, at something like 3 PGI's in a row, doing something really stupid, and in two of the incidents knowingly breaking several PGI rules as well as local, State, and Federal laws. The two incidents involved Flash (what a fucking surprise!), another was someone cleaning up who didn't follow instructions and damn near got killed when a "dud" went off. I suspect if you volunteer for that July 4th show you'll be restricted from actual shell handling and loading, but god knows there's plenty of other work to do that they'd need volunteers for. Don't risk taking a fake ID, though. Not worth the future risk. If someone asks you verbally or on a form, tell them your correct age. You'll still have fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justanotherpyro Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 After a few years of searching the local scrap yards I finally found not one but two lawnboy mower decks. 35 lbs of Mg at a buck a pound and the density test showed that it was very pure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadman Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Justanotherpyro what the heck are you going to do with 2 giant blocks of magnesium? That's an awesome find though. Just noticed the crossette note Mumbles. congrats. It seams for as long as I can remember you've had a problem with your crossettes. I got back to work today and made a smooth 600 dollars. Too bad it's already spent, but it's better than not making any money right. Huge sales day though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
50AE Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Justanotherpyro, what do you mean by "density test" ? Do you calculate the volume of the block, weight it and compare its density to the normal Mg ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inonickname Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Well, I think I've found a lathe (should have it purchased and paid for, and set up by the end of the year..hopefully). 320x600mm, $3500 Aud fully tooled with good quality carbide bits, a stand, 3 + 4 jaw chuck and so on. Gear headed, lots of thread cutting in metric and imperial, not much slop and a fair run-out. Pretty good. Also, I found a good place to get nitric and HF without looking like a terrorist. Granted, I need my parents to come and get it with me..but anyway. It's always nice to know you can still buy some chemicals in overgoverned Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swede Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 After a few years of searching the local scrap yards I finally found not one but two lawnboy mower decks. 35 lbs of Mg at a buck a pound and the density test showed that it was very pure. YOU DOG! It's amazing what you can find if you are persistent. Nice catch. When I was cranking up chlorate/perchlorate, I shopped for weeks looking for a decent power supply that wasn't $800. After weeks of looking, I found not one but two supplies, both well below $100. Scrap yards might also yield stainless mill media. Carry a little pocket magnet, and if the steel bar isn't (or is super weak) magnetic, it's probably stainless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonny Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Scrap yards might also yield stainless mill media. Carry a little pocket magnet, and if the steel bar isn't (or is super weak) magnetic, it's probably stainless. You can also ask, as most scrapyards have the stainless separated due to the higher value than the garbage steel and iron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justanotherpyro Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Justanotherpyro, what do you mean by "density test" ? Do you calculate the volume of the block, weight it and compare its density to the normal Mg ? Deadman, the sole use for it is for making MgAl and after finally breaking down and buying a set of McMaster screens I can size the meshes and never have to buy MgAl again. As far as the density goes I cut down pieces( a few grams worth) small enough to fit into a burret, weighed the pieces to .001 grams and measured water displacement to .01 mls which gave me a density of 1.74 g/cm^3 (ml). In my experience scrap dealers usually can't tell the Mg and Al apart. You have to investigate yourself with a metal file and some vinegar. If anyone does find a lawnboy deck make sure it has "magnesium" written on the deck somewhere, like where you put your foot to start a mower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aimlesspayload Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 The good news: My flash works well. Made a few salute shells. Worked well. The bad news: There was a small electrical fire at my house (only made smoke). I wasn't home, and my mom threw all of my pyro crap in a closet (she thought the fire department was gonna come). Gonna be a pain to re-organize everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts