Occasional Happiness

[dagabu]

Today i made a bunch of rockets, exactly like the Chinese make them.

 

Close, very close but the CPSC prohibits PVC, metal and other materials that can turn into shards. The motor casings I have from my kids rockets that they got at PGI this summer are HDPE.

 

I have to think that almost everyone on the dark side has used or started with PVC, it's easy to get, cheap and holds the pressing pressure.

 

I am no fan of posting my failings, really, but I still have the scar on my right forearm from where a shard of PVC got me about three years ago. I actually got hit twice but my jeans protected me from the cut, there was just a bruise on my inner thigh for a couple weeks.

 

That was the last time I used PVC for motors.

 

The picture is up on pyrobin if anyone wants a peek.

[NightHawkInLight]

Close, very close but the CPSC prohibits PVC, metal and other materials that can turn into shards. The motor casings I have from my kids rockets that they got at PGI this summer are HDPE.

 

I have to think that almost everyone on the dark side has used or started with PVC, it's easy to get, cheap and holds the pressing pressure.

 

I am no fan of posting my failings, really, but I still have the scar on my right forearm from where a shard of PVC got me about three years ago. I actually got hit twice but my jeans protected me from the cut, there was just a bruise on my inner thigh for a couple weeks.

 

That was the last time I used PVC for motors.

 

The picture is up on pyrobin if anyone wants a peek.

A failure like that you should let us in on. That's the first time I've actually heard of someone being hit and injured by PVC shrapnel. Now I can tell people to avoid it because I know it 'has' caused injuries in pyrotechnics, rather than it 'could'.

[spitfire]

I understand you guys are a little afraid of using PVC for a casing. I know, there are some hazards when using this material. But, in my case, i am not a beginner in pyro and when it comes to lighting homemade rockets, i know what i am doing. That means a long fuse and keeping distance of the rockets after ignition. I never had any trouble with PVC so far.. in fact, 98% of all the Chinese rockets sold in the EU are PVC or Aluminium motors. Warnings from other pyro's are of high value to me, as we all know accidents can happen to everyone, in an unexpected way. Better safe then sorry.

[dagabu]

OK, lets put it this way, I would expect that when the mods read this thread they are going to declare the use of PVC as dangerous and ask you to stop posting its use as OK.

 

I remind you that this is an amateur pyrotechnic forum and if I remember correctly, Mumbles has already called PVC casing use beyond what is considered safe.

 

Your call but I got my money on the mods shutting this conversation off.

[dagabu]

A failure like that you should let us in on.

 

Not really proud of that one...

 

Spitfire: I was well beyond the "safe" zone when the rocket CATO'd, the chunk was a 2" by 1" tapered sliver that still had enough oomph to puncture my skin at 50'.

[TheSidewinder]

"I never had any trouble with PVC so far.."

 

That's the telling bit right there... "so far".

 

Sooner or later, you will have trouble. One is going to CATO on you, and that PVC will become shrapnel.

 

Now, if you're 200 feet away? Probably not going to be a problem. 50 feet? Could be deadly. Chance is small, admittedly, but there IS a chance.

 

PVC casings simply have no place in our hobby. They just don't. Proper cardboard tubes will work every bit as well, and there is no danger from shrapnel with them.

 

Your personal choices are yours to make, of course. But do not advocate their use here.

[50AE]

My best friend loves unique presents. So I decided to make a small ball shell model for her Name Day. I'm pretty sure she will like it.

The only real part is the visco. The ball is a ping pong ball filled with bentonite to make the ball heavy.

Tell me what you think about it

 

http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/3401/1005l.th.jpg

 

I think a coat of laquer will make it even better.

Edited October 24, 2010 by 50AE

[Mumbles]

Well, I have no idea what a name day is, but it looks good to me. Whether she likes it, well you'd know better than I. If you wanted to get rid of all live material you could put an fuse protector over the end to cover where the visco or bare match would be. I'm always a bit uncomfortable giving anyone anything containing anything real. Just imagine if someone tries to light it as a joke and it really lights. People would be running in panic.

[Updup]

Well, I have no idea what a name day is, but it looks good to me. Whether she likes it, well you'd know better than I. If you wanted to get rid of all live material you could put an fuse protector over the end to cover where the visco or bare match would be. I'm always a bit uncomfortable giving anyone anything containing anything real. Just imagine if someone tries to light it as a joke and it really lights. People would be running in panic.

 

I think name days are like a second birthday people from Greece celebrate...

 

Could be wrong though

[Arthur]

Use plastic hemis and fill with chocolates.

[50AE]

Maybe putting a piece of visco in water for a long time. This visco is water resistant, but not waterproof. KNO₃ should leach with time, resulting in a powder without oxidizer. The NC coating should remain intact, keeping the structure of the visco.

 

Arthur, not having plastic hemis here, but this is a good idea.

She loves chocolate. I've though about the candy shell a member of APC has one made, Ventsi IIRC?

 

Name day:

A name day is a tradition celebrated in many countries in Europe and Latin America of celebrating on a particular day of the year associated with one's given name. The custom originated with the Catholic and Orthodox calendar of saints, where believers, named after a particular saint, would celebrate that saint's feast day. In many countries, however, there is no longer any explicit connection to Christianity.

Wikipedia

Edited October 24, 2010 by 50AE

[Updup]

Use plastic hemis and fill with chocolates.

 

Or chocolate hemis filled with chocolates, with chocolate lift, and a candy leader... we have a TUT for it [=.

 

I made one with chocolate coated rice cereal for the "break" once... I ate it before I added the lift to it though ]=

[Peret]

Or chocolate hemis filled with chocolates, with chocolate lift, and a candy leader... we have a TUT for it [=.

 

Thanks! You've given me an idea for my wife's birthday next month!

[Mumbles]

Why go through the trouble of soaking visco when string dyed/colored green or red or black works just as well? Starch makes it stiff. No one besides us really know what visco looks like up close. I hate to discourage you, but I think the finer details would be lost on most people outside of the pyro community. People aren't going to know the difference if you use real virgin kraft with hand parboiled wheat paste over japanese nesting hemis and the finest Italian flax twine.

[Updup]

Maybe putting a piece of visco in water for a long time. This visco is water resistant, but not waterproof. KNO₃ should leach with time, resulting in a powder without oxidizer. The NC coating should remain intact, keeping the structure of the visco.

 

Actually, from my experience, soaked and dried visco has a nasty habit of exploding violently in your hands...

 

 

[50AE]

I want the shell to look the way I find it best. I know few people will notice a difference between fake and true fuse. I'd like to keep it this way. I'll warn my friend that only the fuse is real though. I may coat the edge of the visco with a thick coat of laquer, to make it ignition resistant.

 

Updup, interesting thing you say. Maybe the explanation could be an irregular burn of the powder. The powder could partially burn in the beginning because of a lack of oxidizer and then reach a healthy spot. There will be confinement and the visco would burst.

[Updup]

I want the shell to look the way I find it best. I know few people will notice a difference between fake and true fuse. I'd like to keep it this way. I'll warn my friend that only the fuse is real though. I may coat the edge of the visco with a thick coat of laquer, to make it ignition resistant.

 

Updup, interesting thing you say. Maybe the explanation could be an irregular burn of the powder. The powder could partially burn in the beginning because of a lack of oxidizer and then reach a healthy spot. There will be confinement and the visco would burst.

 

Yeah, It just burned alot faster than I expected... like yellow quick fuse.

[NightHawkInLight]

I haven't read this conversation, but it sounds like you are making a cutaway shell and need a way to use a visco fuse without it containing live powder. The solution is simple, cut the fuse then roll it between your fingers starting at one end until all the powder falls out. If it needs to be sturdy thread a toothpick or something through it and then coat in lacquer.

[Updup]

I haven't read this conversation, but it sounds like you are making a cutaway shell and need a way to use a visco fuse without it containing live powder. The solution is simple, cut the fuse then roll it between your fingers starting at one end until all the powder falls out. If it needs to be sturdy thread a toothpick or something through it and then coat in lacquer.

 

I think we are over thinking it... just using visco won't really matter, I like the idea of coating the end in lacquer to make it less easy to light.

[dagabu]

Happy Guy Fawkes Day!

 

Since its bon-fire night, lets see some pictures from your celebration.

[Weasel]

Today I recieved a big box of chemicals from Americanpyrosupply.com. I now have the chemicals to make nearly everything I want to make!

 

The list of chems I just got:

 

PVC

Strontium Carbonate

Barium Carbonate

Barium Nitrate (Not here yet, i'm assuming it was shipped seperately from the fuels)

Magnalium -30/+60 m

Magnalium -100/+200 m

Magnalium -325 m (Back ordered, should be here soon)

Red Iron Oxide

Sodium Benzoate (Hooray for whistle mix!)

Antimony Trisulfide

Silicon

DE

Lampblack

Cryolite

Calcium Carbonate

Copper Carbonate

 

and the chemicals I already own:

 

Potassium Nitrate

Charcoal (obviously)

Parlon

Red Gum

Sulfur

Potassium Perchlorate

Strontium Nitrate

Cupric Oxide

Titanium (spherical medium mesh)

Zinc

Aluminum (atomized -325 m)

Boric Acid

( + any other household chems like Boric Acid)

 

I think I just need some bright Al and some dark Al and i will be set. I'm not in any hurry to make flash though, so I think dark Al can wait.

I realize theres lots of chemicals I could still have to make the list complete, but i'm happy with all this. I'm looking forward to Winokur glitters, strobes, stars of every color, fuchs pop glitter, willow stars, whistles, heck just about anything I want to make I can now make.

 

The third year of my homemade 4th of July will be awesome.

 

Oh, and sorry for the big bump, I normally just lurk anyway, but no one in my family understands why all these bags of white and silver powders are making me happy.

 

[DasSchaben]

^ Nice list! I, um, understand. Have fun with those projects! My list is similar (minus the antimony trisulfide, lampblack, and perchlorate). Three separate boxes of supplies arrived yesterday, so I'm happy.

 

Also: found a local supplier of fuse thanks to a gentleman here on APC, decided I might be able to afford a mini-lathe from Harbour Freight, discovered a list of metalworking suppliers, stumbled across Pyrobin for the first time, found Frozentech's site, bookmarked Wichita Buggy Whips (list of compositions), and found a few archived (old) PGI newsletters. Life is good.

[dagabu]

^ Nice list! I, um, understand. Have fun with those projects! My list is similar (minus the antimony trisulfide, lampblack, and perchlorate). Three separate boxes of supplies arrived yesterday, so I'm happy.

 

Also: found a local supplier of fuse thanks to a gentleman here on APC, decided I might be able to afford a mini-lathe from Harbour Freight, discovered a list of metalworking suppliers, stumbled across Pyrobin for the first time, found Frozentech's site, bookmarked Wichita Buggy Whips (list of compositions), and found a few archived (old) PGI newsletters. Life is good.

 

Checkout Passfire.com as well, you will find more information then you could believe.

[Bonny]

^ Nice list! I, um, understand. Have fun with those projects! My list is similar (minus the antimony trisulfide, lampblack, and perchlorate). Three separate boxes of supplies arrived yesterday, so I'm happy.

 

Also: found a local supplier of fuse thanks to a gentleman here on APC, decided I might be able to afford a mini-lathe from Harbour Freight, discovered a list of metalworking suppliers, stumbled across Pyrobin for the first time, found Frozentech's site, bookmarked Wichita Buggy Whips (list of compositions), and found a few archived (old) PGI newsletters. Life is good.

 

Another Canuck on here eh! Hope you like the forum. You seem to have found some good material sources, as chems can be hard to get in Canada.

I'd pass on the mini-lathe if you can save $$ for something bigger - maybe a used lathe (unless space is an issue of course). I have a mini-lathe, and, having worked in a machine shop years ago, it just isn't rigid enough for my liking. You can only make VERY light cuts, so most machining tasks take forever. I think the most use I've had for it has been turning wooden mortar plugs...

 

Another place to check out is the UK Pyro Society Forum.

[dagabu]

I like my 9 x 20, its not very good at SST but aluminum and brass are easy.