fencepost prime

[eb11]

hey guys i am starting to make my parlon stars for my 4th of july show. I am going to use fencepost prime my question is do I put it on my patty before I cut them and do I need to roll them in meal after or do I just use the fencepost prime as my prime

[nater]

I like to cut the stars with the hot prime on the patty. I roll everything in green mixed meal as a final prime. Edited March 4, 2014 by nater

[eb11]

so would you use fencepost on the patty then roll in meal

[marks265]

That's what I do. Screen FP prime over the patty and slice. As I pull the rows of comp over I roll them 90 degrees onto prime so that the cut edge lands on prime. Then I cut crossways to cut the cubes. Then I screen on more FP prime after sliced and move to a tub where I continue to shake or roll the stars to cover all sides and allow the star to take up most of the prime. When the stars starts to finish taking on as much prime as think they will I then finish with a green mix.

 

Mark

[mkn]

You maybe fine with the hot prime / green meal mix as Nater suggested, the hot prime formula is on Skylighter. Being a cut star , they tend to take fire easier because of the edges and corners, so the fence post maybe a bit extra. If Fence post is what you are going to use, maybe cut them, then shake / roll in a bed of fence post to coat the wet cut star, that is probably be all the prime you need, the stuff is great ! I just made my first mix of it, and lit stars that I could not light with a variety of other primes, sweet !

Matt

[nater]

I used hot prime to mean any of the various hot prime comps out there. I typically use pinball prime and green mixed meal. I have had good luck step priming with 50/50 star comp and meal as well. I figure using 2 primes cuts down on comps I want made up and on hand. Hard to light stars gets both, easy to light just get green meal.

 

Dusting the stars with prime before you cut them makes the cutting go easier too. The stars don't stick together as much. As Mr. Swisher says, meal is to cut stars as flour is to the baker.

[psyco_1322]

Personally, I don't care to dust my patties with prime. I've tried it, and nothing seems to benefit from it really. The blade still hits wet comp, it still sticks sometimes, the bottom is usually wet enough to void anything dry you try to lay down also. Seems like you use up a bunch of prime trying to dry up the outside of something you just make wet! It's probably absolutely pointless to try to dust a acetone/LT wetted patty, as the prime is probably made to be water bound and the outside of the patty usually dries and crusts over so I doubt anything would stick anyways. I usually cut the stars, dry them, then lightly rewet for priming, which often happens in a tub so they can be tumbled around. On most occasions 95% of the prime is picked up, and I don't have a mess or a pile of excess prime to deal with afterwards.

 

I have not had to use anything other than fence post prime. It lights all the stars I make, with no additional layers of meal/green mix. One good coating of fence post does the trick.

Edited March 4, 2014 by psyco_1322

[Maserface]

Has anybody tried modifying fence post to prime ap or chlorate stars? I'm thinking maybe just use kcl04 and omitting the sulfur.

[dynomike1]

I also use fence post prime for dark relay to.

[nater]

Why would you use a hot prime like fencepost on easy to light chlorate stars?

[Mumbles]

Also, what's wrong with priming chlorate stars with BP based compositions? It's a very common practice with a good safety record amongst established pyros.

[Maserface]

I have always disassociated sulfur with chlorate, I realize that by the time the star is done, the chlorate in the composition and the sulfur in the prime would be a moot point, and especially with the low acidity sulfur we have now.

[burningRNX]

Modifying fencepost for KClO4 seems to be complicated, why don't you use something like pinball or bleser hotprime with a BP prime (on AP based stars)?

Edited March 5, 2014 by burningRNX

[eb11]

I am using the fence post prime on parlon stars from skylighter should I worry about anything

[FlaMtnBkr]

I don't think there is anything to worry about. But I like to prime a few and shoot them from a star gun, hard, to make sure they all light. It is never good when stars with a lot of time and money in them don't light.

 

Those stars are spec'd with a hot prime and BP. I would just want to make sure the fencepost prime lights them OK before priming all of them and loading them in shells. I haven't tried it yet so can't comment how effective it is, but some really like it.

[psyco_1322]

Fence post prime should work just fine to prime those parlon stars. I'd cut, dry, then wet with water in a tub and sprinkle in some prime, give it a good toss around, and repeat until well coated. Dry again and shoot away!

[eb11]

one last question do you ball mill the fence post prime or just mix in a tub and use

[nater]

No need to ball mill it, just mix it by hand and use. You could screen everything except the DE, then mix that in. You can mill the meal components if you want, then mix in the silicon and DE, but it is not necessary.

Edited April 5, 2014 by nater

[eb11]

K thank you nater was just wondering Edited April 5, 2014 by eb11

[eb11]

Can I switch the dextron for red gum so I can use alcohol instead of water Edited April 6, 2014 by eb11

[nater]

I started priming everything by spraying with a dextrin liquor and coating in prime. I don't use any binder in the prime at all. This method was suggested by the same person who came up with fencepost prime, so I would not be surprised if he now does the same thing.

 

In any case, you should be okay omitting the dextrin and using any method to bind the prime to the star. Like I said above, I use a different hot prime, but I have used dextrin or red gum as a binder, just as you describe. I have just settled on the dextrin liquor method after trying different ways out.

[eb11]

what is the dextrin liquor method

[nater]

The dextrin liquor method uses a solution of water with 10% dextrin added. You will probably have to heat the water to get all of the dextrin to fully dissolve. This solution can be used to bind cut or pumped stars, granulate BP or prime stars. You can omit the dextrin from any comps, since you are adding some back in solution. The final amount of dextrin that ends up in the comp is less than you would have used if you added it dry, which means in theory your BP will be faster. Many people have tested and confirmed this. Many have also found that drying times are less than using water with the dextrin mixed into the comp.

 

It works great for granulating BP and cut stars. For priming stars, I just spray the dextrin solution onto the stars and then roll the dry prime on. Others have some different methods, but I have not tried them myself.

[eb11]

Nater you said to not screen in the de why I have been putting everything in a bowl then running it through a screen then I diaper mix it to make sure its all mixed Edited April 9, 2014 by eb11

[nater]

I was not surr how coarse your DE was and if it would pass through your screens easily. That is all.