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Glitter Formulas?


MWJ

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Does anyone here have a good simple glitter formula? I was thinking it might be a nice next step for me to do with my 3" ball shells.

I fired off my first 3" shell but didn't get a good video of it because the wind blew it over my shoulder and I just got the tail end of it. What I did see I really liked. I'm going to glue a big star on top of it the next time so I can follow the trail easier. I think glitter would be really cool to see.

 

Thanks

Mike

Edited by MWJ
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I'm still a newbie as far as making fireworks so I don't know what a D1 is, so if you would tell be the formula it would make more sense to me. :wacko:

Thanks for the response schroedinger. I can't find any glitter formulas in the formula section.

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There are some in there. They might just be getting buried over time. http://www.amateurpyro.com/forums/topic/56-d1-glitter/

 

Anyway, I disagree with Schroedinger's suggestion that leaving out the bicarbonate will turn it silver. I don't think he really understands how the glitter reaction works at all if he thinks that's viable. I also don't really like D1 personally, and find it kind of ugly. It his however cheap, and a decent starting point.

 

As you read into glitters, you'll probably see the name Robert Winokur come up repeatedly. He wrote a very nice article in Pyrotechnica II on glitters and the phenomenon of the effect. Along the way, 39 compositions were published. They were transcribed to a former incarnation of APC, which then were reproduced all over the internet, errors and all. I corrected this a couple of years ago, so these should all be correct now. The same cannot be said for the rest of the internet. Numbers 20 and 39 are quite popular. I like 31 myself for a no-antimony glitter.

 

http://www.amateurpyro.com/forums/topic/67-winokurs-40-glitter-compositions

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D1 is easy and cheap, leaving out the sodium bicarbonate will just leave you with a charcoal streamer with aluminum specs in the tail.

 

I like D1 myself, and if you follow the instructions the effect will work easily .

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Great! Thanks for ALL of the info. I might try to make some D1 if it's easy and good to start with. I need a starting point to get the feel of it then move on to the better stuff. I'm starting to hate summer time. NO fireworks in the summer. Bummer.

I'll just try to grow my Paulownia trees in the summer and make the charcoal for winter time.

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Check that list that mumbles posted. The formula 39J is extremely popular among the pros from what I understand. I know ned gorski uses it and Harry Gilliam recommended it to me personally
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I don't have it on me atm, but Lloyd sponenburghs buttered popcorn glitter is quite. Beautiful
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i have tried the winokur 39J and i really like it but i find it to have quite a short lived tail and i like the d1 and n1 for the cheap nice glitter it is but i find it to almost look like a strobe which i really like it glitters on its way out of the shell the seems to die out as a strobe

 

i really like the look of buttered popcorn on vid but have not tried it yet is on my list

 

but yes 20 and 39j are my favourite of the winokur comps

 

D1 is great and very easy

 

but i have come to really like ralphs glitters they are also cheap and have a really nice tail of glitter compared to D1

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I prefer N1 to D1 it's prettier IMHO and just as cheap/easy as D1. it can be found here http://www.amateurpyro.com/forums/topic/7009-4-n1-glitter/
If you haven't already I would suggest reading Glitter Chemistry & Techniques by L. Scott Oglesby, it really is a fascinating read.

Also TYRONE, The Buttered Popcorn comp can be found here http://www.amateurpyro.com/forums/topic/7018-buttered-popcorn-glitter/



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The buttered popcorn glitter is the one that I have been using and I really do love it. You can really distinguish the 'puffs' of light they give off and they are nice and fluffy just like popcorn. Its quite spectacular. I noticed its more of a white glitter. I'd like to see a more orange or charcoal spark colored glitter.

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