White Stars?

[MWJ]

Is there a formula for White Stars? I want to do a red, white and blue display. I'm thinking if I can't get one for white maybe I can do glitter. Any formulas or suggestions would be very helpful. Thanks everyone.

 

Mike

[nater]

There are some very bright white comps which use barium nitrate / al, I posted one formula in a recent thread and a few others had more. If you are firing the RWB together, they might be too bright. In that case a white glitter, stobe or silver star might work better. Personally, I like RWB with white stobes.

[MWJ]

I want to do one at a time in 3" shells. What would you suggest? Thanks Nater

[nater]

I am a fan of Gary Smith's Screen Sliced Stars, which are listed here in a table near the bottom of the page: http://www.skylighter.com/fireworks/how-to-make/colored-screen-sliced-rubber-stars.asp

 

I don't care much for the screen slicing method, but if you wet the comp with acetone, they cut nicely. Because the solvent evaporates fast, you have to wet small amounts at a time and work quickly. You can use alcohol as the solvent and pump them, which is my preference. The blue is not perfect, but it is obviously blue, but a bit pale. I would use 1/4" stars, prime with a hot prime or step prime with 50/50 star comp and BP. Finish with a layer of green mix BP.

[nater]

My current favorite blue is Hardt #6.

 

Potassium Perchlorate: 62

Copper Oxychloride: 12

Sulfur: 18

Dechlorane: 04

Dextrin: 04

 

For a white, I would lean towards the silver in the table above or the White Nitrate Strobe from TR

 

Barium Nitrate: 51

Sulfur: 22

Magnalium 100-200 mesh: 15 (mesh size of mgal effects the strobe rate)

Potassium Nitrate: 07

Dextrin: 05

 

Cut to 1/4" and prime with BP.

 

I have seen nice RWB displays with white glitter also, but have not made one.

[MWJ]

I think I'll try the Rainbow of rubber stars (Silver/White) and either roll or pump them. Thanks this helps!

Edited May 24, 2014 by MWJ

[Mumbles]

White can be tricky if you want to match it with blues. There are some white stars around based on potassium nitrate, but I don't really care for them. They're more grey at best. The older ones were based on arsenic sulfides. There are some more current ones based on antimony trisulfide I could get for you if you were interested. You can add some metal to these to increase their brilliance to match with metallic fueled stars.

[MWJ]

How much is the antimony trisulfide? Yes I am interested. I guess it depends on the cost. I also will need the formula to use it. I need to have some good white stars by fall (my wifes birthday). Thanks Mumbles

[nater]

Stars for your wife? My wife has three favorite fireworks: "The long droopy gold ones, The pretty shimmery, glittery ones, and the really loud white ones." If your wife is anything like mine, I think I would spend the time to find a good white glitter.

[Mumbles]

Seems like the price of antimony trisulfide has gone up. The cheapest I found was Pastime Pyro Supply at $13/lb. I'd try one of Gary Smith's formulas if you have the chemicals already. I didn't realize how much antimony they had initially. As an aside, antimony trisulfide also makes very nice glitters, particularly white ones.

 

http://pastimepyrochemicals.com/our-products.php?ViewItems=&c_page=2&OrderBy=&asc_desc=

 

Both of these come from Hardt.

 

Potassium Nitrate - 64

Sulfur - 16

Antimony Trisulfide - 11

Meal Powder - 5

Dextrin - 4

 

 

Potassium Nitrate - 57

Sulfur - 14

Antimony Trisulfide - 21

Charcoal - 1.5

Aluminum - 1.5

Dextrin - 5

[MWJ]

Stars for your wife? My wife has three favorite fireworks: "The long droopy gold ones, The pretty shimmery, glittery ones, and the really loud white ones." If your wife is anything like mine, I think I would spend the time to find a good white glitter.

I just want to have some nice shells and other fireworks for her BD. She loves fireworks.

 

Seems like the price of antimony trisulfide has gone up. The cheapest I found was Pastime Pyro Supply at $13/lb. I'd try one of Gary Smith's formulas if you have the chemicals already. I didn't realize how much antimony they had initially. As an aside, antimony trisulfide also makes very nice glitters, particularly white ones.

 

http://pastimepyrochemicals.com/our-products.php?ViewItems=&c_page=2&OrderBy=&asc_desc=

 

Both of these come from Hardt.

 

Potassium Nitrate - 64

Sulfur - 16

Antimony Trisulfide - 11

Meal Powder - 5

Dextrin - 4

 

 

Potassium Nitrate - 57

Sulfur - 14

Antimony Trisulfide - 21

Charcoal - 1.5

Aluminum - 1.5

Dextrin - 5

I have time so If I can I'll get a couple of Lbs, I do have everything else. thanks

[pyrokid]

I made a very simple white star a few years back with some combination of KClO3, red gum, and dextrin. They had a very pleasant, gentle, dim white color that would go well with the organic blue stars I'm fond of. I believe it was sourced from one of the best of AFN collections.

 

I don't have data regarding ignitability and such. I mean to show that a formula could be devised to complement organic reds and blues.

[Niladmirari]

#81

 

http://www.amateurpyro.com/forums/topic/3360-kno3-white/page-5

[mabuse00]

Depending on what you have in mind for your display, maybe there's a way to arrange shooting the blues first, before the audiences eyes become to much adapted for the bright stuff.

Or for example create shells like first break blue -> second break red ect.

Or use the brighter composition as inner cores an roll the blue on the outside...

 

...ect.

 

I recently tested the Rubber Rainbow white, mine burned very fast, much faster than the other colors of it's family. See the attachment. The other one is from the spanish PDF, less metal and slower.

Both where lit with Greenmix + 5% silicon.

 

 

If turns out to be really necessary to equally match the brightness with the blues - just a quick crazy idea - take your preferred blue formula and deliberately spoil it with a few percent of some sodium compound. That should yield an equally bright (or rather equally dim) star.

 

 

Concerning the KNO₃ / trisulphide formulas, I tried them some time ago and mine had some yellow tint. I did not like them, maybe i did something wrong.

Edited May 24, 2014 by mabuse00

[MrB]

Not sure, but i've HEARD whites go yellow quite easily when contaminated. Are you like me, and use fertilizer grade KNO3?

Speculation, at best.

B!

[Sparx88]

I got a white comp I got where I like it, maybe try it out with small batch and see. It's not based off 100 grams. I call it snowblind #1.

 

Snowblind #1

 

60g bp meal

20g p.perchlorate

6g fine aluminum

5g dextrin (water)/ or 6g red gum (alcohol)

 

 

CORRECTION:

 

30g bp meal <<<<<<<<<

20g p.perc

6g fine alum

5g dextrin/ 6g red gum

Edited May 26, 2014 by Sparx88

[MWJ]

I got a white comp I got where I like it, maybe try it out with small batch and see. It's not based off 100 grams. I call it snowblind #1.

 

Snowblind #1

 

60g bp meal

20g p.perchlorate

6g fine aluminum

5g dextrin (water)/ or 6g red gum (alcohol)

 

Do you pump them, roll them or cut them? Thanks Sparx.

[Sparx88]

I cut them, seems comps with alum don't roll as well for me. I think cut stars are easier to light though with the sharp edges. .

 

Sometimes after cutting them to 3/8" I'll roll them with my fingers to give them a cylinder shape or round. Mostly because I don't have any star plates or pumps.

Edited May 25, 2014 by Sparx88

[MWJ]

Well, I haven't ever cut stars yet, but I wanted too. So this is a good of a reason to try it. I do have a nice 4 mesh screen and a hand roller. Thanks Sparx88

[Sparx88]

Correction:

 

Snowblind #1

 

30g bp meal....... not 60g <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

20g p.perc

6g fine alum

5g dex/ or 6g red gum