The reason of my absence

[yvariro]

Hi all,

I don't know if you noticed this,but it's been maybe 3 month that i didn't login or did something on the forum,

It's important for me to inform you of the reason of this absence,you,who helped me to make this art,to improve my skills,having a strong conscious of the potential danger of this hobby,the safety measure,you gave your time to explain me the complexity of this hobby and I'm gratefull for all your help.This forum and the entire community of handmade pyrotechnics was and still like a big family for me.

There is now 4 month,an horrible things happened,It was early in the morning,I was sleeping quietfully when my dad came in panic in my room for waking me up,then said "there is cops and deminers in the entry,they want you to explain what you do with the things you have in the workshop"

I understood directly why they was here,making pyrotechnics is illegal in France...it was an anonymous denonciation... Someone who know me pretty good because I'm not that guy who expose is life.If he didn't denonciate me,the police would have never knock at my house,search in all my house for HE related things -(the anonymous denonciation said that I was making and selling HE.....)- in addition to keep and embark all my pyro-stuff... Including a complex 2 rings timed + pistils report and Bottomshot rocket,(spend 5-6 hours for it)

All my news color changing stars,chemicals,lift powder,rocket fuel and a bit of FP ( I still had to do the bottom shot,I always make the most dangerous things at last)

I had to explains why I had these products,why I was making homemade firework,why the fuck i was making firework and risking my life??!!

I spent 8 hours in police custody,they treated me like a terrorist.

The deminers shot my pyrotechnics composition (mainly charcoal and glitters,maybe 500 gr of kno3 based composition and 250 gr of kp red composition) my lovely rocket,my lift charge,rocket fuel, burstcharge..

I still don't know how the f*** it did a 5 foot deep and 8 foot wide in the earth,they detonate it with military HE. Is organic Kno3 based composition choc sensitive or they just wanted to be evil whith me ?

This "crater size" played a main role in my judgment....

I was not this kid who was making loud salute,who did not respect the security rule,I have always do things progressively,step by step,reading,informing myself,before trying anything. all the chemicals I had was knew by hearth..(reaction/incompatibility,not the name ^^)

Even If I am young it does not prevent me to make real firework,they thinks that I'm irresponsible,I was making FP just for my insert/BS..I was not making crap,I've always shoot my firework in a rural area,I was not making them in a mess,for me,I was always making it rigorously and methodical

(http://hpics.li/a442187 http://hpics.li/061595e pic of a 4" W20 to green + pistil,100% BP break)

Sorry for the long post,it's not a plaint,I just wanted to keep you in touch,thankfully I'm 16 so I will not go in jail...

To all who do this art against our paranoid law please be care,even if you do make firework safely,

I dream to go in USA ,Malta,Italy..for working legally in these great factory..but how?

Thanks you for all your help,I've been happy and honoured to make pyrotechnics with you !

Stay green !

Best greetings

-Yves-Marie

ps:sorry for my approximative english,I tried to do my best

Edited June 2, 2014 by yvariro

[pyroman2498]

Hey buddy,

Im glad to hear that your arnt being charged as a criminal.

Ive had a run in with the law numerous times , each time they threaten me with WOMD ( Which my fireworks arnt )

Ill keep building because its something i enjoy and i find it to be fine as long as im not hurting anyone or anything with my devices

 

Anyways , please be safe and keep me posted and feel free to ask me any questions ( I do speak some french so if the English word dosnt fit than use the french )

 

Stay Safe and Stay Green

 

~Steven

[pyrokid]

Sorry to hear of your troubles yvariro. It's unfortunate that pyrotechnicians are demonized in such a way.

[FlaMtnBkr]

I don't know your laws, but I'm sorry to hear of your troubles. In our current world, our leaders want citizens that behave a certain way and don't think for themselves. Even in the US where many fireworks are legal, you can still have your house invaded and all your legal chemicals confiscated, and then charged for their removal. And if you don't have the money to defend yourself in a court of law, then you could easily end up with a permanent record.

 

I hope your young age will get you off without a record. Just remember that if you were of legal age you could be in more trouble. Unfortunately, for some the legal troubles may not be worth the risk.

[taiwanluthiers]

It almost seems better to practice pyro in China than in the US. Chemical shops selling all kinds of chemicals exist, and they do not care who they sell to.

[BurritoBandito]

@Yvariro: That is rough. I'm sorry to hear that the laws in France are so restrictive.I tend to agree with FlaMtnBkr when he said "In our current world, our leaders want citizens that behave a certain way and don't think for themselves.". Without getting into too big of a rant... I feel like the main function of media is to manufacture consent, and (at least in the states) it's primarily an outlet for propaganda to line the pockets of huge corporations like DOW, Du Pont, Haliburton, and Monsanto.

[taiwanluthiers]

I'm not sure... I think there's just a perception that people who play with explosives are dangerous. It may not be so much of the person playing with explosives being a danger to others, but what if those explosives were stolen, or the person turns psychotic and decides to use them for harm? Obviously such a person is capable of great damage on the society and naturally they are feared.

 

All I can say is, if you know what you are doing is illegal do not under any circumstance share it with anyone no matter how much you may trust him/her. This is really hard if you have families. Also there's always that possibility that someone sees something, confuses it with HE (since the average people don't know the difference) and tells the authorities. When they hear it they naturally assume the worst because they have seen bad things. I don't think authorities will scour every known pyro forums and IP trace everyone because they have better things to do, but when someone tips them it's another story altogether.

[MrB]

Good to hear you haven't got burnt worse that this. Yes, what we do IS illegal in most of Europe. And all it takes is one person who's pissed of at you, and makes that call to the police.

Honestly, since i'm already convicted for crimes relating to HE, once that call comes through about me, they are going to pull out all the stops, and go ballistic. So i live by a mindset that is sort of there to keep me from getting so badly burnt.

Most of the chems we use are legal, but has some restrictions how, and where you can store them. Try to inform your self, and follow those.

It's mostly about keeping fuels and oxidizers away from one and other.

Always keep everything locked up, and bolted down.

Never store "lose" compositions. Powders are always more violent then solid chunks. The court, if it goes there counts slow burning solid blocks as much less of a problem, then the same composition stored in a bag.

In the off season, don't store pyro. No, really. If you have to, make the components. Stars, bp coated ricehulls, what ever. Make the shell, and shoot it with just enough time for the pasting to dry. Having 10 kilos of "explosives" stored leading up to newyears eve is a lot more reasonable in the eyes of the court, then having it stored, just waiting for a day when you feel like shooting it.

 

Also, if you like me, are on every watchlist in the country, make sure to buy some "restricted" chems, where the seller has a law stating he has to report buyer names to the officials. I tend to buy some AN34 (Ammonium nitrate, the hard to get half of ANFO, if you'd like) just so they remember i'm alive. The first times it caused some very official visits, during which you pretty much tell em that your making fireworks. IF you got all of the above sorted, they are going to frown, tell you thats illegal and be on their way. Makes it a lot less likely they actually will come and crash through your door when that call we started talking about comes through. They already know your making fireworks. They aren't going to expect you to switch to ANFO, and blowing up the police station...

If your not to sure about the above parts, do you have your chems stored in a way thats at least sort of legal and so on... Then just don't stick your neck out. I decided this was the way to go, but i already know i'm on every watchlist. sort of comes with the territory. So i buy the tiniest amount of AN i can every year, just to make sure they don't forget about me.

B!

[Arthur]

It's taken about 10 years of existing under the radar in the UK and a lot of careful negotiations with police and government over that time, but amateur pyro is now an accepted hobby, we have some permissions under the EU poisons and precursors restrictions.

 

In some other countries it's still totally prohibited to be an amateur pyro, but if a national pyro body in your country wants to follow the UKPS and peek out over the parapet then hobby pyro might possibly become lawful in other countries.

[MrB]

In some other countries it's still totally prohibited to be an amateur pyro, but if a national pyro body in your country wants to follow the UKPS and peek out over the parapet then hobby pyro might possibly become lawful in other countries.

Yeah, that would be great. Sadly, as far as i know, there isn't even a "national pyro body" to start peeking anywhere, here in Sweden. The legal environment is simply to harsh, and nothing is being done about it.

B!

[Paravani]

I don't think authorities will scour every known pyro forums and IP trace everyone because they have better things to do, but when someone tips them it's another story altogether.

 

Hmm... well, having had the Secret Service knock at my neighbor's door several years ago, just hours after his daughter's guest posted a stupid joke rant about killing Bush, I'm not nearly as convinced of that as you are. Here in the US, we apparently have so many Secret Service, FBI, NSA, and DHS employees that have nothing better to do than harass honest citizens, it's always better to stay on the right side of the law. Mind you, that's no guarantee that they won't still hassle you -- as they did my neighbor and his daughter for several weeks after the above incident -- but at least you'll be able to fight it.

 

Stay safe and stay legal everyone.

 

Yves-Marie, I'm sorry for your troubles... but you really shouldn't be working with explosives in an inhabited building. Read more of the threads here that tell how even experienced fireworkers blew themselves up or caught themselves on fire. At sixteen, you are old enough to learn something about fireworks, but not yet old enough to have overcome the conviction that you are immortal, that the dangers don't apply to you. I know, I know, you want to argue with me about how careful you are -- but those guys here who were burned, and the guys who aren't here anymore, were careful too.

 

When you're 21, check in again, and maybe one of us can sponsor your immigration to the US. In the meantime, work hard in school, learn as much as you can, and get good grades. Being smart and well-educated makes it much easier for other countries to accept you for immigration.

 

-- Paravani

[taiwanluthiers]

Yea, talking about doing harm to a national leader is pretty big, even if it's a joke. Secret Service takes that stuff seriously, same with talking about doing harm, especially with explosives. I think it isn't the same as talking about making fireworks even if it's illegal in your country.