MrB Posted June 22, 2014 Posted June 22, 2014 Topic is about all i got. Quite clearly the TI flakes i got isn't the right stuff. Coating the inside of a shell with ti flakes and then adding the flash is supposed to give me a nice sphere of white sparks, but i got nothing. Shot a few this weekend, since we were celebrating "midsummer" here in Sweden. Nice heathen / pagan tradition. Temporary worshiping of a huge phallus symbol.My notes say this stuff is 50-150 microns. Anyone got an idea what i'd need for the cloud of sparks? I cant even provide a link to the effect in use, but i know i've seen it around. (If i could have found the link, mesh size would probably been in there. Cant seam to find anything these days...)I'm guessing "larger" is the way to go. 450-1000? Sponge or flakes? Trying to finalize my order so i can get my Perchlorate before the window shuts.Been having some issues getting motivated due to the weather.B! 1
BurritoBandito Posted June 22, 2014 Posted June 22, 2014 10-30 mesh is generally used. Have a read here http://www.amateurpyro.com/forums/topic/4867-titanium-for-salutes/
ddewees Posted June 22, 2014 Posted June 22, 2014 (edited) I have tried gluing the ti inside the tube, and also just adding it loosely... and almost think the donut effect is caused more by the length of the cylinder. It also depends on the shells orientation at the time of burst. Sponge seems to work the best, and you want larger stuff for long hanging sparks... often called grape nuts because of the similar size. I have larger stuff too, as big as pennies and dimes, but like the grape nut size the best. I have a video of the "ring" effect that I'll post once I find it... but it's nothing like what Dr. X does. Watching it again, it's not much of a ring... but slightly. It's near the two minutes mark. [Video] Edited June 22, 2014 by ddewees
MrB Posted June 22, 2014 Author Posted June 22, 2014 (edited) 10-30 equals 600 to 2000microns in my conversion charts. 450-1000 is the largest i seam to be able to get my hands on. I HAVE to start looking outside pyro suplliers. It cant be impossible to get larger stuff over here.Sponge, or turnings seams to work well, so i'll probably grab that 450-1000 sponge, and see what i can make of it, while looking for larger stuff for the future. Thank you guys for the speedy responses.B! EditThat video, around 2:03-2:04 seams to be what i'm talking about. Thanks The "ring" / donut is probably an effect of the orientation, yeah./Edit Edited June 22, 2014 by MrB
schroedinger Posted June 22, 2014 Posted June 22, 2014 If you use flakes use at least 400 microns big ones. Those give a nice cloud of sparks. And 800 microns for a hanging effect. Bigger stuff for an effect witch reminds of a willow. Sponge works also very god. You have to decide for yourself witch of the effects you prefer.
MrB Posted June 22, 2014 Author Posted June 22, 2014 After looking around, i have a feeling i have to look into getting titanium cutoffs, and make turnings / shavings my self. If Ti-6Al-4V is "good enough" (6% aluminum, 4% vanadium, & max 0.45% impurities including TI-oxides. Not sure if that includes or excludes surface oxides from processing it.) then it's about half the price to get some surplus air-craft cutoffs and make magic happen... At that rate it's a saving even if you cant use 10% of the stock, due to mounting issues... I think i could get around that, just got to figure out what i need to work the TI, if at all possible... Weird, but it looks like renting machine time just to make turnings, could be profitable... I need a milling machine, or better yet, lathe. Both... Yes, i need both.B!
Shadowcat1969 Posted June 24, 2014 Posted June 24, 2014 The Ti in the small sizes you've been using is likely burning up inside the original flash heat envelope, so it doesn't have a chance to spread out and become visible. Larger will work better. I have some -20 +40 mesh sponge and some -30 +80 mesh sponge that I mix about 50/50 to then add to my salutes that I want the effect from.
MrB Posted June 24, 2014 Author Posted June 24, 2014 The Ti in the small sizes you've been using is likely burning up inside the original flash heat envelope, so it doesn't have a chance to spread out and become visible.Thats sort of what i concluded on my own. Larger will work better.Yeah, i just didn't want to end up having bought "larger" and still not being large enough, or even to large. From the sounds of things, i got the right stuff on the way.B!
Shadowcat1969 Posted June 24, 2014 Posted June 24, 2014 Yeah, my -20 +80 (when mixed) sponge isn't even as large as what a lot of guys refer to as "grapenuts" and use. Mine does a pretty good job of making a nice sparkly cloud from a salute though. Just not a long a hang time as the "grapenuts" variety.
LambentPyro Posted June 24, 2014 Posted June 24, 2014 I have the 20-40 mesh Sponge from HCS, and use 10%. How does that typically work?
ddewees Posted June 24, 2014 Posted June 24, 2014 This size is the best...http://www.pyrochemsource.com/Titanium-Sponge-718-mesh-TI-SPONGE-7-18.htm 1
psyco_1322 Posted June 25, 2014 Posted June 25, 2014 It really only takes a sprinkle of Ti in the salute, no need to waste 10%. The coarse grapenut does not really hang all that much more than say 20-30 mesh. Oddly, that's only from salutes, if you add it into stars, it hangs long enough to become a fire hazard a lot of the time.
Mumbles Posted June 25, 2014 Posted June 25, 2014 The real big stuff only looks good to me in bottom shot sized salutes. For salutes I'd use for inserts, I'd probably use something between 20 and 60 mesh. I just like the denser concentration of sparks. I don't use it a lot. Titanium is distracting in most of the effect shells I make utilizing salutes.
ddewees Posted June 26, 2014 Posted June 26, 2014 (edited) So true... I'd rather see a ton of it, or none at all. Especially in rocket headers, there's something about that distant flash that I really enjoy. I'd rather it not look like a crackle ball. Edited June 26, 2014 by ddewees
nater Posted June 26, 2014 Posted June 26, 2014 I think Ti is just overused in salutes, especially in commercial ones. I typically leave it out.
Wiley Posted July 6, 2014 Posted July 6, 2014 What kind of adhesive to folks use to "glue" coarse Ti sponge to the walls of a cylinder salute? I'm guessing that it would have to be something quite thick and rather sticky with a longish set time.
MrB Posted July 6, 2014 Author Posted July 6, 2014 I use spray on contact-cement. Anything strong enough to make it stay on the wall should be good. It doesn't take a whole lot. Not that i can say anything about the end result, still waiting for larger mesh stuff to arrive.B!
dagabu Posted July 6, 2014 Posted July 6, 2014 What kind of adhesive to folks use to "glue" coarse Ti sponge to the walls of a cylinder salute? I'm guessing that it would have to be something quite thick and rather sticky with a longish set time. White glue works well for me, i like the Ti doughnut effect myself.
Wiley Posted July 6, 2014 Posted July 6, 2014 (edited) Dag, what size Ti are you running? Mine is 5-20 mesh. And yes, I am going for the donut of sparks. Edited July 7, 2014 by Wiley
dagabu Posted July 7, 2014 Posted July 7, 2014 Same size, I just paint white glue in the tube, fill it with Ti, let dry and pour out the extras. Nice ring every time, EZPZ.
Wiley Posted July 7, 2014 Posted July 7, 2014 So you dump the tube completely full and let it dry rather than putting in a spoonful and shaking it around?
Mumbles Posted July 7, 2014 Posted July 7, 2014 Probably doesn't matter much. I do the same thing where I coat the inside of the tube with my glue, and then just add a big scoop and shake it up. I always add excess. I'll wait a minute or two, and shake it up/roll it around again, and pour out the excess. This method is thought to be safer due to there being no titanium loose in the flash. Some people feel like it can increase sensitivity due to the abrasive nature and sparking potential of Ti on Ti. It also seems more economical on Ti.
Wiley Posted July 7, 2014 Posted July 7, 2014 Good to know. I'll give it a go and see how it turns out for me.
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