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Posted

can folks please suggest some good books for a first year hobbiest. possibly a " safety bible" type text? also please suggestions on texts to properly expose and inform myself on the hobby. thanks all for your time.

Posted
Turbo pyro is probably the first thing to start with
Posted

thanks folks. looks like a couple great books to start with. thank you!

Posted
Also have a look at the Skylighter pyro projects book. It really has a lot of ibfo in it and also a huge load if ideas. But F.A.S.T. is a must have. Also pyrotechnics by george weingart is a nice book for further reading (about 1/2 year after beeing in the hobby). Specially interesting as is show a lot of the evolving history of fireworks.
Posted (edited)

thanks schroedinger. great resource.

Edited by longbeard
Posted

The PGI Anthology is also full of great articles on construction of pyro devices. I'm not sure if you have to be a member to get the book or not, but you can find some contacts at www.pgi.org

Posted
You do not have to be a PGI member, to buy the PGI Anthology. Though I've heard it costs more if you are not a member.
Posted

thanks ladies and gents for all the great infomation. i have a great direction to head.

Posted
I've been reading FAST , and pyrotechnica , both are worth the money
Posted

You had to be a member to get the initial release of the Anthology, but they've opened it up to the public now. It's really a great book. I can't wait for Volume II. Volume one only covers the material between 1998 and 2010 since those are the editions in which the digital copies of the articles were available. The Best of American Firework News (usually abbreviated BAFN), are also wonderful and relatively inexpensive. There isn't an error, it only exists as volumes 2-6. 1 was an older publication, and is included in volume 2. They're like the PGI anthology where they're a collection of articles, though tend to have less background than the PGI articles, which are generally more comprehensive in my opinion.

 

Another one I really like is Pyrotechnics by Alexander Hardt. It covers a little bit of everything, and gives great contemporary (as of ~2000) formulas. That book and Fireworks: Art, Science, and Technique by Takeo Shimizu would be my two must have books. There are a lot of other great books, but they tend to be more focused on one topic. If there is anything specific you were interested in, we could give you recommendations. Another worthwhile investment would be a place like passfire.com or fireworking.com They have wonderful tutorials and an active forum to gain access to some of the great fireworkers. I believe fireworking.com is generally more active now.

Posted (edited)

Thanks for the recommendations Mumbles. I will be investing in a copy of F.A.S.T. as well as Pryotechnics by A. Hardt. I will check out passfire.com and fireworking.com this next weekend as time permits. Mumbles, perhaps you know of a resource that lists fireworks clubs by state? I will be moving to Southern Missouri this fall and would love to find a club i can associate with. Thank you Sir, for your time.

-Thank you as well pyroman2498.

Edited by longbeard
Posted

Just for completeness, there is a listing of regional clubs on the PGI website: http://pgi.org/links/clubs.php

 

As Nater already recommended, MoPyro is probably your best bet. Just thought you might like to be aware of the other ones around in case you feel like branching out to another shoot or two. Most clubs are quite welcoming if you happen to be traveling through the area during one of their shoots.

Posted

Thank you gents. That is awesome. I will be looking into MoPyro in the near future. thank you!

  • 2 years later...
Posted

Hi everyone id like to sell my copy of

 

Fireworks: The Art, Science, and Technique
by
Book by Takeo Shimizu
was wondering if anyone is interested?

i will accept any decent offer on message.

many thanks
Al
Posted

If that's not an EXTRA copy, then you don't really LIKE fireworks, do you? (sorry if that's 'abrasive', but Shimizu is one of the most-valuable books you could own).

 

Lloyd

Posted

I reference FAST and Hardt's book at least once a week and now have around 40 firework books/manuals. AFN knows they have me on the hook and play me like a big old fish! I'd sooner sell my dog than give up a book but luckily there's not much of a market for a 9 year old 3 legged dog.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
Anyone have any thoughts on Perigrin's book Introductory Practical Pyrotechnics?
Posted (edited)

Don't bother. Lots of erroneous junk in there. I recently got the Wizards Formulary and it is strictly formulas but it references the source so you can evaluate them. Also got the Best of AFN series

which I highly recommend.

Don't bother. Lots of erroneous junk in there. I recently got the Wizards Formulary and it is strictly formulas but it references the source so you can evaluate them. Also got the Best of AFN sites which I highly recommend.

Edited by OldMarine
Posted
Thanks OldMarine. I'll check into those
Posted

Search Abe Books for books by A St H Brock -lots of good ones about history but get an original print, The Brock family were one of the early British makers and displayers of fireworks and A St H Brock was also a good author.

 

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=19791967590&searchurl=kn%3DFireworks%26sortby%3D17%26an%3DLancaster

 

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=16210813496&searchurl=kn%3Dmysteries%2Bof%2Bnature%26sortby%3D17%26an%3DBate (you an't afford an original 1635 print!)

 

There is also a historical book by French author Audot from 18c or 19c which I can't locate at the moment -but it's in French!

Posted

Yep. It's dangerous, sloppy stuff. I helped 'edit' it. Well... six other folks (who's names you might recognize) and I proof-read Dan's (Tom Perigrin) manuscript, and offered TONS of changes that were necessary in the interests of 'correctness' (many WRONG or incomplete formulae in it) and safety (really? Boiling CIA powder in a GLASS coffee pot???).

 

ALL our changes were ignored, and it was published as-is, errors, safety hazards, and all.

 

Skip it. Buy some real books.

 

Lloyd

Posted (edited)

Starting out Blessers Round Stars and Shells is a good beginner book. Easy to understand. Some of these books are on Fireworks news.

Edited by dynomike1
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