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I can only echo the sentiments of those above, it was a really good day and I also feel that there were some really good ideas for taking the Society forward. It was really good to meet you all and I hope to see you again in the future, not too distant though!

 

The fireworks were awesome! Thanks guys!

Excellent day. Special mention for Rob L for organizing the food & Karl for a great display.

 

Been pretty despondent about UKPS lately, but this was a great AGM - lots of enthusiasm and great ideas. Hopefully a chance for us to put recent petty squabbles behind us and start building up the society agaiin.

 

Was great to see new faces as well as some familiar ones...

I had a great afternoon too, it wasn't a huge turnout but those that attended were just the right people and it was a real pleasure. I feel UKPS has turned a corner and the discussion about where we as a community are going to start heading was extremely productive.

Steve - the award for best explosives infovideo goes to you and Billy Bass - 10/10!!

Glad you all enjoyed the display - the triple peanuts were nice!

Here's to the future

Since posting the above, I've had a further E-mail from Andi Jamieson, who is the ELO for Northants, and copied to the enquiry officer handling my application. In it, he says that having seen my E-mail responding to their E-mail copied in my previous post and having a look at the updated UKPS Good Practice Guide via the link that I sent them, he now believes that the Police are responsible for issuing licences for pyrotechnics. Consequently, he's advised my case officer to go ahead and issue me with an appropriate certificate.

 

It seems that re-sending them the link to the GPG has done the trick and broken the stalemate so is, perhaps, something that future applicants should include with their application covering letter.

 

I'm not going to celebrate until I have the piece of paper in my hand but, a big thanks to all of you that posted advice and support for my endeavours and a special thanks to Wayne.

 

I'll let you know when it arrives.

Absolutely, it would be great to be involved.  I'll be in touch once I know more.

 

Also, just for every bodies reference, I've updated the good practise guidance to include UN MAN2 in explosive certificate applications:

 

http://www.pyrosocie...ctise-guidance/

hi m8,,why dont u make some 3/4"id rammed black powder(75/15/10) thunderflashes...i did unintentionally when i started trying to make rockets... and you dont need a ball mill.the kn03 is ground to talc in a mp,the sulphur will just need the lumps kneaded out if its pyro grade i do this on a small sheet of plastic with a teaspoon and you will need airfloat charcoal,,i think it was vine i had then...now for the tooling...lol u will need,,,a 1" thick pice of wood,,4"sq is fine,, a 6" nail and a 3/4 piece of round dowel 7"long with a hole drilled 5.5" deep thru the centre the same dia as the nail and another length with no hole....i mix my bp shaking in a coffee can untill my arms are sore,,you will want to put tape round the lid so you can do this indoors without any dramas you can then open it outside to disloge all the powder trapped in gaps without making a mess....hammer the nail thru the centre of the wood,,by the time your doing this your 3/4 id 7" long cardboard pyro tubes will have arrived,,, place 1 over the top of the nail and centre then pour a teaspoon of bp in(a paper funnel is a must) insert the hollow rammer over the nail, slide down and bed firmly in the powder now your redy to ram (if you dont have a soft mallet pad a hammer with rags untill u do) 4 or five sharp smacks will do,you will feel the bp compressing with the first few hits,repeat this process untill your above the nail then switch to the solid rammer untill ur 1/4" from the top then twist off the nail and there you have it,,,now you may want to have another nail sawn in half so you can make smaller ones..a piece of visco is inserted well into the core taped up and the other end plugged..the 7" one will have 35g+ of rammed green meal and will make a lovely thump but halfsize is more doable in the garden...to give you an idea about flash,,,3g with a light confinement will be louder than the 7" bp thunderflash but its a sharp bamg not a lovely round thump and the smell of bp...aaahhhhhhh...u can also ram foutain compositions in ur tubes

Was ya pi553d when ya typed this lot up dude

Just a request but could the agm do some more hands on practical demonstrations, we have the 100g rule. let use it to our advantage.

 

we come to forum to learn safely a hobby we all enjoy. all could be done within 100g rule

 

star rolling

Comet making (using Resorcinol Resin so they dry within 10 min)

BP competition ( bring 10g of your best bp and have it tested and timed to other competitors)

Charcoal making demonstrations

Maybe vic could make a 100g rockets being made and tested.

 

All we would need is a small marquee.

:-) 1/2 of the new stash arriving :-)

As long as there is no simple way to prove your bona-fide to a retailer there will always be a premium on easy to buy fuse.

It seems that you have to be 'in the club' to buy fuse from a firework company, and it's not an easy club to join...

I've mentioned before that I would like to see UKPS membership as at least a nod in the right direction of proving good intent. Any retailers out there willing to get involved, please message me.

As to any individual providing a service it's caveat emptor (more Latin!) and if you don't like the price you dont have to buy it.

Keep calm and carry on chaps!

Hello. Happy new year and happy holidays. I posting my launches for the new year.
This year, unfortunately, was the worst in my life, there is still a war going on between Putin's troops and Ukraine.
It is very sad that this conflict continues into the new year, and no one was able to stop the war.
It is very difficult to talk about plans for 2023, but I hope that the war should end soon.
Cakes, Rockets 10mm and Butterflies for New Year 2023 -

Rockets with 2,5" and 3" shells and UFO 4,5" for New Year 2023 -


Composition of all rocket:
70 - KClO4
30 - Sodium salicylate
1 - ferrocene
1 - Polyisobutylene
1 - DBP (Dibutyl phthalate)
20% titanium I added to the composition located after the pin.

Composition of UFO (30mm fuel):
70 - KClO4
30 - Sodium salicylate
1 - ferrocene
0,5 - Polyisobutylene
0,5 - DBP (Dibutyl phthalate)
5% - titanium

Composition of butterflies:
70 - KClO4
30 - Sodium salicylate
1 - ferrocene
1 - Polyisobutylene
1 - DBP (Dibutyl phthalate)
7% - titanium

Composition of Whistling saturn missle:
70 - KClO4
30 - Sodium salicylate
1 - ferrocene
1 - Polyisobutylene
1 - DBP (Dibutyl phthalate)
5% - titanium
Lift powder 2.5g

1,2" bouquet cakes:
2g - crackling stars
8g - color stars
4,5g - lift powder

Like Arthur, I have been aware that continental webshops have added a statement to their websites regarding compliance with the EU directives on potassium perchlorate and potassium chlorate, however, I have not seen the same attached to ammonium perchlorate. I was also under the impression that the introduction of the EPPP was instead of UK compliance with these directives.

 

As far as how other countries are coping, I'm sure we all know that the Maltese have a very long tradition of celebrating saint's days with fireworks and that a good pro[portion of those set off are made by amateurs in firework clubs. I don't have any contacts over there but, somebody in the society might and, if so, it could be a good place to get a view. Mind you, I guess that any opt-out would require the countries government to get on side and negotiate on behalf of the interested parties. Call me cynical if you like but I can't see any of the UK parties wanting to do the right thing by us!

After several years nurturing a friendship, an invitation was made available to me privately, to go o the USA, to a site licensed by BATFE and the local authorities there,  and build a shell!

 

This was something special of an invitation so it had to be something special of a product. PLUS I had to travel there totally inert, and return by air totally inert too. BUT ingredients could be ordered to be delivered at the site.

 

Here is the video, This is what a Brit did under a BATFE licence in the USA.

 

 

This was my first attempt at a shell! But a lot of design effort went into it. Probably 100 people from the USA were making things under the licence, some were recognised as being good builders and one UK builder made his mark.

 

I'm in a truckstop  on the way to LAX at the moment, so may not reply for some days.

 

I'll continue writing up the build with a couple of pictures from home, maybe next week. 

 

NO I will NOT share the invitation unless I know you well. No I will not advise you what to do. A 16" shell may be above 100gNEQ -I could barely carry that shell.

 

To all the ELO's watching, enjoy! It's pretty and it was all lawful in the BATFE licensed place. I have the skill to do it but the wisdom to NOT do it in the UK! I have to get through US and UK border protection yet!

 

Like every other business, contacts and contracts come to people who can sell. Doing the job is secondary. Many work providers have their usual people for every SFX job, BUT they also keep spare phone numbers of people who they know, who get the call if their first choice isn't available. Your first work will be at very short notice.

Pyro Gear is a great forum with some very knowledgeable people. It is certainly not dodgy at all. The advice and help available from the members is first rate.

Not that it makes much difference, but I think there is again a little confusion here. Two bits of legislation.

 

'100g rule' this was likely to be lost under new UK regs. Waynes work (along with institute of chemistry & others) has kept it in and clarified it such that it is accepted that devices can be made. Nothing to do with Europe.

 

Explosives precursors. This was European legislation which we are lumbered with whether we like it or not. Member states can enact it different ways. Some have chosen to ban all chemical sales to individuals. UK is almost certain to go down the licensing route, due in no small part to us (UKPS members) being asked for our input. Again, thanks to Waynes contacts at the Home Office.

 For some it is not just the destination but the journey that adds to the joy.

I know exactly where you guys are coming from, It's a tad bit like holding the rains to a powerfull car, you dont need to use the power but the feeling of having it is something else. I believe it is the same with farmers and there guns!

Do you guys not get that butterfly in your stomach when you think of what could potentially happen while in there? Being a worrier I get really nervous being around large quantaties of pyro!

There is no hope for me then,fast bikes,cabinet of guns and very happy in my store,maybe i need two shrinks

I have to say that the diference between 33.3/66.6% FP and 70/30 is negliable and both are as sensative realistically.

Mgal Is more sensative and powefull as it has sharper edges than ali (like for like particle sizes) so swapping to ali would be better yep.

Bangs are part of the display but JUST bangs are just a recipie for trouble :-(

My God! talk about massacring the English language.

Mg/Al is not more sensitive and powerful than Aluminium because it has sharp edges. It is more sensitive because it is an alloy containing 50% Magnesium which is more sensitive than plain Aluminium.
Aluminiums used in flash powder are generally flake shaped particles and as such are not sharp unlike granular material. It is the large surface are of the particles that give it it's sensitivity.

Olly.
Is flash powder a 'high explosive ? No and as such does not detonate but this is academic really as even a few grams of any kind of flash will in the right circumstances remove your fingers with ease;
Just a hundred grams will kill you if ignited in an unconfined pile in front of you. No flash powder is safe. 70/30 Perchlorate and Aluminium is probably the 'least dangerous' and exotic mixtures containing
Magnesium, Sulphur, Permanganate, Antimony etc will one day lead you to disaster.

Making bangs is a small part of pyrotechnics and perhaps the easiest way to get hurt or bring unwanted attention to yourself. Far more gratifying and difficult is being able to make other devices
such as fountains wheels, shells, mines etc to a high standard.
My advise would be that if you have to ask the kind of questions that you did in your post you should not be even thinking about making flash powder.
Get some books or look up some information on the internet before you attempt anything else. When you can make a 'hot' Black Powder and put it to use in various devices then maybe
you would be ready to use flash powder wisely in a crossette shell or as a booster in a small shells etc.
A good place to find some safe reliable information would be somewhere like skylighter.com which has a wealth of step by step articles on how to make a multitude of devices safely.

But if we cant comment an opinion and are forced to be censored with the ukps backing then i no longer want anything to do with the UKPS.

I think someone needs to take a long look at what they wrote and try to understand the seriousness of it and the VERY difficult position those comments have put the UKPS in.

I thinks its more the fact he has run that company for 47 years, show me any companies accident book of 47 years and will they be able to say there has been NO accidents? I doubt it, If a younger company slates this accident rate of a 47 y/o company then that is very foolish in my opinion and jus invites karma to bite you on the A**