29 replies to this topic

[pyrotrev]

Yeah, I guess touch paper does have it's uses, BUT be very, very careful when using it to test finely divided comps. I had a near miss not so long ago when some comp had found it's way up the "twizzle" of the paper and flashed through igniting the rest of the stuff rather sooner than intended.

[dr thrust]

hi ,erm aluminium powder question, does any body know how to make aluminium brittle,for grinding,chrushing,iam sure its part of the process of make german dark

[MDH]

Yes. That would require making it very hot. Or very cold.

Am I the only one who takes pleasure in breaking a copper pipe in half at -40 celcius?

Either way, German Dark is produced by integrating unburned carbons into a thin, easily heat-softened layer of aluminum foil in an inert atmosphere where the carbons aren't completely burned.

I am not sure if one could create a device with two pieces of enclosed sheet metal and put a layer of tin foil with two pieces of paper in between them, putting them over a very hot fire for a while, but that'd be an interesting experiment to undertake nonetheless.

I have made lampblacked aluminum before that can be practically lit with a match but it is still nowhere near the quality of authentic dark aluminum.

The one problem is preventing aluminum oxide from forming.

Edited by MDH, 04 July 2007 - 08:54 PM.

[dr thrust]

I have made lampblacked aluminum before
[/quote]
how have you done this? have you ball milled them together? thanks for your help!

Edited by chris m, 06 July 2007 - 04:57 PM.

[MDH]

No, I actually directly burned lampblack into soft aluminum in an inert atmosphere.

The funny thing was, the very first time I made it, it was an accident. I was removing some aluminum foil from a tin I had made charcoal in and it caught on fire as I put it on a spot with a few hot burning coals. I quickly blew it out.

Sanding it down a little, I decided to mix (from what I can remember) something like sodium nitrate and sulphur with a bit of it.

It burned very quickly for sanded aluminum!

Edited by MDH, 08 July 2007 - 12:42 AM.

[YT2095]

I have a large container of 10 micron alu powder, I`ve never really considered its use in pyro (beyond a few small thermit reactions to extract transition metals).
is 10 Micron any good for pyro at all?

[Asteroid]

Yes, it's around 325 mesh

[karlfoxman]

Its good for glitters, and some metallic star compositions. I guess its -325 Atomized.

[YT2095]

Fantastic, I like Glitter effects, I have Mg powder too, although that`s much more coarse, you can actually feel it between your fingers (unlike the Alu that`s more like Talc).
the Mg makes a great glitter effect and sometimes even Crackles a bit too.

Thanks

[Creepin_pyro]

How do you make Mg glitter? I've never heard of that...

[YT2095]

I sprinkled some over the Bunsen burner, so in a choked fountain it should work quite nicely I expect.

[dr thrust]

No, I actually directly burned lampblack into soft aluminum in an inert atmosphere.

The funny thing was, the very first time I made it, it was an accident. I was removing some aluminum foil from a tin I had made charcoal in and it caught on fire as I put it on a spot with a few hot burning coals. I quickly blew it out.

Sanding it down a little, I decided to mix (from what I can remember) something like sodium nitrate and sulphur with a bit of it.

It burned very quickly for sanded aluminum!

hi so should i stick a bit of ali foil in with wood when makeing charcoal and you get carbonised(ish) ail?

[MDH]

You could try but I'm not perticularly sure it's going to work. Your fire has to be VERY hot and that the session should be very brief when the aluminum is being burned overtop of the wood...

I guess if it's of no loss to you, you could try.

That's how I see it anyway.

[dr thrust]

hi mdh iam haveing trouble understanding how you made yours can you tell me" how"

[MDH]

I'm honest. I don't know how it happened the first time. It just did...

Experiment!