5 replies to this topic

[Experimental]

Hi all, firstly thanks to admin for letting me in

I'm looking forward to reading through the forum and looking at all the other members websites etc for advice and also to check out what projects others have done. im interested in learning the history of fireworks and in general learning about the ways the chinese used to prep and make fireworks hundreds of years ago.

Im just starting out really in pyrotechnics and am interested in producing my own as well as experimenting with different materials to get different effects etc, ive also got a small interest in model rocketry ever since i bought my first kit - ashamed to say i bought it for my son and the rocket was only 3 inch and i burned it on the first time LOL but since then ive bought other rockets and my favourite is the one i had with a camera onboard and it takes a picture as it decends. the only thing with rocketry and i dont know if this is the same all over but my local supplier must be one of the most expensive in the area and im interested in producing my own.

ive looked at a couple of members websites and seen the tools used so i think i need to get to the workshop (my garden shed) and get that diy kit the missus bought me in 1990 out . only thing is then ill have to fix those bloody shelves.

[Richard H]

Welcome :-) I'm sure you'll fit in just fine! As long as you keep doing research into the subject then our members will be happy to help you.

If your looking for a good introductory book have a look on amazon for books by Weingart, Lancaster, and Shimizu, although some of these do not come cheap.

[Experimental]

Thanks for the recommendation of the books i shall have a look into those deffo, as i said in previous post i am very interested in the old chinese fireworks etc and will do lots of research over next few months.

[Phoenix]

Hello everyone,

Firstly, thanks to Admin for accepting my membership request.

I've been interested in pyrotechnics for a few years, and got my first chemicals about two years ago. I've made many of the common types of firework, the largest probably being a 70mm shell, and most complex a girandola. I haven't made any "real" coloured stars yet, most of what have done so far has been with potassium nitrate, charcoal and sulphur, (fortunately my favourite star is Shimizu's "tiger tail"). I will probably get some metal carbonates and try my hand at colours sometime soon, but it is amazing what can be achieved with the three BP chemicals and dextrin (as shown by Matt's website - I like it).

Happy New Year to you all,
Phoenix

[Matt]

heck you havnt seen any of my recent work with Al! although thats not one of the 3 chems. Cheers for the compliment

-Matt

[Phoenix]

Your welcome

I recently made about 50g of Al powder by ball milling kitchen foil (I'll post the details under the appropriate topic - I remember this being discussed a while ago) It looks great in hummers and I have had some success making stars (4mm cut) with it (KNO3:50, Al:20, S:30, bound with NC laquer as I haven't got any H3BO3 yet). I used most of the 5g I made in a 1/2" minishell, but they were all blown blind by the meal powder burst. I didn't have enough left to make rolling them in intermediate primes worthwhile so I just lit them one at a time and chucked them off a shovel They were very, very bright and left a thin tail of burning Al blobs behind them.