6 replies to this topic

[phildunford]

I made up some 1/2 inch cut willow tree stars the other day from a formula in AFN. Standard black powder type receipe with large excess of charcoal. The article said they would smolder on the ground for up to 8 seconds and only really do their stuff in the air.

So I casually tried one by lighting with my blowtorch on the ground and wumph!! Instant ignition, 1 meter fire ball, lots of nice fire dust (good star!) and a scorched thumb! (ouch).

The cause - I used some nice willow charcoal I've just obtained. Tried the same with my standard charcoal and it behaved as advertised.

Now I know about different charcoals (I've been doing this for 40 years!) but I've never known such a vast diffenece in behaviour of what should be a simple, predictable formula.

So fellow pyros, laugh, but learn from my mistake...

[Night Owl]

Yes Willow being a very softwood burns a lot faster than hardwood, I wouldnt waste willow on stars though:

[Mumbles]

Willow is a hardwood, but it's not a hard wood. Confusing I know. Neither have a perfect correlation with burn speed. One is based on the seeding type (hardwood), and the other is based on relative density and physical properties (hard wood).

[Night Owl]

Although it is a softish wood Willow is a hardwood because it is deciduous, in scientific terms yes its hardwood but in feel, weight, flexability its quite soft compared to say Ash, we could go on for ages, what makes a tree a tree? a shrub a shrub?

[cooperman435]

balsa is a hardwood too dont forget guys

[ToFe]

I totally agree, I used to use air float from an ebay supplier which made ok bp, but then I made some pine charcoal and my bp is more like flash now.
I have not tried willow (no access to it) but i would imagine the ebay stuff was b&q bbq lump wood.

[icarus]

i milled and well mixed 25 kg of barbecue charcoal what i have now is a consistant performance slow black powder perfect for bp rockets and very low cost . To start with it is put through an electric mincer with a pillow case tied over the end