27 replies to this topic

[PyroSkitz]

ive just made a 300 gram bacth of this formula

Composition


Potassium nitrate 44
Charcoal (Airfloat) 44
Sulfur 6
SGRS or Dextrin 6
using 132 grams potassium nitrate
132 grams of charcoal (activated) because i was told it doesn't need to be a fast charcoal (i have tried it with other charcoals but the same thing has happened)
18 grams of sulfur
(and no binder)
(to get 3x the wanted amount)

this composition was incredibly hard to light ( didn't actually ignite at all in the end) in the standard powder form, not even with a blow torch or magnesium incorporated fuse, it was a standard tiger tail mixture, and i need some assistance on whether the formula on pyroguide needs changing or not ?? aslo i thought TT mixture was an easy mixture to ignite ?? which makes it even stranger
any information on why this didn't work would be even better

much appreciated
George

Edited by PyroSkitz, 04 April 2010 - 07:16 PM.

[digger]

ive just made a 300 gram bacth of this formula

Composition


Potassium nitrate 44
Charcoal (Airfloat) 44
Sulfur 6
SGRS or Dextrin 6
using 132 grams potassium nitrate
132 grams of charcoal (activated) because i was told it doesn't need to be a fast charcoal (i have tried it with other charcoals but the same thing has happened)
18 grams of sulfur
(and no binder)
(to get 3x the wanted amount)

this composition was incredibly hard to light ( didn't actually ignite at all in the end) in the standard powder form, not even with a blow torch or magnesium incorporated fuse, it was a standard tiger tail mixture, and i need some assistance on whether the formula on pyroguide needs changing or not ?? aslo i thought TT mixture was an easy mixture to ignite ?? which makes it even stranger
any information on why this didn't work would be even better

much appreciated
George

A couple of questions

Did you just sieve the ingredients together?
Was your nitrate finely powdered?
Did you dampen the mixture?

[dr thrust]

did you,.. ball mill the comp for two hours minimum?

Edited by chris m, 04 April 2010 - 07:40 PM.

[PyroSkitz]

i ball milled for 30 minutes, i didn't dampen, and my potassium nitrate is finer than sugar....if that helps ?

[dr thrust]

hmm thats very odd, have you used the kn03 in any other comps with any success?

[PyroSkitz]

hmm thats very odd, have you used the kn03 in any other comps with any success?

yeh ofcourse haha , its potassium nitrate from the krista k halifa 25kg bag... its beutifull stuff and ive heard its like 98-99.9% pure so there's no worries about that...

it just seems odd that it literally wasn't lighting im guessing it was well under oxidized as its a 1:1 ratio of kn03 -charcoal, most other comps have more potassium nitrate...owell

ill be making more tomorrow, as for the pictures of my star dryer i had dried those stars using a cooking hob, basically put the cut stars in the pan and they are solidly dry in 10 minutes its fantastic , use it all the time for tons of stars, that in the star dryer was a 300 gram batch of lancaster red, made tons of stars and like 6 comets to be used as rising tails

[Arthur Brown]

I've seen the comp listed as Tiger Tail elsewhere listed as 45, 45, 5, 5, so the differences are to small to worry about there, so the comp as printed is fine.

However you have deviated from the comp in subbing activated carbon for charcoal, and omitting the binder, With Tiger Tail the charcoal must be charcoal and it can be very fast if you use a fast charcoal or much slower if you use BBQ charcoal rocks!

How you get a "star" with no binder I dont know!

Follow the instructions or find them first, follow them closely then you will have better success. Do note though that TT is a highly underoxidised formula and needs to be flying through air to burn properly.

From ground up ingredients, mix
charcoal nitrate sulphur and binder, then mill for an hour or two.
Get the product out and damp it thoroughly, damp but not wet.

Cut or pump to size and dry thoroughly. If you have a scale to suit weigh them and dry them a bit more til they are dried to constant weight.

Willow charcoal will make really fast TT, Lumpwood will make really slow TT, so use a mix probably of pine and lumpwood to have sparks, and a medium fast burn rate.

That formula on Pyroguide is fine! Just that it only gives the ingredients not the whole recipie.

[PyroSkitz]

oh i wasnt going to make stars without the binder, i just wanted to test the powder on the ground, and it didnt burn so in the end i didnt waste the binder, and i just have a bowl of TT mix leftover, it was all incorporated well enough, just didn't actually burn at all on the ground, not even smolder which is what i am trying to say.

it took me majority of 40 seconds just to get a orange globule which then was hot enough that if anyone the TT mix powder was pushed onto it it would ignite the powder..which is a bit pointless in my opinion, i will try some chrysanthemums 6 or 8 something along those lines tomorrow

[dr thrust]

hmm, the "tiger tail" formula is sound, ive used said formula many times before,with great affect its one of my favorites.
comps act very differently when in a pile on the ground apposed to a star traveling at high speed through the air, just think how ember in a dieing fire acts when you blow on it, it can suddenly bust back into life.
also drying stars on a hob may get you the Darwin award

[PyroSkitz]

hmm, the "tiger tail" formula is sound, ive used said formula many times before,with great affect its one of my favorites.
comps act very differently when in a pile on the ground apposed to a star traveling at high speed through the air, just think how ember in a dieing fire acts when you blow on it, it can suddenly bust back into life.
also drying stars on a hob may get you the Darwin award

whats the Darwin award, im probably digging my self a hole telling you all the things i do, but its very safe only had 1 accident when drying stars and that was when i accidentally left the hob on for 1 hour outside, all i heard was one big thump like a 4 inch shell being fired and a big flash of light, it was so stupid of me, i usually have them in there for maximum of 5-10 minutes with no problem and completely dry..., it sounds stupid but if the ignition point is 400 degrees then there should be no problem if there are no flames around....

im off to bed night

[Arthur Brown]

With a star on a small paper, weigh it and mark the weight on it, then dry it for a while and weigh it again Keep drying it gently til it's weight doesn't change. The middle of a star can easily hold water.

[pyrotechnist]

1) you will force the water into the star.
2) you will most likely kill yourself one day.
3) why dry stars in a pan with direct heat under them when you can dry them within a few days or a week or so naturally?

I also hope to god its not a naked flame under that pan. If it is you are asking for some serious problems, the first explosion should have been an eye opener for you. Maybe the tiger tail not work is fate saying dont do it. Take it as a life saving lesson, you aint going to get anywhere soon using methods like that.

Get a mesh screen and dry your stars on that or even just a plastic or wooden tray and leave in a warm ventilated area.

[dr thrust]

.....darwin award explanation...
and example

[digger]

ill be making more tomorrow, as for the pictures of my star dryer i had dried those stars using a cooking hob, basically put the cut stars in the pan and they are solidly dry in 10 minutes its fantastic.

I had not noticed that in your post. I will second Chris you are a Muppet if you think that is a safe thing to do. I guess you will be the subject of a dawin award very soon as Chris suggests.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do some more reading on safe working practices before you do anything stupid. People have had serious accidents around the world doing far less stupid things than that.

[PyroSkitz]

I had not noticed that in your post. I will second Chris you are a Muppet if you think that is a safe thing to do. I guess you will be the subject of a dawin award very soon as Chris suggests.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do some more reading on safe working practices before you do anything stupid. People have had serious accidents around the world doing far less stupid things than that.

i appreciate your safety concern, but i was trying to point out, i don't stand next to the hob when its on its remotely turned on and off placed in the center of my garden, i have read many articles on different ways to do things, it will only be on for 5-10 minutes so no serious temperature to consider about and yes finally its ELECTRIC i am not that stupid haha ... the only reason the charcoal based stars last time went off was because firstly i left them in their for an hour while having lunch, and secondly they probabbly contained sulfur which lowered the ignition tempreture.

and yes i do believe in "signs" I was about to launch a very small 2 inch mine with just some black powder and a few stars, using my homemade black match, as i was walking outside in socks i stood on a very sharp peice of glass, i lost around a liter and a half of blood that night, didn't hurt one little bit which is strange ?, but if it was a "sign" then i don't want to know what would of happened with the mine if you see my drift ...