22 replies to this topic

[Mumbles]

One of the more DIY methods of doing this is to toss a piece of copper pipe with a piece of garden hose slipped over the top into the fire. It will last for quite a while IIRC. The garden hose presumably should be the PVC type.

[wjames]

i'll be needing quite a few copper pipes then...and at £4k a tonne.......scrap copper is ££££ these days !!!!

what does the hosepipe do ?

[Mumbles]

From what I understand, it is the hose that burns and probably vaporizes a little bit of the copper along the way to make blue and green colors. Off hand I think you get some yellows and reds too.

Here are the basic instructions. It's a little different from how I described, but it's still the same basic concept.
http://www.articlesb...ire-193985.html

[phildunford]

Did a couple of quick experiments with my Halloween fire!

Strontium Nitrate - nothing. Copper Chloride - very effective... I put about 5 grams on a log in the fire & got significant blue/green colour for about 20 minutes - not sure why it lasted so long, but would probably work well on a larger scale too.

Edited by phildunford, 01 November 2010 - 09:29 AM.

[wjames]

thanks for taking the time to do that phil.

Where, out of interest, did you get the copper chloride ?

[Creepin_pyro]

Lithium Chloride does really work well in a bonfire, never tried it on a particularly large scale though as it's expensive...

I once disposed of some experimental purple Silicone stars by adding them to an unlit bonfire, they seemed very well suited to this as they didn't go off all at once and burn slowly giving off lots of colour. No mass explosion which I'm sure could happen adding random stars to a bonfire...

[crystal palace fireworks]

Has anyone on here bought those `Mystical Fire` sachets? Im curious to know about the info on the packaging and what they look like opened up?

[phildunford]

thanks for taking the time to do that phil.

Where, out of interest, did you get the copper chloride ?

No probs - any excuse for an experiment!

I'm lucky enough to access to a lab supplier, but I think there are pyro suppliers out there who stock it...