823 replies to this topic

[Dan]

k BigG i just hate waiting 2 weeks for the shipping when i can eather make it my self or go and pick it up. i have some fiberglass aluminum powder right now, i am just waiting on my KClO4 that i ordered. when i get it i will tell u how good it does
if it doesnt work like i want it to i guess i will order some aluminum powder from a supplyer.
Dan

Edited by Dan, 28 July 2004 - 04:10 PM.

[Pyromaster2003]

I agree, the aluminium powder you have will most likely not work for flash powder at all (if you have the same stuff i do). It does make an excelent water fall mix or fountain composition when mixed with KCLO3/4, very dence column of sparks.

[NUKE]

Dan, thank you for your reply.Now i would like to ask you if it is illegal to buy chemicals such as KCLO4 in my country(Greece) or how can i find this.When someone sending something like that,it is being watched by machines, isnt it?So i dont want one day a helicopter with commandos come and arrest me.

[Dan]

that is the same thing as i worry about but someone here told me that "as long a nothing happens like your girlfriends house bl0ws up or somthing of that nature you should be fine" but again that is in the US. i am not sure about greece though. i would also say that if u make ur own things to stay with in the legel powder weight limit in ur country.
Dan

Edited by Dan, 29 July 2004 - 04:22 AM.

[paul]

Hehe, in germany ther is no "legel powder weight limit". It is criminal to even modificate buyed fireworks.... Everything is forbidden here :P But it seems to me that we have got the best beer...

Ah, lets return to the topic :)

[BigG]

Dan, thank you for your reply.Now i would like to ask you if it is illegal to buy chemicals such as KCLO4 in my country(Greece) or how can i find this.When someone sending something like that,it is being watched by machines, isnt it?So i dont  want one day a helicopter with commandos come and arrest me.

Klimerassas?

Greece has laws that are much in compliance with EU law. Under those, you are not suppose to sell fireworks openly on street stalls during religious holidays. Now tell me ? do you have stalls that sell fireworks on the street?

Yes you do

Greece, Italey and Spain have some of the most relax atmosphere about fireworks, and they have a place in the community. I would be surprised if it is illegal to buy potassium perchlorate in your country ? but I can?t imagine you are allowed to construct fireworks without a license.

[NUKE]

If Klimerassas? means Good Morning it is ''Kalimera sas''.
We havent got stalls at streets selling fireworks.It is highly illegal here.There are many ten-cent stores or shops for fishing that sell secretly some fireworks.Of course, even the police knows these shops but dont arrest the owners.Did you saw that at match in Euro when we (Greeks) lighten up some flares.It is in our blood to use fireworks at football matches, during religious holidays and other events.Someone told me that during Easter even the navy uses fireworks.This easter someone used a dynamite at a small harbor and he destroyed all the shop's windows.
I have a friend that every year goes to Austria where they have stalls at streets and he buys 100 low quality crackers(those who make boom) for 2 euros.But now with olympics the whole thing is realy difficult.At every metro station are at least 4(sometime even 15) policeman and ....you know.
Here, i cant find chemicals like K(S)(BA)clo3-4 etc.And of course noone makes fireworks.I think that the only one who trys chemicals for fireworks today is me and my friends.
I will try to find what our laws say.

Today i made some Al for my first time and i used it for flash podwer.It was realy slow but with a bright white colour so i am very excited.

[BigG]

If it's slow then it's not flash powder - but keep on trying. If you got a nice effect then it least you discovered something you can use! Try to ball mill the aluminium in a separate clean mill using steel balls. Let it roll for a few days and see what happens. You might get improvement..

Things must have changed since the last time I was in Greece I used to buy them down the street from our friends house.

As for my Greek - well, as you probably understand - haven't been using it much

[NUKE]

It wasn't realy flash podwer but it was my first try of Al.
When you came to Greece?And where?

Edited by NUKE, 29 July 2004 - 02:36 PM.

[BigG]

It wasn't realy flash podwer but it was my first try of Al.
When you came to Greece?And where?

I'll PM U - this is not the right place for personal stories

[NUKE]

Ok.You are right.Hust to say that the last 6 years Greece,especially Athens has changed very much.
What PM means?
I am not so organised to have a ball mill.I tried to make one to ball mill some BP but I didn't made it because of fear.Can aluminium explode at a ball mill?I made some by sandpaparing a piece of Aluminium.Too much time but i think it is enough good for me.

[BigG]

Ok.You are right.Hust to say that the last 6 years Greece,especially Athens has changed very much.
What PM means?
I am not so organised to have a ball mill.I tried to make one to ball mill some BP but I didn't made it because of fear.Can aluminium explode at a ball mill?I made some by sandpaparing a piece of Aluminium.Too much time but i think it is enough good for me.

Search the forum. There is plenty of discussion on Ball Mill and aluminium ball milling.

PM means personal message.

[NUKE]

Ok. Thanks.

[Dan]

ok BigG. u where right. i just got my chemicals today and tried to make my flash with the fiberglass aluminum powder. and it hardly worked at all. i would se a few bursts of light but not much at all. it totally sucked. i guess i will have to order some and wait another to weeks for delivery i hate waiting for delivery. it seems like such along time.
Dan

[BigG]

Its okay to experiment, but additional advantage can be gained by understanding WHY it did not work, and use this to make the right decision in choosing materials in the future.

One thing that many starting amateurs don?t pay attention to is the simple rule: For fire you need both fuel and oxygen. In BP, the nitrate supply oxygen (it releases it when heated) and the charcoal is the fuel. The Sulfur in BP is not fuel and is not necessary for the composition to burn ? it has other usages in this case. (E.G. an interesting combination is Zinc/Sulfur. It?s a mixture that was tested in flying rockets ? here, it?s not so obvious where the oxygen comes from!)

In prechlorate flash, the potassium perchlorate is the oxygen supplier, and the aluminium is the fuel. Some beginners find it surprising that metal can be fuel. It is true that aluminium in bar, rod or plate form does not burn (really ? it does not burn even if the temperature is very high ? it melts). However, finely divided aluminium does burn ? and can be used as fuel.

The important rule we must remember about metal fuels is that finer they are divided, the faster they burn, and the burn rate does increase drastically. There is a huge difference between a mesh 200-250 (around the 70 micron) and a 3 micron blackhead. The first is a medium quality fuel that can supply explosive reaction only as unconfined cloud in an oxygen reach environment. When mixed in a small unconfined area or confined in a tube, the burn rate only supply a good strong flame ? well below the high explosives declared ratio.

However, 8 or 3 micron blackhead aluminium has a burn rate suitable of making it a very strong explosive ? and very dangerous when mixed with oxidisers. In the EU, bronzing powders made with very fine aluminium powder - has to be supplied as glued snakes that can be crushed to achieve the powder ? they can not be moved around in their native form.

Nano-powders are now available as well ? but the firework industry to not adopt them as they are relevantly expansive, and really, flash powder is probably the maximum firepower that the industry needs. Those powders burn rate is about 100 times faster then the Indian 3 micron blackhead.

Edited by BigG, 30 July 2004 - 02:12 PM.