Blaf

Have you ever considered to make a simple Firecracker? No? It couldn't be simpler than it is. Of course, it takes some skill and two hands...third one would not hurt either. First, we'll make a tube rolled of craft paper...I used plastic dowel of 7mm to roll this example. Width of the paper strip is 7cm while lenght exceeded 30cm...some neoprene glue goes at end of the strip. href> And we have a nice rolled tube standing, waiting to be filled by that KMNO4 flash older than some of you reading this... href> Bottom end is plugged by tissue paper rammed and soaked in wood glue. href> Simple stand - plastic crocodile clamp holds the tube while piece of fuse is being bandaged by narrow strip of tissue paper up to inner diameter of the tube. href> Fuse goes in...and a few inner layers of paper are folded around it. A drop of wood glue ends the story. href> Finished device ready to be fired... href> This is all to it... Blaf

Sounds normal to me. If you stick your probes closer resistance should drop down... Make thick mixture of it with NC lacquer and coat open ends of two wound insulated wires and you're in the game. Leave it to dry and then make resistance measurement...it should drop down considerably. Which would mean - the powder you have is OK. Blaf

Thanks Stijntje... Here is the burn test of the BP/Al variation. It isn't as spectacular as you might expected, but here it is, burning even under water. <a href=http://members.pyroforum.nl/Blaf/BurnTestAl.JPG target=_blank><img src=http://members.pyroforum.nl/Blaf/BurnTestAl.JPG width=360 border=0></a href> Blaf

I've made a simple jig, holder or whatever you name it....as to simplify making of twisted propeller wings. This time I used wooden sticks (those ones used by doctors, you say AAAAA and they press your tongue down with it...) that you can buy at drug stores almost for nothing. href> The jig is of simple construction, plastic holders mounted on brass rod of 5mm dia. fastened conveniently at certain angle (approx. 90 deg.) against each other. href> Wooden stick has to be slid into one side first... href> Then goes another side in....torsion should be carefully applied as not to break the stick. href> Moisten the cetral portion of the stick (some 60% of overall lenght) and leave it to dry. That's it... href> The stick remains twisted after drying and could be glued to tourbillion body with (in this case) hot melt glue or wood glue. And yes, I was cheating here...this piece of fuse is original Chinese Visco taken out from a small flash-pot. At the time of making this tourbillion, I hadn't got my fuse machine made yet... Blaf

No offence, right? Blaf

Signet, are you sure it was Black Powder? Besides, these decoration cannons are being made of very brittle compound and can't withstand any pressure. As for your stars, 7-8 seconds is far too long burning time...try to make them burning quicker next time. Blaf

The key sign could indicate that this particular sort of graphite could have been used as key-lock dry lubricant. Sometimes I use graphite grease to make my guns action work smootlhly... Try conductivity test as Pirate previously described...but use lower voltage. Blaf p.s.OK, no more Misters...

Hello Pk! I'll do a short BP burning test clip in a week or so and then ask Gamekeeper how to post it...check BP blues topic from time to time. Duvel, if you look just a bit harder, you should see the "Simple hydraulic press" topic somewhere here...he, he, he. Blaf

The Pyro Community should be aware of the fact that my Fuse Machine has been assembled for some time and set in motion for the first time two weeks ago. It worked good. Note this – good but not perfect. The whole construction is physically robust, nice looking and can withstand moderately rough handling. This version of the machine is powered by 24V DC fan motor taken out from an old truck...eventhough the voltage applied is only 12V it still has enough force to spin the mechanism with no problem. However, I have to point out several critical points: 1. Yarns tension. If they're loose, they sometimes (by some miracle) bulge. I haven't solved it yet but will very soon. First I should make my own spools, custom sized for my little machine and then play with tension controll. 2. Pull consistency. Collecting drum where the fuse is to be wound should rotate at constant speed. I resolved this by applying separate motor with gear box which rolls the rubber drum at constant speed regardless of main voltage changes. 3. Powder flow. Meal works perfectly but has worst flow properties. Fine granulated BP flows better but burns quicker. I tried to mix my meal with powdered starch which improved powder flow but burning got slower and unreliable. Therefore I used meal but had to shake powder funnel constantly...and it worked. A bit messier but worked. This matter needs further elaboration. 4. NC lacquer application. For now, this step is being made in separate process as real time application calls for far more space and perhaps forced flow of warm air. I've already made a small jig (see NC application topic) with brass pulleys which has to be submerged into NC solution and tried it just this morning. It worked OK...with little adjustment. These are only a few of must do refinements. Others are mostly of cosmetic nature and should be left to owners preference. Just to name one – powder dies (there are two of them, upper one is real powder die while lower one is only yarns guide. Conical cavity on upper die could be wider so that yarns travel through the powder longer)...mine are made of wooden dowel pieces 20mm in diameter...could be made of aluminium, brass, or else. Yarn guides between spools and powder die (made of brass wire) could be mounted as to force each yarn to enter its recess at same angle...at least I will do that. Also, yarns should be pure cotton so they burn off completely and in whitish colour so that fuse can be died in whatever colour the end user prefers. Too much theory but no images, heh? I'm just getting you ready for Technological Shock that you're going to experience for sure...so take tranqulizer pills and sit comfortably. Glass of water and a few sugar-cubes could be handy too... href> You see some finished fuse being collected on rubber drum powered by separate motor. Sorry for that green plastic crocodile holding it... href> The same construction from back side. Big green granate-looking cylinder is main 24V DC motor. The whole system could have been powered by the same motor but it required excessive usage of brain cells...so I quickly gave up. Blaf

Unfortunately I have no experience in this at all but all tutorials say that first shellack should be dissolved in acetone and then composition is mixed in. Don't know the ratios, though. Try to dissolve your shellack powder in certain amount of acetone (do not pour liters of it, of course), say...20ml (use your syringe to measure it) and add half of a tea spoon of shellack to it. I would do this in closed glass container as not to allow acetone to evaporate. Shaking should speed up the process. When it's dissolved completely, mix it with your comp.....and remember - acetone will evaporate sooner or later so if you use it too much it shouldn't be a problem...it will just take longer to dry. At least I think this is OK...I never worked with this, though. Blaf

Pirate, this KMnO4 mixture doesn't comply with water so Dextrine could not be used here. You should try shellack dissolved in Acetone as a binder and post your results...I would like to know mechanical and burning properties of finished stars... Blaf

Just watch out for open terminals around electrolitic capacitor on the board. You know what, try to type "Capacitive Discharge Unit" in Google and it should yield guidelines through assembling process... Blaf

I think it's OK as long as the bottles are tightly closed... Blaf

He, he, he...I knew you would react to that Mr. somehow. I did that so to distinguish you from other pirates around. To get your disposable photo camera, just go to nearest photographer and ask for one already disposed. They'll gladly give it to you...and what's interesting, you usually get one 1,5V alcaline battrery inside for free. You'll need one in your CD unit, of course. The only thing you should be cautious with are open copper terminals on CD unit...you'll see it yourself and probably discover it the hard way. Don't be scared, you won't drop dead immediately, it will take years... Blaf

Ahhhh, there you are again. To be honest with you Pirate, the term "rubbing alcohol" came from accross the Big Swamp (Atlantic) and I believe it means desinfecting alcohol...the variety we use in home medicine. And it's completely clear, no dies added...it's transparent like water. Blaf

Images should be here on sunday morning. Sorry, in fact one image or perhaps two. Further ones will be posted at request depicturing specific details as to clearly show how it works. Blaf

Whatever you do, leave your "snappers" to dry for a few days...if there's still moisture present, they won't crack but just puffff... Blaf

I tried to make pumped ones but NC was sticking to my syringe tube and piston would not move after a few strokes. These cores should be made as cut stars I believe, slightly wetted with acetone and then primed with meal. Blaf

You should have mixed a small percentage of Alcohol with water. It has something to do with surface tension of the water and when you add alcohol it softens so that meal particles could soak up. Try that next time... Blaf

I tried KMnO4,S,Al as a flash core for my little stars but wasn't quite happy with it. Binder used was NC lacquer (water mustn't be used with Permanganate as it reacts generating heat...) and finished cores were little spongy, soft at touch and did not burn quite quick. Further experimentation will surely follow... Blaf

I wrote "15 years" as not ot scare you to death....in fact it could be easily much longer. How come that I haven't use it that long....I don't really know. Maybe those consumer fireworks on the free market spoiled the fun. Or perhaps I overgrown "bangers"....don't know. Blaf p.s. I've got your mail with no problem, thanks.

Stijntje, Mr. Pirate was just descripting a harmless conductivity test of Graphite, that's all. They do that sometimes in high school... As for my matches, they're set off by Capacitive Discharge Unit from disposable photo-camera. Voltage it delivers (in that important millisecond) should be around several hundreds of Volts. I also tested them on 12V car battery....they go off almost instantly as well. Blaf

You wouldn't believe this Pirate: I have a small batch of Permanganate, Al, S flash lying in a glass vessel for more than 15 years now....and it's completely unchanged. You bet it works as it's mixed this morning.... Blaf

Stijntje, you're right about burn properties of Al. Indeed, this fuse produces some more sparks and consequently heat. That's it. Pirate, you've got right picture - there is a funnel on top of whole construction with 3mm bottom hole. This is problem with all such machines I believe and there are two solutions to unreliable mixture flow. First, one can make that bottom hole larger - then you get too much powder on top of die and it spills around like mad. If you can live with that it's OK. Second, artificial vibration could be implemented (small hole remains) but there we have problem with reliable vibration controll to prevent overspill again. Solution is somewhere in between. But for now, I just watch what's happening in upper die and if the pile of powder goes low I tap and shake brass rod which holds the funnel and it works so far. OK, I agree - it's time to post images. Low heat, heh? Blaf

Do not spread fear around...yes, it's harmful if you toss it too much...it could even make your butt deep violet coloured....he, he, he. Blaf