deadman

I agree an hour in a ballmill is going to be more than it needs, but is a definite way for a homogenous mixture. Thermite is easy enough to mix in a cup or ziploc bag, it really doesn't need to bo intensley mixed to react well although it never hurts. Great job. It's good to see some updates.

Is it my eyes playing tricks on me, but do I see some fiberglass strapping tape underneath your kraft? I really like the fact you use spolettes, seams so.....traditional. Very cool.

Great job PGF. I know you have a digi cam, so you need to remember pre-fire pics. We all love them so much. So I know you used HDPE mortars as well as assembled them in the dark. Come on don't leave us hanging. Details are everthing in this game. Was there any wadding used? What kind of lift? How much lift/ stars? Size of stars? Length of mortar? Are yours always so loud? I'm assuming top fused, but how were they fused? I know you answered some of these somewhere else, but I figured others would like to know as well.

I just finished the main part of my press. Here is the catch: it is made of wood. I will have pictures by wednesday. Unfortunatley it is made with American sized tools. I used 2x6's. Which are actually 1.5" x 5.5" so (3.8cm x 14cm) I used a total of 12 hex bolts. I am using a 6 ton bottle jack, much like Blaf's except orange. Oops American vs. what makes sense again. That is 6 standard tons, not SI. So it is 12000 pounds, so in metric tons I believe it is identical to Blaf's. There is no working plate at this time, but maybe by the time I get the pictures up. All in all it cost me under 12 US Dollars to make, 6 pounds or 9 euros. This does not include the jack, which I was so lucky to have my wonderful girlfriend give me for christmas. Updates follow.

Wow, it is good to see some progress, in a relativley short amount of time. I do hope you can find more uses for this than just thermite. Which is great, but maybe something away from the same old Fe3O4+Al. If you can try some vanadium pentoxide thermites, or CuO is very impressive. As well as heavy metal thermites, like lead tetraoxide or bismuth trioxide. Whoa....way off course. Well I really like your huge mill/grinder. Do you have anything drawn for your plans, that you could post, or are they more like sketches next to your bed? How much milling media do you think you are going to need? Also, you mentioned the Govenator and polytech classes. Are you in California? If so send me a PM of the county.

I always thought that 50/50 was supposed to be the best Mg/KNO3 flash. But who knows. I believe one of the most powerful flashes is one Blaf could make. KMnO4/Mg. I've read of it self containing at as small of amounts as .5 grams.

That would be called a lampara shell (at least in english). You can also have lift underneath a bag of fuel wadded slightly for a ghost mine and/or fireball.

KNO3/S/Mg is a real flash and would work well in a polumna.

Yes very nice folding. I have only seen isoscilies triangles, but the regular triangle looks very nice. I'm not too familiar with kno3/s/al flash. I think Mg is much more suitable than aluminum. What mesh are your chems? Also, what do you mean you pressed your flash? Flash should not be pressed.

Blaf, I knew you were going to make one of these ever since the "round stars" topic. What do you plan on using as cores? Please keep us up to date.

Late, as usual, but I do have my pics and process. I decided to make them larger than normal this time. Yes as an American male I do feel the need to compete with anyone else. When it comes to my polumnas, there is no exact science. I go by what "feels right". The only things I always do when making polumnas are: >use thin paper >only glue the last piece down >use the smallest fuse available I cut a strip of thin paper to as I said "what feels right". Unlike Blaf I don't prefold, because after adding powder the folds would change, and with black powder you need to use more and it bulges more than flash would, plus the paper is thin enough to work with. So the paper is folded like an american flag or paper football, I'm not sure if these are internationally known or done so sorry if you don't know, but Blaf's post explains the process very well. As soon as there is a pocket I put in a scoop of black powder. Again, "what feels right". Place the fuse in the pocket out of the corner with the largest angle. I glue as little as possible so there is a lot of paper thrown about when it explodes. Anyways it is folded around the pocket without glue. I find it easier to move the paper around the pocket, than flip the pocket over and over again. Once the last piece of the strip is reached it should be folded over and cut to fit inside the fold it is on. Then tucked into the flap and a small drop of wood/super/wheat glue is placed in the flap as well. If the corners aren't tight enough, also close with glue. These are my my pics. In order 1. Supplies 2. Strip 3. Powder Pocket 4. Cut End 5. Finished Polumna

Oscar: You like that taped look? I personally see it cleaner with kraft. Or maybe a little wrapping paper would look nice. Wow Blaf that is the biggest one I have ever seen. Since I live in California, I see mainly mexican style crackers (more so than commercial ones honestly). They are small with duct or electrical tape and use black powder. So naturally I used black powder and made them small, as that is what I have seen. Flash would definitley be louder. Using flash would prevent me from doing one of my favorite things with polumnas though. Throwing them like ninja stars. Back to topic, you have a great tutorial every time. I will post some pics of my process hopefully by the end of the week. Also, is that the fuse you get from your machine? It is thinner than I thought. Very nice. Edit: Sorry now I see it is black match.

Yes, I've made them as well. They are called polumnas. Did you tape them? The first few I made were very light as a used a small amount of flash instead of filling with black powder. This resulted in a self propelled explosive going in random directions. It didn't leave the ground, but it was very interesting. Also it is better to use thinner than normal fuse to help confinement.

Wow, I don't see how I missed those posts. I must have been out of it. Thanks a lot. Well since it is possible I'll have to give it a go. I won't ask for any more spoonfeeding as now I know it is possible. BTW: prelast could have been said previous to my last or second to mylast. Technically it isn't a word in the english language but I understood what you meant.

I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but distiling the HNO₃ is much to trouble for me at this time. Thank you for your replies. I remember a post Gamekeeper had a while back and I want to say he used barium carbonate and ammonium nitrate to get barium nitrate. If a displacement is possible, or if I am remembering wrong please let me know either. Thanks all.

Just a thought, does anyone think that a nitrating solution of H2SO4 with KNO3 would work instead of going through the process of making nitric acid?

How did you set up such a huge ring shell? It came out very well. Do you have any pics of the shells before firing? Again good job. Sidenote: your site is looking great.

Thank you for all the input. Now seeing that I have to have nitric acid, is it worth it to make the nitric acid to make the nitrates? Are there good fountain and star comps that involve carbonates of strontia or baria, and still have a noticable color to them?

I was wondering how to get strontium and barium nitrates from their carbonate forms. Would a double displacement of KNO3 work? If so how would one set up the apparatus for making it, and how could one seperate the very similiar white crystals? Any input would be appreciated.

True there are chances of Sulfur Dioxide byproducts with higher temperatures, but like you said the "little" amount of oxygen at that temp is the limiting factor, so there will not be very much produced.I don't see anyone doing this in their garage (I hope) so even the softest breeze will protect you. Good looking out though.

Magnesium will not burst into flames as soon as it melts. It won't ignite without oxygen present. So usually in a furnace there is very little oxygen, also you don't melt the magnesium at the same time as the aluminum. It is added to molten aluminum then melted. A steel rod would be resistant to that kind of heat, but what I meant was, that the 2 buck furnace has a covering doesn't it? Maybe I haven't looked at it long enough, but I just didn't see how I could lift the lid and stir without the magnalium bursting from the sudden rush of oxygen. And I really don't want to dump a load of sulfur on my potential magnalium.

Blaf, of course you always know how to get to what I've seen. It seams whenever I have a reputable site you mention it or have been to it enough to know it isn't what you want. That is a great site, and makes me want to build one, even without a proper place to use or store it. Btw, I am living with relatives right now. I would say making a 50/50 magnalium ingot could take under an hour. The only problem I haven't overseen is how do you mix the magnesium in the molten aluminum?

The "iron" is referred to as a grill in America, not so sure about in Europe. I never would have thought stories would be called flats. Have you thought of using a self fed torch. Such as an oxy-acetylen and then having an argon environment. Honestly argon can be bought cheaply at a welding shop. Or if you could find a way to contain it, helium would make a nice reaction free environment.

Big issue that has not been brought to attention when it comes to ghost mines or fireballs. Liquid fuels are very prone to burning after the effect. This takes much experience to work perfect. I have never had a perfect fireball. There is always fuel burning on the ground around the tube. Even with a perfect ignition there will be flaming liquid in the mortar after the device has been used. SAFETY SAFETY SAFETY!!!

The great dissappointment... Well I didn't know where else to put this. I have been away for a few months and now live in Monterey county. I did NOT make any stars, shells, crackers, (well maybe a few flash salutes), or any other pyrotechnic devices out of the ordinary for the 4th of July. I just watched some class C's go off in the middle of the street. Wait! Wait! I did make a fountain now that I think of it. It was a 1" ID 6" length piece of junk. The choke was not properly prepared and popped out immediately. When loading the comp I let a bit of bentonite get in the middle and that slowed things down. Anyways nothing spectacular. It did show me that heated aluminum foil put in a coffee grinder does work well for a silver stream effect. Anyways things are back on track and I'm ready to be an active poster again.