How to Make a Smoke Bomb the Failsafe Way—We Thought!

Sometimes, learning how to make a smoke bomb using colored smoke can be tricky. Even if you already know how!

Because even if you really do already know how to make a smoke bomb, you can still have problems getting your colored smoke to work…problems you may not expect.

How to Make a Smoke Bomb the Failsafe Way—We Thought!

Skylighter has been offering organic powdered dye pre-mixed with the other necessary colored smoke chemicals for years. These premixed colored smoke components make it a lot faster and easier to make smoke grenades and make smoke bombs. We even got Ned Gorski to write an excellent and detailed project article on How to Make Smoke Bombs, complete with color photos, and even videos.

Skylighter sells that pre-mix as “colored smoke mix.” You buy a pound of the colored smoke mix, combine it with a pre-measured amount of just one other chemical, potassium chlorate, load it into a capped tube, and voila. You have a homemade smoke bomb, ready to light.

Usually.

Except, now people were having problems getting their colored smoke to light.

When this problem started to show up repeatedly, I finally decided to roll up my sleeves and look into it. What I found, though anything but earthshaking, is a good little lesson in simple pyrotechnic detective work.

And it is exactly the same kind of problem diagnosis and solution, which anyone who makes fireworks will eventually run into.

So, ride along with me a ways. It won’t take long, and there are a couple of good tips and tidbits that anyone can use.

What we try to do with our colored smoke bomb kits is make it really simple, fast, and idiot-proof to make a smoke bomb. But in trying to make it too simple, we may have overlooked the obvious.

Here was the problem: Customers were mixing the correct weights of the two-part colored smoke components (smoke mix and potassium chlorate) correctly—according to the instructions Skylighter provided. But when they tried to light the stuff it wouldn’t burn. Or it would light, and then go out.

Now when you light colored smoke it is supposed to smolder, not catch on fire.

The key is having exactly the right ratio of the potassium chlorate oxidizer to the smoke mix fuel. Screw the ratio up one way and your mix will burn too fast.

This is very important. If your mix actually burns, you won’t get the colored smoke you want. Just black, brown, or some other characteristic dark color of burning material.

Screw the ratio up the other way, and your colored smoke mix will not ignite at all.

Colored Smoke Detective Work

When we first heard about the problem with a single colored smoke color, we simply took some of our smoke mix here, mixed it properly with the potassium chlorate, and burned some outside.

Hmmm… there is some kind of problem. Perhaps the company, which formulates our colored smoke mixes, changed the brew in some way. They said not, but chemicals can be different, from batch to batch, or year to year. And unless you do time consuming and expensive testing of each batch you get, you might never know. So, we all tend to rely on good suppliers, brands, and model/spec numbers instead.

Making our smoke mixes does involve carefully weighing and blending at least 3 different chemicals.

It did visually appear that the blending/mixing was not as thorough.

But hundreds of pounds of these colored smoke mixes were already out on the street in customers’ hands. What to do?

We found that if we increased the amount of chlorate added to the smoke mix, that we could get it to burn. So that’s what we recommended to people who were having problems. We even sent out additional potassium chlorate at no charge, and replacement smoke bomb kits.

The problem reports continued nonetheless. Some people were not able to add additional chlorate and solve the problem. And then other colors started to have the same problem.

Hmmm… what else could be wrong?

A little background will help here. Because colored smoke dyes are “dirty” to work with, we recommended that folks use “bag mixing” to mix the chlorate and smoke mix.

Basically, this involves dumping the two parts into a big zip-lock, sealing it, and then mushing the contents around for a while until there’s a homogeneously colored powder inside with no lumps.

The theorem I developed was that for reasons unknown, either or both of the two-part smoke mixture had either increased in particle size and/or gotten “clumpy”—a scientific term describing what happens when a chemical gets a little bit of moisture in it.

Well, for sure the chlorate had. You could look at it and tell.

I ran some of our blue smoke through a 30-mesh kitchen strainer and found the same thing. More clumps. Maybe even larger particles.

So, here’s a lesson in pyro 101.

When we first started offering two-part colored smoke kits, it’s a fact that both the colored smoke fuel and the potassium chlorate were very fine (particle size), free flowing powders, something you almost always want in your fireworks chemicals.

And we had no reports of problems igniting the smokes.

Now, with lumpy, clumpy material, what has happened? Well think about it. It’s simple. The particle size of both parts has increased. When particle sizes are larger, surface area is decreased.

Since the pyrotechnic burn we want depends on many little particles of fuel and oxidizer being in close contact with each other AND since we know we had that balance exactly right when the two powders used to be fine powders that were free flowing, then the surface area is no longer adequate for the ratios we were using.

And that’s exactly why adding a little more potassium chlorate had solved the problem for some people. The large surface area problem meant that if we changed the ratio of oxidizer to smoke fuel, we could indeed get the smoke to light again.

But over time as BOTH fuel AND oxidizer got clumpier and clumpier, even that solution didn’t work.

Why? Because the mix was simply too coarse to take fire using the bag mix with the two chemical components we were providing.

The Tests

Experiments proved this out. Armed with the info above and my theorem that it was merely a particle size problem, I set out to solve the problem AND try to do it in a way that would involve the least hassle and expense for both Skylighter and our customers.

It took about two hours. Like most of my testing, I try to work with very small batches. This speeds up the process by reducing weighing, milling, and mixing. And reduces the cost of materials, a lot of which is often wasted doing the testing.

I was pressed for time; so I had the guys in the warehouse, first pre-measure a lot of little baggies of potassium chlorate and colored smoke mixes.

I took the box of this stuff home, realizing only later that the little white powder bags could have brought big smoke down on me, had I been stopped with them. (“No, no, no, ossifer. Those little white powder baggies aren’t what you think at all. Actually, if I mix the white stuff in with this colored stuff, and light it, you will get purple colored smoke! Wait, ossifer, I am not trying to burn the evidence. No, wait. Stop. Those things are too tight on my wrists. I wanna call my mama, ahhh lawyer!”)

First problem was finding someplace that wasn’t windy. I don’t do this stuff indoors in my shop any more, and smoke dyes are easily blown around by even stray puffs of wind.

I found a corner against a shed, out of the wind, and set up my scale, two coffee grinders, some mixing cups, a small kitchen strainer screen, and my trusty pyro notebook.

I aimed for a ratio of 14.2 grams of smoke mix to 5.2 grams of potassium chlorate. That’s the ratio we devised early on that would work with all of our smoke mixes, regardless of color. And we knew from history it used to work.

My test burn container for all experiments was a 9/16” ID x 1-1/2” long tube (called an M80 tube in some circles) with a cardboard plug in one end, the other end open.

FYI, colored smokes do not have to be confined to do their thing. I left one end of each test-tube open for the tests.

Experiment 1: I added the two chemicals together in a zip lock and sqwooshed ‘em together for ten minutes. The now infamous, bag mix method. Filled a test tube, inserted a piece of Visco and lit it. Failed to light. This mix would not even light when directly blasted with a blowtorch.

Experiment 2: I repeated the process in Experiment 1, but with an additional 10% potassium chlorate. Lit the fuse, and it too failed to ignite. Blowtorching the loose mix caused it to light, but it could not sustain the burn, and went out.

Experiment 3: Repeated #2 again adding +10% chlorate, but instead of bag mixing, screened the mix 3 times. Lit the fuse, and the smoke mix ignited, the burn was sustained, but with a “sputtering” burn, and an okay, but not rich blue smoke.

Experiment 4: Since the potassium chlorate was the lumpier of the two components, I used a coffee and spice grinder to grind the chlorate to a fine, fluffy powder, with about 20 seconds of pulse milling. Weighed the two components in the original 14.2/5.2 grams ratio. Screened the two components together 3 times. The mix burned correctly.

Experiment 5: Repeated #4, but I also blade milled the smoke mix for 20-30 seconds as well, before screen mixing together 3 times. The mix burned even better. Full rich blue smoke. The volume of smoke was the greatest of all the test burns.

Conclusion

The particle sizes of both components need to be as small as possible. If there is a problem getting the smoke mix to burn, then milling both components separately to a finer particle size, as well as using a better mixing method will likely solve the problem.

This will not solve all fireworks mix problems. But if you think particle size or clumping may be your problem, the method described above is a quick and simple test to find out.

Cost: Cost to solve the problem at Walmart–$34: 2 coffee mills, $14 each; one small wire strainer, $6. And everything is reusable later on in my fireworks shop.

More on cheap chemical milling using a coffee (blade) mill.

Tell Me What You Think: Was this Article Helpful to You or Not?

Just leave a comment below. Thanks.

- Harry

Fireworks Chemical Milling – Fast

Chemical milling, that is, reducing the particle size of powdered chemicals is part of fireworks making. No matter how find and free flowing chemicals are when you first buy then, many of them can and will turn to stone like blocks over time. And as you can read from the little lesson above, they can quickly solve otherwise intractable pyrotechnic formulation problems that you will run into over and over.

Reducing particle sizes is commonly done with thumb and forefinger, screening, blade milling, ball milling, and more exotic and expensive alternatives. Each has its pros and cons.

A blade mill is a cheap chemical grinding mill, available everywhere, and incredibly efficient and fast. They are not suited for grinding large quantities of stuff, but for a pound or less of a single chemical, they are hard to beat. They mill faster, and are quick and easy to clean up. Bigger, ball mills have a place, too. Eventually, you will want to have both.

A spinning blade-type coffee grinder is what I use. They’re cheap, and available at Walmarts everywhere in several models. My advice is to get three. One for oxidizers, one for everything else, and a backup. Look for simplicity. Higher cost is a waste of money. Cheap and simple is best. Avoid tops that are tricky to get on and off, or having locking mechanisms on them.

How to use a blade mill. Use them this way and they will last and last: Put your chemicals into the mill. Put the top on, and holding the mill in your hands, off the table, turn the mill on and off intermittently for a few seconds at a time while you shake the mill at the same time to really circulate the material around inside.

How to burn out your mill. Turn it on and leave it on for a few minutes. It’s simple and foolproof. You can reliably burn it out every time this way. The most common reason blade mills burn up is the way they are used. I have two (out of 3 purchased originally) that have been used regularly for nearly 15 years. Cost me $12 each at Walmart.

The secret is not to leave them running very long. I run mine for very short periods, 15-30 seconds max, shaking the grinder at the same time it is on. Then I shut it off, and repeat the process *IF I HAVE TO*. Which I almost never do. I don’t get much additional reduction in particle size after 30 seconds of milling.

How to grind a lot of chemicals fast: I can blade mill a pound of potassium nitrate rocks into fine fluffy powder in 5 minutes or less. Just use small batches in your mill. Be sure and shake the mill at the same time you’re milling the powder. It speeds up the process and you can actually hear the coarse particles getting smaller. Don’t try and put too much in at a time. Smaller batches mill up faster. Bigger batches bog the mill down and slow the process.

Cleaning blade mills: Dump and tap as much powder out as you can get out that way. Then use a paintbrush to get down into the mill and the top to remove the rest. Remove everything you can see. The tops can usually be run through a dishwasher, but be sure they’re completely dry before reuse. The base unit with the motor cannot be submerged, but you can certainly use a damp cloth on the inside of them.

Lifetime of a blade mill: Mills used for oxidizers will break sooner. The corrosive action of the oxidizer dust will eventually kill the little mill. Not to worry. You have a spare.

Milling fuels and oxidizers together. You can only do this once. If you survive the first attempt, you will certainly never do it again. Depending on the reactivity of the particular chemicals you’re trying to mill together, your injuries may range from bad burns to death. Never attempt to blade-mill oxidizers and fuels together.

Tell Me What You Think: Was this Article Helpful to You or Not?

Just leave a comment below. Thanks.

- Harry

Turbo Pyro goes LIVE at 12:00 Noon Eastern time today, June 19th

Turbo Pyro goes LIVE at 12:00 Noon Eastern time today, June 19th. You’ll be able to get in then.

Here’s your link for Turbo Pyro:

http://www.turbopyro.com

———————————————————————-
I DON’T KNOW WHETHER YOU HEARD THIS YET
———————————————————————-

I’ve added *more* stuff to Turbo Pyro. I want to make sure you have fun with your projects, so I added a bonus Smoke Bomb Kit and project–Making Jumbo Smoke Canisters eBook (including videos).

Be sure and get online fast and place your order. Again, there are only 400 Turbo Pyro Supplies Kits available.

Grab yours here:

http://www.turbopyro.com

P. S. You get instant access to the Turbo Pyro eBook and the Smoke-Making eBook right after you order.

P. P. S. Be sure ahead of time your credit card has enough $$ left on it to make the charge. Otherwise you may miss out. (V, MC, Amex, Disc.)

Harry

2 New Bonuses Added to Turbo Pyro

We’re getting very close to releasing Turbo Pyro this week.

Here’s some info on 2 new bonuses I have added to the Turbo Pyro Supplies Kits, as well as some tips on getting your order to go through on product launch day.

Early Bird Bonus #1-limited number: If you are one of the first 75 people who buy the Turbo Pyro Supplies Kit, you’ll get a free copy of the North American Fireworks Trade Directory, a $44 value.

The Trade Directory lists all of the important fireworks related companies on the continent. This included importers, distributors, wholesale/retail, manufacturers, consumer fireworks, special effects, display fireworks, consultants, companies who offer shooter training, attorneys, display shooters, clubs, shooter training, trade associations, fireworks transportation, fireworks insurance, publishers/booksellers, lab services, customs brokers, and suppliers of everything pyrotechnic you can imagine.

This is a book everyone in fireworks should keep on hand forever. If your order arrives without one of the Trade Directories, it is because we ran out before your order was placed. Sorry, we don’t have but 75 of these.

Bonus #2: Colored Smoke Bomb Kit, a $60 value. You get a complete kit containing smoke mix, potassium chlorate oxidizer, tubes, end caps, fuse, and a new smoke bomb project written by Ned Gorski, never published before. This project and kit give you step-by-step instructions for making up to 20 big, fat smoke canisters.

Great for daytime effects. Definitely a step up from the consumer smokes you’ve probably seen. Very easy and fast to make. The chemicals and supplies for this one will be included in your Turbo Pyro Supplies boxes. The project, “Making Jumbo Smoke Canisters,” will be available to you as a free downloadable .pdf document.

More about the Turbo Pyro Supplies Kits. Once you order your Kit, it will be shipped from Skylighter right away. We want you to have them as soon as possible before the 4th of July. The kits are shipped in two boxes. They have to be shipped that way to keep oxidizers separate from flammable items. Since both boxes contain hazardous items, they have to be shipped by US Mail Parcel Post. Occasionally, the post office will not deliver both boxes on the same day. Please be patient. The second box will arrive.

The Turbo Pyro eBook. Once you order your eBook, you will be given instructions on downloading it. It is a big file, over 10 megabytes. You will want to use the fastest Internet connection you can get. It cannot be emailed to you. The book comes in Adobe .pdf format. Sorry, no other formats, and no printed versions are available. Please read Chapter 1 immediately for more information about using the book, and playing the videos.

How to Order Turbo Pyro. If you are on our mailing list, you will receive a notice telling the exact time the link to the Ordering page will open.

When that time comes, as quickly as you can, go there and place your order. You will not see the familiar Skylighter.com shopping cart. Don’t worry. Just follow the instructions onscreen and place your order as quickly as you can. Please do not start an order and not finish it; you may lose your chance at the book and/or the Kit.

We cannot predict how many people will be trying to get through the same process at the same time. You may experience delays. Just keep trying. Have your credit card ready before you start.

Your credit card will not be charged at the time you place your order. We will charge your card on the day we actually ship, which will most likely be this Friday. You will be emailed a shipping notice and tracking number at that time. So be sure you whitelist any Skylighter.com email, to be sure and receive your shipping info. Your card will be charged the exact amount showing on your receipt. It would be a good idea to print that out and keep it.

That’s about it for now.

Harry Gilliam

Fireworking Safety, the Law, and You

I’ve covered many safety issues involved in making fireworks in my introductory essay to Kyle Kelley’s The Pyrotechnist Survival Guide, Bill Ofca’s Fireworks Safety Manual, and Dr. Takeo Shimizu’s treatise on Preventing Accident.

Much physical suffering on our part and that of our loved ones can be avoided if we heed the advice in those pages. I like to go back and review them regularly to see how well my operations are conforming to those recommendations.

But there is another very significant kind of pain and suffering we and our families may have to endure unless we pay attention to a different set of precautions as we embark on this new fireworking hobby.

I’m going to go over what it takes to make fireworks legally, and I’ll even show you how to make a magazine inexpensively to use for legal storage of the fireworks you make.

The US Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) is charged with regulating explosives activities in the United States. Their regulations can be found in ATF Federal Explosives Law and Regulations, commonly called the Orange Book because of its orange cover.

Here is a link to a free online, PDF version of the Orange Book:

http://www.atf.gov/explarson/fedexplolaw/2007edition/index.htm

The book can be obtained from the BATFE directly, also, and from Skylighter.

Individual states either defer to Federal explosives regulations or develop their own explosives laws.

Local governments such as counties, cities, and townships can adopt their own sets of laws governing explosives and their manufacture.

You might be saying right about now, “What am I getting myself into?”

The simple answer is that you’ve gotten yourself into a serious hobby and art form, one which can cause personal injury and property damage, and one in which the government takes an interest, unlike knitting or stamp-collecting.

“Well, the heck with them. I don’t care about their stupid laws,” you might reply.

Well, guess what. The various governments don’t care whether you and I consider the laws stupid. They care about the laws and they care about whether or not we are complying with them. You’d better believe it.

We could sit around for hours or even days, debating this law or that one, which one is just or unjust. But that won’t change the fact of the existence of both the law and the agency, which enforces it.

The question is not whether the law is just or not, or whether or not I agree with the law.

The question becomes a simple one: “Am I willing to suffer the consequences if I am caught breaking the law and prosecuted? Is my family willing to suffer those consequences along with me? Am I willing to ask them if they are willing to suffer those consequences.”

There have been many pyros who have been caught breaking the laws concerning the manufacture and storage of fireworks. They have suffered imprisonment, high attorney fees, exorbitant fines, broken marriages, and loss of property.

In the end a law is simple. “We the people declare this activity, done this way, to be illegal. If you are caught doing it you will suffer these consequences.”

A law states just that and only that. It simply states, such and such an action is illegal, and if you are caught doing it you may suffer this punishment.

So, the choice then becomes simple. “Am I willing to comply with the law, or break it and risk those consequences?”

And, there are several different ways to answer that question.

1) Yep, I’ll comply with the law and not take the risks involved in breaking it.

2) Nope, I’ll not comply with the law. I’m going to engage in this activity in an illegal manner, and I’m willing to risk those consequences. But, I’m not gonna tell my wife I’m taking that risk with our money and property, or give her the choice of whether or not she’s willing to take that risk.

3) Nope, I’ll not comply with the law, and I’m willing to risk those consequences, and I have discussed it with my wife and family and they are willing to back me up in this activity and risk those consequences, too.

But, comply or not, we need to take that action with an awareness of the consequences of our actions, and a willingness to face those consequences like “men”. (Most fireworkers are men, so I’m comfortable using that term. No disrespect to wimmen fireworkers, though.)

I said in my safety essay mentioned in the first paragraph above, “When we first get into this, we really don’t know how serious a pursuit it will become for us, do we? How much should we invest in tools and a workshop if it turns out to be only a passing curiosity? If we progress in the fireworks hobby, our investment in it and in the tools and facility used for it, progresses along with it. Our safety precautions usually end up tagging along a bit behind our activities. That is dangerous.”

Now, in that paragraph simply replace the word “safety” with the word “legal”, as in “our legal precautions usually end up tagging along a bit behind our activities.”

The danger in doing that is that we do indeed risk the sorts of “dangers” mentioned above: imprisonment, high attorney fees, exorbitant fines, broken marriages, and loss of property. As we make choices concerning our activities and whether or not they comply with those laws, it would be wise to become educated about the laws, the consequences of breaking them, and our responsibilities to ourselves and our loved ones.

Fortunately, US Federal law is pretty straightforward and simple when it comes to hobbyist fireworking.

Once again, from the ATF Orange Book:

Page 64, Paragraph 37. “When is a manufacturer’s license required?”

“Persons who manufacture explosives for their personal, non-business use are not required to have a manufacturer’s license. However, no person may ship, transport, cause to be transported, or receive explosive materials unless such person holds a license or permit.”

Page 68, Paragraph 72. “Who must comply with the storage requirements?”

“…all persons who store explosive materials must store them in conformity with the provisions of Subpart K of the regulations…”

Pages 47-53, Subpart K – Storage

This section details storage which is in conformity with the regulations and which will satisfy the BATFE’s requirements.

Because no license is required by the BATFE, this storage might never be known about by them or inspected by them. But if a person is caught storing explosives without such compliant storage, the BATFE then has the right to prosecute that person. And, typically, they do.

These are the cases you hear about in the news if the Feds are prosecuting somebody: they were storing explosives illegally, or they caught the person transporting explosives without a license or permit.

This is another important point. While a person can make explosives for their own personal use, provided that they store them in a compliant manner, they may not transport them legally unless they have an ATF license or permit. And, that’s even across town to the test-shooting site. When traveling to PGI (Pyrotechnics Guild International) or local-club events, often transportation-coverage for members is supplied through the club license and/or permit.

But, man, if you decide to transport your homemade fireworks without a license or permit, and you get stopped and searched for whatever reason, or if you have an accident and the explosives are involved in some destruction, God Help You, because the law won’t.

By the way, the US DOT (Department of Transportation) only regulates “in-commerce” transportation, and does not concern itself with the above mentioned regulations concerning the BATFE’s requirements to only transport explosives under a license or permit. At least, that’s the philosophy they appear to have been operating under so far.

Note: It’s useful to mention that all of this is my best understanding of the current situation under the law. Things can change, and the laws are always up for re-evaluation. I am not a lawyer, just a hobbyist trying to be as informed as possible about the multitude of laws surrounding us, and the numerous “alphabet soup” agencies charged with enforcing those laws. If in doubt, consult an attorney. But remember that unless they are fireworks or explosives specialists, often they can only offer their “best opinion” for you. Quite often the law is simply not all that clear, and is left to the individual “authority on site” to render a personal interpretation of it.

It is impossible for me to even try to address the myriad of local and state laws governing the manufacture of fireworks. Suffice it to say that the same sort of reasoning and responsibilities mentioned above with regard to federal laws, also pertain to state and local laws.

If you don’t research those laws and make informed choices regarding them, you might run afoul of a state or local Fire Marshal who simply does not have a sense of humor about all of this “hobbyist fireworking.”

So, if the Feds do not require us to obtain a license to make explosives for our personal use, as long as the restrictions on storage and transportation mentioned above are complied with, “Why Get One?”

Well, that’s an interesting subject.

We’ve mentioned the BATFE, DOT, State and Local agencies, and now another of those “acronym named” agencies comes into play. The CPSC.

The Consumer Products Safety Commission seems hell-bent on putting hobbyist fireworking and pyrotechnics supply houses out of business. Despite the BATFE’s declaration that no license is required for such activities, the CPSC has repeatedly forced pyro chemical suppliers to not sell more than very limited quantities of certain chemicals and supplies to unlicensed individuals.

On top of that, even though there is a perfectly valid and available “Type 50 – Manufacturer of Fireworks” license available from the BATFE, the CPSC has told the pyro supply houses that only a “Type 20 – Manufacturer of High Explosives” license is acceptable for purchases of certain items.

Go figure. I personally don’t mind trying to get informed about the law and trying to abide by it, but man, sometimes “they” sure don’t make it easy.

So, many pyro-enthusiasts are biting-the-bullet and getting their BATFE Type 20 licenses. A background check is required, and the resulting “Letter of Clearance” must be obtained. Compliant storage, as mentioned above and described in the following section, and a simple approved work-site, such as a picnic table, are necessary.

A form must be filled out and a relatively small fee must be paid. There’s an interview, fingerprinting, and a security check. And that’s about it. You don’t have to “qualify,” be tested, nor have any particular skills or background. The BATFE is not our enemy, and if we are willing to work with them, they definitely don’t view us as their enemy.

The license covers us for materials purchases, for transportation issues, and for general peace-of-mind. I personally consider it to be a good investment, if local and state laws will allow a license to be obtained.

As mentioned already, Subpart K – Storage, in the Orange book details the BATFE’s requirements for storage, regardless of whether we have a license.

Requirements for regular inspection, by the owner, of magazines to ensure that they have not been tampered with, are detailed. Housekeeping, smoking, repair, lighting, and various other issues are also addressed in this section.

Note: Interestingly, the requirements for keeping “Records and Reports” which are detailed on page 37, pertain only to “licensees and permittees.” The questions and answers regarding the requirements for “Recordkeeping,” back on page 67-68, address only licensees and permittees, as well. So while there may not be specific requirements for recordkeeping concerning the stored explosives for a non-licensed hobbyist, it’s probably a good idea to keep a log of the weights of the explosives taken in or out, or at least put in, so that the maximum weight of 50 pounds is never exceeded. A regular inventory of such explosives and their weights could also easily answer any potential questions concerning the weights and types of explosives stored in the magazine.

In general, most hobbyists install some form of a Type 4 storage magazine to comply with these requirements. A Type 4 magazine is a permanent magazine in which “low explosives” (as defined on Page 48) may be stored.

Among common fireworks components and devices, the only things, which cannot be stored legally in a Type 4 magazine, are loose “flash powders” and “bulk salutes.” Bulk salutes are flash devices stored all in one container or box together. If salutes are going to be stored in a Type 4 magazine, they must be mixed in a box with some color shells or similar. Loose flash powder may not be stored in a Type 4, period.

Other than that, a Type 4 is the storage most of us need, even if we are getting a Type 20 license (Manufacturer of High Explosives). In order to comply with CPSC’s requirements, if we explain to ATF why we want that license, and declare that we will not store loose flash powder or bulk-salutes in our Type 4 magazine), then typically the inspectors will tell us that we’re good-to-go with a Type 4.

Just remember, any explosives we manufacture and store must be stored in such a compliant magazine, whether or not we get a license.

Page 51 of the Orange book details the various requirements for the construction of Outdoor and Indoor Type 4 magazines.

Much less expensive than magazines made for just that purpose, metal shipping containers are commonly used to make outdoor Type 4 magazines They can be relatively inexpensively modified to meet the BATFE’s requirements. Page 54 has a table of distances to determine how far an outdoor magazine must be situated from inhabited buildings, highways, railways, and other magazines.

Remember the ATF places limits on the total, maximum weight of explosive material that may be stored in each type of magazine. If one wishes to install/construct an outdoor Type 4 magazine in their area, it’s useful to consult with others in your area who have done so, and with the BATFE to see what their specific recommendations and requirements are.

Many hobbyists install “Indoor” Type 4 magazines to have BATFE compliant storage for their activities. The requirements for these magazines are spelled out on Page 51.

Indoor Type 4 magazines may store a maximum of 50 pounds of actual explosive materials (does not include the weight of the containers, etc.) The magazine must be “fire-resistant and theft resistant.” “No indoor magazine is to be located in a residence or dwelling.”

An indoor magazine must be in a separate structure—not in a residence or dwelling. It appears that there is no minimum distance it must be separated from the residence of the hobbyist. The separate structure may be a garage or shed near a residence, but it may not be attached to it.

“Indoor magazines are to be constructed of masonry, metal-covered wood, fabricated metal, or a combination of these materials. The walls and floors are to be constructed of, or covered with, a non-sparking material. The doors must be metal or solid wood covered with metal.”

Covering any exposed metal to make it non-sparking can be as simple as painting it with a high-quality paint/coating such as epoxy-appliance-paint or rubberized truck-bed-lining/coating.

“Hinges and hasps are to be attached to doors by welding, riveting, or bolting (nuts on inside of door). Hinges and hasps must be installed so that they cannot be removed when the doors are closed and locked.”

“Locks. Each door is to be equipped with (i) two mortise locks; (ii) two padlocks fastened in separate hasps and staples; (iii) a combination of a mortise lock and padlock: (iv) a mortise lock that requires two keys to open; or (v) a three-point lock.”

From Wikipedia: A mortise lock is one that requires a pocket–the mortise–to be cut into the door or piece of furniture into which the lock is to be fitted. In most parts of the world, mortise locks are generally found on older buildings constructed before the advent of bored cylindrical locks, but they have recently become more common in commercial and up market residential construction in the United States.

“Padlocks must have at least five tumblers and a case-hardened shackle of at least 3/8-inch diameter. Padlocks must be protected with not less than 1/4-inch steel hoods constructed so as to prevent sawing or lever action on the locks, hasps, and staples.”

“Indoor magazines located in secure rooms that are locked as provided in this subparagraph may have each door locked with one steel padlock (which need not be protected by a steel hood) having at least five fumblers and a case-hardened shackle of at lease 3/8-inch diameter, if the door hinges and lock hasps are securely fastened to the magazine.”

So, if I have my indoor magazine in a shed, garage, or other building, which has a door, which locks with two mortise locks, the requirements for the lock on my magazine get drastically simplified.

“What the Hell??!!” I can just hear you saying right about now.

“How can I ever comply with all of this, only half of which I sorta understand?”

Well, it turns out it can be pretty simple, really.

An extremely simple indoor Type 4 magazine, which will satisfy these requirements, is a good-quality gun-safe, available at gun shops and sporting-goods stores. Make sure the locks meet the above requirements, and that the building is separated from your residence. Use epoxy appliance spray paint to cover any exposed metal on the inside of the magazine. Install some nice shelving in it. Drill some holes in the bottom and/or back of it to bolt it to the wall and/or floor to make it “theft-resistant.” And, there you have it, presto-chango, BATFE-compliant, Type 4, indoor storage.

Another option, which will come up if you search online for “lockable powder storage container,” is BATFE-compliant black powder storage boxes from sporting-goods outlets such as Cabela’s.

Here’s how you can convert a Ridgid Jobsite Storage Box, from Home Depot, into a legal Type 4 Indoor Storage magazine.

This is just one approach to creating an Indoor Type 4 magazine, compliant with the BATFE’s requirement that “all persons who store explosive materials must store them in conformity with the provisions of Subpart K of the regulations” contained in the Orange Book. (Page 68, Question 72)

Note: Please keep in mind that what follows is my interpretation of the specifications and regulations in the orange book, combined with the advice I have gotten from others. I’m no lawyer or ATF inspector. These regulations are always up to personal interpretation by the individual ATF inspectors in your area. If you have any questions about the below-listed points, it is best to clarify them with your local ATF office.

Let’s review the BATFE’s specifications for “compliant” storage.

Type 4, Indoor magazine:

• Is for storing “Low Explosives.” (no loose flash powder, no bulk salutes, no dynamite) (555.202 (b))
• May not be located in a residence or dwelling. (555.210 (b) Indoor (1))
• May only be used to store up to 50 pounds of explosives. (ditto)
• Need not be any “minimum distance” from residences or road. (555.206 only pertains to “Outdoor Magazines”
• Is to be fire-resistant and theft resistant. Need not be weather-resistant if the building in which it is stored provides protection from the weather. (555.210 (b) Indoor (1))
• Must be constructed of masonry, metal-covered wood, fabricated metal, or a combination of these materials. The walls and floor are to be constructed of, or covered with, a non-sparking material. The door/s must be metal or solid wood covered with metal. (555.210 (b) Indoor (2))
• Hinges and hasps are to be attached to doors by welding, riveting, or bolting (nuts on inside of door). Hinges and hasps must be installed so that they cannot be removed when the doors are closed and locked. (555.210 (b) Indoor (3))
• Each door is to be equipped with (i) two mortise locks; (ii) two padlocks fastened in separate hasps and staples; (iii) a combination of a mortise lock and padlock; (iv) a mortise lock that requires two keys to open; or (v) a three-point lock. (555.210 (b) Indoor (4))
• Padlocks must have at least five tumblers and casehardened shackle of at least 3/8-inch diameter. Padlocks must be protected with not less than 1/4-inch steel hoods constructed so as to prevent sawing or lever action on the locks, hasps, and staples. (ditto)
• Indoor magazines located in secure rooms that are locked as provided in the above specifications may have each door locked with one steel padlock (which need not be protected by a steel hood) (same lock specs as above) if the door hinges and lock hasp are securely fastened to the magazine. (ditto)
• There is to be no smoking, matches, open flames, or spark-producing devices within any room containing an indoor magazine. (555.212)
• The workspace used to manufacture fireworks must be at least 200 feet away from the magazine. Many hobbyist fireworkers maintain a pyro-shed, or a “work area” as simple as a portable table and tent-shelter, separated from the residence and storage magazine by a minimum of 200 feet.

I have a nice shed on my property. It is weatherproof. It is separated from my residence. I can create a “back room” in it, in which there are no spark-producing devices such as light switches, machines, or electrical outlets.

I can install two locks (a keyed entry lock and a deadbolt lock) on each of the doors leading back to the back room: the main entry door and the door to that room.

I can use the “front room” of the shed as a non-pyro workshop, as long as I keep the back room and magazine closed and secured during such operations.

So, given all of the above BATFE requirements and specifications, what sort of Type 4 indoor magazine could I put in the back room of my shed?

My pyro-buddy, Gary Smith recently sent me a picture of such a magazine design that he’s been working on. It got my “wheels turning.”

This is simply a Ridgid Jobsite Storage Box, typically used on construction sites for overnight storage of valuable tools and materials. I bought one of these boxes at my local Home Depot.

This box is constructed per the BATFE’s specifications, is coated completely with heavy orange paint, making it non-sparking, and is fire-resistant and theft-resistant, especially when it is bolted to the floor or wall.

It has two recessed areas for the kind of theft/tamper-resistant locking the BATFE specifies.

For the locks, Home Depot sells Master Lock Magnum locks, Model M5XT. They have 3/8″ thick shackles, measured across the “points” of the octagonal cross-section. The shackles are “boron-carbide,” and the locks are specified as having stainless-steel rust protection. The package indicates “Meets Maximum ASTM Industry Strength Standards,” and one package comes with two locks, which open with the same key.

The locks are specified on the package as having 1-inch of clearance between the shackle and the body of the lock when the locks are locked. The Ridgid job box instructions specify a Master No 5 lock, which has between 7/8 and 1 inch of such clearance.

So, it looks like these locks meet both the BATFE and Ridgid specifications. I’ll keep the lock-package inside the magazine in case a BATFE field inspector ever wants to go over the lock specifications to verify that they do indeed meet his/her interpretation of the agency’s requirements.

The locks are installed in the job box and held in place with u-bolts and nuts, which come with the box. When the door is closed, and the locks are locked, the body of the locks close around L-shaped bars, which project from the door. When the lock is unlocked, the lock-body slides out further in its little compartment and creates enough space for the L-Bar to slide into. (Trust me, it works just fine.)

When the door is closed and locked, the method of protecting the locks from tampering is as specified by the BATFE, including that the box is to be contained in a securely locked building.

Note: I whacked my projecting bars with a mini-sledge hammer to adjust them, so that the maximum length of the L part of the bars is engaged by the locks when they are locked.

I used a hand-held grinder, crowbar, sledgehammer, and wood block to remove the feet from the “bottom” of the box, which is now to be the “back” of the unit when it is installed as a magazine. Grinding the welds to cut them, and prying/pounding on them eventually got them off of the box.

Note: I have heard of serious incidents and accidents where someone using a grinding wheel or other grinder to sharpen tools or grind something else, has set off pyrotechnic compounds or fireworks which were stored nearby. Simply put, Do Not Grind Any Metal Near Pyrotechnics or Fireworks. Please!

I then figured out which way I wanted the door to open in the new box configuration. That then determined which end of the box would be the new “bottom” of it.

I used construction adhesive to reattach the feet to the new bottom, and to glue the swinging handle to the box, so that it would stay out of the way during installation. Placing the feet on the new bottom of the box, will keep the box up far enough off the floor to allow the door to swing freely without hitting the floor while opening and closing.

I allowed the glue to set up and dry completely before going on to the next steps.

I wanted some nice, wood shelves in the magazine, strong enough and far enough apart to support 5-gallon buckets of composition if needed.

I used some 3/4-inch-thick plywood, and some 1-inch X 1.5-inch wood scraps to create this shelving. All the wood is simply held in place with good-quality construction adhesive.

I ran a good bead of glue under the back edge of the shelves where they meet the back of the box to support them and prevent them from bowing under weight. Finally, I installed some wire-mesh “spice racks,” from the shelving department of Home Depot, on the inside of the door to provide some convenient storage for small items like one-pound cans of Goex black powder. These racks were installed so they fit between the wood shelves when the door is closed. The bolt-ends and nuts on the inside of the units were covered with clear caulking to make them non-sparking.

To install the magazine in the back room of the shed, I drilled four 1/2-inch holes in the back of the magazine, and used 1/2-inch lag-bolts and washers to secure the box to the plywood wall.

The heads of the bolts and washers were also covered with clear caulk to ensure they are non-sparking.

So, there you have it, one simple option for a legal magazine complying with the BATFE’s requirement for safe storage of explosives.

If an individual inspector ever disagrees with any of these design criteria, I’d be willing to explain the reasoning behind my “understandings,” and I’d be willing to be further educated on BATFE’s requirements and adjust my operation and magazine accordingly.

Happy fireworking, And stay safe and legal,

Ned

ngorski@skylighter.com

How to Make Flashing Fireworks Strobe Pots

Introduction

Close your eyes and listen to this music. What do you see when you do so?

Click here to listen to The Who

If you don’t see a large fireworks mine-shot, followed by a line of 30-second strobe pots, ending with another large mine-shot, then you really need to be subscribed to the Quilting-101 newsletter instead of this one on making homemade fireworks.

Man, that music gets me in the mood for strobes. The first mine-shot would grab the attention of any fireworks-display audience. Then the soft and subtle section of strobes would calm them down and get them ready for their emotions to build during the show.

Strobe pots are among the simplest of fireworks devices and are easy to make. They can really add some of that low-level variety to a pyro-display that so helps to keep an audience’s attention.

“Hey, here’s something different,” they’ll say to themselves as they stop, settle in, and start to pay attention.

How do these pyrotechnic “twinklers” work?

It is not necessary, of course, to have a scientific understanding of strobes in order to make them. Like baking a loaf of bread, chemistry is not necessary. All you need is a recipe, the right ingredients, and a feel for the proper ways to manipulate those ingredients.

But, for the scientifically minded, there are a few informative resources, which explore the strobe phenomenon in depth. In the 1979 edition of Pyrotechnica, Number 5, Robert Cardwell, the editor and publisher of the Pyrotechnica series, wrote an article, Strobe Light Pyrotechnic Compositions: A Review of Their Development and Use.

In this essay, Cardwell explores the historical development of strobing compositions and presents quite a few different formulas.

Dr. Takeo Shimizu, in Fireworks, the Art, Science and Technique (FAST), originally published in 1981, writes about “Twinklers,” which is how he refers to strobing stars. He presents an outline of the development of these strobing compositions, progressing during the second half of the 1900’s.

Specifically Shimizu writes, “In Germany, U. Krone and F. W. Wasmann suggested that a twinkle composition consists of two kinds of compositions mixed with each other, i.e. a smolder composition and a flash composition-Ammonium perchlorate smolders when it is mixed with a small quantity of magnesium. This can be used for the smolder composition. A mixture of magnesium and sulfate flashes when it is heated to a high temperature. This can be used as the flash composition.”

So, interestingly, a strobe composition is actually a mixture of these two types of comps, a smoldering one and a flashing one. When the mixture is lit, the first one begins to smolder. When the heat rises high enough, the flash comp ignites and emits a flash of light and heat. Then the mass returns to the smoldering state until the heat rises high enough to repeat the flash.

In some compositions, magnesium-aluminum (magnalium) is used instead of the magnesium. Magnesium requires a coating to prevent it from prematurely reacting with the oxidizer in the comp.

Additionally, sometimes barium nitrate or other oxidizers are used instead of ammonium perchlorate.

In 1987, John “Skip” Meinhart offered some details about his noteworthy strobing star formulas in Pyrotechnica XI. Except for Shimizu’s White formula, and Skip’s Pink formula, all the rest of the formulas use magnesium as the metallic fuel ingredient.

In the 1992 Pyrotechnica XIV edition Jennings-White explores Blue Strobe Light Pyrotechnic Compositions. Up until that point in time, blue strobes had not been explored in depth because of some unique problems associated with the chemical mixtures required to produce that color in a strobe.

All of this information ought to be able to keep you reading until late into the night if you are so inclined.

Making strobe pots

I won’t be focusing on making strobing stars in this project, but only simple, ground-effect strobe pots.

I’m also not going to be making any of the formulations, which contain magnesium. As I said, using that metal requires a special coating process because it does not form an oxidized protective layer on its own, as do aluminum or magnalium.

There seems to be some debate as to whether or not magnalium needs to be treated and coated when it is used in compositions containing ammonium perchlorate. Meinhart states, “I have had success using magnalium powders that have not been treated with potassium dichromate. In practice I have often used treated metal powders, but this does not always seem to be necessary.”

Whereas in Hardt’s Pyrotechnics, Barry Bush notes that the formulas he cites which contain magnalium or magnesium in combination with ammonium perchlorate do “require the metal powders used to be treated with potassium dichromate.” Shimizu also specifies treated magnalium, and details the methods of treatment in FAST.

Shimizu does state that if there is any reaction between magnalium and ammonium perchlorate, which would be encouraged by the presence of water, it would only be a slow reaction in which the metal is affected gradually.

I have used untreated magnalium in these formulas, with no problems. One sign of an unwanted reaction would be the heating-up of the composition as I’m working with it, so I always pay attention to see if that is occurring. I avoid adding any water to such a composition. I also don’t store these devices for long periods of time, which could produce a slow reaction of the ingredients, especially in the presence of moisture.

So, I think I’ll make simple white and pink strobe pots. The white formula is the most commonly cited one:

White Strobe Composition

Chemical	Percentage	16 Ounces	450 grams
Ammonium perchlorate	0.57	9.15 ounces	257.1 grams
Magnalium*	0.24	3.8 ounces	107.1 grams
Barium sulfate	0.14	2.3 ounces	64.3 grams
Potassium dichromate	0.05	0.75 ounces	21.5 grams

* Shimizu specifies 80-mesh, whereas other sources specify 100-200-mesh. The mesh of the metal is known to vary the flash rate of the strobe, so some experimentation is in order. Initially, I’ll be using 200-mesh magnalium, Skylighter #CH2072.

Barry Bush has an interesting note in Pyrotechnics concerning this formula. This formula “may be given a faster frequency by replacing the barium sulfate with anhydrous magnesium sulfate. The resultant fast strobe is sometimes called a “shimmer effect.” I’ll have to try this sometime in aerial-shell strobe-stars, since it is an effect I have admired in commercial shells.

Additionally, the flame created by this “white” composition is brilliant, but it does have a very slight green tint caused by the barium. Barium normally produces very green flames with the addition of a chlorine donor such as parlon or saran. Another experiment would be to include small amounts of these chlorine donors to shift the color of the white strobe pots to green.

The pink strobe pot composition is as follows:

Meinhart Pink Strobe Composition

Chemical	Percentage	16 ounces	450 grams
Ammonium perchlorate	0.57	9.15 ounces	257.2 grams
Magnalium, 200 mesh	0.15	2.45 ounces	68.6 grams
Strontium sulfate	0.11	1.85 ounces	51.4 grams
Strontium carbonate	0.08	1.2 ounces	34.3 grams
Parlon	0.04	0.6 ounces	17.1 grams
Potassium dichromate	0.05	0.75 ounces	21.4 grams

All the chemicals (except the magnalium, which I don’t put through fine screens) are fine enough to pass through a 100-mesh screen. If they are not, they are milled individually in a blade-type coffee mill.

Note: Ammonium perchlorate does not play well with potassium nitrate. The combination forms ammonium nitrate, which is very hygroscopic, attracting moisture out of the air like crazy, rendering any mixture or composition containing it wet and useless. Don’t grind either of these chemicals in a coffee mill which has been used on the other chemical, unless the mill has been thoroughly cleaned with soap and water.

Warning: Potassium dichromate is toxic and a known carcinogen. A good respirator and rubber gloves are required when working with this chemical, and when using it in pyrotechnic compositions. Don’t breathe this stuff or get it on your skin.

All the chemicals for a given formula are weighed out individually and are passed through a 20-mesh screen 3 times to thoroughly mix them.

Then the composition is mixed with enough nitrocellulose (N/C) lacquer (Skylighter #CH8198P) to create thick putty, similar to Play-Do. I did not dilute the lacquer, but used it right out of the can, as-is. The one-pound batches required 3 ounces, by weight, of the lacquer.

I started mixing the composition in a plastic tub with a paint stir-stick, and finished by kneading it with gloved hands.

The dough is then pushed with gloved fingers into paper tubes to create strobe pots. I start this process by pushing the tube into the composition-putty to get the filling started.

Large pots can be made with 1.5-inch ID tubes, cut into 1.5-inch long sections. Or, smaller pots can be made with 3/4-inch ID tubes, cut into one-inch long sections, or even longer. While thicker-walled parallel tubes, like rocket tubes can be used, strobe-pot tubes do not need to be super-strong, so spiral-wound tubes like Skylighter #TU2142 or TU2053 can be used.

Large diameter strobe pots would be appropriate for large displays and venues. Smaller ones are nice in backyard size shows. Varying the length of the paper tube will adjust the total burn-time of the strobe pots, so their duration can be dialed in for specific uses.

For this project, I think I’ll make mostly 3/4-inch ID by 1-inch long strobes to determine how well they are working and how long they burn, plus a few other sizes to see how they perform, too.

Once the composition has been stuffed into the paper tubes, they are placed on their sides and set aside on a tray to dry out in the open air. N/C lacquer releases acetone and other highly flammable solvents as it dries, and I don’t want these vapors collecting in my shop as this occurs.

Toward the end of the tube filling, the remaining strobe-putty started to dry out and became difficult to consolidate into the tube. I added just a touch of acetone to the composition to re-dampen it.

It took 3 or 4 days for these pots to dry completely. When I tried to burn them before they were completely dry, they did not burn with a regular strobing-action, but with a more continuous flame.

Priming the strobes

The dry pots will light well if they are ignited with a piece of Visco-fuse or with a propane torch. But if I want them to ignite reliably with a fast-fuse or quickmatch line of fuse, then I need to prime them.

A black powder prime containing potassium nitrate cannot be used on these compositions because of the incompatibilities between the nitrate and the ammonium perchlorate.

In FAST, Dr. Shimizu lists a different prime specifically for this use.

Ignition Composition for Twinklers

Chemical	Percentage	16-Ounces	450 Grams
Potassium perchlorate	0.74	11.85 ounces	333 grams
Red gum	0.12	1.9 ounces	54 grams
Charcoal, airfloat	0.06	0.95 ounce	27 grams
Potassium dichromate	0.05	0.8 ounce	22.5 grams
Aluminum*, flake 100-325	0.03	0.5 ounce	13.5 grams

*Skylighter #CH0174 aluminum would fit the bill in this prime.

After making sure all the individual chemicals (except the aluminum) will pass through a 100-mesh screen, I weighed them out individually and mixed them together by passing them through the 20-mesh screen three times.

I weighed out 1 ounce of the dry strobe prime composition, and added 1 ounce (by weight) of the nitrocellulose lacquer. This created a wet prime comp that had a consistency between that of honey and peanut butter.

I used a wood stick to apply this wet prime to one end of each strobe pot, and quickly pushed that wet end into some dry strobe composition for the final prime layer.

I perform one final operation to finish the individual strobe pots. I hot-glue a paper disc onto the bottom of each pot. This prevents sparks and/or slag from dropping and igniting the bottom of a twinkler prematurely as the pot burns. It also facilitates mounting the pots to a board when a show is being set up.

Mounting and fusing strobe pots for use in a fireworks display

Once the individual strobe pots have been completed, they can be mounted to a board and fused for easy installation out in the field prior to a fireworks show.

To do this, I simply hot-glue the pots to a board at the desired spacing. I find a spacing of 4 feet on-center to work well. Then a run of quickmatch or tape-covered fast-fuse
is used to fuse all the pots together. A “window” is opened up in the quickmatch-pipe, and the bared black-match is taped on top of the strobe pot with 3 wraps of masking tape.

The quickmatch can be ignited by a piece of Visco-fuse, or an electric igniter can be employed, per the information in How to Make Electric Matches and Wiring Fireworks and Firing Systems in a Fireworks Display.

Results

I burned white and pink strobes made with the 200-mesh magnalium. The white one burned for 15 seconds with a very fast strobe rate of about 10 flashes per second. The pink one actually looked red, burned for 23 seconds, and flashed about 4 times per second.

Warning: These strobe pots burn with an extremely brilliant flame and light. It is best to avoid looking directly at them to prevent eye damage. Placing the pots where their light can reflect off of a structure or trees makes their effect visible without having to look directly at them.

Click here to see a video of the white and red strobes.

I liked the performance of the pink/red strobe, but the white one flashed too rapidly for my taste.

So, I made a new batch of each color using 60-mesh magnalium. I know that using a larger granulation of the metal will slow down the burn time and also its strobe frequency.

Burning these new strobes produced the following results:

White strobe with 60-mesh magnalium, burned for 25 seconds, and flashed 1.5 times per second. I found this to be a very pleasing strobe frequency.

Red strobe with 60-mesh magnalium burned for 27 seconds, flashed at a rate that varied from slow to fast. This pot just couldn’t seem to find a groove and settle into it.

Check out the video of these two types of strobe pots:

Of the four variations I prefer the white strobe pots made with the 60-mesh magnalium, and the pink/red twinklers made with the 200-mesh magnalium.

Although I made mostly 1-inch long twinklers, I also made some larger ones. Two-inch long ones, made in the 3/4-inch ID tubes, burned as follows:

• 2-inch white strobe with 60-mesh magnalium burned for 40 seconds with about 2.5 flashes per second,
• 2-inch long red strobe with 200-mesh magnalium burned for 40 seconds with flashes varying from slow to fast again.

And, last but not least, I rigged up some white strobe pots using 60-mesh magnalium on a board and accompanied them with the music I linked to right at the beginning of this article. You can get the idea of what I had in mind in the first place as a nifty addition to a fireworks display. Click the video below of the three white strobe pots accompanying Who’s Won’t Get Fooled Again.

I do like what these simple, low-level ground devices can contribute to a fireworks show.

Enjoy,

Ned

Cutting and Hardening Fireworks Tubes

In some upcoming posts, I’ll be discussing fountains (gerbs), wheel drivers, line rockets and black powder rockets.

These projects will require parallel wound paper fireworks tubes. To understand the difference between parallel and spiral wound fireworks tubes read the heading above the tube section on the Skylighter website.

There are lots of different diameter and length tubes listed in that section. Why would we need to know how to cut and treat those tubes?

If you look at product number TU1065, you’ll see a typical one-pound, 3/4-inch ID, 1/4-inch wall tube that is 30-inches long. Those tubes currently cost $54.59 for 25 of them, or $2.18 each. Four 7-1/2-inch tubes can be cut out of each of them, and each of those typical length rocket tubes would end up costing you $0.55 each.

Now, if you look at product number TU1068, you’ll see those same tubes, but 7-1/2-inches long, selling for $40.71 for 50 of them, or $0.81 each.

That’s a pretty big difference. If we know how to cut our own tubes out of the 30-inch long ones, we can save some money.

Additionally, some devices like short-duration fountains, stinger rockets, and other types of rockets require tubes of lengths that are different than 7-1/2 inches. Knowing how to accurately cut various lengths of tubes will be necessary when making those items.

Also, if these tubes are treated with a hardener, they will have a higher burst strength and will be more resistant to the flame burning through the tube side-wall while the device is functioning. So, it’s nice to know how to treat the tubes to accomplish this.

You might be saying, “Ned, why don’t you just use a hacksaw or coping saw to cut the tubes by eyeballing the crosscut?”

I have two main goals when cutting tubes: I want a very square cut which runs at exactly 90 degrees across the tube, and I want a straight, smooth cut.

I have used a, power miter, wood working saw to cut many tubes. This is a quick way to accomplish those goals. But it has some disadvantages. I don’t use such power tools in my fireworking shop, so to use that tool I have to go to the shop where it is located. It is also a bulky, heavy tool, which is not conducive to taking to pyro events where I might be cutting tubes and making various devices. Power tools are also dangerous, and can “grab” tubes when they are being cut unless one is very careful.

In the past year or so I’ve settled on a tube-cutting method which accomplishes my goals but which does not have the disadvantages I’ve listed above.

I found a plastic, Stanley, hand-sawing miter box at Home Depot, which has black plastic cams for locking a work-piece in place during sawing. Unless I’m just making one quick cut, I screw the miter box to my workbench to hold it securely in place during cuts.

I also found a nice, sharp, clean-cutting pull-saw at the same store. This saw cuts the tubes easily, quickly, and with very straight, smooth cuts.

Once the miter box is screwed down to my workbench, and the tube is locked in place with the cams, all it takes is smooth, gentle, pulling strokes on the saw to produce a nice, quick cut.

I like to cut about 1/4 inch off of the end of one of the long tubes so that I’m starting with a nice, square end, and then I’ll start measuring and cutting my tubes.

One of the really interesting things in pyro circles is how many different ways folks have to “skin the cat.” There are quite a few variations that folks employ to cut their tubes, and many of them work well. This is just one way that I’ve found which produces the kinds of results that I’m looking for.

For many devices, treating the tubes to increase burst strength and decrease side-wall burn-through is not necessary. For others, this process can really increase the performance of the tubes.

The most well-known product for treating paper tubes is Minwax Wood Hardener, available at Home Depot and other hardware and paint stores.

Warning: This stuff contains some pretty nasty ingredients. The solvent evaporates very quickly, putting highly toxic and flammable vapors into the air. Read the warning label, and only use it outdoors in a well ventilated area. Seriously!

I use two methods to soak the tubes in the wood hardener. If I’m only treating a few tubes, I’ll put them in a plastic, Ziploc freezer bag, and pour the hardener into the bag until the tubes are submerged. Then I’ll zip that bag closed while expelling most of the air. I’ll then put that closed bag into another one and zip it closed as well.

I like to soak the tubes for 15-30 minutes, and I’ll tumble the bag occasionally to make sure all of the tubes’ surfaces are being soaked.

Once the tubes have soaked for the allotted time, I’ll open the baggies and pour the excess hardener back into the cans using a funnel.

An alternative that I’ll use if I’m treating quite a few tubes is to put the tubes into a one-gallon paint can that is about half full of the hardener. I’ll insert as many tubes as I can, and then top the can off with the hardener. Occasionally I’ll pull the tubes out one at a time and rotate them so that both ends get evenly treated.

While the tubes are soaking, I cover the can with a plastic bag to minimize evaporation.

Then, with either method, I’ll remove the treated tubes and stand them on end on waxed paper to dry, once again in a well-ventilated outdoor area. The tubes can take 1-3 days to dry completely, depending on the climatic conditions.

The way I tell if they are completely dry is to put a few of them into a plastic bag and seal it. Then I’ll open the bag in an hour or so and see if I can smell any more of the evaporating hardener solvent. I’ll allow the tubes to dry until I can no longer smell it.

There is a nifty way to tell if the treatment is actually increasing the tubes’ burst strength. I’ll cut some 2-inch long sections of both treated and untreated tubes, and close off one end of each tube with masking tape.

Then I introduce 20 grams (0.7 ounce) of powdered clay, either bentonite or hawthorne-bond-fireclay, into the tubes.

Using a flat rammer, my rocket press, and a pressure gauge, I’ll slowly increase the pressure on the clay in the tube until the tube splits. I’ll make a note of the pressure at which the tube fails, and repeat the test several times to insure that the results are reliable.

Performing this test with treated and untreated one-pound, 3/4-inch ID, 1/4-inch wall, Skylighter firework tubes, I got the following results:

Untreated tubes failed at	4550 psi on the clay
Treated tubes failed at	5450 psi on the clay

That is an improvement of about 20% in the burst strength of the tubes.

Skylighter has also started to stock high-quality tubes in the 3/4-inch ID, 1/8-inch wall size.

I tested these tubes as well:

Untreated High Quality tubes failed at	6800 psi on the clay
Treated High Quality tubes failed at	6800 psi on the clay

“But can’t we make our own tubes?”

I have made some homemade tubes, with some success, but in the end I think it’s hard to beat store-bought ones.

If I had to roll my own though, I’d use one particular method that a well-known rocket expert, Terry McCreary, has popularized.

This method uses a metal former (mandrel) around which a release paper is wound, followed by rolled on layers of polyethylene-coated kraft paper. This paper is available at http://www.centralpack.com (in Protective Wraps) and a 24-inch by 600-foot roll of it currently costs $27.08 plus shipping. The paper is also available in 18, 36 and 48-inch widths.

This 600-foot long roll would make over one hundred and thirty 3/4-inch ID tubes, 1/8-inch wall, and 18 inches long. You can see that this results in some pretty inexpensive tubes, if you don’t count the cost of your labor.

For the mandrel which will form the tube, I purchased a 3/4-inch OD, 1/16-inch wall, steel tube, 36 inches long, at Home Depot in the nuts-and-bolts aisle. I cut the tube in half with a plumbing tubing cutter and filed the ends smooth. This produced two 18-inch formers. A hacksaw could also be used to cut the tube.

The release paper is parchment paper which is used for baking, and is available in grocery stores. I tear off a 20-inch long piece of it for each former and then I wrap the paper around the formers.

It is important to get the paper wound on the mandrels very tightly to eliminate any loose or weak spots in the final tube. It helps to roll the paper-wrapped-tube on a flat, hard surface, pressing down with the palms of your hands, until the paper is tightly wound onto it.

For each tube, I cut three 18-inch long pieces of poly-kraft paper off my 24-inch roll. I cut these using a large framing square and a razor knife to get very straight, square cuts.

Then I roll these three pieces on the tube former over the parchment paper, poly-coated side in, which results in a total of 72 inches of kraft paper rolled on. The resulting wall thickness is 1/8 inch, and the final tube OD is just a little over one inch. Once again I roll each piece of paper on very snugly.

The edge of the kraft paper is secured down with 3-inch lengths of 2-inch wide, clear packing tape.

Then the tubes are put in a 275 degree oven for an hour. This melts the polyethylene coating on the kraft paper and glues each lamination to the next one, resulting in a solidly glued-together tube.

The tubes are then removed from the oven and allowed to cool for several hours until they reach room temperature. The steel mandrels are then pushed out of the center of the tubes with a 1/2-inch diameter wood dowel, and the parchment paper is unwound and removed from the inside of the kraft tubes.

These 1/8-inch wall, handmade tubes were tested and have a burst strength of 4100 psi on the clay.

I have a simple, accurate method of cutting tubes to the lengths that I need.

Treating the standard tubes increases the burst strength by 20%.

Untreated high quality tubes have a 50% higher burst strength than untreated standard tubes.

Treating the high quality tubes does not increase burst strength in the tubes that I tested.

I have a method that I can use to make my own handmade tubes if I choose to.

There are some devices that would work fine with the untreated standard tubes, some that would work better with treated standard tubes, and others (like end-burning rocket and girandola motors) that will require the high quality tubes.

In forthcoming Fireworks Tips articles we’ll be playing with some of those devices.

Stay Green,

Ned

Wiring Fireworks and Firing Systems in a Fireworks Display

In recent Fireworks Tips articles I’ve discussed making electric matches with which to ignite fireworks electrically, and the construction of Cremora fireballs which can be impressive additions to any show.

I’ve also looked at the issues involved in thoroughly planning a consumer fireworks display.

Now it’s time to discuss using those electric matches in conjunction with an electric firing system and shooting wire, and hooking fireworks devices up to them out in the field.

In the next article, I’ll also show you how to use visco fuse, fast-visco fuse, quickmatch, time fuse, and fast-fuse to attach fireworks devices to each other for sequential firing.

Using these methods together can result in a nicely timed display, and will also enable you, the display designer, to sit back and enjoy the show with the rest of the crowd.

“Scab wire” or shooting wire is the wire that is used to connect the firing panel to the electric match. It essentially extends the length of the leads of the electric match, or connects multiple igniters in one firing circuit. It is important to know the wire’s resistance for a known length of it.

Scab wire usually comes in rolls that have “duplex” wire on them, which means that the wire is two-conductor wire. Two insulated wires are attached to each other, side-by-side.

Two-conductor, copper, 22-gauge, yellow-insulation wire is probably the most commonly found scab wire out in the field. There is also copper-clad, aluminum, orange-insulation wire that is being imported and used.

I cut the wire with the wire-cutters (dykes), split the insulated wires apart with the same tool, or the razor knife, or with my fingernails, and strip the insulation with the dykes or with my fingernails. If I use the dykes to strip the insulation, I’m careful to avoid damaging the wire itself, which is easy to do. I therefore prefer to strip the insulation with my fingernails.

The most important thing to know about the wire that you are using is its resistance. This is listed as “ohms per 1000 feet” in wire data tables. It’s easy to determine this for yourself, though.

All you need is the wire and a multimeter, which measures voltage and resistance. A digital meter like the one on the left is a good investment because it will be used in this step and also in future testing of firing circuits. The analog meter on the right is good for testing batteries and can be used to check resistance, but it is not as accurate as the digital meter.

Note: In a circuit which contains electric matches, I only use the digital meter to check resistance. The analog meter can fire ematches, which is NOT something you want to happen!

To determine the resistance of my shooting wire, I take 50 feet of my duplex (two conductor) wire, bare 1 inch of both wires at one end of it, and twist those ends together securely. I then separate the wires at the other end for 3-4 inches, and bare 1 inch of those ends. Now I set the dial on the multimeter to the setting for measuring resistance (ohms) and wrap one bared end of the shooting wire on one of the meter’s probes, and the other end of the wire on the other probe.

I’m actually measuring the resistance in 100 feet of the single-strand wire since the measurement current is going out 50 feet to the twisted ends, and then back 50 feet to the meter.

I should get a reading between 1.6 ohms for the 22 gauge copper wire, and 3 ohms for the copper clad aluminum wire. This exact reading will depend on the actual wire you are using. I then multiply this reading by 10 to get the resistance in ohms per 1000 feet of the wire.

The yellow wire I’ve described has a resistance of 16 ohms per 1000 feet, and the orange wire’s resistance is about 30 ohms per 1000 feet.

I have a few different firing systems. I have a new Skylighter 12 cue wireless firing system (GN6020) which puts out 4.5 volts. Then there are my older model 8 and 12 cue wireless panels which put out 12 and 18 volts. I also have a hard-wired 144 cue firing system which sends out 24 volts, and I’ve recently seen the 10 cue capacitive discharge, hard-wired firing system (GN6011) at Skylighter which fires with higher voltages.

To determine the firing voltage of my firing systems, and to check the batteries in the panels before use, I simply set a multimeter on DC voltage, hook it up to one of the firing cues, and fire that cue. The meter will read the voltage that is being sent to that pair of connectors by the firing panel.

Before the show, I use the meter to check the batteries in my firing system, both in the transmitter and receiver. I always have spare batteries for the multimeter and for the firing system in my kit of spare stuff that I bring to a display.

This subject sounds like the simplest thing in the world, doesn’t it? But, believe me, there may be no quicker way to insure failure with a fireworks display than to ignore some of the “rules” of electric wiring that I’m about to relate.

If you keep these tips in mind electric firing can really be an incredible enhancement to any display.

• Attaching an electric match to the scab wire

Nope, I don’t need electrical tape, masking tape, or wire-nuts to do this. I start by separating the two wires at the end of the scab wire and at the end of the electric match. Then I strip 1 inch of insulation off of each of the 4 wires with my thumbnail.

The two pairs of wires are then tightly and completely twisted together.

An overhand knot is tied in each pair of wires.

The electric match wires and the scab wires are then pulled in opposing directions, the knots come together, and the twisted pairs of wires are wrapped around the main wires on opposite sides of the knots.

This results in ematch wires that are securely attached to the scab wires. The knots prevent the connections from being yanked apart in case someone trips over a wire. The wires wrapped in opposite directions prevent the two bare-wire connections from coming in contact with each other, which would prevent the electric match from firing when it is supposed to.

• Attaching shooting wire to the firing panel

Warning: When connecting electric matches to a firing system, have the system turned off and the safety key removed. Make sure all personnel are clear of the fireworks that are being wired up. If there are thunderstorms in the area, keep the wiring disconnected and the bare ends of the scab wire twisted together (shunted).

Once again there are right ways and wrong ways to attach wires to the firing system. First, I separate the insulated wires for about 3-4 inches, and strip the insulation back for 1 inch on each wire.

If I just stick the bare wires into the panel’s connectors, there’s a good possibility they can be pulled over and into contact with each other. This would short this circuit out and prevent the electric match from firing, as shown in the photo on the left below.

So, instead, I double each bare end against itself, insert those doubled ends halfway into the connectors, and then “pinch” the connectors toward each other to insure that the wires are really crimped into their connections.

You’ll notice that I’ve only inserted the doubled-ends into the connectors halfway so that I can visually insure that the connector is not clamping down on insulation instead of the wire. I have also not inserted the wires so far that the clipped ends of the wires are down inside the connector. This could make removal of the wires difficult at the end of the show, and possibly damage the connector.

• Strain-relieving the wiring at the firing panel and at the firework

So, on the day of the show, it’s getting late and dark, folks are becoming tired and are stumbling around, and there are lengths of shooting wire lying all over the shooting site, connecting the firing panel to the various fireworks.

At this point in the show setup, folks need to be reminded to walk carefully and avoid the wiring. And as soon as I do that, I’ll sure-as-shootin’ trip over a wire myself, yanking it loose from the panel, or worse, pulling way too hard on a fireworks cake fuse or a shell leader.

One simple procedure can prevent a lot of problems in the above scenario: strain relief.

Simply put, anchor your shooting wire and/or ematch leads to something solid near the fireworks and near the firing system. Often, the ematch leads can be tied off to a mortar-rack. But, if there is not something nearby to tie the wire to, I’ll simply drive a wooden or metal stake into the ground and tie the wiring to it with a clove hitch.

I place these wire-knots down the stake, near the ground so that if a wire is tripped over it won’t pull the stake over too far.

• Attaching the electric match to a fireworks device

Near the end of Making Electric Matches, I described one way to attach electric matches to the safety fuse on fireworks devices, using Fast-Fuse and masking tape. A length of quickmatch can also be used, as described in an article by Brian Paonessa.

I now know how to securely connect my wires to each other, to the fireworks devices, to the firing system, and how to safely strain-relieve them.

But, how much wire can I actually run between the firing system and the electric match?

Each electric match needs a minimum of 1 amp of electric current to run through it in order for it to fire. Because of the wire resistance which I described above, if too much wire is used between the panel and the electric match, less than 1 amp of current will flow in the circuit. We then run the risk of having the igniter fail to fire.

Ok, here it is: a formula. Don’t let it scare you off. I’ll actually help save you from having to use it in a moment.

Resistance = Voltage divided by Current

I know the minimum amount of current I want in a firing circuit: 1 amp.

I know the voltage that my firing system puts out: 4.5 volts (in this example, using Skylighter’s GN6020 firing system).

Resistance then equals 4.5 divided by 1 which equals 4.5 ohms. This amount of circuit resistance will allow a current of 1 amp to flow.

If I go above this maximum amount of resistance in my circuit, the current will drop below 1 amp. So, it’s fine if I have less than 4.5 ohms of resistance in the circuit since that will simply increase the current above 1 amp.

The homemade electric matches that I detailed in the article cited above all had a resistance of 1.2 ohms. Commercial electric matches will have typical resistances of 1.5 – 2 ohms. I’m going to assume we’re using the 1.2 ohm matches for the purposes of this discussion. (But you should always test yours.)

Since my electric match has a resistance of 1.2 ohms, and I want a maximum of 4.5 ohms of resistance in this particular circuit, then 4.5 – 1.2 = 3.3 ohms left over for the scab-wire’s resistance.

I can now calculate the maximum lengths of the wires that I can use. For example: the yellow scab wire has a resistance of 16 ohms per 1000 feet.

(Using the 3.3 ohms left for scab wire) 3.3 divided by that 16 equals 0.206.

0.206 times 1000 feet equals 206 feet.

206 feet of this wire would have a resistance of 3.3 ohms. This is the maximum amount of this wire I can have in this circuit. Any more of this wire and my total resistance will be too high.

But, this is a maximum of 206 feet of the single strand wire, and my shooting wire has two strands: one out from the panel to the ematch, and one back from the match to the panel. So, in reality, I can only have a maximum of 103 feet of the double-strand shooting wire between my 4.5 volt firing panel and my igniter.

If I am using the orange (copper-clad aluminum) wire described above, which has a higher resistance of 30 ohms per 1000 feet, then I could only use 110 feet of the single strand wire going out and back, or 55 feet of the double strand shooting wire.

The table below lists these figures for the two types of scab wire, the length of double strand wire between the panel and igniter, and for 4.5 volt, 12 volt, and 24 volt systems.

Max Resistance	Max ft. of yellow wire	Max ft. of orange wire
4.5 Volt Firing System (one igniter in circuit)
4.5 ohms	103 ft.	55 ft.
12 Volt Firing System (one igniter in circuit)
12 ohms	338 ft.	180 ft.
24 Volt Firing System (one igniter in circuit)
24 ohms	712 ft.	380 ft.

Once again, these are the maximum lengths of the double strand wire I can use in the circuit.

Now, it’s easy to run a maximum of 103 feet of the yellow, two-strand wire, hook up one end to the electric match, and the other end to my digital meter, and check the resistance in that firing circuit. The resistance should not exceed 4.5 ohms, and should fire successfully with my 4.5 volt firing system.

The test circuit shown below, with 100 feet of the scab wire, read 4.5 ohms and fired as designed.

This introduces the last bit of complexity into the subject of electric firing. Each firing cue can indeed fire more than one electric match, but as usual we have to be careful when designing the circuit so that our igniters will fire as planned.

There are two basic ways to hook up multiple electric matches to one set of connectors on our firing panel: in series and in parallel.

• Series Wiring

Series wiring has the electric matches hooked up one-to-another, so that the current flows through the complete line of igniters, one after another.

A significant advantage to series wiring is that, since the current has to flow through all the electric matches before it returns to the panel, the test lights on the panel will test all of the igniters at the same time. If there is a bad match, the test light will not go on.

Also, with a typical amount of shooting wire in such a circuit, series wiring requires less current to fire the igniters, thereby allowing longer lengths of the scab wire to be used reliably.

In the field, most pyros use series wiring, with few exceptions. Serial wiring is counter-intuitive to some people. They assume that if 2 or more electric matches are serially wired to each other, that when the first match fires, that first electric match will break the circuit and prevent the remaining electric matches in the circuit from firing. But in practice, the current flows so quickly that all the electric matches in any given serial circuit will fire at the same time.

In this series circuit, the resistances of the electric matches are added together to obtain their total resistance: 1.2 ohms plus 1.2 ohms equals 2.4 ohms of resistance for two matches.

We still only need one amp of current in the circuit, though, to fire the matches. So, using the 4.5 volt system, with my maximum resistance in the circuit being 4.5 ohms as determined in the example above, the maximum resistance of my shooting wire can be up to 2.1 ohms.

Thus, I can add a maximum of 66 feet of my double-strand-yellow scab wire, or 35 feet of my orange-double-strand wire to the circuit. This wire can be added anywhere in the circuit: between the panel and the igniters, between the igniters, or both.

Note: I always test my completed circuits to see if the actual resistance in the circuit is close to my calculated resistance. It is also important that all the matches in the circuit are the same type and have the same resistance. If one match ignites before the others do, because of differences in construction, then there is a good chance the rest of the matches in the series will fail to ignite.

• Parallel Wiring

This type of wiring connects all of the igniters directly to the firing panel (none to each other), or to the main scab wire individually like the rungs on a ladder.

A disadvantage to this circuit is that, since the current has more than one way it can flow, if even one electric match is good, the whole circuit will test “good” with the panel test light. A bad electric match will not cause the test light to remain dark!

Parallel wiring also will allow less scab wiring to be used out in the field.

The circuit above will only show an amount of resistance equal to the resistance of one electric match divided by two: 1.2 ohms divided by 2 = 0.6 ohms.

But, the circuit requires one amp of current for each igniter, or a total minimum of 2 amps of current.

So, with my 4.5 volt system, I can use a maximum of 50 feet of the yellow 2-strand wire, or 28 feet of the orange. The maximum allowable resistance in a circuit with two, parallel matches is 2.25 ohms.

Once again I always draw out a firing circuit, calculate how much resistance it ought to have, and check the actual resistance with my meter to check the circuit in actuality.

Here is a table which shows the maximum allowable length of each type of double-strand shooting wire, for 4.5 volt, 12 volt, and 24 volt systems, using either series or parallel wiring if multiple igniters are in a circuit.

# of Ematches	Max Resistance	Max Yellow wire	Max Orange wire
4.5 Volt System
1 match	4.5 ohms	100 ft.	55 ft.
2 parallel	2.25 ohms	50 ft.	28 ft.
3 parallel	1.5 ohms	34 ft.	18 ft.
2 in series	4.5 ohms	66 ft.	35 ft.
3 in series	4.5 ohms	28 ft.	15 ft.
12 Volt System
1 match	12 ohms	338 ft.	180 ft.
2 parallel	6 ohms	169 ft.	90 ft.
3 parallel	4 ohms	112 ft.	60 ft.
4 parallel	3 ohms	84 ft.	45 ft.
2 in series	12 ohms	300 ft.	160 ft.
3 in series	12 ohms	262 ft.	140 ft.
4 in series	12 ohms	225 ft.	120 ft.
24 Volt System
1 match	24 ohms	712 ft.	380 ft.
2 in parallel	12 ohms	356 ft.	190 ft.
3 in parallel	8 ohms	238 ft.	127 ft.
4 in parallel	6 ohms	178 ft.	95 ft.
2 in series	24 ohms	675 ft.	360 ft.
3 in series	24 ohms	638 ft.	340 ft.
4 in series	24 ohms	600 ft.	320 ft.

In the name of successful electric firing, I’d like to mention redundancy, and then repeat it.

If I have a critical item in a display such as a set-piece that I simply cannot allow to fail to ignite, I’ll actually run two firing circuits (cues) to it. If the first one fails, I have a backup.

If there is any doubt about the capacity of a circuit out in the field, I’ll remove the match from the firework device and test fire that circuit before the display. Then I’ll replace that electric match with a new one and reconnect it.

Often on items such as set-pieces, waterfalls, and firecracker walls, I’ll have two igniters and ignition points, wired in series. I’ll also have a length of quickmatch rigged up as an alternative manual ignition point in case the electric firing fails. I keep a propane torch by my side during the show, and will use it to manually light fireworks if necessary, and if it can be done safely.

Although some of these preparations may end up being unnecessary, they can save the day for you.

With each display I have one shot at having it go off successfully. I want to do all I can to insure that it does.

Stay Green,

Ned

How to Make Yellow Glitter Firework Stars

Click Picture to Enlarge

Photo Courtesy of Tom Handel

This is a gold brocade firework shell. Glitter firework stars are hard to depict in slow-shutter-speed fireworks photographs, but you can get an idea of how silver glitter firework stars might look like in the sky if you enlarge the photo above (with a click).

Here’s a good formula for making yellow glitter firework stars from Bob Winokur. Bob wrote the greatest treatise on making glitter firework stars and comets, Pyrotechnica 2. It’s probably the most complete study of glitter firework stars ever done. This article ran in the August 1992 issue of the First Fire, the Florida Pyrotechnic Arts Guild’s exceptional newsletter. Thanks to FPAG for letting us use this, and Chris Miller, for writing it.

Yellow Glitter Firework Stars
by Chris Miller-WPA

I originally got this formula from Dr. Winokur a few years ago as a universal (good for all occasions), “state of the art” yellow glitter. It has a long delay and can be used in any size firework star, from 1/4″ t o 3.” Firework stars 5/8″ and smaller tend towards the “glitter cloud” effect and are great in shells by themselves or mixed with color firework stars in a volume ratio of 3:1 or 4:1 (color : glitter). Firework stars 3/4″ and larger leave long, beautiful tails and are particularly suitable as either regular comets or crossettes.

Assuming the ingredients are lump-free, sieve the mix three times through a 20-mesh screen (window screen works fine) and bind with 8% water. This isn’t a lot of water so you should knead it for several minutes to insure that the water is well incorporated. Because of the antimony sulfide, I wear a respirator when mixing the dry ingredients and latex gloves when adding the water (I’m told antimony poisoning is akin to lead or barium poisoning-very unpleasant and I don’t want to find this out first hand!)

Priming is not required for these stars although some people like to prime the stars when going for the cloud effect. It is also a good idea to lightly prime the exposed face of crossettes made with this glitter formula because there is a lot less exposed ignition area on a crossette compared to a regular firework comet of the same size. Priming is cheap insurance against one or two of the stars being blown blind and diminishing the symmetry of the break (not to mention wasting all that labor that goes into making each crossette that didn’t work).

YELLOW GLITTER FORMULA
Chemical	Parts by Weight
Potassium Nitrate	48
Airfloat Charcoal	9
Sulfur	11
Aluminum (12-20 micron, atomized)	9
Antimony Trisulfide, Chinese Needle	10
Sodium Bicarbonate or Sodium Oxalate	9
Dextrin	4

Winter storm wallops Chinese & US fireworks making

February 1, 2008

How today’s weather in China could impact your July 4th fireworks

If you are making fireworks yourself or are a consumer of Chinese fireworks, what is happening in China right now, today, will be affecting you.

The man who makes many of Skylighter’s Chinese fireworks products possible is Matt Palaszynski. Matt has a company in Liuyang. Liuyang is basically the center of the fireworks universe. He splits his time between there and his home in the US.

Matt works with each factory making consumer fireworks for us. He also helps us find all sorts of wonderful things we need in making fireworks. Things like screens, comet and star pumps, ematch blanks, the wonderful array of colored effect fuses we carry, and many other items that we now consider essential to fireworks making.

Matt sent me the following note yesterday. It affects all of us who are concerned about buying and making fireworks for July 4th and other events. This year, the fireworks industry worldwide is experiencing the most significant cost increases in a decade. Matt’s note explains graphically why some of these increases are happening, even as I write this.

Matt’s letter:

Hello,

I would like to update you on the weather situation in China as well as the impact on your order.

Central China is experiencing the worst winter storm in 30 years. For the last two weeks the weather has been poor and has been causing disruption to production. However, several days ago much of central and southern China was hit with an exceptional winter storm which has knocked out major power grids and shut down most transportation arteries. The forecast is for the weather to remain poor for at least the next week.

At this point, all production and transportation has ceased until at least mid-February. For those of you that were expecting shipments before Chinese New Year for arrival in March, the weather will delay your shipments.

For everyone else, production was progressing in January and shipments planned for late February and March are not likely to be significantly impacted. However, expect a delay of a few weeks vs. where we would have been without the poor weather. We were prepared for a difficult spring due to the Olympics and therefore, our production is ahead of schedule vs. typical years.

The storm is of natural disaster portions and will likely have some direct impact on the Fireworks Industry in the form of further RMB/USD appreciation. The poor weather is crippling food and fuel movement at a time of the highest annual consumption due to the holiday.

Because of this, food and fuel prices are climbing and the government is responding by allowing further appreciation of the RMB [the Chinese currency] in an effort to combat domestic price inflation. This means the RMB is likely to continue to appreciate further, further increasing the cost of importing fireworks into the USA (source China Daily Business Section, Feb 1st, 2008). Currently the RMB is at 7.19 per dollar, down from 7.5 at the beginning of the production season.

I personally have been in Liuyang since January 10th and was delayed in leaving for several days due to the weather. All roads and airports were shut-down. I just managed to get to a warm Beijing hotel room only after waiting with tens of thousands of other stranded holiday travelers for a standing room only seat on a local train.

The normal 12 hour trip took 18 long hours and was truly a once in a lifetime experience that I seem to have all too often here in China. Back in Liuyang, my team is struggling with below zero temperatures and only have a few hours of electricity (and heat) each day.

Under these conditions, we have given up on making any progress at production and the team has started their own difficult journeys to visit family and begin the most important Chinese Holiday.

Chinese New Year is an unusual holiday for us in the West to understand because all of China is shut down for several weeks. Many workers in China have left behind friends and family in the rural areas of China to work in and around the cities. During Chinese New Year they make the difficult trip back home and don’t return for several weeks as they enjoy the company of friends and relatives.

As China has become more prosperous, and especially this year, workers have begun to leave for home much earlier then in years past. The reason for this is the relative prosperity in China.

Factory workers no longer are living day to day and when the weather turns cold in early January, they are leaving for the warmth of their fireplace at home with family savings accumulated from two income sources, prosperous children sending money back home, etc.

What this means for you is a more difficult production environment. We have taken steps to plan your production carefully to ensure timely delivery, however please understand that the situation is becoming more difficult: lack of workers, exceptionally poor weather, the Olympics (factories will begin to produce European orders immediately following Chinese New Year in anticipation that shipping will cease during three months of the Olympics), and other factors are combining to make spring production more difficult then usual. Rest assured we have taken steps to manage these difficulties.

I will end this update on a positive note and wish everyone a prosperous and healthy Lunar New Year.

Please see attached some photos of production from this month.

All the best to you and your families,

Matt Palaszynski
Dominator Fireworks, Liuyang, China

Making Fireworks with No Heat

Consumer Fireworks Making In January

What this means to Skylighter’s fireworks makers and buyers

Matt ain’t just awhistlin’ Dixie. The front page story in the Washington Post today reports that hundreds of thousands of people are stuck in railroad stations throughout central China.

We have a number of new products coming in our next container from Matt. But between the weather and the normal two-week holiday for Chinese New Year, it looks like it’ll be arriving later than we originally planned. The wait will be worth it. There are a couple of surprises in that shipment that most of you have never seen before. Stay tuned. Holler if you have any questions. And start making those July 4th fireworks!

Next Page »