OldMarine Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 Chlorate... Yay, exploding rocket motor! I guess it would make a cool show, though, minus the stars burning and subsequently maiming everything within, let's say, 10-30 meters. Don't go near a dud. Ever. That's reckless, even by my standards. But, seriously, safety is paramount! You forget your safety goggles, then the pyrotechnics forget your eyes are there. Plus, they tend to be rather indiscriminate risk sources. I don't want to end up... Like Tad. That story... It reminds us of the true danger rocket manufacturers undergo, and, quite vividly, the cost as well. I don't want to lose a limb or be able to reenact those hospital pictures I view all too often. Missing fingers, discolored flesh, holes in skin, scarring, scorched skin... Never play with fire.Apparently we were wrong and you're just looking for booms. Have a good day and good luck in the burn unit. I'm done with your stupid ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrionSpectre Posted November 19, 2016 Author Share Posted November 19, 2016 I didn't mean that. I want to do this in a safe manner. That first part was a joke, I have a bad problem with that. I was trying to explain how bad the consequences could be. Who would say that and not realize it is true? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeighborJ Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 (edited) Humor can be difficult to convey thru a post. Most of the time it's just better to make a off topic punn than to joke about safety. It's all good. I'm glad to see your interest in the art of pyro, but I guess I'd feel better about it if you had someone to help guide you thru some projects just to reinforce some of the safety practices. It is a great idea to locate a club, rocket or pyro, just to meet some like minded people who can "guide". Those people are the same ones who meet here but I guarantee, you will learn a lot more from them in 30min than you could learn in three months here, and you will have a lot of fun doing it. Edited November 19, 2016 by NeighborJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrionSpectre Posted November 19, 2016 Author Share Posted November 19, 2016 I'll try and find one, trial and error doesn't leave much room for the latter in pyrotechnics, so, best to seek professional advice and instructions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrB Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 If you soak a small almost rotten log with the alcohol chem solution it will burn in color. They sell the compressed wood logs than burn in colors now but I like homemade better. Soak then dry, or just burn it soaked?Also, why almost rotten? Is regular wood able to counter the colors, or what?Curiosity, why the heck? It's not like i'll ever actually will TRY this.B! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldMarine Posted November 19, 2016 Share Posted November 19, 2016 The semi rotted wood absorbs the chemical/ alcohol solution because it is more porous and yes, you should let it dry. There's a great video somewhere on this and I'll post it when I find it. It includes some surprise effects like intermittent flashes and whatnot that you can include. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexpyro101 Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 (edited) I'm kind of 14 years old, so...So? I started when i was 12. Kno3/sugar smoke bombs is a good place to start. Then I realized the mix had enough power to make a rocket, then I made small foil smoke bomb fuel bottle rockets, rcandy, blackpowder, stars, better blackpowder rockets, fountains, shells etc. You learn over time, and being 14 doesn't mean anything. Just be safe and be smart, I'm still amazed at how careful/creative I was when I was young. And don't use being 14 as an excuse to be lazy and not find out how to do things safely/do things recklessly. That being said there were also a lot of other kids my age that had no business trying anything like I was, make sure you aren't one of those kids. Edited November 20, 2016 by alexpyro101 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrionSpectre Posted November 20, 2016 Author Share Posted November 20, 2016 So? I started when i was 12. Kno3/sugar smoke bombs is a good place to start. Then I realized the mix had enough power to make a rocket, then I made small foil smoke bomb fuel bottle rockets, rcandy, blackpowder, stars, better blackpowder rockets, fountains, shells etc. You learn over time, and being 14 doesn't mean anything. Just be safe and be smart, I'm still amazed at how careful/creative I was when I was young. And don't use being 14 as an excuse to be lazy and not find out how to do things safely/do things recklessly. That being said there were also a lot of other kids my age that had no business trying anything like I was, make sure you aren't one of those kids. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seymour Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 I first did pyro when I was 11 and 12, and then from 14 onwards I have never stopped. I'm 27 now. You want a Ball mill, if you don't have one. As exciting as it all is, patience is very important. I'm not accusing you of impatience, but I think it is worth stressing because it is very common for younger pyros to get too excited and try to rush things. I did this, and I'm lucky to have had only a few minor injuries. So get yourself a ball mill. You'll likely need to make one. Read up about the safety and make sure you use safe materials, but even then, mill somewhere that will be safe if it does explode.I started off making fountains initially, and then quite quickly progressed to rockets, Useable Black Powder, Charcoal streamer stars and Glitter stars, All KNO3 based formulas. Accept that stars will often take a week or more to dry. I was able to make 3" shells, Starmines and rockets relatively quickly using only KNO3, Charcoal (home made) Sulphur, Dextrin (home made), Baking Soda and relatively coarse Atomised Aluminium (44 micron granular, which is about 200 or 300 mesh I think?). I spent several years only using KNO3 based compositions, and stayed away from Flash powder during this time. I think for 3 years, which is certainly a good idea.It sounds like you have been enthusiastically reading, and keep this up. Reading a few hours a week on this forum, other legitimate websites, and reputable literature for five years will only be a start 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrionSpectre Posted November 21, 2016 Author Share Posted November 21, 2016 Well, time to read! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrionSpectre Posted March 10, 2017 Author Share Posted March 10, 2017 Looking back on this makes me feel a bit uneasy for some reason. Also, I haven't read up on most of what I need yet. Better late than never... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pyroman2498 Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 I have been doing Pyro since the age of 8 and I have soaked a lot of information. It took me till age 10 to be able to build anything. Been building on and off since than and I am proud to say I'm a fairly respected Pyro within my local community and around the Web and when I started my job I knew most of what I was being taught , but none the less I still listed and learned new ways to do things that I didn't know you were able to do safely. Good luck on your endeavors and time will fly by very fast, let me know if you need anything and I'll try to help with what I can. ~Steven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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