usapyro Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 (edited) Been working on developing a technique in making NC formulas foolproof without much effort. Instead of using NC Lacquer, I simply add in fine double base powder to make a composition which simply adds up to 100%. I estimate the mesh of the NC powder to average 200-100. My smallest screen is 100 mesh. Optimally, I should reduce my NC powder to -150 mesh. You can buy powdered NC, but I make my own. I stir in enough Acetone with a wooden dowel, let it sit two minutes... Stir once more, then it's ready to go! I'm doing near everything with this NC Powder technique right now. Pumped comets, Glitters, etc... It's super fast. Stuff made in the morning and left in the sun all day is perfectly dry and ready to launch by evening! Just add in enough NC powder to bind to the strength needed, mix... Add solvent, let sit a couple minutes, viola! I'm in love with powdered NC as a binder!!! Note: Ignore this formula, it's not important. What's important is the process of using ultra-fine NC.67 - Red Lead15 - CuO10 - MgAl (200-325)3 - Al (Atomized -325)5 - NC (-100 Mesh - Double Base)Use Acetone as Solvent I'm not sure I have my NC amount correct on this formula... Never done lead DE's before. (I'm out of Bismuth) When I ignite them without a prime, they burn through... Appears like the NC burns up, then nothing. However, with a Si/KNO3 prime they go off great. Perhaps I need to add in 2-3% oxidizer? KClO4? KNO3? I also tried with 10% NC, about the same results... Entire thing would burn, and then nothing... Not hot enough! Maybe they just need to be much bigger. If I pile up a whole bunch(like 5 grams), it goes off mostly all at once. (Yes, ears were definitely ringing for a while... Damn that was loud!) I was also getting them to go off by piling a little Sugar Fuel powder on top of them. Going to switch to the new "Heavy Metal Free Dragon Eggs" comp with this fine NC powder technique, but don't have any PVB at the moment. Edited June 22, 2017 by usapyro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lloyd Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 I'm just a little confused about your titling this thread "foolproof dragon eggs...", then writing that you haven't quite got the formula to where it will ignite reliably without some 'special' prime. Either they're 'foolproof', or they're not; and it would appear - just now - that they aren't, yet. Single grains of crackle should light and explode loudly with an ordinary 'weak powder' prime. If you require anything more than that, or have erratic or unreliable explosions, then the crackle formula isn't right. BTW... how do you make your fine NC powder? Lloyd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usapyro Posted June 22, 2017 Author Share Posted June 22, 2017 I'm just a little confused about your titling this thread "foolproof dragon eggs...", then writing that you haven't quite got the formula to where it will ignite reliably without some 'special' prime. Either they're 'foolproof', or they're not; and it would appear - just now - that they aren't, yet. Single grains of crackle should light and explode loudly with an ordinary 'weak powder' prime. If you require anything more than that, or have erratic or unreliable explosions, then the crackle formula isn't right. BTW... how do you make your fine NC powder? Lloyd The formula doesn't matter. I am trying to optimize a foolproof process of easily working with NC. I would actually be making these with my old consistent Bismuth formula, but I'm out of Bismuth right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lloyd Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 But... but.... HOW do you make your NC powder? Curious minds want to know! L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usapyro Posted June 22, 2017 Author Share Posted June 22, 2017 But... but.... HOW do you make your NC powder? Curious minds want to know! L PM Sent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lloyd Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 Got it, and THANKS! It never occurred to me to try that. (Decades in the 'biz', and still learning!) Lloyd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usapyro Posted June 22, 2017 Author Share Posted June 22, 2017 (edited) Pics of my reduced double base NC. Second is high resolution. Could be finer, but w/e... Only takes five minutes to reduce 100g down to this. Good enough! The hydro reduced stuff comes out the same. Just takes a lot longer... Filtering and drying... Edited June 22, 2017 by usapyro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldMarine Posted June 23, 2017 Share Posted June 23, 2017 Well shit. If we're keeping secrets I'm going to go off and play with my blue strobes somewhere..... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usapyro Posted June 23, 2017 Author Share Posted June 23, 2017 Well shit. If we're keeping secrets I'm going to go off and play with my blue strobes somewhere..... Not really a secret, just mumbles might frown upon talk of blending up NC (Double Base) with 50% water in a high speed blender. Even if it is on an extension cord behind a cement wall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldMarine Posted June 23, 2017 Share Posted June 23, 2017 I don't see the danger in that. Spark and friction dangers are less than merely rubbing it between your fingers then. I've chatted with several guys who reduce magnesium turnings in a blender filled with water and I consider that much more dangerous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogeryermaw Posted June 24, 2017 Share Posted June 24, 2017 (edited) I don't see the danger in that. Spark and friction dangers are less than merely rubbing it between your fingers then. I've chatted with several guys who reduce magnesium turnings in a blender filled with water and I consider that much more dangerous.blue strobes.......sell yer soul to the pyro devil did ya??? Edited June 24, 2017 by rogeryermaw 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usapyro Posted June 24, 2017 Author Share Posted June 24, 2017 (edited) Large cut stars... Who has ever heard of Glitter Cut Stars? Ha... Made in the morning, ready to launch by evening! https://youtu.be/7n91nKqAfho Edited June 24, 2017 by usapyro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lloyd Posted June 24, 2017 Share Posted June 24, 2017 Huh? Many (perhaps millions of) pounds of glitter stars have been made by cutting! Are you implying that they weren't made by cutting before you tried it? Really? Pretty-much ALL stars smaller than an inch (not crossettes) made by Italian-American fireworks companies were historically cut stars. (Yes... and with glitters!) Lloyd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usapyro Posted June 24, 2017 Author Share Posted June 24, 2017 Huh? Many (perhaps millions of) pounds of glitter stars have been made by cutting! Are you implying that they weren't made by cutting before you tried it? Really? Pretty-much ALL stars smaller than an inch (not crossettes) made by Italian-American fireworks companies were historically cut stars. (Yes... and with glitters!) Lloyd Maybe commercially, but how many hobbyists have you seen on here cutting their glitter stars? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lloyd Posted June 24, 2017 Share Posted June 24, 2017 (edited) Many, USA.... many... maybe not "here", but among amateurs in general, I'd say 'many hundreds'. It's not a foreign method, nor one that is prone to failure, despite the (incorrect) advice that 'enough moisture for cutting will ruin glitters'. That particular advice is pure BS. Those who've had glitters fail have blamed the failures on moisture, but that's just not the case. Usually, it's due to incorrect drying, not the amount of water used. Lloyd Edited June 24, 2017 by lloyd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeighborJ Posted June 24, 2017 Share Posted June 24, 2017 (edited) I cut lots of glitter stars, some cut and work great, some don't. I haven't had favorable results from AL and baking soda formulas due to the excess water required to cut and high humidity climate but the oxylate/Al and all the MgAl glitters work well cut. I'm curious, the formula you tried looked like a MgAl/baking soda formula, have you tried the NC with an Al/baking soda formula like N1 or D1? Did it work cut? This to me would be a viable alternative to pumping those particular types. Thanks Jason Edited June 24, 2017 by NeighborJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogeryermaw Posted June 24, 2017 Share Posted June 24, 2017 I cut my glitter stars. D1 and N1 and i experimented with binding them and firefly stars with n.c. as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lloyd Posted June 24, 2017 Share Posted June 24, 2017 " I haven't had favorable results from AL and baking soda formulas due to the excess water required to cut and high humidity climate but the oxylate/Al and all the MgAl glitters work well cut"-------------Neighbor, my 'favorite glitter' is my own "Buttered Popcorn Glitter", which is an aluminum/sodium bicarb formula. It cuts (and subsequently performs) just fine. Lloyd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeighborJ Posted June 24, 2017 Share Posted June 24, 2017 Yeah Lloyd I thought of B pop after I posted and realized I made a bunch last winter by cutting. It is much dryer in winter so maybe I should just make all the glitters then an stockpile them for summer. It would be nice to have the option of making them regardless of the weather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shunt Posted June 25, 2017 Share Posted June 25, 2017 So if I understand correctly, the process is basically reducing the particle size of double base reloading powder in a blender with water, then drying. That of course would make it dissolve more quickly in the acetone solvent? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usapyro Posted June 25, 2017 Author Share Posted June 25, 2017 So if I understand correctly, the process is basically reducing the particle size of double base reloading powder in a blender with water, then drying. That of course would make it dissolve more quickly in the acetone solvent? It allows you to make a comp without the painful process of needing to "Knead" in the NC, and the hassle it is figuring out how much NC you actually got into the mix because of the Acetone/NC Ratio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mumbles Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 I would just like to chime in and say I cut basically all of my glitters as well. It is quite common not just commercially, but also among amateurs. If you ask some of the well respected cylinder shell builders in the community you'll get that same response. I sent you a pm with another idea for this as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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