lloyd Posted July 29, 2016 Share Posted July 29, 2016 Hmmm... nice loud pops... but... <grin>Lloyd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldMarine Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 Mixed up a bunch of colored gerb comps for color changing saxons, pressed a dozen 3# Ti gerbs and 6- 1# rocket motors with Ti delay for the ground bloom insert and color shells I'm lighting off at the company cookout next weekend. Going to attempt my first 1" fan cake as well. This will be my first shoot of any of my stuff in front of people other than family and fellow pyros so wish me luck! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeee Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 OldMarine, What could possibly go wrong? Don't take any short cuts, and have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldMarine Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 OldMarine, What could possibly go wrong? Don't take any short cuts, and have fun!Hehe, you must not have seen my "Spanish Blew" shell! I'm putting a clay bulkhead in from now on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagabu Posted July 30, 2016 Author Share Posted July 30, 2016 (edited) I finished up a few 1" ID double voice crackers, after testing MANY of them for 'consistency' these are what I have left at this time. 3/4" ID double voice crackers, they don't look as good due to the scratching but I'll have that all figured out later today when I make more. Edited July 30, 2016 by dagabu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memo Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 dave is a video in the future ? memo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagabu Posted July 30, 2016 Author Share Posted July 30, 2016 I hope to have MANY videos this year, SWMBO has mandated I spend a good percentage of my time at PGI taking pictures this year. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave321 Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 I've spent that last couple of weekends experimenting with a new crackling flower prime/titanium combination I devised myself, which finally seems to have paid off... Here's a ground test of 5 stars: And a small mine with about 30 stars: I'm very happy with the results. Next I intent to test them in a small bombette, before I try to repeat the results with a larger batch. what was the prime and dragon egg composition used ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrophury Posted July 30, 2016 Share Posted July 30, 2016 (edited) I just tested the crackling flowers in a 3/4" bombette... http://pyrobin.com/files/Bombette%20Gif.gif There were about 75 stars (3.5 - 4mm) and 1/8tsp of 7/3 flash powder. It doesn't look like any more than about half ignited though, too much delay and inconsistent timing, so not as much overlap as I'd like. Sparks were looking a bit sparse as well... it's a work in progress. Edited July 30, 2016 by Pyrophury 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrophury Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Finished rolling about 300 Buell Slow Gold stars up to 9mm this afternoon, they have final rough layer of green mix BP... http://pyrobin.com/files/Slow%20Gold%20-%20Buell.jpg Took a sample star at 1mm intervals, just because... http://pyrobin.com/files/Star%20Growth.jpg 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memo Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 looks good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagabu Posted August 1, 2016 Author Share Posted August 1, 2016 Nice lookin stuff guys! I started rebuilding old girandolas, the plastic motor casings looked good still so I just reloaded them with hot BP and a clay plug. I'll just drill them out to make nozzles. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzoMittle Posted August 4, 2016 Share Posted August 4, 2016 (edited) Rolled those flitter stars up another few mm and rolled some matching titanium stars with a combo of turnings and fine TiDi. Weighed and milled some crossette comp but I had to make a few substitutions, I ran out of SGRS (I'm not a fan of dextrin) so it was either phenolic resin, vinsol resin, or red gum to bind (suppose I could have used parlon too). I also thought I had some 80 mesh charcoal but apparently not, I considered swapping for lampblack but went for FeTi. We'll see how, or if, they turn out but I'm hopeful! Anyone ever try pumping phenolic resin? 44...Potassium Nitrate12...Charcoal, Mixed Hardwood Airfloat12...Charcoal, 80 Mesh Ferrotitanium, 30-60 Mesh12...Charcoal, 36 Mesh, Commercial10...SGRS Phenolic Resin05...Sulfur05...Antimony Trisulfide, Chinese Needle -325 Mesh Edited August 4, 2016 by AzoMittle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagabu Posted August 4, 2016 Author Share Posted August 4, 2016 Yes, I use hexamine for crosslinking and warm to about 130°F to instant-harden them and drive off the alcohol. I make a syrup in advance of the resin, hex and alc so that it mixes easily with the comp, run it through a screen X3 to distribute and press rather lightly. Longer dwell times make a mess, its on/off the hydraulic pressure. Cleanup is messy, have a cloth with alcohol handy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrophury Posted August 6, 2016 Share Posted August 6, 2016 Made a small batch of 4mm white strobe stars with my adjustable star slicer. http://pyrobin.com/files/Star%20Slicer.jpg I wet the composition until it became the consistency of soft modeling clay, rolled it out flat between a couple of lollipop sticks to get the right thickness, then slowly rolled the disc slicer though horizontally and then vertically... easy! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memo Posted August 6, 2016 Share Posted August 6, 2016 oh hell , i like that . so much better than a onion dicer, you should put up a link on where to buy it. i anm sure of people would like too know, me included. memo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lloyd Posted August 6, 2016 Share Posted August 6, 2016 Memo,It appears to be shop-made, and not a commercial product (yet, perhaps!). Lloyd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memo Posted August 6, 2016 Share Posted August 6, 2016 it is nice Lloyd, maybe he has a new business ? or one in the making. memo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
memo Posted August 6, 2016 Share Posted August 6, 2016 Lloyd are you going to PGI ? or are you waiting for videos like a lot of us. ??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueComet24 Posted August 6, 2016 Share Posted August 6, 2016 The closest thing I found for sale online was an adjustable dough divider, but they usually only have 6 slicers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lloyd Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Memo,I'm presently working on some (explosives) manufacturing machinery on an Army Arsenal in Virginia. Unfortunately, I'll be here for most of another two weeks. So... no PGI. And I can't even get Internet access on-base (blocked). I even have to go to a specific 'phone zone' to make cell calls. Eh... it's a living! Lloyd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeee Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Should be pretty easy to put one of these cutters together.A walk through the hardware store or big box store should produce all of the components.Roofers use a thin flat silver dollar to nail tar paper to roofs these might work as the cutters if you drill a hole in the center.Several washers stacked together could be used as the spacers.(1) length of all-thread(23) spacers(24) cutters(2) nuts(2) lock washers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mumbles Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 It might be dangerous to have something so sharp, but they sell rotary cutters and cutting blades. They're typically used in sewing and crafts. I've thought about making almost exactly what Mikeee describes a few times. It'd be nice to be more adjustable without having to disassemble, but that's a preference not design requirement. I think they'd be particularly nice for cutting dragon eggs, or other smaller stars like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrophury Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 oh hell , i like that . so much better than a onion dicer, you should put up a link on where to buy it. i anm sure of people would like too know, me included. memo The circular blades came from some herb mincers I cannibalised, the spacers are just 1mm thick washers/shims and they are held on the 6mm shaft with a pair of shaft collars. http://pyrobin.com/files/Star%20Slicer%202.jpg 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeee Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 (edited) I have looked at the circular cutting blades at the craft stores and they can get expensive buying 24 cutters for a tool.Cannabalising a kitchen utensil or something from the dollar store might be an option.(24) pizza cutters at the dollar store would be about the same cost as (1) circular cutter from the craft store.Ebay might have something that would also work. Edited August 8, 2016 by mikeee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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