Getting break dialed in! (Shell vids)

[braddsn]

Here are a few 3" shells I test fired this evening. One thing to note... I was more interested in dialing in my break power and break diameter than anything else. The pasting was still wet on the red peony, thus the non-symmetrical break. But, I believe I have my breaks boosted just right. These all have 7:1 MCRH with 3% slow flash mixed in the burst, then 3g of 70/30 dusted into the hemi's right before closing the shell up. Also, the last shell (horsetail) is my very first attempt at one. Thought it turned out fairly decent. A note on Monocapa prime: Best prime I have used, hands down. There is nothing it has failed to light as of yet, and works well with hard breaks (as you will see below).

 

[braddsn]

 

This is the shell with the wet gummed tape. It was pasted 30 mins before test firing.. LOL. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do with limited time.

[braddsn]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMIUZsXdgZM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYpaARvyIck

 

I wish I would have done a better job keeping the camera centered on this one. But you get the picture. This was my first attempt at a horsetail.

[Wiley]

Niiice! That blue peony was a keeper! The red would have been every bit as good if that upper right quadrant had been filled out.

 

Did the yellow have bigger stars? It seemed sparser than the other two.

 

I think you may need some slower stars for your horsetail. You really want to pop it on the way up and have the stars arc over and come back down. That's what I'll be going for with the angry willow I talked about.

[braddsn]

Yeah the yellow stars are huge, because they burn so fast. So yeah they are more sparse. The red would have been on the money if not for the wet gummed tape. I agree, something like Willow or Slow Gold would be cool for the horsetail.

[JOPETES]

Hello braddsn. The opening force is fine, the symmetry is pretty good.
--what diameter has lemon yellow stars without priming coat?
--it right to effect the horse tail effect has to be with stars sauce or kamuro but better if they are a good size 10-12mm in diameter and can finish with white strobe effect, colors or cracker to make more beautiful effect. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuytuTyHspw

 

[braddsn]

Jopetes: All of my colors are from your chart. I am also using the monocapa prime. The yellow stars are large because the comp burns quickly. The horse tail was only a test to see if it would break softly. I will be putting Kamuro stars and Slow Gold stars in them in the future. I didn't have any of those stars ready yet so I just used some red stars that I had. Thanks for the compliments. The monocapa prime has made my stars much better, it is an amazing prime, I get 100% ignition always. The only problem I am having is with the Orange star. It is the Orange on your chart. It says you can use either cryolite or sodium oxalate. I have both chemicals, but I used sodium oxalate, and the stars dry but they are easily crushable. Maybe I will try again with Cryolite.

Edited March 24, 2015 by braddsn

[bajadudes]

Very nice, as mentioned above the blue is a keeper. Are the hemispheres you are using paper or plastic? Thanks for taking the time to record and post your efforts.

[braddsn]

bajadudes, I use paper hemi's. Old school!

[clarkie752]

Hey Brad: How many layers of tape did you use on the shells in the videos? Also how thick was your monocapa prime on the stars? I used that prime on my red rubber stars in a 2.5" shell with 4fa willow bp and 2 grams of standard flash and some stars did not light. I may have not made the prime thick enough.

Jopetes: Those horsetail shells you posted the links for have me mesmerized. They were gorgeous!!

[angelluis]

I think they all looked good the blue was the best keep up the good work, what size stars did you use in the 3"?

Edited March 27, 2015 by angelluis

[braddsn]

Clarkie, here are a couple things to try. First, prime using 2 layers. First layer 1/2mm layer of monocapa, then finally 1mm of bp meal. Secondly.. drop your flash down to 1g and slowly work back up from there. Too much flash and I always start getting blind stars. The sweet spot for my 3s is 2g flash in most of them. In some I will use 3g.

[braddsn]

Angel, star size depends on the comp. Some comp burns much faster than others. But average is 8mm. They are rolled on 3mm peppercorns.

[VikingPyrotechnics]

Nice symmetry on your shells ! Like it

[JOPETES]

Clarkie, here are a couple things to try. First, prime using 2 layers. First layer 1/2mm layer of monocapa, then finally 1mm of bp meal. Secondly.. drop your flash down to 1g and slowly work back up from there. Too much flash and I always start getting blind stars. The sweet spot for my 3s is 2g flash in most of them. In some I will use 3g.

Hello Braddsn. When you say 2mm and 1mm monolayer black powder, what measures do you mean?

the stars should not have a very thick layer or several layers because they make too thick star, fit fewer stars in the aerial shell and produces some white glow at the start of ignition of the star.

It is not necessary to apply a very thick layer of monolayer, only 0.5mm around the star and next 1mm or 1.3mm black powder made of light as willow, balsa, poplar or hemp coal.

[braddsn]

Jopetes, yes that is what I was saying. As I mentioned above, 1/2 mm monocapa (0.5mm), then 1mm layer of black powder.

[JOPETES]

Ok braddsn, fantastic, I had not understood your explanation about the thickness of the layers of priming.