Nitrate flash

[Ubehage]

how powerful is

 

35 kno3

35 kclo4

30 al

 

compared to

 

70 kclo4

30 al

 

?

Is it like half strength or 75% strength?

I'm not able to answer that... However, I can share my experience with normal and slow flash:

Normal flash, made with KClO4 70/30, will burn almost instantly. Hence, the name flash. And in bigger piles it might even self-contain because of the rapid burning.

Slow flash burns, as the name says, much slower. It doesn't even give a *WHOOMP*, in piles the same size as normal flash.

 

To your question, my guess is that the KClO4 will help speed up combustion through the pile. And the KNO3 will make the overall combustion go a little slower.

So, propably around 50%.

Which is my guess! As I said, I'm not able to give an experienced answer.

[psypuls]

Alright, im making a BP hulls +3grams of 35/35/30 in a 3 inch shell, Do you think it Will have a strong break and nice spread of the stars? the stars are very well primed, 10mm+ 2mm of pinball/c8/greenmix+6Si

[Mumbles]

That depends more on your BP quality and construction techniques than which flash you decide to use. My guess is that it'll probably come out good though.

[psypuls]

I made one 3 inch with KP50%BP50% hulls +2g standard flash, and that break was exactly as strong as I wanted,

 

and I also made one 3 inch filled with BP granules in the whole shell. (still with tissue paper separating the stars.

 

how would this compare to BP hulls +3g 35/35/30 AL. would you say the break will be similar stronger, or weaker? il give you the results later

Edited October 28, 2015 by psypuls

[Merlin]

I would say the latter would be stronger

[OblivionFall]

how powerful is

 

35 kno3

35 kclo4

30 al

 

compared to

 

70 kclo4

30 al

 

?

Is it like half strength or 75% strength?

Honestly man just use KClO4:Al, KClO4:MgAl KCLO4:TPA:Al or KNO3:Al:S. Don't mess around with other report comps you find on the internet because most of them don't take risk into consideration.

[psypuls]

the risk should be about the same, i've mixed kclo4 with kno3 many times with different aims, I also added some boric acid to that comp btw.

Edited October 28, 2015 by psypuls

[dynomike1]

Dam i put it in the wrong place.

Edited November 1, 2015 by dynomike1

[FloridaCracker]

If 3g of TPA flash doesn't sound really loud at 100 ft then something isn't right. Try it without granulating with NC and see what you think.

 

Granulating can make it less messy and easier to load but it slows it down a bit when confined that hurts performance in small amounts like you experienced.

 

In large amounts (2-3 lbs) the NC slows it down so it's still not very dangerous unconfined where without it and it's a powder it starts to burn faster where you could get burnt from the flare up. But it still won't be a devastating explosion and you will be alive if unconfined.

 

In small amounts (less than a 100g and probably more) the powder without the NC granulating is much safer than regular flash and will work well and is much easier to make than grsnulated. It will work in a flash bag this way with 2-5 g.

 

In large amounts even slow flash that barely lights in small amounts will make crazy loud salutes.

 

I have plenty TPA that I got from a fellow club member but I actually only use it in small amounts that need to be pre-mixed. For most other things I use binary method. I don't make cylinder bottom shots where you need lots of pre-mixed flash. If I did I'm not sure what I would use but it would probably be a slower mix that contained at least some TPA. But I'm cheap and use cheap mixes in bulk.

[Merlin]

I tried 10g afterwards and it was quite loud. The first test was less than 2g and maybe not confined enough.

I thought that nitrate flash is easier to ignite than standard binary. You don't use tpa in slow flash do you?

I don't do bottom shots either just round shells.

Edited November 3, 2015 by Merlin

[OblivionFall]

Of course granulated won't work in a small salute. The bigger the salute, the bigger the particle size your powders can be. So you will get better results granulating for bigger salutes.

 

And why bother granulating for anything smaller than 10g?

[Merlin]

I normally use 5 grams of standard flash in central flash bags for 4 and 5 inch plastic ball shells as per Lloyds method on passfire. The TPA procedure I have calls for granulating. I have not tried non-granulated. I tried a small amount of granulated in a salute to see if it would be powerful enough for a flash bag in a shell.

[psypuls]

 

I used 3g standard flash in the second 3" shell @ 00:15

Do you think this is enough or can I up it even more?, I think the break is pretty good actually, a part from not very round but the spread is good right?

[Merlin]

Anymore and they would blow blind. 5 grams is recommended for fours so you should be about right.

[psypuls]

ok! thanks Merlin. il stick with 3g flash, and also building shells filled with granules only, for variation, they sound very different and safer if I will use inserts.

 

by the way does anyone know if Inserts (yellow tubes) can be made without quickmatching them, how higher rate of ignition is really quickmatch providing, I think its tedious if I'm going to make like 10-20 and quick match them all with only 0.5g flash inside...

[Merlin]

I don't know much about inserts. Someone better qualified will have ro answer. I cannot see your shell break due to some problem with Java on my phone .

[Ubehage]

ok! thanks Merlin. il stick with 3g flash, and also building shells filled with granules only, for variation, they sound very different and safer if I will use inserts.

 

by the way does anyone know if Inserts (yellow tubes) can be made without quickmatching them, how higher rate of ignition is really quickmatch providing, I think its tedious if I'm going to make like 10-20 and quick match them all with only 0.5g flash inside...

To my experience, quickmatching inserts will make 100% sure ignition happens (unless another factor comes into play; for example too much flash in the burst).

Before I started quickmatching, I had a few incidents where fuses weren't lit when the shell bursted.

[Col]

The time fuse on cap plug reports needs the blackmatch tied over it to ensure ignition. It may take a little longer but if the reports dont light all the work is wasted

[memo]

the only reason i use nitrate flash is because i cannot get perclorate in the country i live. i will be making my own soon. got everything i need except for the pyrex. guess i will use glass.

 

memo

[Merlin]

I used 3g standard flash in the second 3" shell @ 00:15

Do you think this is enough or can I up it even more?, I think the break is pretty good actually, a part from not very round but the spread is good right?

 

Finally saw shells on PC. I think they are really good but I am only amatuer.

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[OblivionFall]

So it's settled.

 

Use TPA if you can,

otherwise use the Binary Method.

 

Screen individual chemicals and only use TPA:KClO4:Al, KClO4:Al Binary, KNO3:Al:S Binary, TPA:KClO4:MgAl or KClO4:MgAl Binary.

 

People on this forum keep bringing up the same flash powder topic over and over again. Like seriously they should have a specific forum for flash.

[Merlin]

So it's settled.

 

Use TPA if you can,

otherwise use the Binary Method.

 

Screen individual chemicals and only use TPA:KClO4:Al, KClO4:Al Binary, KNO3:Al:S Binary, TPA:KClO4:MgAl or KClO4:MgAl Binary.

 

People on this forum keep bringing up the same flash powder topic over and over again. Like seriously they should have a specific forum for flash.

There probably should be a category for flash discussions.

The main thing I wanted to know is if I am using 5 grams binary perc/al in my 4 and 5 inch shells for a central flash bag would it be appropriate to use the same amount of nitrate flash to accomplish the same burst

I like the lower pitched report of the nitrate.

I did try your suggestion on 6/3/1 and you are right it does have an even lower pitch. Love it.

Edited November 12, 2015 by Merlin

[OblivionFall]

There probably should be a category for flash discussions.

The main thing I wanted to know is if I am using 5 grams binary perc/al in my 4 and 5 inch shells for a central flash bag would it be appropriate to use the same amount of nitrate flash to accomplish the same burst

I like the lower pitched report of the nitrate.

I did try your suggestion on 6/3/1 and you are right it does have an even lower pitch. Love it.

You will need more nitrate flash. And you should have more flash in a 5 inch than a 4 inch. I would say use 8g in a 4 inch and 12g in a 5 inch. Make 20g or 30g batches and you can make one five incher and one 4 incher with 20g of flash. If you think it's not enough or too much use more or less from there.

 

I'd even use 10g of 6/3/1 in a 4 inch and 15g of 6/3/1 in a 5 inch. 6/3/1 is not as powerful as 5/3/2. In the end it will be deeper, louder and brighter

And yeah I always use 6/3/1 for flash and everything else. It's not really about the power but more so the sound it makes in the end.

[Merlin]

Thanks OblivionFall

[Mumbles]

1. There will not be a flash section. As a matter of fact the "People on this forum keep bringing up the same flash powder topic over and over again." is getting really old, and is going to be stopping.

 

2. I find it quite curious OblivionFall how you had no idea how much BP is needed to lift shells 2 weeks ago, but are now handing out construction advice on somewhat large shells. Something doesn't quite add up.