MeowMix Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 (edited) I'm just starting off, and I live in a suburb area, so I don't want to risk doing large shells, as 1.75" consumer shells are already banned. I want to make small, clay plugged 1" canister shells. What should I use as break charge? I have no ball mill, so don't suggest anything ball milled. Thanks in advanced. Note* I want something I can make with standard pyro chems. Nothing pre-made, as haz mat fees are a bit much. Edited May 25, 2016 by MeowMix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadMat Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 (edited) Well,If I were you, I would seriously look into getting/making a ball mill. IMO it is not an optional piece of equipment in pyro work. That being said, there are options for making black powder that doesn't require a ball mill. The precipitation method is one possibility. Though I've never used it, I have heard from people that it works. But, for a shell as small as what your talking about, your going to have to spike your BP with flash or whistle mix to get a decent break. Edited May 25, 2016 by MadMat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stix Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 Hi Meow, I know you said "I have no ball mill, so don't suggest anything ball milled" but I tend to agree with Mat. A ball mill certainly makes your bp more consistent and 'hotter' and it's also very useful for grinding other chems for making stars etc. Why spend all that time making stars and making a can shell only to be disappointed by the break?. I haven't made bp using the precipitated (CIA) method myself, although I did make something similar without the Alcohol for use in charcoal stars. It burnt slow with a very nice red which was exactly what I was after. You could try screening the ingredients together after milling separately in a coffee grinder, then rice/granulate. But even with my limited experience I don't think it would be fast enough for a decent shell break. If you think you only ever want to make a few shells, then I understand you not wanting to invest in a ball mill, but If you are really serious about pyro and not just after a 'quick fix', then there's lots of people and info on this forum that could help you get your mill together. . . . for a shell as small as what your talking about, your going to have to spike your BP with flash or whistle mix to get a decent break. That's what I've read as well Mat. I'm interested in this because at some stage I'm going to be making some 1.75" diam. can shells. I have a small ball mill and my bp is pretty hot. I won't be using flash or whistle mix, so what about MCRH? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzoMittle Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 I'm just starting off, and I live in a suburb area, so I don't want to risk doing large shells, as 1.75" consumer shells are already banned. I want to make small, clay plugged 1" canister shells. What should I use as break charge? I have no ball mill, so don't suggest anything ball milled. Thanks in advanced. Note* I want something I can make with standard pyro chems. Nothing pre-made, as haz mat fees are a bit much. Okay, stop right there. Don't be stupid. If you live in a suburban area where festival balls are banned you shouldn't even consider firing stuff off, unless you want to deal with the legal repercussions. Either join a club or take a drive out to the middle of nowhere or just be smart about it man, it's not worth the risk. The others are correct, a ball mill is essential. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pyrokid Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 Fireworks being illegal in a municipality doesn't necessarily imply that they are too dangerous for the area. I recommend against clay plugged shells, just because they seem to be a waste of lift powder as well as a potential shrapnel hazard. I make small shells that give a great burst of color with string wrapping as confinement and hot granulated BP as break. Even without a ball mill, I think you could granulate some BP, and tumble it in flash. The power of the mix can be controlled by the ratio of flash to BP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadMat Posted May 27, 2016 Share Posted May 27, 2016 (edited) That's what I've read as well Mat. I'm interested in this because at some stage I'm going to be making some 1.75" diam. can shells. I have a small ball mill and my bp is pretty hot. I won't be using flash or whistle mix, so what about MCRH? MCRH is for big shells. For something as small as 1.75" that's a no. You could try just fairly fine granulated BP, if it's hot enough and you have good containment, it might just work. Or you could try adding a small percentage of aluminum (dark head would be best, or bright flake) to your bp. That could bump up the speed a bit. If you want to make sure, bump up the percentage of KNO3 a bit, after the BP is granulated add the aluminum. Edited May 27, 2016 by MadMat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadMat Posted May 28, 2016 Share Posted May 28, 2016 (edited) Err, I kind of screwed that up. Don't add the aluminum after granulating the BP. Add it after milling, then granulate. Edited May 28, 2016 by MadMat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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