33 replies to this topic

[Fotia]

Just wondering has anyone ever done a miniature display? Something like making cakes that have 1/16" tubes, 1/32" rocket tubes, mini pinwheels, 1/4" ball shells (talk about micro stars). It would have to be filmed with a quality camera to get the effects; if any would work.

[OldMarine]

Flying fish pinwheels are super fast to make and the different colors make them interesting.

[NeighborJ]

I've made a couple fuse rockets, just wrapped some foil tape around a pice of fast visco fuse with foil fins. They move quite quick.

[OldMarine]

I wonder what the smallest tube you could use to reliably launch and ignite a crackle granule would be? Would a longer tube allow enough time for ignition to begin before the tiny lift burned out?
Love pondering smaller things for backyard/weekday pyro fixes!

[Shunt]

I have made quite a few small rockets out of nothing more than 1/4 - 3/8 thin wall tubes like paper soda straws and the like.  The trick is to insert the drift that fits the tube up about 1/3 of the way up into the tube, then use another on the top side to add whatever you want for the header/stars/whatever you think might work after it gets into the air and lightly press with hand pressure in increments as far as you want to go.  Then fill the bottom with finely granulated hot BP not pressed,  but just poured in to give the tiny rocket some inital first thrust, but not rupture or burn out the wall of the thin tube.

 

Fuse, then wrap and glue a turn or two of thin paper around the bottom and secure with a clove hitch to form a paper 'choke' or nozzle, so to say, to the size needed.  I used weed stalks for sticks.

 

It takes as many 'speriments as the big boy rockets to get them to fly right,  but costs next to nothing to make one,  and is a fun project that lets you smell the smoke, gain experience,  and have fun in a small area. 

[Boophoenix]

I think there are a few people who practice from time to time in small or miniature versions.

Patrick, did our Californian brethren do some of that not to long ago? Just maybe not as small as we're talking here.

[dynomike1]

Anyone need small paper tubes or straws i have 5000 of them.

[NeighborJ]

Are they thick enough for small inserts or for use as spollete?

[dynomike1]

Ahh Look up art straws. I used to use them on my cannon till i got on here.

[dynomike1]

Ahhh might be to thin, i havent looked at them in a couple of years. Look up art straws.

[NeighborJ]

I dunno, not quite sure what they could be used for, maybe-blackmatch tubes, or.....???? Rail guides for rockets?

[Mumbles]

From the looks of it, not a whole lot. Maybe small lances.  

[dynomike1]

We used them on cannons to speed black match up.

[lloyd]

Bill Fuchs of FPAG is probably the premier expert on 'tiny stuff'.

 

He's won a number of competitions with low-altitude gerbs, mines, and even shells under 1" -- with a lot of them down in the 1/2" to 1/4" diameters.

 

Lloyd

[dave321]

Bill Fuchs of FPAG is probably the premier expert on 'tiny stuff'.

 

He's won a number of competitions with low-altitude gerbs, mines, and even shells under 1" -- with a lot of them down in the 1/2" to 1/4" diameters.

 

Lloyd

Lloyd,

that sounds interesting going that small.

any videos on you tube or anything

 

............shells under 1", any more details ?

 

dave

[lloyd]

Dave,

I don't have any vids, but I'm sure there are some.  He's the "miniature master" at FPAG meets.

 

Lloyd

[OldMarine]

I'm making up a bunch of 1" ball shells for cakes and these tiny things are a hoot! Barely room for enough whistle to burst them with a good load (¼ tsp) of crackle and stars. If someone builds them smaller than this they have the patience of Job.

[chuckufarley]

What do you use for tube in those OM? That's alot of materials for a one time use.

[OldMarine]

I have some of Phil's thin wall spiral tubes and I put clay plugs in the bases. They're completely reloadable and in fact I've used this same tube for over 12 shots just today. I think as someone suggested on FW, I may need to switch to a flash boosted burst on some of these although good, hot, ERC BP seems to work very well for just crackle. I'm going to cut some smaller stars this week so I can get these all made up by the end of the month.

 Well, that's if I can quit lighting them off!

[chuckufarley]

Do you treat those tubes at all? Ive heard soaking them in poly increases the lifespan. Sounds like they hold up pretty well, and his tubes are pretty reasonable as well. Sounds like a fun project. I like using cakes for certain effects, haven't built on yet though.