Jsefcik4958 Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 Sup guys just looking to pick some brains about end plugs... i have seen plastic, paper, ive seen two part expoxys... i have seen paper and expoxy on top.... do end plugs on salutes really make a difference? I mean boom is boom ... we have a cannon we use for the fourth... and we will use a store bought canister shell, lil black powder it pump it into the sky and goes boom , nothing crazy Whats the true rule behind strong end plugs? Or it is preference? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pyrokid Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 I deleted my negative response. You should read a few books about physics, pyrotechnics, and grammar, and then see if you can figure out the answers to your questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jsefcik4958 Posted June 2, 2020 Author Share Posted June 2, 2020 Cant just nicely respond and help me? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richtee Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 (edited) Well.. discussing salutes, in particular ground salutes- is somewhere between gauche and anathema here, indicative of a “k3wl” on the prowl wanting to make “bomz” And starting your post with “Sup” did not help your cause with me. depending on your ingredients however end plugs can range from critical to almost irrelevant. With a good “Vitamin F” mix, about the only thing the plug does is keep the powder from falling out . Soo there is not enough information in your query to answer it. Now in a mortar shell..like you are mentioning, a solid BASE end plug is critical. Unless you wanted a large “fountain/flowerpot” or..God forbid iron shrapnel. Edited June 2, 2020 by Richtee 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidh Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 Anything salute related should always be paper. Everything else can potentially hurt you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richtee Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 Anything salute related should always be paper. Everything else can potentially hurt you. And it can STILL hurt you even IF paper. Obviously. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jsefcik4958 Posted June 2, 2020 Author Share Posted June 2, 2020 Can you give me an example when they would be critical? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mumbles Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 They're critical in rockets and fountains/gerbs. You want to contain the fuel and increase the pressure to increase the thrust or spray respectively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 A person being hit by a BP propelled 2 inch wooden plug would be an injured person, even a 1/4" plug would hurt like a .22 round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richtee Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 (edited) They're critical in rockets and fountains/gerbs. You want to contain the fuel and increase the pressure to increase the thrust or spray respectively. And in canister shells, to withstand the launching charge. Also if you are making a salute with slower powders, the end plugs need to be solid, along with the containment in general. Same reason, to build the pressure. But as mentioned, anything heavy in a salute construction is potentially a bullet. Just saying... Edited June 2, 2020 by Richtee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jsefcik4958 Posted June 2, 2020 Author Share Posted June 2, 2020 Makes more sense now! So do end plugs really only make a difference depending on what you're doing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richtee Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 Makes more sense now! So do end plugs really only make a difference depending on what you're doing? Christ. EVERYTHING makes a difference depending on what you are doing! This is a dangerous hobby. It ALL matters. I suggest you take up gardening 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jsefcik4958 Posted June 3, 2020 Author Share Posted June 3, 2020 Rich ... no need to be a complete asshole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richtee Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 (edited) Rich ... no need to be a complete asshole Wow..I have attained complete? 57 years in the making and I FINALLY made it! Que “Pomp and Circumstance” as I stroll down the Asshole aisle of honor! WITH all 10 fingers I might add. Edited June 3, 2020 by Richtee 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BHOpyro Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 I deleted my negative response. You should read a few books about physics, pyrotechnics, and grammar, and then see if you can figure out the answers to your questions.Hahaha such a great response Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CityPigeonPyro Posted September 9, 2020 Share Posted September 9, 2020 So what is the comp used in the consumer shells? I know when dissecting it one part is a harder white substance and the other is a redish clay like substance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlaMtnBkr Posted September 9, 2020 Share Posted September 9, 2020 The "comp" of the clay end plug? What type of consumer shell and where is it located and what shape or form (powder, solid, sphere, cylinder, etc)? Picture would help... Most compacted red stuff in chinese pyro is clay that is used as a plug and normally shoveled and screened from the ground surrounding the factory. Free and readily available. White substance will take a bit more info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richtee Posted September 10, 2020 Share Posted September 10, 2020 (edited) White substance will take a bit more info.I’m thinking it’s a poured/liquid type of cement. It’s really dense and pretty hard. I have wondered myself WTH that stuff is. Maybe a waterglass mixture? It appears to have a meniscus usually, which makes me think it is a liquid. Edited September 10, 2020 by Richtee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetICouldMake1 Posted September 10, 2020 Share Posted September 10, 2020 I’m thinking it’s a poured/liquid type of cement. It’s really dense and pretty hard. I have wondered myself WTH that stuff is. Maybe a waterglass mixture? It appears to have a meniscus usually, which makes me think it is a liquid. Agreed that the white substance is added wet, which makes sense since the top plug can't be pressed the way the bottom plug is. This came up recently and there was some speculation that Kaolin clay is being used. Though something like gypsum would also make sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CityPigeonPyro Posted September 10, 2020 Share Posted September 10, 2020 I figured the red stuff was a clay but I still haven't figured out the white harden end. It has to be poured in because the stars are sometimes almost completely encased in it. I just figured someone on here might know what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted September 10, 2020 Share Posted September 10, 2020 With all Chinese firework recipes it will be the cheapest thing that does the job. It could be plaster or a gum with stone dust as filler, or.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CityPigeonPyro Posted September 10, 2020 Share Posted September 10, 2020 or....... Ancient Chinese Secret! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SignalKanboom Posted September 25, 2020 Share Posted September 25, 2020 (edited) Is this a real query, or a joke? If that doesnt make sense to you as a child lighting small fireworks rolled out of red paper and plugged with clay that turns into powder when driven over after the Fourth of July then there are bound to be a vast amount of variables you are liable to miss the importance of. I dont mean to be rude, for all we know you could be a genius in a different are of expertise and this has just sparked your interest. Cutting into fireworks without understanding why end plugs are important is a good example. Ever seen a lawn mower hit a break from a shell that came apart and didnt ignite? I know a lawn mower blade moves much faster, but cutting into a shell that you dont know what garnitures were used by the manufacturer sounds crazy to me. Please be careful doing that, especially if you are doing it inside with people nearby. Im not a pro, but I have seen some things done by people who were not pros either and understood why end plugs make a difference. It gets ugly real quick when there is a lacking of understanding. TO THE OP Edited September 25, 2020 by SignalKanboom 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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