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Two 4" Comet to Report Shells (1 Fail / 1 Partial Success)


cmjlab

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I decided to try and make a couple Comet to Report Shells since I've never made one, but always like the "wagon wheel spokes" pattern they make, and the finish (when the timing is tight or sequential).

 

DETAILS:

Shell 1:. Spanish Green Comet to Report (Partial Success)

Shell 2: Hardt's Sulfur Blue (FAIL)

 

BREAK / BURST: Shell was broken with B.P. only. Burst was a mixture of 2Fa and 4Fa at ratio of 70:30. A layer of Pulverone was put in before the inserts, then the inserts placed in with comets faced down into the Polveronee layer to ensure ignition. Inserts were packed in with fine Pulverone, and another layer placed around TF.

 

COMETS:

- 3/4" comets, pressed to 5/8" tall.

- Glued into end of 3/4" tube to a depth of 1/4" with Titebond III. (Tube previously sealed with chipboard disk to block any fire which makes it past comet).

- Primed with NC/BP slurry and dipped in fine grained B.P.

 

INSERTS:

- 3/4" Spiral wound tubes (PyroDirect).

- One end sealed on one end with recessed chipboard disk to 1/4".

- Insert filled with Thunder #3 (Shimizu's F.A.S.T.) and Teaspoon of course Titanium.

- Second end sealed with external chipboard disk / time fuse.

- Insert Timing: Used 3/4" TF timing (2.8 sec per inch)

- Insert Priming:

(a) Fire giving end of TF got a dot of NC / BP slurry (just enough to cover B.P. core).

(B) Fire taking end lightly painted with NC/BP slurry (B.P. core and sown the sides a ~3/16", and then dipped in fine grained B.P. (resulting in blob of B.P. granules on top and sides of TF).

© Then the "blob" end of the TF was tapped lightly on a hard flat surface to flatten B.P. grains down to a single / flat layer of granules to ignite TF, but not add time), to ensure timing consistency.

 

BOTTOM SHOT:

- Hand rolled, spiked, pasted.

- 5/16" ID Spolette with a 1" column of homemade B.P. (2.8 sec / inch burn speed of this batch). (Spolette B.P. column was filled 1 1/4" and back drilled to 1" for consistency). Spolette then finished via Fulcanelli articles.

 

RESULTS:

Shell 1 - Need more hang time for B.S. (at least 2 seconds more)

Shell 2 - Comets failed to ignite (not uncommon for KCLO4 blue comps). I've picked a new Blue formula (Agten Blue / KCLO3 Based) which takes fire easier, and matches Spanish colors in brightness and color output (without a metal which whitens color); the Agten Blue should not have the same issue.

 

https://www.youtu.be/jSXmTnGT354

Edited by cmjlab
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