Red w/ Silver Tail

[Bju90]

I have seen a few commercial comets and shells that use a red or green comet/star with a silver tail but can’t seem to find any formulas. I assume it isn’t as easy as adding some coarse titanium to a typical brilliant red rubber star formula?

Could a pumped star with a different bottom and top layer work?

[AustralianPyromaniac]

Both methods work. What you are describing with two layers is called a married comet and can be used to give a better spark tail by using a specific glitter comp as desired. But this is probably not used at all in commercial production due to complexity. Titanium or FeTi works well. 

[Zumber]

Yes married comets are best as two different compositions are married together by pressing and it has one advantage colour purity is very excellent also there is another approach adding 60 mesh sponge titanium to organic colour star formula can produce identical effect.

Prime both ends in case of married comets.

[Zumber]

Here is two formula for referance.

For married comets you can search some formulas here in this forum and form pressed stars and combine them together.

[Mumbles]

Just a point of clarification on married comets to avoid some confusion and frustration. The two compositions are not pressed together in the traditional sense. Two formulas of vastly different composition rarely will stay together when prepared like this. They will regularly have different drying rates and different rates of shrinkage, which often results in them breaking apart. It's more common to press two separate comets and bind them together after they've had a chance to individually dry. After this they can be "glued" together with basically anything, and wrapped in a band of a few wraps of paper to keep them together.

Another helpful tip if you're looking to explore this route is that the comet wafers don't need to be the same height. The color portion is often about 1/2 to 1/3 the height of the tail portion, so 1/3 to 1/4 of the overall final comet. It may take a little experimentation with your chosen compositions to get it working to your liking. It doesn't need to be perfect, but one burning substantially longer than the other can be noticeable. 

[Carbon796]

Cavity comets can also be used to similar effect. But, are generally more finicky/less reliable. Rich W used to make pumps for them 1/2" and up.

Married comets as described by mumbles. Are the more traditional/reliable, time tested method. Traditionally being 1-1/8". Their primary use is really for incompatible/un-incorporable effects. Like blue with a charcoal streamer tail, purple with a glitter tail, green with a FeTi tail, or red with a silver " flitter " tall. For example. The band that mumbles describes. Is 2 wraps of pasted and " broken " 30lb virgin Kraft. It will shrink down when it dries. Locking the comet together. The glue is just to hold the 2 wafers together, for pasting. So you don't need to go overboard with it.

Italian cannoli tube type inserts burn from a tailed effect, to a color finish. But, they could easily be configured to display both at once. Which would give you a press/ram construction. With no dry/assembly time needed. Though the tail might not be as clean looking.

To the OP, you would probably be better off using a coarse spherical TI or AL in a organically fueled color or low metal fueled colors. So that the tail metal, burns outside of the flame envelope. Rather than in it. For a single comp type effect.

Edited September 9 by Carbon796

[johnnypyro]

I've had success with two compositions pressed into a single comet. Here is Jopete's Fuchsia #1 (0.5g) with Tiger Tail (1.0g):

I added the colour composition to the press, tapped to settle then added the TT and pressed with a mallet blow. The comet is the pushed out into monocapa prime and left to dry.

[DavidF]

Wow, that perfectly even particulate look to the comet tail is beautiful! What charcoal did you use?

[Almostparadise]

Wow! I am going to try this. Thanks for the inspiration!

[johnnypyro]

It's willow charcoal. If you want a nice tail you'll need to wait for a windless day 😁

[Mumbles]

That comet looks great. I didn't mean to imply that it was impossible to press two compositions together at once. I've just heard of people not having the best track record with it. It's the most efficient way if you can make it work reliably.