Hints and tips for Australians

[brok3n]

My Al powder arrived 2 days after he sent it - all in one piece and good quality

[scrappy]

Fistly i'd like to say hello to all here at APC,

 

Now down to business, this is an old thread and would like to re boot it with an up date from fellow ozzie pyros' chemical, oxidiser and metal stats, prowes of skills ( Whats hapn'n here in Au guys ) ?

Edited March 10, 2009 by scrappy

[MilkyJoe]

In the past month I've finally accomplished decent blues and reds, in the next two weeks if all goes well I will have greens, strobes and whistle rockets... Haven't had much time to make many devices lately but hopefully you will be seeing some videos in the near future!

 

and welcome scrappy, its good to see new Australians

 

~Milky~

[Yankie]

Well I have been working on a good blue, and will soon have the chemicals for red, green, purple, whistle rockets and other fun stuff. I might as well list the chemicals I have already got, and the ones I have ordered.

 

Oxidisers:

KNO3

KClO4

 

Metal powders:

MgAl: 20-100 mesh, 100-200 mesh, 325 mesh

Al: Indian dark, German dark, 200 mesh granular, 300 mesh spherical, 325 mesh bright flake

Fe

Zn

Ti sponge

 

Salts:

CuO

SrNO3

SrCO3

BaNO3

 

Chlorine donor:

Saran

Parlon

PVC

 

Other:

Red gum

Sulfur

Charcoal

Sodium Bi carbonate

Nitric acid

Dextrin

Boric acid

 

And probably a few more I can't think of atm.

 

As for construction, it has been slow lately due to fire ban, but as soon as winter comes I will make lots of shells, making my first 6" this winter

Edited March 10, 2009 by Yankie

[mike_au]

I think the fire bans have slowed most of us down.

 

I haven't been making much for the past few months.

 

I've just finished building a wireless firing system (there are pics in the Random thread) so once it cools down I hope to be able to put on a half decent show. Now I just need to build a couple more racks.

 

One of the guys down in SA is organising a group buy of perc so hopefully there will be a few new effects in the skies over oz this winter

 

Yankie: is your dark Al imported or local?

 

Scrappy: what state are you in?

[scrappy]

In the past month I've finally accomplished decent blues and reds, in the next two weeks if all goes well I will have greens, strobes and whistle rockets... Haven't had much time to make many devices lately but hopefully you will be seeing some videos in the near future!

 

and welcome scrappy, its good to see new Australians

 

~Milky~

 

Hey milky, thanks for the welcome dude,

i've got some work in progress going on with some blues at the mo', have got some nice reds, greens and glitter happening, havn't tried any others yet but will soon, ( probably just mix those coloured comps + throw a yellow in too,

 

 

hows it go'n yankie"

(( Well I have been working on a good blue, and will soon have the chemicals for red, green, purple, whistle rockets and other fun stuff. I might as well list the chemicals I have already got, and the ones I have ordered.))

 

man thats a nice stash you've gathered up there ""

i love the whistle rockets but don't really do many,,, i crap myself almost every time i press m'

 

this's what i've got so far,, ( relating to pyro )

 

Nh4clo4....Kclo4....Kclo3....Kno3....Srco3....Baco3....Ba(no3)2....Sr(no3)2.... 1/8" visco, plastic 2.5"..3"..4" ball shells

Ti sponge...MgAl 60--->200# Antimony (111) sulphide... copper (11) oxide..copper carb... got some copper oxychloride in the mail..

iron oxide...red.black and yellow.. German blackhead and indian blackhead Al...Al spherical 400# lamp black.. lead tetraoxide,...sodium benzoate...potassium benzoate...potassium dichromate...pvc...parlon...saran,, silicon metal...hexamine...sulphur...make my own willow charcoal.... a star roller.... a press 4 ton.... ball mill.... boric acid and red gum.. 2"..2.5"and 4" hdpe mortars and 3" carboard mortars...

 

oh yea.....all on a sesame seed bun..

 

ive been a very busy boy, both in making stuff and in buying stuff.....not alot of time for anything else....(except that ofcoarse ) and a few drinks

Edited March 10, 2009 by scrappy

[scrappy]

hi there mike,,

, yep, ya right on there about the summer, the last thing we need over here is another fire" my sister has 10 acres and its all dirt at the mo" so its pretty safe there... one of my nieces turns 18 this weekend so i'm working flat out on making stars for shells and some starmines,

i should have gotten organised a few weeks ago as i would have liked to have a catherine wheel or 2 as well..

Edited March 10, 2009 by scrappy

[Yankie]

Nice collection scrappy, I am envious of some of the chems you have

 

Oh yes, I also have 100m 3mm visco, 50m 2mm visco, 8ft time fuse, 60m black match, black match machine, and rack, gummed tape folding machine, ball mill, star roller, about 40 assorted mortars, shell hemis (1"-6"), cardboard tubes (5mm, 10mm, 20mm and 30mm)

Also getting some silicon powder, hopefully bismuth trioxide.

 

Mike, my dark Al is imported.

Scrappy, add me on MSN (if you have it) yankie_scholz@hotmail.com Any others feel free to add me.

[Steps]

this's what i've got so far,, ( relating to pyro )

 

Nh4clo4....Kclo4....Kclo3....Kno3....Srco3....Baco3....Ba(no3)2....Sr(no3)2.... 1/8" visco, plastic 2.5"..3"..4" ball shells

Ti sponge...MgAl 60--->200# Antimony (111) sulphide... copper (11) oxide..copper carb... got some copper oxychloride in the mail..

iron oxide...red.black and yellow.. German blackhead and indian blackhead Al...Al spherical 400# lamp black.. lead tetraoxide,...sodium benzoate...potassium benzoate...potassium dichromate...pvc...parlon...saran,, silicon metal...hexamine...sulphur...make my own willow charcoal.... a star roller.... a press 4 ton.... ball mill.... boric acid and red gum.. 2"..2.5"and 4" hdpe mortars and 3" carboard mortars...

 

Hey there scrappy, i love your collection of chemicals, i'm Australian as well, good to see you here, how did you your AP, i want some so bad and your saran.

 

If you msn or some sort of email contact add me on stephen.genovese@hotmail.com

[MilkyJoe]

I've just finished building a wireless firing system (there are pics in the Random thread) so once it cools down I hope to be able to put on a half decent show. Now I just need to build a couple more racks.

 

Oh how I'd love to see that in action! Tried anything with that perc yet?

[mike_au]

Oh how I'd love to see that in action! Tried anything with that perc yet?

 

Not yet, but I'm thinking Freeman Blue. Doesn't require anything too exotic and blue is always fairly impressive. I'm just scared of wasting it and then not being able to get more

 

Once I've had a chance to test out the e-fire system properly you are welcome to come along and check it out. I'll let you know once I am happy that it is behaving it self and have had a chance to put a few shells together. I have to warn you though, just having used it to fire empty tubes, I am already smitten, I don't plan on going back to hand lighting for anything bigger than a fountain.

Edited March 11, 2009 by mike_au

[Seymour]

Success!! I am no longer the only one from down in these parts to have an extensive Chemical stash. he he. I still have the most, but that's half due to me random things like Barium borate.

 

While the fire risk may make things tough, at least your stars dry fast (too fast??).

 

Over here in New Zealand it's warm and wet, or cold and wet!

[WarezWally]

I've got 1lb of saran I don't want, any takers?

[ausfire]

Warezwally, I would be more then happy to buy that saran of you infact as I was reading this I was actually searching for somewhere to buy some.

 

Anyway my MgAl is finally starting to get nice and fine after like 30 hours milling...

[scrappy]

Success!! I am no longer the only one from down in these parts to have an extensive Chemical stash. he he. I still have the most, but that's half due to me random things like Barium borate.

 

While the fire risk may make things tough, at least your stars dry fast (too fast??).

 

Over here in New Zealand it's warm and wet, or cold and wet!

 

Hey cuzzy bro", wos up in the land of wool and snow !... if i rice my bp in the morning its ready to go that night.. and my stars are ready the next day !!... oh yea i don't know what you have but you can add Baclo3 to my list ,( and i've viewed your new years show, and (am very impressed ) ) and its obvious to me that you have been in this game longer than I.. although with the green i've got at the mo i don't realy need it,

are you in the north or south..... i've got some cuzzys over there

 

 

Hey steps, hows it doin man,, ( its always good to hear a bit of, " cobber, digger, anzac " )

 

slowly over time i have built up a great repore with my supplier and i hope you can understand that i'm not at liberty to disclose my source, due to :- i wouldn't be able to sleep at night thinking my actions placed his courtious good will and lively hood ( and perhaps his freedom ) and my supply chain in jepardy, But i can't see why we can't trade some how in the future,,, got any sisters ?? just kiddin dude.....

 

Yo mike au,.. your electric firing dooverlaky sounds excellent... did you make it all up yourself from scratch, " like componentry from Richard smith ? how many channels ?

[WarezWally]

Grease the right joints and you will find someone sympathetic to your cause

 

I've been clearing house but I'm not letting go of my perc, took way to long to find someone who would ship it to me.

[tentacles]

Warezwally, I would be more then happy to buy that saran of you infact as I was reading this I was actually searching for somewhere to buy some.

 

Anyway my MgAl is finally starting to get nice and fine after like 30 hours milling...

 

I wouldn't mill it any finer than that - in fact, in my opinion that would be too dark for my comfort.. There's no need for it to be that dark. That stuff right there would make some incredible MnO2 rockets, though.

 

When the color starts going from silver to grey, it's perfectly good for flash or anything requiring -325. When it's a medium grey, I wouldn't mill it further, and it would be good for flash and MnO2 rockets, and I can't think of anything else.

 

When using MgAl for flash, it's more sensitive to friction and shock (particle shape) than aluminum flake flash powders. Might be more sensitive to flame as well.

Edited March 11, 2009 by tentacles

[Seymour]

Hey cuzzy bro", wos up in the land of wool and snow !... if i rice my bp in the morning its ready to go that night.. and my stars are ready the next day !!... oh yea i don't know what you have but you can add Baclo3 to my list ,( and i've viewed your new years show, and (am very impressed ) ) and its obvious to me that you have been in this game longer than I.. although with the green i've got at the mo i don't realy need it,

are you in the north or south..... i've got some cuzzys over there

 

 

Hi! I live in the north (Auckland Area) so there is never any snow and few sheep. (Don't forget Australia has many more sheep than NZ )

 

Making Barium chlorate is a project that I am keen to do too. I have everything needed, but not quite enough time for it all. What method did you use?? However I agree that its not needed for great greens, especially with Magnalium fueled Barium nitrate being much safer and so good. However I'd like to try it for 'academic' reasons.

 

Thanks for the compliments, though my NYE show is full of things needing improvements before I am satisfied!!

 

I have been around for what must be over half a decade now, still a beginner by many standards. While I do not have decades of memories to compare with, the Australian hobbyist pyro world is more promising now than it ever has been during my years. You have lost some very knowledgeable people for various reasons, but the number of people who have escaped the confinements of Charcoal streamers and glitter (as much as I love them) is getting quite high, as is the number of 'visible' (not lurking silently in the background) pyros.

 

Lets hope the trend continues! You might be able to get a legal society like in the UK, and invite me over to participate

[ausfire]

I wouldn't mill it any finer than that - in fact, in my opinion that would be too dark for my comfort.. There's no need for it to be that dark. That stuff right there would make some incredible MnO2 rockets, though.

 

When the color starts going from silver to grey, it's perfectly good for flash or anything requiring -325. When it's a medium grey, I wouldn't mill it further, and it would be good for flash and MnO2 rockets, and I can't think of anything else.

 

When using MgAl for flash, it's more sensitive to friction and shock (particle shape) than aluminum flake flash powders. Might be more sensitive to flame as well.

 

Tentacles,

 

I tried this MgAl in KClO3 flash and didn't have allot of success whilst it did produce a fast burning powder it was still far from what I would expect this comp to burn, I threw a little of the Mg/Al into my mortar and pestle and got it that blackish colour. Again I tried 0.4 grams of the flash and this was the result:

 

Although at the end of the day I won't be using MgAl for flash anyway and the size I have it at the moment should be fine for most comps calling -325 mesh… I hope, Btw in no way do I consider this to be a safe comp nor have any place really in any pyro device

 

[nick2354]

BULK BUY!

 

I'm thinking if making a bulk buy (20ft or 40ft container) from Liuyang fireworks (They did Beijing games)

 

They have REALLY Cheap prices on everything

 

Including: Chems, hemis, Fuse, Mortars.

 

EVERYONE IS WELCOME.

 

Please let me know what you all think and what items you would like the most, because at the moment it is just an Idea.

 

I will post some of their prices as I get them.

[ausfire]

I think a group buy would be a great idea but I dont know if there would be enough people to accommodate a 20ft conatiner full of stuff. Personally i could do with a variety of chems, hemis, and mortars.

[Gunzway]

Yeah, I'm in if it's reasonable and if enough people are up for it.

[Steps]

BULK BUY!

 

I'm thinking if making a bulk buy (20ft or 40ft container) from Liuyang fireworks (They did Beijing games)

 

They have REALLY Cheap prices on everything

 

Including: Chems, hemis, Fuse, Mortars.

 

EVERYONE IS WELCOME.

 

Please let me know what you all think and what items you would like the most, because at the moment it is just an Idea.

 

I will post some of their prices as I get them.

 

AH IF ONLY I HAD THE MONEY, WHAT I WOULD BUY.... Enough to swim in for sure. Im interested though

[Yankie]

I would definately be in. Would you be able to organise a price list?

[Seymour]

Tomorrow I'll be talking to someone who knows the details of shipping pyrotechnic materials from china to Australasia, so I should be able to get a rough idea. However with the current state of mayhem that is associated with the new shipping regulations and the interpretation of things, it is probably not going to be straightforward. It will almost certainly be a choice between oxidisers and fuels, with either allowed to be shipped with paper products and 'inert' chemicals (carbonates, oxides and so on), but with oxidisers requiring (more expensive) refrigerated shipping.

 

However when we get down to it, the prices are likely to be remarkably reasonable.