12 replies to this topic

[firetech]

I was experimenting with the ratios for charcoal stars and came up with a great formula.
95...........KNO3
44...........Airfloat Charcoal
15...........Sulfur
10...........Dextrin
It burns pretty fast with a pink/white tip and works great with a regular bp break.
Try it out and tell me what you think!

[psyco_1322]

We have a compositions area for all your needs. Please post there next time. You can still slip it into a post in the aerial shell thread to give us a heads up though. This will likely get moved just to let you know.

I'll give it a try and report back in about a week. Thanks.

Edited by psyco_1322, 05 January 2009 - 05:12 PM.

[firetech]

Oh great thanks! Well anyone who can move this please move it! ill search around for that section. Thanks

[tentacles]

Here's the formula (withing a couple tenths) in parts per 100:

KNO3 58
C 27
S 9
Dex 6

Look forward to seeing the tests - this star is fairly similar to C6.

[qwezxc12]

...this star is fairly similar to C6.

C4.65 to be exact

(if you follow Shimizu's ratio naming convention)

[firetech]

The difference between the two, My star and C6 is that my star burns very fast and bright along with a pink/white tip.

[Mumbles]

The lower the C#, the faster it burns. It's pretty similar to a spider star I make. Beautiful star. Very bushy, thick solid tail. No pink or white head though.

KNO3 - 15 (53.6)
C - 9 (32.1)
S - 2 (7.1)
Dex - 2 (7.1)

[Mumbles]

Yeah, I think it's ofca. He had an article published on 4" spider shells in the first pyro book I ever got, Best of AFN 3. So, I of course had to make them. I broke a 2" canister shell with 5g of flash, and they lit just fine, no prime at all. Ah, those were the days, when I didn't even have to try priming anything.

I've been using another spider star lately from Mike Swisher. It doesn't burn quite as fast, and it gives that nice creamy thick tail I love. Plus I don't have to ball mill it.

[nick2354]

I was experimenting with the ratios for charcoal stars and came up with a great formula.
95...........KNO3
44...........Airfloat Charcoal
15...........Sulfur
10...........Dextrin
It burns pretty fast with a pink/white tip and works great with a regular bp break.
Try it out and tell me what you think!

I will try it.

Was it Ball Milled or grinded in anyway?

[firetech]

Yes it was milled for about 3 hours. Before you press roll cut etc your stars just test the powder and it should burn with a big pink flame and lots of sparks.

[nick2354]

One more question
What Charcoal did you use?

[firetech]

Skylighter airfloat. It is made from mixed hardwoods. Any charc should do fine as long as it is airfloat. I assume using a lighter wood like balsa would produce a faster burning comp.

[psyco_1322]

A 3" plastic ball with some cut ~3/8" pink headed spiders. I like it.