Random Thread #1

[Mumbles]

irc.chat4all.org

[h0lx]

Thanks:)

 

Blindreeper: It has been 3 years? Still remember you from the old board. Care to tell why you quit pyro? You didn't tell your reasons back then IIRC.

[crazyboy25]

Crazyboy, all of those metals would be too fine to really produce a tail.

damn ok i figured i need some titanium for whistle rockets and inserts as well as aerial salutes AL he used 20-200 mesh Ti so i have two questions:

 

 

1. im assuming it must be sponge correct?\

 

2. where could i get 20-200 mesh Ti or equivalent?

[asilentbob]

Depeding on mesh that granular might work. Ti is really awesome though. Firefox has it. I have some that i got at PGI and from FF... Havn't acutally used it yet. Flake will work fine, but sponge is superior if i understand correctly. Its also more expensive and harder to get slightly.

 

Great to see you back blind!

 

Its a new beautiful day...

... for studying for finals ...

[shagaKahn]

'bout as random as it gets:

 

http://www.efn.org/~mikemcoo/pulveroneTeztDayNite1.html

 

It's a vid of tests of my first batch of pulverone.

 

Had a batch of pretty fast BP made with balsa charcoal and brand new sulphur from Phil's General Store and KNO3 from Jacob on the supplier's forum--but someone (Phil) suggested that I could get still more speed out of my bp if I did the pulverone thing.

 

First two burns are the pulveroned BP, then the original BP--both regular and half-speed--then a shot of the new pulverone at night to show how kool the red sparks and streamers are.

 

As you can see, it's not faster. If anything, it's nearly fifty percent slower than the original (just ball milled dry) bp--but it does shoot off those kool sparks now.

 

Anybody ever done the pulverone thing? Maybe I added too much dextrin?

(10 %).

[WarezWally]

I dont add anything to my pulverone, it holds together perfectly well.

 

On another note, does anyone know how to straighten HDPE? Ive got a 3 meter section and its bent a bid.

[h0lx]

hot water + bend it the other way.

[shagaKahn]

Anybody ever done the pulverone thing?  Maybe I added too much dextrin?

(10 %).

Well - yes, I would think so. This forum thread (and me too ) recommend no more than 5%. I use 3-4%.

Kool. You know I did a forum-wide search for pulverone before posting to the random thread and came up zip, so I'm grateful to you Blue for directing me.

 

Thangs,

s

[mormanman]

I do have a question about that granulation. Does bp burn faster if its been granulated or corned? I have some mill and it burns faster than my granulated bp? It might be the charcoal though, is this normal?

[asilentbob]

It would be nice too see even more well experienced pyros in the #pyrotechnics IRC chat...

 

Often the search is set for posts from within a certain past period like a month and not the full time the forum has been open. Also make sure to search the old APC as linked to in Mumbles and my signature as tons of information resides there.

 

Well... looks like a triac is the ticket for controlling my 1/4 HP AC motor... now i just gotta get one... It might also be able to control my heating mantle and heating elements too... Looking at 120VAC up to 140VAC 10A ish ones, though one with a much higher amp rating would be nice... and a higher voltage if i ever have to run some 240V things... But yeah... then hopefully star roller/ball mill/pottery wheel once the motor has been geared down tons. 1725rpm is a bit much lol. A problem is that i don't exactly have that kinda room in my garage ... And we are thinking of ways to fit some welding equipment in it too still... so... looks like we are going to have to do some serious cleaning up to fit everything...

 

I'm also transforming a computer power supply into a DC lab power supply... Just like all those tutorials that people have posted out there. It will have 5v, 7v, 12v, 17v, and 24v output possibilities. Its only a 200w supply, but it should work fine for the stuff ill use it for... Being electrolysis, running a 12v DC water pump, and running my monster 0-15vdc 0-30amp 62x62mm 350watt Peltier . Thats all i really have at this point... chances are ill use it for misc other things too... all i need to do right now is drill the holes and go buy some universal test plugs from Fry's or Radio Shack...

 

Going "hardcore" mode on finishing the kiln on Saturday...

 

Tomorrow is the last day of the semester for me! Yay! 2 optional tests ill be taking on the chance that ill score good on them and be able to raise my grades a bit. I'll start cramming after dinner... or at least thats what I'm telling myself. And i actually do good with cramming somehow...

 

Thursday - Class. Searching for better triac prices.

Friday - Universal test plugs for DC PSU. Maybe find a nearby junkyard and go shopping for aluminum, brass, and possibly magnesium metal scrap. Otherwise more project stuff.

Saturday - Focus on completing the kiln/furnace at all costs.

Sunday - No idea.

[Mumbles]

Unfortunatly, I got the distinct impression I wasn't welcome in the #pyrotechnics chat anymore, and thus haven't been there in several months. Honestly, I don't really miss it.

[crazyboy25]

i have a question i have some ammonium perchlorate and it is specifically labeled 200 or 400 mesh i forget but i was wondering if this was really important when making stars i plan on making some blue stars and i am curious if grinding it down could somehow ruin the comp.

[FrankRizzo]

If you bought it from FireFox, it's likely 200micron. Run it through a 60m sieve to break up the lumps and use it as-is. If you're rolling stars, you may want it a bit finer.

[DeAdFX]

i have a question i have some ammonium perchlorate and it is specifically labeled 200 or 400 mesh i forget but i was wondering if this was really important when making stars i plan on making some blue stars and i am curious if grinding it down could somehow ruin the comp.

Depends on what you are going to be using for the blue coloring agent... If you are using Copper (II) oxide then 200 micron will be acceptable. If you are using an "inert" like carbonate or sulfate then I would recommend using a some what finer material like 90-150 microns.

[crazyboy25]

well im using AL's hexmine fueled blue:

 

 

ammonim perchlorate...............62

hexamine................................10

coper (ll) oxide.........................13

saran......................................11

dextrin.....................................4

 

 

it made some nice blue in ground tests although it was rather slow it REALLY taxed my ammonium perchlorate stores though.

[asilentbob]

I had a random thought... you know how some fuels are much more reactive partly due to their melting point? I wonder how a bulk MgAl metal alloy with other additives to act as fluxes would perform. Keeping the additives to 10% or less, and preferably somewhat reactive additives too, like Zn. Too bad Sn, Bi, and Pb are not more reactive or they would be great candidates... but if they were reactive it would through the periodic table and alot of chemistry out of whack... Anywho... Sn, Bi and/or Pb could still be used, but it would probably be best to keep as very small amounts. 45Mg-45Al-5Zn-5Sn Perhaps... Zn and Sn are easily available as the inside of pennies or sacrificial anodes for Zn and Sn as some non-toxic solders that are mostly Sn with a couple percent antimony. Hmm i don't think that would drop the melting point too much... Perhaps 40Mg-40Al-10Zn-10Sn... I wonder what Mg-Al-Ba or Mg-Al-Sr would be like with a Cl donor... Or Zn-Ba... Al-Li is an aerospace material, but it doesn't actually have too much Li in it... bet it makes it alot more reactive... dangerously so... Al-Li-Sr lol... Mg-Li... Li is relatively available and melts around 180C... I'll have to remember to think about it when i hopefully finally get the kiln/furnace going... Saturday.. Crossing fingers that ill be able to get everything alright.

 

The actual chemistry behind alloys regarding atomic radius of the constituents and resultant physical properties are a bit above me though...

 

Anyone here a master of electronics with connections to get cheap/free good electronics stuff? I keep seeing some poster with an avatar definatly electronics related, but who it is i can't remember. I need a cheap price, but not quality variable transformer 120 VAC input 0-140VAC out 10-20Amps for various projects, controlling a 1/4HP motor is the major one... I have a 600w dimmer i can use for my heating mantle, but that wont cut it for the motor. 10A would work fine for the motor, but 20A at a great cheap price is preferable to allow some room to grow if i happen to get a 3/4HP motor or some big water heating elements. I'm watching eBay right now, but the auctions almost always end at around $85 + $15-20 S/H... Might end up getting one tomorrow via ebay bids (oh look at the time, it is tomorrow)...

[WarezWally]

Good luck getting a cheap variac

[tentacles]

asilentbob: If you melt cast aluminum for you magnalium, it has 6-8% silicon in it. various alloys have a few percent of various metals. Copper can go as high as 5% in Al alloys, I think. Wonder if that would affect a blue metallic fueled? It may be easier to find aluminum scrap in an alloy which already has the metal you want to add in it. Special alloys for color stars sound intriguing, but getting Sr or Ba (fr'instance) metal could be expensive/difficult/dangerous, plus you'd be heating it to potential ignition temperatures to alloy it!

[asilentbob]

If you think about it, with MgAl alloying you do the same thing. The Mg almost always catches on fire. It really depends what alloys your starting with yes.

 

And i went ahead and got a variac for about $130 total. 20A 2 outputs and a nice little meter.

[tentacles]

silentbob: True, but the reactivity of Ba and Sr in atmosphere is quite a lot higher compared to Mg/Al. It would definitely require a noble shielding gas, argon probably. Some types of cast aluminum already contain some Sr! Ba and Sr both oxidize very rapidly in atmosphere.

 

wiki:

"As a pure metal strontium is being used in strontium 90%-aluminium 10% alloys of an eutectic composition for the modification of aluminium-silicon casting alloys. The primary use for strontium compounds is in glass for colour television cathode ray tubes to prevent X-ray emission."

"The metal can be prepared by electrolysis of melted strontium chloride mixed with potassium chloride:

 

Sr2+ + 2 e- → Sr

2 Cl- → Cl2 (g) + 2 e-

Alternatively it is made by reducing strontium oxide with aluminium in a vacuum at a temperature at which strontium distills off. Three allotropes of the metal exist, with transition points at 235 and 540 °C. "

 

Here's something interesting (re: Mg)

"As a metal, this element's principal use is as an alloying additive to aluminium with these aluminium-magnesium alloys being used mainly for beverage cans."

"This sheet is typically alloy 3104-H19, which is aluminum with about 1% manganese and 1% magnesium to give it strength and formability"

"and the lid (usually made of an aluminum alloy with magnesium) attached."

 

Can't find info on the composition of pop can lids, though. Edit: found some info - "up to 2%".

[RUUUUUN]

I am a private in the United States Marine Corps!!!!! Recon Marine here I come!

[crazyboy25]

i need some help. i plan on making a double voice cracker like this:

 

http://www.creagan.net/fireworks/doublevoice1.jpg

 

 

i plan on making it about 1/2" ID i will lift it with 3-5 grams of lift but i have some questions:

 

 

 

1. how long should it be?

 

2. how long should the clay plug be i am using chinese 1/8" visco. i think

[mormanman]

Crazyboy25, assuming you misspelled it,"craket" I think you meant cracker, either way. I found something that might help.Right Here!

[Mumbles]

I'd say around 2.5" long using around a 1/2" or so clay plug. It will give a second or two delay, which is all you need really.

[WarezWally]

NBK is gone

 

sad day at RS