Salute inserts question?

[Ventsi]

To granulate or not to granulate...

That is the queastion.

 

Here is my story:

I'm making a 3" starmine with 15 1/4'' flash inserts and a buch of other stuff like 1" shells, comets, etc.

 

I will be using KNO3/S/Al flash and I want them to produce a nice low thud instead of just jetting around like go-getters.

 

So, should I granulate my flash or leave it as is?

Will it be fast enough to go bang? Cause this stuff is usually real slow, I'll be using something like 325-400 broght flake Al.

I will do a test or two before making all the inserts to make sure they work right.

 

Thanks.

[FrankRizzo]

Don't granulate. Instead, tie a small flashbag with hot flash to the base of the timefuse inside each insert. Alternatively, make the casings for the inserts stronger for more containment.

[Ventsi]

Thing is the only flash I can make is KNO3SAl so.. not really an option.

I guess I'll try it out and see if it works out and if it does I'll use 'em.

[Ventsi]

Hmm I wonder if I should use CuO/Al intead , tested some pre-inserts using KNO3/Al/S and they didn't go bang, just spun around.

 

So would CuO/Al be better?

[Seymour]

In the open air CuO/Al certainly burns faster, and will 'flash' even with Atomised Al.

 

In a confined salute, with good Aluminium the nitrate flash may be better.

 

Or it may not. People might just use it more because it is cheaper.

[FrankRizzo]

Try this. Use a small amount of the CuO/Al mix in the flashbag I was talking about before. Also, what are you using for the seal around the fuse?

[Bonny]

I've got some 1" salutes to (test)fire this weekend made with 5-3-2 KNO3/Al/S flash. They are spiked with strapping tape and covered with with paper tape to protect the strapping tape from the lift charge. I hope they work...as it will really suck if they jet.I've always used 70/30 before, but I don't want to use all my "hard to get" perc of salutes.

[MilkyJoe]

I used to make salutes inserts this size out of CuO/Al.. I used a mix of 8/3 and it worked great, just need a bit of bp on the fuse to aid ignition.

[a_bab]

That's what I wanted to say: CuO Al powder mix is a quite energetic one. These "exotic termites" tend to explode with a very deep "boom" when confined. Other oxides that would work: Pb3O4; MnO2. They make an effective replament for flash.

[Ventsi]

Thanks so much guys!!

I did two tests one with a 5/16"[.2g] tube and one with a 1/2" [1.0g]tube.But keep in mind that I am extracting my aluminum from paint and it wasnt yet rid of all the binders so that slowed it down a bit .

Athough in my previous *kewl* experiences CuO performed way better with god quality Al powder.

 

@Frank- I don't think I can do that since they are so small, they are not mini shells, just mini beraqs, or saiatinnes, so I cant really get any flash bag in there .On the 1/2 " I had two wraps of fiber reinfroced tape around it .

 

@Bonny - Don't worry they will work I've seen so many bigger salutes filled with KNO3 dirty flash and most of them were 3/4"-1 1/4" and they were LOUD. I would still test fire a few first to make sure though.

 

@a_bab & Yankie- thanks thats exactly what I wanted to hear .I am gouing for a low pitched sound. Yankie its great to hear that you've used them before, and they worked I'll make some CuO using the CuSO4 way and will try it out!

 

Thanks guys

[Yankie]

I used to make salutes inserts this size out of CuO/Al.. I used a mix of 8/3 and it worked great, just need a bit of bp on the fuse to aid ignition.

 

But that was using your uber fine 2 micron Al Milky.

 

I used to use CuO:Al to boost shells, I used 300 mesh atomised Al, the thermite was extremely hard to ignite. I used a step priming system of BP+Al>S:Al>CuO:Al, however it did not ignite reliably.

What would work alot better is to use KNO3 dirty flash for the prime, you may need to dip the end of the fuse in BP+Al to get it going, depending on how reactive your Al is.

One other thing you can try is to add some sulfur to the CuO:Al, this should make it much easier to light, try with 10% at first and increase until you reach the ideal amount.

 

 

 

By the way, I think you meant to give your thanks to MilkyJoe

 

@a_bab & Yankie- thanks thats exactly what I wanted to hear .I am gouing for a low pitched sound. Yankie its great to hear that you've used them before, and they worked I'll make some CuO using the CuSO4 way and will try it out!

Edited June 13, 2009 by Yankie

[Ventsi]

Opps, ,my appologies Milky I awlays get yours and Yankie's picture confused , I didn't really pay atention .

 

I have 325- bright flake.

I might prime the inside of the fuses with KNO3SAl but I'll see if I can light it using visco.

I've seen CuO/Al lit with visco before and I made all my inserts already using visco, they just need to be filled with flash.

 

I am leaving to LA for the weekend andwill be back on tuesday, See you guys then.

[Ventsi]

Well I went to Lowes remembering they sell small jars of 99.5% CuSO4, looked around , cant see any , asked the employees

 

" Do you have bla-bla-bla"

 

"Nope this is the stuff you're looking for"

 

"I'm pretty sure seeing it in 2oz containers Sir , did you use to stock it, and stop selling it?"

 

" Nope we don't have any of that stuff , you sure you saw it"

 

"Yes small jars , something like 3" by 2" "

 

" Well we have this stuff , it works just as well."

*walks away*

"Yeah but you can't fucking make CuO with it can you!?!"

 

So no esay CuO , I NEED a different method , I'm thinking of just electrolysing Cu in H2O2-%3 for a few days with 5V /14A and then heating the resulted Cu(OH)2 . Is there anything to catalyse the reaction[electrolysing] ?

[FrankRizzo]

Ventsi,

 

For CuSO4, you want Roebic brand Root Killer. It's sold at Walmart in the plumbing section.

 

http://www.roebic.com/rootkiller.gif

[Ventsi]

Dude, they don't have it!

 

But I did fix my KNO3 flash and now they are working just fine.

I was barely compacting it when putting the endplug in, which I guess made a huge difference.

 

Anyway, I'll buy some chems after the 4th , CuO, SrCO3, and etc.!!!