LaserSaber Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 I had a fireworks accident early Tuesday morning. I was testing a some stars that I had been making for New Years. I was reloading the small HDPE tube and I guess I did not let the tube cool down long enough, as it still contained a stray spark. As soon as I reloaded it the powder caught flame and burned my face pretty savagely. There were no stars in the tube - just a flash of flame. I am very thankful that I was not hurt worse. I have no eyebrows or eyelashes and my hairline has been burnt back. I can easily scare people half to death now with my bad looks. We went to the burn center Tuesday and they expect I will heal up well. I have tried to be carful while doing this dangerous hobby. I have read a tremendous amount of information on safety. Oh how I wish that I had remembered what I read a few months ago on skylighter. "Warning: I do not reload the star gun in my pyro shop or anywhere else where I am around pyrotechnic devices. The star gun may still have a glowing ember in it and I don't want flaming black powder to be ejected from it, along with a star or fish-fuse inside my shop. I treat the star gun as if it could go off at any time once it has been fired once."http://www.skylighter.com/fireworks/how-to/use-a-star-gun.asp I will tell you one thing, I will never forget that advice now. Not in a million years. The reason I am posting this is to try and help prevent the same thing from happening again to someone else. The information from skylighter would have saved me a lot of pain and expense if I had fallowed it. The point about not doing it your shop was also struck home in my case. As soon as the powder caught fire I dropped the tube and ran from my shop. As a safety procedure I had always left all the shop windows and double doors wide open. This definitely saved me from being seriously injured or possibly killed. I had three screens with stars drying as well as star prime etc. I did not try to save anything and ran for my life. I waited until everything pyrotechnic had burned up and then put out the remaining fire. In hindsight I see that what I did was totally stupid. We always feel this way looking back at our accidents. I would just like to encourage everybody to fallow the great safety guidelines that people take the time to give. In the past I had usually never taken a previously fired star gun tube into my shop to reload. I had a habit of leaving the tested one outside my shop and refilling a new, unused one in my shop. The morning of the accident I forgot to follow this self imposed procedure. I guess I was in a hurry. It would have been best to just follow the guidelines from skylighter and never refill one in the shop at all. If I ever do this in the future again I will follow my procedure of using an unused tube each time as well as skylighters safety procedures. I can only imagine the possible accidents that could happen this way when testing lift powder. Dropping anything into a previously fired tube has become a big red flag in my mind. This obviously messed up my fire works plans for New Years. I don't really feel like making anymore fire works again anytime soon. ;-) One small 24 shot cake I made did survive the ordeal and I will light and watch it with a new appreciation of the sacrifices and dangers involved with this hobby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firetech Posted December 3, 2009 Share Posted December 3, 2009 Don't quit. Just learn from your mistakes. Putting your face over any mortar tube, especially loaded ones, is a huge pyro no-no. There are a lot of factual safety issues; things that aren't common sense. Those you just need to know, like chlorate and sulfur mixtures. If you didn't hear that it was unsafe to mix them then you might have just tried making bp with the chlorate, not knowing that its going to explode when the mill starts turning. Other things like eye protection and hand protection are just common sense, and you take the necessary precautions to do so. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted December 4, 2009 Share Posted December 4, 2009 when im using a star gun after i have shot it i flip it over run a stick around the inside than give it a couple minutes than throw in a little meal give in another minute than add fuse lift and star, because if there is a tiny ember it will ignite the tiny amount of meal that I throw in quite harmlessly. this is all done in an open area Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skycastlefish Posted December 5, 2009 Share Posted December 5, 2009 I find it interesting that not many of us have commented on this post. Personaly, I think it’s scary to think about accidents. We tend to be reverend and reserved (almost a silent acknowledgement.) I’m sorry to hear about your accident. It’s a good reminder. Thanks for the safety insight and let us know if there’s anything we can do to help. I’m sure, at any given time, someone here can be there for you.Peace,Skycastlefish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagabu Posted December 5, 2009 Share Posted December 5, 2009 I find it interesting that not many of us have commented on this post. To think it gives it life, to say it out loud makes it happen. It's an old saying but I think it applies to me. I just don't know what to say and if I did say something like "What the heck were you thinking?" then I would jinx myself to be the next one to go down but to say "It's OK, hope you feel better" feels wrong. I do feel bad, I do care but I think we all feel a little conflicted and since he seems to be healing well and there was no mention of cops or the alphabet guys, it seems almost better to not comment for now. D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaserSaber Posted December 6, 2009 Author Share Posted December 6, 2009 (edited) Thanks for the all the great advice. I thought I would give a few additional details. I was holding the tube at arms length when it ignited. I was not looking down the tube. I must have instinctively jerked my arm back toward myself a little when it ignited. This combined with dropping the tube must have angled it towards me a little. For whatever reason it got me. There were some police at the hospital. They did have some questions for me which I answered truthfully. They wanted to know if I sold any of my fireworks, how long I had been doing this hobby, if I would mind if they came out to my place and investigated the accident, etc. When they heard that I lived outside of their county and was not worried about whether or not they investigated it they seemed to lose interest. They had some advice for safer procedures when igniting things. :-) I have always really respected police officers and these guys were very nice and polite. If I do ever feel like making more fireworks I will visit my county police office before hand and get the full scoop on what's legal in my county. I have no intention of doing anything that is not legal and would rather know before hand if they have a problem with any of my hobby activities. I totally understand how you all feel about replying to this post. My intention in posting here was to try and share information that could help prevent future accidents, not to try to get sympathy for my accident. If my pain could help spare someone else from a more serious accident it will have been worth it. Edited December 6, 2009 by LaserSaber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSidewinder Posted December 6, 2009 Share Posted December 6, 2009 Just some quick advice: Find the post here about letting the po-po inside without a warrant, to "just look around". Don't do it. Ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted December 6, 2009 Share Posted December 6, 2009 Testing is the most dangerous phase of pyro production. In the days of canon warfare one member of the gun crew had the wet brush to put down the gun between charges. In these times with the price of tubes, having separate tubes for each test would be reasonable, as would safety specs or a full face visor. Pyro is a hobby on the edge! As long as your product is professionally competent in its performance then no-one cares, once someone gets hurt then all sorts of people (the men in boots!) have a right to trample all over your house to see what else they can get you for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagabu Posted December 6, 2009 Share Posted December 6, 2009 (edited) After seeing this post, I decided to take a look at my own process and I found it lacking. I have a few PVC tubes and a steel stargun quad for testing, there was no way to test more stars in one day except to reload them. I pulled everything out of the cupboards and found several boxes of tubes I had salvaged from cakes last summer intending to use them for inserts, which I have. I found tubes that fit almost every star size I make and ao I decided to try them for star guns instead. What I found was this, with .5 grams (yes, 1/2 gram) of mil spec 7 BP, I can get 3/8" the stars up to 50' for testing. I was so excited that I loaded up six tubes and taped all of the fuses together and lit it off. One after another with a one second delay, the stars flew into the night. The small increment of BP and the paper tube keep the sound really low and the firing is about as loud a a hard hand clap. If it wasn't so darn cold, I would still be loading these. I made up 25 of these tubes and fused them, sealed the fuse to the tube with NC lacquer, the .5 cc Lee powder scoop gives a .5 gram charge. Here is some video of 11 cake tubes firing stars, I just had to make more, the kids wouldn't stop bugging me http://www.pyrobin.com/files/star%20gun%20cake%20tubes.wmv I hope this helps. D Edited December 7, 2009 by dagabu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSidewinder Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 No wonder the kids bugged you to make more. That's a very nice, and quiet, display. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagabu Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 (edited) No wonder the kids bugged you to make more. That's a very nice, and quiet, display. We are going to shoot the 25 rounder (lets make that 45) tonight, I had to unload it last night since my son decided to drop some willow stars in the gun... don't really need to start the neighbors grass on fire. D Edited December 8, 2009 by dagabu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaserSaber Posted December 8, 2009 Author Share Posted December 8, 2009 (edited) OK guys after seeing the video I could not resist. I lit my 24 shot off last night. It put on a great show for such a little thing. It was pretty special to me as it was the only completed firework I had left after the accident. At this point I do not know if I will build anymore in the future. Enjoy: http://www.lasersaber.com/Fun/24starshooter.mp4 Be safe. Edited December 8, 2009 by LaserSaber Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagabu Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 OK guys after seeing the video I could not resist. I lit my 24 shot off last night. It put on a great show for such a little thing. It was pretty special to me as it was the only completed firework I had left after the accident. At this point I do not know if I will build anymore in the future. Enjoy: http://www.lasersaber.com/Fun/24starshooter.mp4 Be safe. LS, Take a while and heal, the winter is perfect for that anyway. Don't stop working though, get the shop back into shape, paint, take a picture and frame it so you can remember what happened. I am proud of what you have done since the incident, not many will come forward with a story like that and then shoot the last of what they have in defiance of the burns. BTW- That was freaking awesome! I am just shooting stars, little 1/4" ones that passed through my screen for the 3" ball shells. I would be glad to send you some supplies if it helps. Gratis of course. Green always, D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagabu Posted December 8, 2009 Share Posted December 8, 2009 Enjoy: http://www.lasersaber.com/Fun/24starshooter.mp4 My favorite part was the sincere female voice at the end, "That's beautiful Shaine". Second only to the unbelieving, "You MADE those?". Bravo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swede Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 We tend to really reach for the big stuff, 6" shells, giant rockets, etc. Sometimes, a cake or mine on a small scale can be beautiful, fun, and stealthy. A mini-rack of 3/8" tubes, each loaded as Dagabu described, is not only a great way to test, it can be a beautiful little display. Set up the cake or rack so that there is a decent interval, and either video it or voice record observations so you know how each star performs, and can improve on them. A few small tubes with flying fish fuse are always fun, falling leaves too. Bigger is not always better! Bonsai fireworks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagabu Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 We tend to really reach for the big stuff, 6" shells, giant rockets, etc. Sometimes, a cake or mine on a small scale can be beautiful, fun, and stealthy. A mini-rack of 3/8" tubes, each loaded as Dagabu described, is not only a great way to test, it can be a beautiful little display. Set up the cake or rack so that there is a decent interval, and either video it or voice record observations so you know how each star performs, and can improve on them. A few small tubes with flying fish fuse are always fun, falling leaves too. Bigger is not always better! Bonsai fireworks! It was just to darn cold to get the family outside to watch the stars, I shelved them (really) until the temps rise above single digits. You really have something there Swede, I was so focused on getting larger I forgot how much fun I had with my star gun. Laser's accident made me trash some tubes and I was stuck with 1/2" cardboard ones but I am having so much fun chaining them, fusing them, banking them that I may just to a full cake for the spring shoot if I can get the timing down. D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunzway Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 Yeah, I agree with Swede also. The folks and friends are more amused with a small cake just shooting stars and crackles compared to just the a 3" shell or something. I shall be making a cake or two for new years, very similar to LaserSaber's. Good olde' family fun! Just will keep this accident in mind when I need to reload some of my mortars, will drown any sparks with sand and let it sit for good five minutes. I thought of even dropping the top of a table spoon of lift down the mortar (outside obviously, and not with my head over it) to see if anything happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagabu Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 I thought of even dropping the top of a table spoon of lift down the mortar (outside obviously, and not with my head over it) to see if anything happens. Careful, if you forget you may get a flowerpot from over-lifting something. D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunzway Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 I doubt adding such a minimal amount and forgetting about it then lifting a 2" or 3" shell will cause any major consequences. But nonetheless, I rather not find out. Will blatantly empty the lift out of the mortar if it doesn't ignite from any sparks and embers left inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagabu Posted December 11, 2009 Share Posted December 11, 2009 I doubt adding such a minimal amount and forgetting about it then lifting a 2" or 3" shell will cause any major consequences. But nonetheless, I rather not find out. Will blatantly empty the lift out of the mortar if it doesn't ignite from any sparks and embers left inside. I do like the sand idea though, it makes sense. D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordohigh Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 OK guys after seeing the video I could not resist. I lit my 24 shot off last night. It put on a great show for such a little thing. It was pretty special to me as it was the only completed firework I had left after the accident. At this point I do not know if I will build anymore in the future. Enjoy: http://www.lasersaber.com/Fun/24starshooter.mp4 Be safe. As the gal said in the video, that was beautiful! What was the comp, and size of those awesome looking red glitter stars, if you don't mind sharing. Also, it's nice to see a noble member like dagabu offering/giving back, (he offered to send supplies)! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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