ExplosiveCoek Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 (edited) I'm sorry but you've got to be crazy to be crushing this stuff up in a mortar and pestle. I've never tried to burn the powder itself, so I can't speak to that. However, striking one can very easily set them off. On a basic level dragon eggs are just a specialized form of a thermite type reaction, which can be fairly violent, especially when stoichiometric. I tried burning some of the crackling powder I made, it crackles in small amounts. If the pile is to large it will just go POOF like flash. Here is a WORKING crackling composition with Dextrine as the binder! These are some DE in a small pile of MCRH:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjoWU7u6yzU compo: Pb3O4 70CuO 15MgAl 63 micron (fine!) 19GD Al 4Dextrine 3 Wet like you'd with pulverone, and push through a 10 mesh screen. I also tried the NO NC Dragon Egg compo made by another member here (red gum binder), but that one turned out like crap. He also didn't reply too any of my messages, so that probably says it all. Edited November 18, 2011 by ExplosiveCoek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mumbles Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Is GD aluminum German Dark? I could think of another phrase GD could stand for, particularly in regard to bright flake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExplosiveCoek Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Yes, just your regular fine Al . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dagabu Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Is GD aluminum German Dark? I could think of another phrase GD could stand for, particularly in regard to bright flake. Especially when trying to clean it off the work space.... -dag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielC Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 (edited) I've used several different comps for the deggs, but the one I like best is the non toxic low bismuth .75 . Using that comp it doesn't use much material and the eggs go a long way unless you like playing with them too much. I've been using a high solids spraying NC lacquer thinned down to 10-20%. That might be a little thick, but it seems to contain it a little longer. When you hit it with a torch it catches fire on edge and smolders quickly maybe 1.5 sec. then reports. If primed they pop much sooner and especially when in a small pile you get very energetic multiple reports. I do love playing with these things. Usually I rice them through a 10 screen or a Al window screen which is closer to 30 mesh. It is difficult make a bunch of these at a time with this method and you don't want to crud up metal on your good screens. I make the patty a little thinner than I want the microstars. Ideally, they shoud be round, or as close as possible. The longer "mouse turds" break into several smaller pops and dont do very well. I have rolled these guys before (outside the shop), but Im not sure about all that tumbling and the NC can get the drum pretty messy. Thinking out loud, maybe a small die with machined holes could be used to extrude it then cut it off with a blade in the preferred length. I tried a garlic press, but more comp comes out around the plunger than the bottom. I saw where someone took a multi disc pastry cutter and added more disks and cut the patty with that. They are easy to make, but you have to work fast. I have never tried the dextrine bound comp. I'm kind of surprised that it works. I always felt the NC acted as a fuel as well as a binder. The bigger stars make some cool matrix star cores though. I think I will try the crackling dragon flowers next . Edited November 19, 2011 by DanielC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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