dantheman Posted May 19, 2012 Posted May 19, 2012 Hey guys, I'm brand new to the fireworks making hobby but am experienced in the chemistry aspect but lack experience in tooling and the actual creation. Any recommendations on what to get started with (tools and chemicals) and if I could make the tools myself? I'm very inventive so design/building would not be a problem. I am just unaware of the functions/purpose/types of necessary tooling and the functions and needs of beginners chemicals. I'm very familiar with black powder production and its components (KNO3 , sulfur, and charcoal) Thanks!
mikeee Posted May 20, 2012 Posted May 20, 2012 The internet is an endless resource for information, tools, and supplies.You might also try and find a local pyrotechnic hobby group in you area.They will have regional builds and shoots where you can learn the safe way to make pyro.Skylighter.com, RollingThunder.com, Pastimepyrochemicals.com, Cannonfuse.com, Firesmithtools.com, etc.Many of the suppliers have information resources on the websites for public use.There are a number of dedicated websites for pyro technologies and methods etc.Get to know and support the businesses in your area if possible.You can find some deals on ebay every once in a while, depending on what your looking for.Youtube has some good videos and a lot of bad videos on pyro.Start with the simple stuff first.
californiapyro Posted May 20, 2012 Posted May 20, 2012 ballmill, star pumps, rocket tooling IMO are the most important to start with
The504 Posted May 23, 2012 Posted May 23, 2012 A scale and I'd start with black power and move on to other things.
dagabu Posted May 23, 2012 Posted May 23, 2012 The very first thing is a safe place to make fireworks. For many of us this means a table under a canopy far from anything that could get harmed if you blow up. -dag
mikeee Posted May 24, 2012 Posted May 24, 2012 Another good location to make fireworks would be in your ex-wifes basement, or your mother-in-laws basement. :-)Bad things can happen when you are inside an enclosed room mixing or making pyrotechnics.Imagine you are inside an oversized cardboard tube with plugs glued on both ends.Your insurance man will take you off of his Christmas card list for sure.I have seen (3) houses in the last ten years that went boom! each one had over 100,000 dollars worth of damage.The legal bills will also cost you about the same amount!The medical bills will be costly as well.Be very carefull.
speditty Posted July 12, 2012 Posted July 12, 2012 ballmill, star pumps, rocket tooling IMO are the most important to start with is it better to just buy a ball mill online or if i make one would it work well enough to make most simple compositions?
dagabu Posted July 12, 2012 Posted July 12, 2012 is it better to just buy a ball mill online or if i make one would it work well enough to make most simple compositions? Rock tumblers are great beginning ball mills. I have a 15# rock tumbler I found on eBay for $199.00 shipped. The price has gone down a little too. LINK -dag
Mumbles Posted July 12, 2012 Posted July 12, 2012 That's more of a matter of how handy to happen to be, and what sort of supplies you have laying around. Using a 15lb ball mill as an example. They go commercially on ebay for about $170. To make a similar mill from scratch (including jar, but not including media), purchasing all of the parts new, you'd probably be between $130 and a break even point. If you're good at scrounging, have a good industrial surplus source, or have a lot of the components around, I bet you could keep the cost under a maximum of $50. From there it's a matter of how good you are with your hands, and how much your time is worth. Assuming you had everything in front of you and were competent with minor wood/metal working, you could have that baby running in probably an hour plus any drying time. To me in a lot of ways it's sometimes better to start with a purchased rock tumbler or ball mill if you are not so mechanically inclined. You know it will work, and the combined experience of people can help with trouble shooting problems. Once you have a basis in the hobby and a good understanding of what is going on and how to fix problems that may arise, a good ball mill is easy to make. A ball mill will really only help to make black powder, and other compositions containing the same components such as charcoal streamers. It can also help to break down certain coarse materials. Those things alone can get you well on your way into pyro though.
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