Reports for 4" shell

[Andreas1987]

Hi i want to make timed reports for my 4" canister shell. I have made my last Reports with good confined BP. But now i want to use Flash for them. I read a lot in this Forum about Flash Powder and also about the Safety precautions. But i have some questions to which I could not find an answer. I'am a little affraid of making Flash and i don't want to make a mistake. I want to use Kno3 for my Flash because i don't have Potassium Perchlorate. The mix i want to use is 5 Parts KNO3 , 3 Parts AL , 2 Parts Sulfur. The Aluminium i have is called Chinese Dark Flake

[pyroman2498]

So what's your question ? If your wondering if this flash will work , I'm gonna assume yes , even though it's slow flash I can see it working.

If I may ask, how long have you been doing pyrotechnics for ? Flash isn't a safe thing at all but in my opinion I would feel much safe around this flash that I would with perc flash but in either case be very careful and respect it.

EDIT: now that I read your other post ,I hope your not a kewl boomer.......I have no respect for those people..

Edited July 22, 2014 by pyroman2498

[MrB]

EDIT: now that I read your other post ,I hope your not a kewl boomer.......I have no respect for those people..

Weirdly / sadly, thats where a lot of us start out. I made firecrackers, and salutes as my first projects ever. It's a small miracle that i still got alll my limbs intact, since i did this with a primary explosive, and not bp / flash.

It's my firm belief that today with the Internet we should help kewl boomers" get past the "bang" section of pyro, preferably in a safe way, and get involved in making fireworks where the bang is just another tool in our arsenal, rather then the purpose of the process.

While i find a crazy join in the simplest shells, that takes a bit of effort to make, what brings most of the "oh" and "ah" from spectators remains the crazy loud salutes. While we might think it detracts from the firework it self, a magnalium flash that lights the sky from horizon to horizon with a thundering boom, is the thing most none pyros cite as the most intense, and most memorable moment of the show. It's gone so far that i've been experimenting with my KNO3 / Magnalium flash to try and make it even "flashier".

I still want a good dark report composition, i think it would be a great contrast, but to the "audience" thats not the memorable bit.

 

Not everyone looking for a good flash is a kewl boomer. But since we don't want to be the guys n' girls behind some kewl boomer blowing his room skywards, and him self with it, we try to give flash advice with some care and consideration.

B!

[Andreas1987]

Oh i see that my question is not complete. I think my Laptop was the Problem. Whatever.

I'am not a boomer i don't want to make a Bomb

or Ground Salutes. I just want to make small Flash Reports i think about 1g of Flash.

My Question was i have Aluminium Chinese Dark Flake <5 Micron.

Would this work with Kno3? Or is coarser Aluminium better? Is it nessesary to add Boric Acid. I'am a little affraid

that the aluminium reacts badly with the Kno3 in the presens of moisture without

the Boric Acid! My Kno3 is a little chunky would this be enough to get

the Flash Heat up? Sorry for the question about Flash but i don't want to make a mistake.

I know what could happed when something goes wrong! I thought I can better ask before something bad was happend!

[Andreas1987]

I know that making Primary Explosive was VERY stupid!

But when you're young you don't think too much

about the danger! I always think that could happend to me

but it happend!

[Mumbles]

Having never tried that particular aluminum it's difficult to say for sure, but I'd be relatively confident it will work. As far as the boric acid, it never hurts to add a little for storage stability. The biggest issue is when you have nitrate, fine flake Al, and a base present in intentionally wet compositions. You really shouldn't store loose mixed flash. Inside of a salute it will be sealed up from the atmosphere. I'd personally still add a little boric acid for peace of mind. If you're going to mill or grind up the nitrate at all, you might as well add the boric acid in with it. 1% in the finished composition should be plenty.

[Andreas1987]

Thank you that is all i want to know. I better add some Boric Acid for my Mind!

[pyroman2498]

I would like to apologies about my post , I didn't mean any disrespect or anything of the sort to you , I just wasn't 100% If you were a kewl or not, and I don't want to give information to a kewl who is gonna blow off his hand and have it fall back on me :\

[Andreas1987]

No Problem. I understand that.

I now doing Pyrotechnics for about 1 Year. I start out with

2" Ball Shells and now i end up with 4".

I read a lot about the precautions

while handling an making flsh. Articles like these from Bill ofca.

What do you think about a Anti static Bracelet?

[ollie1016]

Sometimes it's a lot 'easier' on the ears when you make a slow flash powder report. I often prefer a kno3 based FP for ground and some aerial salutes. Slow flash has a nicer depth and 'feel' than a sharp and shallow 7: 3 perchlorate flash.

 

For small devices like your inserts I would recommend 7:3 perchlorate flash. ( 7 parts potassium perchlorate and 3 parts Aluminum). I would recommend that you should try to have your perchlorate airfloat ( nice and fluffy!) and your Aluminum to be not greater than 325#. Also bright flake Al is a lot more reactive than atomised Al.

 

As long as you are not a 'kewl' kid members on here will be very helpful.

 

Stay safe.

 

Ollie

[Andreas1987]

Thanks for your Reply. At the moment i don't have Potassium Perchlorate. It is actually possible to mix slow fp putting the unmixed chemicals in the Case and mix it while handling?

It is called the safest way. I heard the dangers from static discharge and accidental Ignition or friction are no longer see.

Is it true?

Anyone using this method?

[pyrokid]

It is generally agreed that mixing the flash outside the casing gives a more homogenous mixture. However, you can still make loud reports using the case-mixing method. This method is used sometimes at events where mixing flash onsite isn't allowed.

 

There are some effects such as bottom shots where the flash must be mixed outside the shell, since bottom shots require the elimination of any air voids inside the shell.

 

While case mixing is probably safer, I don't feel that mixing flash in the open is all that unsafe. If it were to ignite while you were near it, you'd be in trouble, but if you practice proper safety, the chances of it igniting are very small.

 

Case mixing is best suited to larger salutes. If you are making report inserts for a shell, you want to mix the flash properly.

[ollie1016]

Correct me if in wrong but isn't that called binary mixing? Something like that. As mentioned by Pyrokid for larger salutes this method is preferred.

 

Personally, to mix flash (7:3) I get a 24" square piece of Kraft paper, fold it in half and lengthways. Add the chemicals and then just fold them together.

 

Static, friction, heat etc are all important when dealing with energetic materials. The use of anti static sprays/wristbands is sometimes used when there is very low humidity.(there is lots more too!)

 

If you have any questions about it feel free to pop me a message and I'll do my best to answer them.

[TYRONEEZEKIEL]

Yes. Inside-case mixing is called binary mixing. It is actually a very foolproof way to homogenously mix the chems just as good as diapering would. The trick is you mix in 5% of the metal in with the oxidizer and screen it together. Just this small amount of metal will not be enough to be combustible, however it will be enough to blend in with the oxidizer and allow for smooth mixing. Here is an example I have done using 70:30 you can use the same idea for your slow flash.

 

I took 70g KCLO4 and 1.5g Al and screened them together. This mix will not burn. I held a blowtorch to it for 30 seconds and it just melted the perchlorate. It is safe to do this. Once all the lumps were gone and the mix was properly screened, I poured the mix in and then the Al and closed it all up. Now the flash is sealed up and closed away from any accidental ignition. The flash gets properly mixed by natural shell handling, pasting/spiking etc. The trick is you can only fill up 2/3 of the shell full this way instead of all the way.

 

In any case, I prefer binary mixing for salutes.

[Mumbles]

I guess using KNO3, S, and Al would be called trinary then?

 

Binary certainly works well, and gives people peace of mind. I still prefer other methods, but the ways I use flash tend not to be as suitable for the binary method. I'm also a big proponent of anti-static spray. You can find it in the laundry aisle at the store usually. I also only work with flash when it's humid out for added protection.

[MrB]

I'm also a big proponent of anti-static spray. You can find it in the laundry aisle at the store usually.

Tried another item available in that aisle? Fabric softener. Like a teaspoon in half a liter of water, and in to a spray bottle. Supposedly works "as well" and is a lot cheaper. I use it, and it seams to work, but i cant compare it, never having had the other stuff.

B!

[Mumbles]

I suspect it would work fine. They have basically the same active ingredients. I have no idea on ratios though.

 

This site seems to recommend 15mL fabric softener (1 TBLS) to 250mL water(~8oz) with 15mL alcohol added. Most of the fabric softeners I found already had some alcohol in it, so it may not be required, but also probably doesn't hurt. http://www.instructables.com/id/Creating-Anti-Static-Spray/

[Jordan]

I guess Kclo4/Alu./Ti/Rice hulls would be quadranary?

[Andreas1987]

Thanks for all your Replys. :-)

If you using Anti Static Spray did you spray everything with it?

[Mumbles]

I basically do. I spray down myself, my tools, my table and work area, any paper I'm mixing on, etc. The aerosol stuff dries almost instantly. Anything water based might require a minute or two. I also respray myself if I need to leave my work area and return later. It might not do anything, but it makes me feel better.

 

Like I mentioned before, many of my applications for flash do not lend themselves to the binary method so I pre-mix everything out in the open. I will usually make as much flash as I need for a single day's activities, or size it so I only need to mix a few batches throughout the day. Mixing is the most dangerous part of making flash generally.

[Shadowcat1969]

I kind of like Lloyd Sponenburgh's take on mixing flash (paraphrased): If you're going to mix flash, mix enough at a time that if it does go off you won't ever know, or care, that it did.

 

Of course you don't want to mix more than you're going to use, so this doesn't always apply.

[dagabu]

He is also quoted saying, "Diapers are for babies."

[Mumbles]

I believe that was Mike Swisher actually.

[schroedinger]

I still prefer other methods, but the ways I use flash tend not to be as suitable.

Do you mind if I ask, what is your preferred way for mixing flash?

[Mumbles]

I generally try not to explicitly mention this, as you might be able to tell, but I screen all of my flash. It's really one of those things that you need to be shown in person how to do, in order to do it safely. Its really more of a sifting than screening like you would do with a star composition. It's the safest way to mix large quantities of flash powder.