Blossoming pyro here.

Petrovich · Post by **Petrovich** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 10:17 pm

http://www.cannonfuse.com/projects/1.asp

Check this out. I think I'll make these. It should be great fun. I'll call 'em 'bird bombs'.

Heck, the supplies are cheap. The ingredients for flash powder are cheap too.

Anybody else ever mess with this stuff?

toddhill · Post by **toddhill** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 7:55 am

Check this out. I think I'll make these. It should be great fun. I'll call 'em 'bird bombs'.

Dude, make sure you use a LONG wick and maybe make the tube a little longer to ensure it goes straight. Otherwise, this looks REALLY cool. My son and I made a potato launcher that was pretty fun, but this should be a blast!

Ber9000 · Post by **Ber9000** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 9:26 am

You'll shoot your eye out!!!

By the people, for the people and of the people

rhwiley · Post by **rhwiley** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 11:48 am

Ber9000 wrote:You'll shoot your eye out!!!

Seems funny to hear that! I was licensed for several years to fire off display pyrotechnics. Every time any of us would handle the shells, the LEO's and Firemen would suddenly decide it's a good idea to leave.

Factually, I'd be careful around the flashpowder. I can find out if there's a regulation on it, but some of the stuff I've dealt with in the past was both fire (sparks) and static sensitive. Man, after thinking about these things some more, I'm starting to think about getting my pyro license back again... hmmm....

Ber9000 · Post by **Ber9000** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 12:26 pm

Flash powder is finely divided alumina particles. It is also very, very static sensitive.

Petrovich · Post by **Petrovich** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 3:43 pm

Ber9000 wrote:Flash powder is finely divided alumina particles. It is also very, very static sensitive.

I been reading up on it. Depending on the formula, just looking at it the wrong way can set it off.

The mixture I am considering is a 70/30 combination of potassium perchlorate, and aluminum powder.

This is the stuff they put in firecrackers. It is supposed to be relatively safe to handle and it takes a good bit of impact to set it off. Even a spark has to be pretty hot to make it go and static electricity is not supposed to make it go. Even at that, they recommend basic precautions.

I guess a little bit of this stuff goes a long way. The trick, I guess, it to go easy because it's not hard to overcharge and the first thing you know you'll be knocking windows out with it.

Even the fineness of the compounds has a profound effect on performance. Obviously, the finer the particles the more surface area and, hence, a more violent reaction.

Petrovich · Post by **Petrovich** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 10:07 am

Progress made in the P4G's pyro adventure!

Mortar is perfected! 50gr of ffg launches the shell into the air for about 4 seconds. Therefore, my delay should be about 1.5-2 seconds or 1/2-3/4 inch of fuse.

Shooting dud shells, filled with table salt for ballast, I have successfully determined that 50gr. bp is about right. Less is suboptimum, more is just more smoke.

What you see in the picture is a mortar tube with an I.D. of 3/4. The O.D. of the shell is 11/16 so the masking tape provides a gas seal.

Next step......I'll add a charge to the shells...

Big question. My flash powder mixture of 70/30 is supposed to be relatively stable to friction, impact and static. Will the shock of launch detonate the shell??? We'll see.....

I don't remember the original M80, but it was a military device used to simulate gunfire. It contained 2gm of flash powder and would remove a hand. They were outlawed in the '60's. "modern" M80's used in consumer fireworks contain 50mg of flash powder....we all know how noisy they are. The big question is....how much should I put in my shell?

Hmmmmmm......food for thought.

I think I'll start with a 10gr charge. This should weigh about 647mg, or a bout a 4th what an original M80 had in it. This will be easy to measure per charge....7gr of potassium perchlorate and 3 gr. aluminum powder. It should also provide sufficient volume. I'll make up the difference in volume with sand...separating the sand from the charge by a paper plug.

On second thought....I think I'll mix up a 10gr batch and divide it among two shells to start off with.

One of my internet sources gave a 'recipe' of mixing 70gm of PP with 30gm of AP. This would yield approximately 100gm (3.5 oz) of flash powder. That sounded cool until I read 4 ounces of FP is equal to a stick of dynamite.

I think I'll mix up 10gr. batches.

If I suddenly stop posting you'll know one of two things happened. I have either blown myself up, or the atf has hauled me off to federal prison.

Post by **TunnelRat** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 10:22 am

Mmmmmmmmmmmm, M-80-'s!

Drop one of them down the neighbors' toilet and it blows a fountain 15 feet high!

Yeee haw!

BEAR! · Post by **BEAR!** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 12:43 pm

Interesting, how did it work?

Petrovich · Post by **Petrovich** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 8:19 pm

BEAR! wrote:Interesting, how did it work?

Are you asking me or Tom???

If it's me....

It makes a bang and a flash and a poof of smoke and the shell hops up in the air for about 4 seconds.

I think I can improve that by making the gas seal tighter, and using a heavier ballast other than table salt. I think I'll try sand. I may also switch to FFF when this FF is all used up.

I wanted to start out easy because I didn't know how durable those paper tubes are I'm using for the mortar. Seems like they are fairly strong. No damage to them at all I could see.

Post by **TunnelRat** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 8:41 pm

Petrofergov wrote:I think I can improve that by making the gas seal tighter, and using a heavier ballast other than table salt. I think I'll try sand. I may also switch to FFF when this FF is all used up.

Whatever you do, be sure never to use flour, unless you really like surprises...

BEAR! · Post by **BEAR!** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 12:43 am

I was talking to you P4G. Your "bird bomb" reminds me of the real M-80s I played with in my youth,they were a real BLAST!

Petrovich · Post by **Petrovich** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 10:13 am

Woooo hoooo!!!

My chemicals arrived yesterday in the mail.

Man, that is some powerful stuff!

I started out with ten grains of flash powder....7gr and 3gr ratio. It made a nice crack.

I gradually worked up to the ones that you can FEEL when they go off.

Mix in a little ffg and you get lots of smoke too.

Petrovich · Post by **Petrovich** » Fri Sep 30, 2005 6:44 am

I am happy to report that my mortars are a huge success.

Things I have learned...

ten grains of flash powder is fun......100 grains is ten times MORE fun.

I can't get 100 grains in my shell.

In fact, I can barely squeeze ten grains in there.

1/2 inch delay and 50gr of black powder is perfect....that puppy goes up there about 200 feet....do it at night and you can watch it ascend.

Don't fuse your devices until ready to use them....it's easy; just poke a hole in there with an awl and stick yer fuse in.

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