Amature Pyrotechnics by Dan Williams.pdf

Amateur Pyrotechnics

Dan Williams

Howdy and welcome! I assume you're

here because you share my passion for

display pyrotechnics. If not, you're still

welcome to browse around, but be

forwarned. They say that "He who hath

once smelt the smoke is ne'er again

free." These pages will teach you a few

things about how to create art with light

from the combustion of energetic

materials. The information is geared for

the limited budget amateur who creates

his art for the sole purpose of giving

delight to his friends and neighbors

without thought for commercial gain.

Please make yourself at home and be

sure to send me a line if you've had a

pleasant stay.

ÐOne Who Hath Smelt the Smoke,

is never again freeÑ

Email Dan at;

dwilliams@wecreate4u.net

Projects for the Amateur Pyrotechnician

The best way for the apprentice (or the less kind descriptor "newbie")

pyrotechnician to learn the trade is to do projects under the tutelage of a

seasoned mentor. Unfortunately, these rare individuals who are willing to

pass on their knowledge are hard to find. These pages are a small

attempt to address the need to provide instruction about common

pyrotechnic projects. With pictures and textual descriptions, these project

pages may approximate the next best alternative to having a real pyro

expert in your workshop. Most of the projects will describe the

construction of finished display items or components which are used in

many common display pieces.

Home Manufacture

of Black Powder

Black powder is an essential component of many different kinds of fireworks

items. It's a lot of work to make your own, but the satisfaction of mastering the

art is well worth it.

Quick and Easy

Mines

I don't particularly like the traditional name given to this class of ground effect

because the word "mine" is associated with the notorious military device of the

same name, but I do particularly like the beauty of the effect and the ease of

construction. I think you'll agree that these three inch mines are about as easy

to make as a greasy cheeseburger.

Super Sparklers

The lowly sparkler may not occupy a position of grand importance in the

hierarchy of fireworks inventions, but these super sparklers will definitely

command some respect and may possibly force you to realizeyour opinion of

what to expect from a sparkler.

Thermalite

Equivalent Igniter

Fuse

This stuff isn't quite like the commercial product, but it is a good approximation

that I find extremely useful. The method of manufacture was originally

proposed by Firefox. I have adapted the method to my own taste and present

it here as a useful way to make your own igniter fuse.

Roman Candles

The Romans had a good idea when they came up with this one. If you think

you might want to learn how to make your own candles, then by all means,

take a look.

Stinger Missiles

If you like rockets, you can't go wrong with this project. Why they are called

stinger missiles is beyond me, but I'm just crazy about 'em all the same.

Clark's Giant Steel

Fountain

Tired of those wimpy little store-bought fountains? This project will

revolutionize your concept of a giant fountain if you think you're ambitious

enough to tackle it. It's all done on a grand scale and the results are

commensurate with its size.

6 Pound End

Burning Rockets

Here's a project for all you rocket fanatics. These end burners are a scaled up

version of the ubiquitous Estes model rocket motors, but, be warned, this

project requires some specialized tooling and tubes that make it out of reach

for the beginner.

Tools and Tips for the Amateur

Pyrotechnician

Most hobbies require a fairly extensive set of special tools to support

them. The hobby of pyrotechnics is certainly no exception. I have found

that building tools has been almost as enjoyable as the creation of

pleasing pyrotechnic displays. Most of the projects described on these

pages involve the building of the essential tools of the trade. Some of the

smaller pages fit better into the category of "tips". I hope you find these

descriptions useful. If they help anyone become converted to the

marvelous field of amateur display pyrotechnics, then they have served

their intended purpose.

Easy Screens

The following description will let you build screen boxes that are light-weight,

inexpensive, stackable and easily cleaned.

Improved Funnel

Idea

Tired of making a mess when trying to load compositions into tubes? Try this

idea.

Home-made

Balance Scale

You can spend a hundred bucks on a triple-beam balance scale. A nice

electronic scale can cost you much more, but this home-made balance scale

is a very inexpensive alternative.

A Simple Hydraulic

Press

Now this is a "real" man's tool!! It does the trick for pressing black powder

cakes, rockets, whistles, comets...whatever. Here's a plan for even the

modestly talented tool maker.

An Efficient Ball

Mill

Do you really want to keep making black powder by the CIA method!! Make a

ball mill and join the ranks of serious amateur pyrotechnicians. This one uses

the leading edge techniques of the venerable Lloyd E. Sponenburgh.

A Charcoal Cooker

The best black powder requires the best charcoal. If you want to make your

own, you can build this hi tech charcoal cooker and make a nice black mess to

rival anything your kids can do.

Tips for Fountain

Tooling

Whether you're an old hand at making fountains or are looking to make your

first set of tooling, these tips might be helpful.

A Powder Die

If you want to make hard grained black powder that compares with

commercial quality, you will need a powder die to make your press cake. This

design comes from Lloyd Sponenburgh.

Jars for your Ball

Mill

If you plan to make a ball mill, then you will probably want to make some

milling jars to use with it (unless you only plan to use it to mix your

margaritas).

Comet Tooling

So you're ready to try making comets. Professional comet tooling can be very

expensive. This set of home-made comet tools might be a little easier on your

budget and should yield similar results.

A Star Cutting

Board

A good place for the beginner to start learning how to make stars is on a star

cutting board. This page uses psychedelic star dough to demonstrate the

tooling.

Perfect Sticky

Match

It's not as hard as you might think to make sticky match as well as the

professionals. Give it a try and see if you agree.

A Star Plate

If you have a little... no, make that a LOT of spare time, you can use it to make

this beautifully artistic plexiglass star plate. Even if you never use it to make

stars, it would make a great piece of techno pop art.

A Star Roller

Adaptation

Here's an idea that borders on the bizarre. If you haven't built your ball mill yet,

you might consider designing it to accommodate this adaptation which will

allow it to also perform the function of a star roller machine. However, if the

idea is a little too weird for your tastes, this implementation will at least

illustrate the general concepts of how to build a machine that can create those

most essential and marvelous little round stars.

A Black Powder

Burn Rate Tester

For those of you who base your virility on the speed of your black powder, this

burn rate tester design will help you tune your manufacturing process to

achieve the optimum results. It has certainly helped me feel a little more

masculine. My fastest black powder clocks in at over 170 cm/second!!

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