Okay, here's how I made my fourth batch. First I'll give an overview, then my procedure. Keep in mind that I only had high school chemistry (though it was a great course!) and that was 29 years ago (!) so...
CAUTION: Making electric matches is a dangerous activity. If you do it wrong, you could hurt yourself very badly or start a fire. Before you start read the instructions completely. They can save your life. First and foremost, think safety....
This was lifted off one of the internet mailing lists and described as "blinding red firework stars," our thanks to "Gary" who furnished this. We haven't tried it, but since it smells similar to the legendary Independence "Ruby" red firework...
By John Werner INTRODUCTION Saxon spark wheels are a very simple ground based revolving device similar in effect to a wheel but much more basic in construction. Imagine a long, tubular propeller shape spinning about a central pivot, being driven...
Bill Schmidt, a very accomplished fireworks builder, active in the Crackerjacks club, and a former President of the Northern Lighters, approached me a few years ago with a book idea. He has been making fireworks for many, many years. When...
Someone wrote me recently and asked how to make Blue Strobe Rockets. Well, there's a video on the topic "Blue Strobe Rockets" done by Doc Barr, who made the first ones I'd seen. Doc tells me that he first learned...
After playing for two years with the latest craze stinger missile rockets, and making all the sizes from 3/8 bore to the (and I believe I made the first) monster 6 lb., and garnishing them with all kinds of crap...
Black powder coated rice hulls are commonly used as a burst charge in aerial shells. Many people have trouble finding commercial-quality fine black powder (commonly called "meal" or Meal-D) to use for coating rice hulls for shell burst. Homemade black...
If one does not have a ball mill there is another option for grinding coarse potassium nitrate into a free flowing, fine powder. Coffee and spice grinders work well for grinding small batches of individual chemicals. Even though I have...
For anyone wishing to progress beyond making items such as bangers or salutes, it is necessary to become familiar with the techniques of consolidating pyrotechnic compositions in a tube. Known as charging or ramming, the oldest and most common method...
This article on building a ball mill cabinet, by Ned Gorski, is a side article that goes with the Ball Milling 101 article. A Ball Mill Cabinet for Soundproofing Ball milling can be noisy, especially when PVC jars are used....
"Stinger Missile" is a term which has come to be used among fireworkers to refer to spin-stabilized rockets. These missiles are guided on a straight path by gyroscopic forces, due to their spinning as they rise. As a result they...
