Star Pumps & Plates

Star Pumps

There are 3 common methods for making stars for shells: roll them (spherical stars); cut them (square and random shapes), and pump them (cylindrical shape). One of the most simple ways to make stars is with a star pump. Pumped stars are fast and easy to make, and you can have a consistent shape and size every time. This means your stars will burn for the same length of time and perform consistently in the sky. Learning to use a pump is fast and easy. We have three types of pumps: standard, cavity, and crossette.

Standard pumps make a simple cylinder shaped star.

Cavity pumps make a star with a hole in it. The hole can be filled with a different color or effect. For instance, you could create a silver cavity star, and later fill the cavity with a green star composition.

Crossette pumps create stars that contain a break-charge. The comet rises, then bursts into pieces; ours break into four symmetrical parts.

To use a star pump, press the pump into the damp composition until it is full and simply eject finished star, prime and let dry. 

Star Plates

Star Plates are used to produce large numbers of uniformly sized cylindrical stars quickly. Each set consists of a bottom, female plate and a top, male plate.

To use star plates, you set the female plate on a smooth, flat surface. Then fill the holes in the bottom plate with damp star composition. Then, lower the heavier male plate onto the bottom plate, pressing and compacting the star composition down. Lift and press the top plate down so that the stars are gently ejected out. 

Learn About Pumped Stars Here