BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM BOOM A Guide To Homemade Fireworks BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM by : BOOM BOOM Mental Hijinx BOOM BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM So much for the k-rad opening title...damn it's later than I thought. Oh well since it's getting near the 4th of July I figured I had better write this so all my fellow Anarchists would have something to do, and it could save you some $$$ too. I took most of these items from an article called **American Pyrotechnist** so most of them should work. I have tried mostly all of them except for a few that I couldn't find the ingredients for (ain't that always the problem). You must remember when making these the rules of the pyro : 1) Wear protective clothing (goggles, gloves, asbestos underwear...only kidding) 2) Work in spark free environment 3) Never use metal tools or other items which may cause a spark when mixing or otherwise handaling the chemicals There are many more precautions which I'm not going into now because you should already have a knowledge about the production of fireworks, if not stop reading right now. Ahh now that we got rid of the pussies we can get on with it... Match Head Rocket ----------------- Ok here's an easy one to make if you do it right. And there's no fancy chem. involved. Take a paper sack and cut it into 3" strips, you might want to tape then together to form a long piece for convenience (you can also use gummed mailing tape). Wrap these around a 1/2" dowel to form the case, make it about 1/8" in thickness. Now take it off the dowel and close off one end by taping and/or folding paper over it. It MUST be air tight. Fill the case with match heads, about 4 or 5 inches full, do not pack them. You can cut off the excess case so there is about 1 or 1 1/2 inches from the matches. Now insert a fuse and crimp the end on opposite sides to form a 'Z' shape. note:*=fuse (,)=case (---\ /) -=case. You can also just seal this end up too them poke a hole (*/\ \/ ) in it, stick in a fuse, taper it down and continue. The 'Z' (/ \---) method produces 2 nozzles. The open end of the case should be tapering down towards the nozzles, wrap a rubber band around the tepered end a couple of times in order to hold it shut TIGHTLY. It must be tight for it to hold the expanding gas. The rubber band should be at least 1/2" away from the end to keep it away from heat. Attach a stick to it and it's ready to light. It is pretty good rocket if you make the opening tight, I don't really like to build this one because cutting those matches is sooo boring, but if you have the patience give this a try. Flying Sparks ------------- This device will spin, and then take off upward shooting off sparks. First make a 2" tube out of gummed mailing tape. The inside should be 5/8" in diameter (wrap tape around 5/8" dowel) wet the tape on the last turn. Now pack hardening clay into one end, about 1/2" deep, pack tightly. Fill the tube with black powder and cap the other end with clay (not so deep this time) You don't have to use clay, you can use epoxy or any other sealing compound. Take a drill with a 1/8" bit and drill a hole 45 degrees upward from the bottom and 45 degrees off center (when looking downward). Now stick in a fuse light and run ! This thing can sometimes go wild. ___ |-----| | Looking down with crosshairs | |*****| * = powder (((|))) to show center of tube. | |*****| - = clay ___(___|___)___ ( and ) = tube side 2" |*****| ( | / ) | and _ = crosshairs | |**\\*| (((|/)) / = hole | |---\\| | | |----\\ < Hole _|_ |-----| 5/8" Roman Candles ------------- These are great to use in wars on the 4th, and they're not that hard to make. It just takes a lot of experimenting to get it right. The principle is that the colored balls, called stars, shoot out of the barrel because of the force of gas being released from the oxidizer. The first thing you need is a real fine blackpowder, like a F or FFF grade. The speed at which it burns is important...if it's fast the stars come out fast and if it's slow they come out slow. Next is the tube or barrel, it's wallsmust be thick (1/4" thick) this depends on how long your tube is, the longer the tube the thicker the walls. The paper you use to make the tube has to be just right too. If it's cheap paper, like a paper bag, it will burn away inside before the candle is through. If it's quality paper with good adhesive it won't burn at all and the compression will be to strong for the stars, they will go out because they shoot out with such force. The diameter of the tube should be about 5/8" and the stars should be about 9/16" in diameter and 1/2" long when damp. (more on these later) The stars should slide easily into the tube with little or no effort, they should not be forced. If you use fast stars you should surround them with a layer of gunpowder, otherwise don't use this. Before you start adding the stars you should plug the bottome end with some sort of clay or epoxy. Now place about .45 gm of blackpowder on the bottom, then add a star on top of that. Make sure it goes all the way down. A charge of meal powder is added, about .5 gm, tilt the candle a little to make sure the meal surrounds the star. Take some candle fuse (potassium nitrate 50, mealed gunpowder 22, charcoal 40/100 mesh 11, charcoal 30/60 mesh 11, sulphur 6) and pour it into the tube. Now the trickey part, you need to tap the table (or the candle itself if it isn't upright on the table) this is to settle the fuse (it is called the fuse because it acts as a delay in the\ candle). Don't tap to hard because it might crak the star or to light which leaves air pockets. Now repeat the process for each star you have room for. But when adding the black powder it should be increased each time as to shoot the stars out at an equal distance, if you didn't the first star would not shoot as far as the last one. Use this table : 1 star-.45 gm, 2 star- .55 gm, 3-.60 gm, 4-.90 gm, 5-1.20 gm, 6-1.50 gm and so on adding .30 gm each time. To light stick a fuse in the top end and you're ready. Stars ----- These are not fireworks alone but rather the things that go in rockets, Roman candles, floral shells, and mortars. There are many ways of making them. One of the best ways is to get a hollow cylinder tube with the inside diameter the size that you want the stars, and a stick with a end on it to form a piston like object for the tube. This is used to compress the mixture. Now take a small amount of damp star mixture and put it in the tube. Take the piston and mash it dowm firmly so the star won't come out deformed. You should have added enough mixture to gain the right hieght (usually 1/2" high) Now pop the star out and set it on a drying rack until it is completly dry. Note : the oxidizer should be added as the last step, also stars containing chlorates should be handled carefully when inserting into fireworks and when adding black powder and sulphur to them. The following table shows formulas for colored stars, they are in 100 parts by weight (except for dextrin) they can also be measured as % by weight. BLUE GREEN YELLOW | WHITE potassium chlorate 68 30 -- | potassium nitrate 51 potassium perchlorate -- -- 70 | sulphur 18 barium chlorate -- 55 -- | meal powder 15 red gum -- 10 6 | antimony metal powder 10 shellac -- -- 6 | charcoal 150 mesh 3 colophony resin 6 -- -- | dextrin 3 charcoal 150 mesh -- 5 -- | SILVER dextrin 4 4 4 | potassium chlorate 60 sodium oxalate -- -- 14 | aluminum "bright" 20 Paris Green 22 -- -- | aluminum "dark pyro" 20 ____________________________________________| dextrin 6 GOLD : mealed gunpowder 58, lampblack 14, |____________________________ charcoal 150 mesh 21, black antimony sulfide 7, dextrine 7 | _________________________________________________________________________| ELECTRIC STREAMER WHITE GLITTER YELLOW GLITTER | aluminum "bright" -- 8 7 | aluminum "dark pyro" 18 -- -- | mealed gunowder -- 66 70 | charcoal 40/100 mesh 20 -- -- | dextrin 7 4 5 | stronium oxalate -- 8 -- | soidum oxalate -- -- 10 | potassium nitrate 40 -- -- | sulphur 10 -- -- | black antimony sulphide 5 14 8 | _______________________________________________________________________| Bottle Rocket ------------- These little thing were outlawed here in Texas a while back because of all the fires the started, I think they're became legal again but they're not as destructive as they used to be. Well here's a method of making them the good old way. They are great if you make them right...as always it takes a little experimenting to get them perfect. The casing for this can be made with Kraft paper with the dimensions of 1 1/4" long and 3/16" diameter. Dry roll it about4 or 5 turns then seal it with epoxy or sodium silicate. When this dries push a piece of tissue paper into one end so it covers the hole completely. Next push in as much powder as possible until it is within 1/4" from the top. Now stuff in about 1/8" of primer material (an igniter to light the fuel). Fold and stick in a fuse and put a piece of tissue paper in to hold it in place. Seal this end with epoxy or sodium silicate. When this is dry attach a stick to the rocket, it must be thin but strong. Since the wood you get for this is probably not heat treated you might want to wrap a small piece of aluminum foil around the stick close to the exhaust of the rocket. The following table is measured in weight by grams. ____________________ Not a very good diagram but : ---*-\>||++++++++++* * are the tissue paper plugs ==============@@@@@@@@@@@@@@/------- + is the fule || is the primer = is the stick ---\> is the fuse @ is the foil RED GRN BLU YEL ORG WHT PUR potassium nitrate - - 1 1 1 1 - barium nitrate - 1 - - - - - stronium nitrate 1 - - - - - 1 Paris green - - 1/2 - - - 1/2 sodium carbonate - - - 1/4 - - - magnesium carbonate - - - - 1/4 - - magnessium powder (100 mesh) 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 dextrin 1/8 1/8 1/8 1/8 1/8 1/8 1/8 color intensifier (PVC) - 1/8 1/8 - - - 1/8 Skyrockets ---------- These are great to make but they're hard to explain how to, but here goes : For the propellant you should use a form of black powder. For a 1 pound rocket use about 16 parts saltpeter, 12 charcoal, 3 sulphur. I suggest using about a 50/50 mixture of charcoal (50% very fine charcoal, 50% coarse charcoal) This is because the chunks make a brighter flaming tail. If the rocket ascends slowly add saltpeter, if it burst before ascending add coal. There is also another mixture that can be used : potassium perchlorate 2, maleic hydrazide 1 part mixed by volume. I have not used this formula because I don't have any hydrazide but I think it can still be gotten from Distillation Products, Eastman Organic Chemical Dept., Rochester, N.Y. 14603. The case of the rocket should be between 5" and 10" in length (I prefer 8") and 3/4" hole. Make it out of gummed mailing tape wraped around a dowel. Here's the tricky part : for the rocket to work there must be an exhaust port that runs almost the lenght of the rocket down the center. This is made using a spindle which is just a board with a dowel firmly secured to it so that it points straigh up. The dowel should be 1" shorter than the case. There should also be a plug attached to the bottom of the dowel on the board. The plug should be the same diamtere as that of the rocket and 1/2" high. Now you need to make a rammer which is a dowel the same diameter as that of the rocket with a hole drilled down the center. The hole should be the same diameter as that of the splindle dowel, it sould also be as long as the dowel. When finished it will be able to slide over the spindle completely covering it. Also a rammer is neededd without a hole. Now put the case over the spindle it should fit snugly. NOTE : the spindle should be coated with some wax or other substance to allow the case to be removed. Now pour in about 1/2 teaspoon on clay. Now put the rammer over the spindle into the case and hit the end of it with a hammer or something about 10 times to pack the clay. This next part takes a while but keep at it. Add 1/4 teaspoon of proplellant into the rocket and pack it down just like the clay. Keep adding and packing until you reach the top of the spindle, now start using the rammer without the hole. Make sure the rocket is packed TIGHTLY otherwise it won't work right at all. When you are close to the top pour in 1/4 teaspoon of meal powder, pack then add 1/2 teaspoon of clay and pack. If you want to carry stars on board you will have to make a small hole in the clay reaching into the meal for the fuse. Slowly twist the case off the spindle, the exhaust tunnel should remain if you packed tight enough. Now take some fuse and insert it into the exhaust tunnel about 4" leaving some out to light. To add to it's looks you can make fins out of balsa wood and attach them with gule, or gule colored paper on it to make personalized rockets and sell them. You can also just attach a stick to it to make it like a big bottle rocket. You don't need a cone unless you are carrying stars, a salute or a parachute or something. To make on take a round piece of paper and cut it from the center staight outwards and curl into a cone gluing the ends together. Now fill it with blackpowder and stars, a firecracker for a salute or a blasting cap and parachute. Take a fuse and insert it into the top of the rocket where you made the hole and place the cone ont the fuse and place on the rocket. It can be glued or epoxyed into place. It sounds complicated but after you start it is easy. Here's a diagram if you're confused : /\ ______ /**\ | | This is not to scale and the cone---> /****\ | | rocket does not have fins. /******\ | __ | * = stars and charge |**!*| | | | | ! = fuse + = clay plugs |++!+| | | | | # = propellant |##!#| | | | | [] = spindle |####| | | | | |####| | | | | |# #| | | | | hollow shaft------> #| | |[]| | <---rammer (hollow to fit over in rocket |# #| | |[]| | spindle) |# #| |_|[]|_| |# #| [] |# !#| [] |# !#| [] |++!+| [] |++!+| /[]\ <---base plug ! ______/ [] \_______ |___________________| <---board Mini-Rockets ------------ These work good when you mount about 25 on a board and hook them all together. Using some gummed mailing tape make a tube by wrapping it around a 5/16" former. Make it 3" long. Cut a hole in one side close to the bottom and stick in a fuse. Now attach this case to a board with epoxy or some other sealer. For the shell wrap the tape around a 1/4" former, make it 1 1/2" long. Put a fuse in one end and crimp it closed, tie off this end with some string. Fill the shell with bits of broken up stars (match heads also work well) and a fair amount of blackpowder for a blast effect. Seal the open end with epoxy or sodium silicate. Next put enough blackpowder in the case so that the shell can also fit in and line up even with the top of the case. The blackpowder should cover both fuses. When lit the shell will shoot out like a mortar and then pop with sparks or fire. If your shells explode before it totally ascends try a longer fuse on the shell or more black powder in the case. M-60's, 70's, 80's ect. ----------------------- Here's an easy way to make these things if you can't get them anywhere. Make a tube out of gummed mailing tape about 1 1/2" long with a diameter of about 1/2" to 3/4". NOTE : when making tubes with mailing tape on the last turn or turn and a half you should wet the paper so it will stick together without other adhesives. You can cap one end with epoxy, I also have found that a hot glue gun can be used to seal fireworks. Next you need a container for the powder. I use the geletin like capsules like what Contact asprin comes in, but you can also use paper holders or anything, but it should be about the size of a medicine tablet. Of course you can make them bigger but bigger doesn't always mean louder. Don't just fill the tube up with powder that isn't really practical. You have a container so now fill it with black powder or gun powder (yes there is a differrence) Cut a small hole for a fuse. To make it water tight like the real thing coat the fuse with wax or paffrin. Next fill the tub half full with saw dust or shreaded paper (I once tried it with buck shot but it didn't get enough momentum to shoot far or fast). Place the powder container in the center of the dust then fill the rest of the way up with more saw dust/paper. Now seal the top end like you did the bottom only leaving the fuse sticking out. If you have a lot of tape and powder then make a bunch, otherwise I would just buy them because they're not that expensive. Well I hope you've learned a little from this journey into the depths of pyrotechnacy. Just remember to take you're time, and keep trying. Many projects take a few times to get right. The only bad thing about some of these things is the availability of the chemicals. I know there are a lot of places that sell chemicals around here and I'm sure you can probably come across a few around you. Of course if that fail just take Chemistry in school, trust me you can get all the chemicals you need there. Disclaimer ---------- If you're a total fuck head do not attempt to make any of the projects listed here because I'm not responsible for your actions. Also if any of you set the neighbors house on fire I ain't taking up for you either....so there! fireball...FiReBaLl...FIREBALL...Whoosh!!!