how much flash powder?

[wonderd]

what would the ideal amount of flash powder in grams, to put into a tube thats 3/4 ID X 2-1/8 long X 3/32 walls? for a m80 type firework?

[that guy]

Originally Posted by wonderd

what would the ideal amount of flash powder in grams, to put into a tube thats 3/4 ID X 2-1/8 long X 3/32 walls? for a m80 type firework?

As much as you can fit? Come on man... You didn't even specify the kind.

[crazy white guy]

Depends what effect you want. Most people want a "bang" so they gring their powder fine and fill it so that its packed tight and leave 1/16 of an inch between the stopper and the powder to allow for the fuse to fill the space.

If you just want a damn cool looking firework, fill it 80% of the way then have the fuse go right don't to the center of the tube(top to center.) That way the FP ignites, bursts the tube and scatters still unburnt FP before igniting what is left. Everything you do with fireworks depends on what you want in the end.

[wonderd]

sry im trying to make a m80 as loud as i can with this tubbing and paper plugs, alot of the tutorials i read tho say dont pack in the FP and only will it 75% of the way up

[MurderSkillz]

No you don't want to pack it at all. I leave air space in mine because when the flash powder is lit, you will notice on the ground unburned flash if you put too much in the tube. So leave some air space. Trust me on this one.

[AgentApoc]

Believe it or not, in my very early days of pyro I packed flashpowder in a casing so hard that when lit it emitted a jet of bright fire and then a second later detonated. I was so suprised after that as I had thought that could never happen with such a thing as flash powder.
The less you pack it the better.

[wonderd]

okay, another thing i was wondering about was, after the flash powder is in would it be smart to put a cotton ball ontop of it, then glue the last cap on, not to pack it, but to keep the powder from moving around, and for glue could i use krazy glue, just so i dont have to wait 45 minutes for elmers to dry

[MurderSkillz]

For one you use hot melt glue. You put the hotmelt right on top of the flash. Trust me I do tons. And what you do is, pour in the flash leave space for the glue cap. You will have a little mound. Shake it side to side gently and it will flatten but not pack. Put the fuse in the middle of the powder and put the hot glue right on top. Use at least a 40 watt gun or the end result will be horrid. Remember not to overdo it because hot melt does not shrink like white glue does. Then pop it in the freezer for about 10 minutes and it's done. I have a couple videos on it but I am debating on whether or not I should upload them. Agent?


Ps. I tend to shake my salutes before lighting them. After sitting for a while they tend to pack down.

[wonderd]

i wish i remember where i read it but i read not to use hot melt because it shoots out like a bullet, an should i put glue also ontop of the last plug like done in this tutorial?How to make an M-80

[MurderSkillz]

Omg. That's my old tutorial from years ago! I still have that lamp. lol. The reason I did the paper plug like in my tutorial is because I wasn't using hot melt. So you had to have a barrier between the flash and glue. It takes a lot longer to make and a lot longer to dry. Sometimes days. Where as hot melt takes minutes. That's why I moved onto hot melt glue plugs. The bootleg professional salutes are also made with hot melt glue. That is where I got the idea. I have been using hot melt for years now without a single problem and never got hit by a plug. You shouldn't be close when it explodes anyways.

[wonderd]

post the videos... i wanna see before i make mine an when i was doin a little noob reading http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salute_(pyrotechnics)

it says under m80 and m100 "different loads are achieved by different thicknesses of plug"

do they mean that if u use thicker end plugs it will result in a louder or more powerful bang?

[AgentApoc]

First off, Murderskillz knows what he is talking about with his salutes. I make mine the same way he does and they work great.
Using thicker plugs usually will maker a louder report but if you try and use wood/clay they will shoot out and could injure you.

[wonderd]

so if i read correctly, he dosent even use a 2nd end plug, he just puts the FP in, then puts in the fuse in the FP, and puts the hot glue right ontop of the FP with the fuse in place, fills it to the top with hot glue and thats his end cap

[MurderSkillz]

I'll try to upload the videos. Might take a while though.

By the way thanks Agent.

Ps. For the bottom plug you put your tube on a nonstick cookie sheet. Make sure the glue gun is nice and hot and put the glue right down the middle and look down inside to see how thick it's gonna be. They don't have to be that thick at all. You then pop the whole tray in the freezer for about 10 minutes and give them a little smack and they should pop right off with a perfectly flat bottom plug. You then add the flash and blah blah.

[wonderd]

so i dont have to buy paper or plastic plugs at all, i can just use hot glue for both sides of the tube

[MurderSkillz]

That is correct.

[wonderd]

i think i undertsand everything now, any last pointers?

[MurderSkillz]

Ya, make sure you don't pack the the flash before you put the glue on top. Shake a little side to side to flatten and that's it. After it's out of the freezer if you shake it a little you will notice there is a little air space. Which is a good thing.

[wonderd]

cant wait, i hope i dont have problem with my flash powder igniting

[MurderSkillz]

You won't unless you make your flash wrong. The glue will not effect your flash in any way.

you are using kclo4/AL 70/30 right?

[wonderd]

potassium perchlorate 70 g, hope it works dont know what it means by domestic or free flowing Potassium Perchlorate domestic free flowing 1 pound

and the aluminum powder i ordered is 500 mesh
1 lb Aluminum Powder - 30 µ - 500 Mesh - Fine - eBay (item 280311212611 end time Jul-07-09 11:33:07 PDT)

[MurderSkillz]

Did you ask if the AL is flake or spherical? I don't see them mentioning it. They usually don't mention it if it's not flake. Which isn't good for you. Also you ordered 500 mesh. Flash is best a 600 and up. I have 2 micron.

[wonderd]

dame... its 500 mesh spherical, is there any way i can still make it work? maybe change the recipie or something idk errr, and theres no way i would even be able to get the right one by the 4th

[MurderSkillz]

You won't be able to use it for flash. Sorry.

[wonderd]

dame would i be better off going to a gun store and getting gun powder?

[MurderSkillz]

That's a stupid fucking question. You are beginning to look more and more like a k3wl now. Do some reading and you would know that BP is a propellant not an explosive.

[wonderd]

sry i was just mad that im not gunna be able to make these for the 4th : / anyways i went ahead and ordered the right stuff but i have a question, is it okay to use a scale the only measures to teh 10th of a gram or do i need one that does 100th of a gram?

[MurderSkillz]

Did you do any reading and 10th and 100th gram scales??? Don't seem like it to me. Why don't you read and tell me which is better. By the way how old are you?