24" aerial shell build

[LaZeRz]

That's insane! Great work Jeff! You really live up to your username

+1

 

[KapHn8d]

Welcome back from vacation, Jeff! This post was awesome... thanks for sharing all of it, but especially the construction bits. I've always been curious. When I was a kid, my best bud and I used to scrape the innards out of model rocket engines and sneak powder from his dad's reloading shop and wreak havoc on old tree stumps and dead logs. Probably not the best activity for kids, but it was a good litmus test for seeing if I had the pyro bug.

Thanks again for an awesome forum contribution. Good stuff.

Cheers!!

 

[Flaminpyro]

It dawned on me. Your username REALLY makes sense now. lol

Yep I bet a lot of people are straitened out on that one now :crackup:

Welcome back from vacation, Jeff! This post was awesome... thanks for sharing all of it, but especially the construction bits. I've always been curious. When I was a kid, my best bud and I used to scrape the innards out of model rocket engines and sneak powder from his dad's reloading shop and wreak havoc on old tree stumps and dead logs. Probably not the best activity for kids, but it was a good litmus test for seeing if I had the pyro bug.

Thanks again for an awesome forum contribution. Good stuff. Cheers!!

Well I would say if you made it past all the stump and log blowing-up and you still have all your fingers and eyes
then you must be a real pyro at heart and you should probably be joining me in the desert in a couple weeks and
help to make some awesome rockets and girandolas, we'll be out there for 3 days painting the sky with pyro :eg:

 

[Bionic-Badger]

The real cool thing about all this is that we're still allowed to build and experiment with dangerous stuff like this. It's like the laser hobby, where these things are dangerous, but can be enjoyed responsibly too. Like all these things, I hope somebody doesn't ruin it for the rest of us.

 

[jh35ky123]

love it jeff! i'm in the process of getting my type 54 permit right now, just received the orange book. We had our cities local fireworks last night the webn fireworks by Rozzi it was quite a show!

 

[PersonGuyDude]

The real cool thing about all this is that we're still allowed to build and experiment with dangerous stuff like this. It's like the laser hobby, where these things are dangerous, but can be enjoyed responsibly too. Like all these things, I hope somebody doesn't ruin it for the rest of us.

The funny thing is non-profit clubs can do things that actual firework show companies cannot. For instance, if I remember correctly, the shell size for shows is limited to 12 inches. However, since clubs are not "in commerce" they have no limit for regular shells.

 

[Flaminpyro]

Not exactly unless your underground, you still need a license issued from the ATF to manufacture any explosive and if you make some thing and don't immediately use it and have to store it you are required to store it in a licensed magazine that is inspected by the ATF once a year ( I have the job of being there to open the mag and show the ATF guy the paper work every year so I know what I'm talking about here) now in only recent years the ATF have been allowing some hobbie building to go on but they want you to belong to a pyro club or the PGI or the WPA a known by them pyro organization, they attend our conventions so they know what were about and not just some crazy nut making only ground bombs.

It is very probable that if the neighbors turn you in and you are paid a visit by the ATF that you can easily get some time or a fine for manufacturing explosive devices with out a federal license there really is no law covering hobbie manufacturing of explosives.

Hope all understands, it's not legal to manufacture explosives with out a federal license period.

The real cool thing about all this is that we're still allowed to build and experiment with dangerous stuff like this. It's like the laser hobby, where these things are dangerous, but can be enjoyed responsibly too. Like all these things, I hope somebody doesn't ruin it for the rest of us.

 

[Flaminpyro]

Yes the construction part is the stumbling block for most people but understanding the chemical part is equally hard and I think that is why there are not more people doing this.

There is a great sense of satisfaction when you compound the chems together and ram tubes and spend hours putting things together and then go out and launch them into the nights sky and watch as they unfold to paint the sky with color, it gives you a real sense of satisfaction to see what you can make

This looks like a pretty good how-to video for making a 3" aerial shell so I have included so people can see how easy it really is to make simple items.

Welcome back from vacation, Jeff! This post was awesome... thanks for sharing all of it, but especially the construction bits. I've always been curious. When I was a kid, my best bud and I used to scrape the innards out of model rocket engines and sneak powder from his dad's reloading shop and wreak havoc on old tree stumps and dead logs. Probably not the best activity for kids, but it was a good litmus test for seeing if I had the pyro bug.

Thanks again for an awesome forum contribution. Good stuff. Cheers!!

And here is one I just had to include here even though it's not about building but it dose make me want to travel to Greece.

 

[jh35ky123]

wow cool rocket war video! makes the ole fireworks wars we had as kids(teens till 30s) seem like nothing, but of course we were aiming at each other!

 

[Flaminpyro]

Yep I know what your talking about heck we still shoot bottle rockets at each other when the mood strikes us

wow cool rocket war video! makes the ole fireworks wars we had as kids(teens till 30s) seem like nothing, but of course we were aiming at each other!

 

[jh35ky123]

oh we do to Flamin even 8oz rockets and roman candles! it can get crazy runnin around like a 230 pound bald kid(42) but I love it. neighbors think were crazy

 

[RawPaul]

Wish I would have seen you post this earlier to put my 2 cents in on how awsome this was.
It was my first year at a PGI convention and Jeff was true to his word. I seen thing that I've never seen before. Of course while I was sitting through seminars learning as much as I could, Jeff was having all the fun in manufacturing. I made a couple of 3" Italian shells, but they were nothing compared to those big boys. They shot one off on Sunday and it didn't go quite as high as it should have, so we got a GOOD CLOSE LOOK at a 24" going off.
Plus it was funny watching everyone (including the vets of pyro) flinch every day they set off a Dotor X shell at 4pm to let people know open shooting had started.:crackup:
If you are truly a pyro, then I would encourage you to go at least once. It is well worth the membership to get the education and see all the cool stuff. The one in 2014 is going to be in Iowa and I hope I can go. It is a couple of more hours drive for me than this last one, but Jeffs drive was waaaay longer than mine.
Bring lots o money though cause there is a lot of class c there for sale that you will want to buy and shoot. I've never seen so many grown ups acting like kids in a candy store.

 

[Sander]

Howdy,

WoooW Awesome video's man ! I've never seen that kind of big fireworks here in the Netherlands ! Awesome colors & effects ! They are definetly illegal in whole Europe.
You got a very nice job indeed. I wish a was born in America.

All the best.

 

[iskor12]

That is some pretty amazing stuff!

 

[ARG]

Dang. That's massive.
I didn't even know they came that big

+1

 

[Flaminpyro]

Yep that big boy weighed in at 176 pounds :eg:

And the 16"ers were all around 79 pounds.

Dang. That's massive.
I didn't even know they came that big

+1