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Pyro

rocketparrotlet

rocketparrotlet

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I have gotten quite interested in burning and exploding things recently...

So I've been playing around with bottle rockets and the like for a while now, and I just got a 1-pound package of magnesium powder...ohhhhh man this is gonna be some fun stuff!

Anyone else into pyro stuff? Post videos and your favorite mixtures/bombs/whatever. It's lots of fun!

-Mark
 





I used to be huge into pyro a couple of years ago. Aerial shells, starmines, comets, you name it. I had my aerial shell technique down and I made some pretty awesome shells, I wish I would have video taped some of my best ones. My favorite comets were 1.5" C6 with some coarse charcoal added, those looked unreal against a black sky when shot high enough. It was fun while it lasted but the people who are only interested in flash have ruined the hobby for the rest of us because of the bad rep. There are so many videos of flash "bombs" on Youtube, these just add to the fire to ban fireworks and make responsible firework makers look bad. I quit pyro for a few reasons, but it was mainly because I didn't want to get in trouble with the law.

Now the only pyro I do these days is spud guns, I haven't built anything pneumatic but I have a lot of fun with he combustion cannons. I have a 4" cannon in the works ATM which will be fun to shoot.

For any pyros out there, www.apcforum.net is FULL of pyro info and great for beginners. Read the rules before posting though!
 
The hobby is never ruined.

Chemicals are very easy to obtain if you try. I doubt that fireworks will be banned anytime soon; people love them too much. I am nothing of an architect or an expert on the subject; I just know my chemistry well, and I have always had a streak to burn things. I do not claim that things I make are beautiful. I do not claim them to be nice, and I do not advise duplicating them.

What separates a "responsible" fireworks maker from an "irresponsible" one? Breaking the law? Most of us do it here on this forum! Sure, aluminum powder and potassium perchlorate might be regulated more stictly, but they are only two of many! Fireworks and pyro will never die.

-Mark
 
read and head

styropyro said:
I used to be huge into pyro a couple of years ago. Aerial shells, starmines, comets, you name it. I had my aerial shell technique down and I made some pretty awesome shells, I wish I would have video taped some of my best ones. My favorite comets were 1.5" C6 with some coarse charcoal added, those looked unreal against a black sky when shot high enough. It was fun while it lasted but the people who are only interested in flash have ruined the hobby for the rest of us because of the bad rep. There are so many videos of flash "bombs" on Youtube, these just add to the fire to ban fireworks and make responsible firework makers look bad. I quit pyro for a few reasons, but it was mainly because I didn't want to get in trouble with the law.

Now the only pyro I do these days is spud guns, I haven't built anything pneumatic but I have a lot of fun with he combustion cannons. I have a 4" cannon in the works ATM which will be fun to shoot.

For any pyros out there, www.apcforum.net is FULL of pyro info and great for beginners. Read the rules before posting though!
Click to expand...


:whistle: I couldn't have said it better myself . you can also try pgi.org high energy chem's are nothing to mess around with blindly or you could end up that way, think about it for just a min. is your eye sight or a couple fingers realy worth it, and that could be the best case scenerio how would you like to have someone feed you the rest of your life. it's best to have someone around who's done this befor, or some idea of what it is you are actualy doing. :huh:

Peace Pyro...
 
What separates responsible pyros from irresponsible ones is how their creations are used. An irresponsible pyro is the one that make "bombs" with excessive amounts of flash powder to "blow stuff up". A responsible pyro makes his creations out of the right chemicals and uses them in a safe manner. If they are going to use explosives, the composition won't be flash powder.

The only real use for flash powder is to help break shells or for use in aerial salutes. Flash powder "bombs" just make us look bad and fuel the CPSC to attack more pyro companies. Read about the CPSC vs. FIrefox-fx case to see how flash powder is bringing down the hobby.
 
Personally, I stay away from flash powder. That doesn't mean, though, that I don't still do stupid things...admittedly, I do, but I don't spread them to the world, just to my friends. Flash powder (or at least a reasonable quantity of it) is illegal, and everyone knows it.

I like to "blow stuff up", but I also like making stoichiometric mixtures of different chemicals. Because I enjoy blowing stuff up using only consumer fireworks, does this make me irresponsible or bad?

-Mark
 
Hey, I can't blame you... I've been a pyro myself since I was pretty young (well, some may still consider me young at almost 26). I had my mom buying me mail-order chemicals to make my own fireworks when I was 12, haha. Almost as far back as I can remember, I was fooling around with pyro.

Sure, I've done some stupid stuff with it, but I really never injured myself, aside from some singed hair or burnt fingers, luckily. I like to think I was careful about it, but I know that it had to do with a fair amount of luck as well since some of the stuff I did was pretty inherently dangerous.

But, now, I enjoy mostly commercially made fireworks and the occasional creation of my own :)
 
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I am having fun with my magnesium powder!

I did not know that 3g of powder could make a 2-foot diameter fireball! I guess now I do! I have a pound...this is fun! (Glad I started small, my eyebrows are still intact.)

I'd show the video but it was really stupid and I'd rather not...let's just say I got lucky that I didn't catch something on fire.

I am usually somewhat safe, but luck does play a part as well. I have done some things that I would not do again, but at least I saw how dangerous they could be WITHOUT getting hurt.

My next projects are nitrocellulose lacquer, ammonium triiodide, potassium permanganate, and potassium nitrate and sugar experiments.

-Mark
 
Blowing stuff up does not constitute to being "irresponsible". Some people enjoy building fireworks while others enjoy blowing stuff up(legally); It's simply another aspect of the pyro hobby... It's the "redneck" retards that blow up mailboxes, trashcans, etc that cause the "blowing stuff up" aspect of pyro to be looked down upon. As long as you're doing it safely(and legally) in a controlled environment, I don't see a need to worry. Heck, I use to do HEs and other hardcore stuff; I'm still in one piece(No criminal history either)...

Rocketparrotlet - I recommend sticking to firecrackers if you're uncomfortable with making flashpowder. If you're really interested in homebrewing flashpowder, I recommend making very small batches to avoid serious injuries and legal issues associated with larger amounts.
 
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I generally do these in a very controlled environment, down in a gulch that has streams, clay, and thick lush vegetation all around me, with a sandy and rocky bank that I set these off in. There is no chance that even a little bit of it could catch on fire down there; it is too wet.

I do not blow up other people's property or things like that, that would be horrible!

You used high explosives? That is amazing! Did you brew your own nitroglycerine, etc.?

I am not uncomfortable with making flash powder, I'm uncomfortable with owning it... it is very very illegal and I don't have a license; I'm just another kid. I don't need to get in trouble with the law for flash powder, I still have dreams. Other chemicals are just as good, and they are still legal.

-Mark
 
A gulch or pit of any type is generally a bad place to be blowing stuff up since it leaves you very little room to run should anything happen. Try to find a flat, unobstructed piece of land if possible. If not, you may want to look into building yourself a little "bunker"; 55 gallon drums and plywood works well...

You used high explosives? That is amazing! Did you brew your own nitroglycerine, etc.?
Click to expand...

RDX, NG, Nitromethane, ANFO, ANTI, TATP, Lead styphnate, Mercury fulminate, you name it, I've probably synthesized/played with it. I've never fooled around with anything more than a gram for safety reasons.

HEs are an absolute NO-NO for anyone who does not possess the appropriate licenses; you will probably end up blowing yourself up or getting splattered with acids if you try to synthesize any of the above substances. All the synthesis was done in a lab.
 
I just bought a crapload of fireworks today from Phantom Fireworks... $600 worth!

They gave me a bunch of free stuff for how much I bought and as an "early bird" special, so I'm going to hopefully sell those off to make back a good portion of the money, though :)
 
For you pyros out there. The PGI convention returns to Mason City, Iowa this early August. !!! I will be helping set up shows for a week !!!

Mike
 
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