Backyard Pyrotechnics I
by Pyronomy

The following series of articles will give details on  how pyrotechnic devices 
might be constructed. It is my intent that the descriptions given are for 
informational purposes only. WARNING: THE FOLLOWING MATERIAL DEALS WITH 
PYROTECHNIC DEVICES THAT CAN BE HAZARDOUS. SO PLEASE USE CAUTION:

I think that it would be prudent to explain the difference between 
pyrotechnics and explosives. Explosives are broken down into several 
categories. Low order explosives are things like gunpowder, flash powder, 
black powder, etc. They tend to burn rapidly or deflagrate. There power as 
explosives usually comes from the bursting of the container that they are in. 
High order explosives are things such as dynamite, plastic explosives, 
nitroglycerin, etc. They work under a different principle called detonation. 
Detonation in the most basic terms is the rapid, self-propagating 
decomposition of an explosive accompanied by a high pressure-temperature 
shockwave that moves at 1000-9000 meters per second. This is not generally 
considered in the chemistry world as burning. Primary or initiating explosives 
are the last class. Some of these are mercury fulminate, lead azide, etc. 
These can be sensitive to either shock or burning or both. They generally are 
more powerful than low explosives and produce a shock wave that is used to 
detonate high explosives. The only class that we will be dealing with in this 
series are the low order explosives.

Pyrotechnics are an art form that has a history  thousands of years old. They 
are constructed for the purpose  of providing exciting displays for groups of 
people large and  small. They existed even before anyone conceived the idea of 
using black powder to hurt their enemies. Explosives on the  other hand 
generally are used to do some type of work. Be it in  war or in peace they 
generally have a tendency to destroy. If this  is your purpose then this 
article isn't for you. Most pyrotechnic devices are explosive in some way and 
are therefore listed as explosives. Usually this is necessary for the devices  
to achieve the desired effect. I will cover devices that are intended to make 
pleasing displays be it on the ground or in the air. If you want to play with 
the big boys go join the army. 

At this time I would like to say a little something about this outrage in 
Oklahoma. McVeigh, or whoever is guilty, I hope they give you to the families 
of the ones you murdered YOU PIECE OF DUNG. While I am on the subject what is 
this bullshit the press is doing to the Militias. I've never seen such a load 
in my life. Several slimes do something horrible and the press goes and 
stereotypes a whole class of people without any investigation to see what kind 
of people they really are. Well if you are reading this you obviously don't 
believe anything that those jerks say anyway.  What was the purpose of this 
bombing anyway? Are we supposed to be impressed with this chicken shit attack? 
You didn't even have the balls to be there. What are you pissed about Waco. 
Hell I didn't like it either but I wouldn't kill someone because of it. Lets 
just pull the plug on you and be done with it because you obviously don't have 
a clue.

Anyway it's a shame that this happened because it has side effects that some 
people are not aware of. For one thing those people that find the main theme 
of this article interesting and might want to try working with fireworks will 
soon find it harder to get some of the things that they might need. The laws 
will probably get a lot tougher on anyone that might construct anything that 
someone else who is either nosy, stupid, or misinformed might think is a 
danger to society.  They might even see the required reading material 
disappear. I  don't know about you but it bothers me a hell of a lot.

I don't want anyone to have the false impression that I am all knowledgeable 
on this subject. For me it is a hobby that I happen to cherish with a very 
large passion. There will be some suggestions later on some reading material 
that will help.

WARNING: THESE DEVICES CAN BE DANGEROUS POSSIBLY FATAL SO BE CAREFUL. Safety 
is the key to successful and pleasing pyrotechnic displays. Therefore we are 
going to discuss safety now and throughout this series of articles.

Some of the DO's and DON'Ts

NO SMOKING: This means while handling chemicals or when constructing, firing, 
and transporting devices.

Be gentle when handling your devices as some can be sensitive to rough 
handling. You can't be too careful when involved with a hobby like this one.

The first thing you should do before constructing any devices is to check the 
laws wherever you are to find out if it is legal. There are several different 
classes of explosives that have been designated by the Dept. of 
Transportation. Pyrotechnic devices like the common firecracker, bottle 
rockets, those little pieces of junk that just burn on the ground with  merely 
a whimper and party poppers are in Class C. The  smaller sized paper tube 
launched aerial shells that go up a couple of hundred feet then burst are also 
Class C. Some states sub-divide this class into sparklers and ground devices 
that shoot sparks. Some are even so lame as to have everything banned. There 
is also Class B. This is where most of the big professional displays reside. 
These are probably familiar to everyone who has lived through one Fourth of 
July. They consist mainly of a round that is launched from a metal tube and 
burst high in the air. I'm not exactly sure what the boundary is between Class 
B and C. The largest aerial  shells that I have seen on sale in fireworks 
stands was 2 1/4" in diameter and was marked Class C. Most of the aerial 
devices that we will be discussing will be higher than normal altitude Class 
C.

OK back to safety. Do not fire  any devices on public property as it is 
dangerous and probably not legal. The author assumes no liability for damage 
or injuries caused by the use of this information. Okay enough so here is the 
list of minimum safety equipment needed.

SAFETY EQUIPMENT NEEDED		WHERE TO GET IT
Face Shield				Hardware Store
Breathing Mask					"
Thick Latex Gloves				"
Welding Gloves				Welding Supply
Welding Arm Shields				"
Leather Shoes

The equipment listed should be used anytime you are mixing your chemicals or 
when constructing devices. I know they are cumbersome but it is better to be 
safe than sorry. Especially the shoes.(Blackmatch will burn through house 
slippers. I know this from personal experience.)

Credits

It would be wrong for me to continue without giving credit to the individuals 
from whom I acquired the basic information that  I am about to impart to you. 
The first is the fantastic series  of books by Kurt Saxon entitled The Poor 
Mans James Bond. There are four books in the series covering every possible 
area of self reliance. All contain numerous how-to manuals from A to Z. You 
want to know, it's in there. Another one is Granddad's Wonderful Book of 
Chemistry. It contains everything that you would want to know about 
laboratories and chemical processes. Another series written by Mr. Saxon is 
The Survivor. This series is jam packed with how-to articles that are on every  
subject that you could possibly want. I would highly suggest all of these 
books as they are very valuable. The best ones as far as pyrotechnics are 
concerned are Granddad's, PMJB I and PMJB II. In PMJB I you will find 
Fireworks & Explosives Like Granddad Used To Make which is a group of articles 
including Scientific American 1903, Dick's Encyclopedia of Formulas & 
Processes 1872, The Techno-Chemical Receipt Book 1896, and Henley's Twentieth 
Century Formulas 1907. It also contains Pyrotechny by George Weingart (1947). 
It is considered by most to be the authority on pyrotechnics. The last one is 
American Pyrotechnist by VanderHorck. It contains articles by numerous authors 
about constructing mechanical devices used in the manufacture of pyrotechnic 
devices. In PMJB II you will find a reprint of Tenney Davis's book The 
Chemistry of Powder and Explosives published in 1943. It is modern and has 
done away with most of the older terms used for some of the chemicals used. 
However it is a very good idea to have Granddad's around as it does explain 
the older terms. I would like to express my gratitude to Kurt for the vast 
effort he has put into this series. It is well rounded and will provide a 
great many hours of pleasurable reading. THANKS KURT.  would also like to 
suggest getting a chemical dictionary or maybe borrow one and check certain 
aspects of the chemicals that are used in pyrotechnics. You should especially 
check the sections on hazards, properties, and usage.

I would like also to thank Stormbringer in D.C. (BBURPP) for turning me on to 
PMJB and for the inspiration. Asrael (OOPS Sorry bout them tax records Dad) 
Asphyxia also for the inspiration. Hey AZ be careful with that Perchlorate. 
And last but not least Thomas Icom for the opportunity to pen this series.

Materials

The hardest part of it all is acquiring the materials unless  you have an 
unlimited budget which I think most folks don't. So I am going to give you 
some hints on how to construct some of the things that will be needed.

Scales are a must if you want your compositions to be consistent. All of the 
compositions used are given by weight proportions. A cheap set of proportion 
scales are to be described. You will need the following:

Wood appox. 18"x 4"x 1/2"

Plastic/Vinyl strip 12" long and as thin as you can get it (I used a piece of 
1" vinyl window blind)

Wire appox. 4" long and fairly stiff 10-14 ga. (I used brass brazing wire)

Bend the wire in a U shape 3/4" in from each end. Make two holes in the wood 
slightly smaller than the wire. The holes should be placed so that the wire is 
in the middle length-wise and perpendicular to the length and 1/4" deep. The 
wire should be inserted so it is no more than 1/2" off the board. Put a slot 
in the plastic so that it will balance on the wire. Add a small container 
shaped like a scoop at one end of the strip by using a 2" piece of plastic 
drinking straw and duct tape. On the opposite side of the strip using a small 
piece of tape attach a dime about half way between the wire and the end. This 
will allow you to weigh out fairly small equal amounts of the chemicals.

The scales are used in the following manner. Place something under the scoop 
to catch any chemicals that might not make it into the scoop. Place your 
chemical in the scoop until it is just heavy enough to tip the scoop down all 
the way. This is one proportion that weighs somewhere around half a dime. It 
doesn't really matter how much as all the formulas are given as parts by 
weight proportion. Any way you go about it is okay as long as you make sure 
that the weights are consistent.  

Chemicals

CAUTION: ALL OF THE CHEMICALS BEING USED ARE EITHER POISONOUS OR DANGEROUS IN 
SOME WAY. PLEASE USE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WHEN HANDLING THEM:

The formulas that are used will only be tested possibly modified versions of 
ones found in the various sources that have already been mentioned. No 
formulas will be given that have not been personally tested to ensure some 
measure of safety and consistency.  There are several categories of chemicals 
that are used. Oxidizers and reducers are the most important as far as the 
actual burning of compositions. Binders tend to hold the compositions together 
physically and also have the tendency to moderate the burn rates. Some also 
have the tendency toward being combustible.

Oxidizers do just what their name implies by providing oxygen to sustain the 
burning. We will get into more detail on the actual terms at a later time when 
we start to get into the section on constructing stars and such as that. Some 
are listed here:

Potassium Nitrate is the oxidizer that is used in Black Powder. It is used in 
numerous compositions that contain a carbon based reducer. It should be 
obtained from the chemical supply house.

Potassium Perchlorate is a lot more powerful oxidizer than the nitrate as it contains more oxygen. Like the other chemical compounds made from chloric or perchloric acids it can be rather sensitive in certain circumstances. Such as when mixed with finely divided metals such as aluminum or copper. It also gives up chlorine which helps to deepen the color of your fire. It can be obtained from the supply house. Note that it also is more sensitive to shock when mixed with sulfur and may be set off when struck real hard with a hammer. It is a strong irritant. 

If you have an excess of bravery one of the most powerful oxidizers is 
Potassium Chlorate. If you decide to use it get all the PMJB books and read 
them from cover to cover many times to make damn sure you know exactly what 
you are doing. It has a tendency to spontaneously explode when mixed dry with 
certain things such as sulfur and red phosphorus and should be wetted 
thoroughly including an antiacid before handling. Thanks for that note Kurt.

Another rather powerful but hazardous oxidizer is readily available as of this 
writing is Potassium Permanganate. It is generally a purple colored granular 
substance that grinds up into a reddish purple powder. Be aware that it is 
very caustic and will burn skin on contact. It is very sensitive when mixed 
with reducing agents and when mixed with powdered aluminum it is as powerful 
and maybe even a little stronger than the flash powder described further on in 
this article.

Barium Nitrate (used for green fire) is a good oxidizer and also helps color 
the flame green. It also comes from the supply house. Most Barium compounds 
are poisonous so caution is important. Make sure that you wear your mask and 
gloves when using this in a well ventilated area.

Strontium Nitrate (used for red fire) colors the flame red and also provides 
oxygen. If you have access to a 100-200 mesh screen it may be obtained from 
common road flares. But be aware that most contain binders such as kerosene 
which could possibly cause problems. It is best to buy it from the supply 
house. Most Strontium compounds also tend to be hazardous in some way or 
other. They are usually poisonous and should be treated with caution. They are 
shock sensitive when mixed with reducing agents.

Ammonium Perchlorate is also a powerful oxidizer that is available and is 
mainly used in rocket engines. I have not used it yet but have acquired some 
for testing purposes and will let you know what I find out.

Reducers on the other hand are in the simplest terms what gets burned. I know 
that some will find that too simple a description but its easy to understand. 
Some are listed below.

Charcoal can be found at the hardware store but contains a lot of trash in it 
so it is recommended that you spend the bucks and buy soft charcoal sticks at 
the art store. These can be ground up real easily and are my first choice.

Powdered Aluminum can be obtained through a chemical supply house or if you're 
into chemistry made at home, but I bought it. NOTE: Filed aluminum doesn't 
work well unless it is very fine. Do not use sandpaper to make it small as it 
will contain many particles from the paper and could taint the quality. Be 
aware that most finely powdered metals can be explosive when mixed with 
oxygen. Some also can be toxic in this form.

Zinc Dust is another metal that can be used in the arts. It may be obtained 
from the supply house in a couple of forms. In bits and pieces, in a powdered 
form, and in a powdered form called mossy. This means that it was powdered by 
pouring molten zinc into water. The form I have acquired is the regular 
powder.

Sulfur has the main job of evenly spreading fire to all parts of the 
composition in which it is incorporated. It also acts as a reducer by being 
combustible. It is best obtained from the supply house.

Binders can have multiple purposes when included in some compositions. They 
hold things together and sometimes act as reducers. These will be described 
individually.

Shellac is a good binder when wetted with ethyl alcohol. It also is 
combustible so tends to act as a reducer.

Stearine is a binder and a reducer at the same time. It is sold at the hobby 
store for use in candles. It is sometimes used in making blue fire.

Another binder is powdered water soluble things such as dextrin but I have as 
yet been unable to find a source. IF you find one please pass it along. I am 
in the process of trying a couple of ideas along this line and will let you 
know what I find.

You will also need a couple of wetting agents to suspend your binding agents 
so they will be evenly distributed within the compositions. Isopropyl alcohol 
(rubbing alcohol) is used in certain cases that will be mentioned later. Ethyl 
alcohol to be used when shellac is being used in a composition. Denatured 
Alcohol can also be used if it is the kind that has been denatured by methanol 
only. It should not contain any other denaturants. Water is used when dealing 
with some of the Nitrate and Perchlorate composition and will be noted at that 
time. Never mix any Chlorate compositions dry as they tend to go BOOM.

Cannon Fuse can be found at gun shops and gun shows. It  may also be found at 
your better hobby shops that carry model  rocketry supplies. Make sure to test 
the fuses burn rate.

Other chemicals are also needed for special purposes such  as Ammonium 
Chloride which is used as a source of chlorine in the burning to help in 
deepening the color. It is also used in making a pretty good white smoke. Be 
aware that it has the tendency to draw moisture from the air.

Mercurous Chloride (Calomel) is also a good chlorine source but be advised 
that it produces poisonous fumes especially when burning and should be used 
only where there is extremely good ventilation. It is used primarily in the 
making of blue and green fire. It does not seem to take up moisture from the 
air like Ammonium Chloride and is preferred over it. Generally when chlorates 
or perchlorates are used for an oxidizer there is no need to add any extra 
chlorine source. This compound in any form is very poisonous.

Black Powder is available at most gun shops that cater to muzzle loading 
enthusiasts. It comes mainly segregated by grain size. 2F is the size that I 
have found to be the most useful. It can be carefully ground in small amounts 
with a porcelain mortar and pestle if the need arises.

I have touched only the tip of the iceberg here so please refer to PMJB for a 
complete list of what will be needed.

Black Match

Black match is a type of fuse used in certain ground and aerial devices. It is 
also very cheap and easy to make. You will need cotton twine and some finely 
ground Black Powder(BP). You will also need some kind of frame to stretch the 
fuse over to allow it to dry. Take 3 strands of the string and twist together 
then tie to one side of the frame. Twist the strands then tie tightly to the 
other side of the frame. Take a shallow container and put some BP in it. Add 
water 1 drop at a time mixing constantly with a wooden stick. Continue adding 
water until the BP is a thick paste. While wearing rubber gloves completely 
saturate the string with this paste. Wipe off any excess and allow to dry 
completely. This fuse burns at about 1" per second. It can be made to burn 
very fast by inserting it into a paper tube about 1/4" in diameter. This is 
called Quick Match and burns faster than you could possibly get away from so 
be careful when using it. The Black Match is also a lot cheaper than Cannon 
Fuse and is sufficient for use when testing compositions.

Flash Powder

Flash powder is a mixture of Potassium Perchlorate and the finest powdered 
Aluminum that can be acquired. 400 mesh works real well. You would be wise to 
wear a particle mask, face shield and rubber gloves for measuring your 
chemicals and also welding gloves when mixing them, just in case. Also it 
would be wise to do so when making devices. Measure 2 parts Perchlorate and 1 
part Aluminum. Combine them on a piece of aluminum foil and gently mix 
together thoroughly with a plastic measuring spoon. Store in a plastic bottle. 
** DO NOT STORE IN PLASTIC BAGS ** This composition is not real sensitive to 
static like Black Powder is but has been set off by static under test 
conditions so use caution when choosing your containers. This composition if 
placed in a test cup made from aluminum foil that is 1" in diameter and 3/4" 
deep to a depth of 1/4" and fired with enough cannon fuse to allow time for 
departure flashes, makes an audible poof and makes lots of white smoke. If 
loaded to a depth of about 5/8" you get one helluva boom, a big flash, and 
enough smoke to be seen from a long way off. The first time that I did this it 
scared the bejeezes out of me. I was not aware that any of the low order 
explosives would do this in that small an amount and under those conditions. 
Obviously I had failed to take into account the speed in which this stuff 
burns. When tightly contained it can build up pressure fast. I urge extreme 
caution when using this composition.

First Device

Now lets start the construction of a small firecracker that is approximately 
M-80 grade maybe even a little better. Be advised that this device can remove 
a hand. It is best to place it on the ground standing straight up so that the 
end plugs won't bean someone on the head or something like that.

Take a thick walled paper tube (fax paper roll or home made) about 5/8" in 
diameter and 2" long. The walls of the tube should be a least 1/8" thick. Make 
a wadding with toilet paper (TP) by inserting one wadded up sheet in the tube 
and packing tightly against a hard surface with a cylinder that will just fit 
the tube. Eject it from the tube then make another. Insert one of these into 
the tube leaving 1/4" space between it and the end of the tube. Fill this 
space with a quick drying two part epoxy cement and let it cure completely. 
Take a sharp pointed round object and make a hole in the middle of the side of 
the tube that will fit the fuse very tightly. Insert at the minimum 6 seconds 
worth of fuse into the hole until it turns toward either end. If you made the 
hole correctly the fuse should be rather hard to remove. If not use some 
Elmer's glue around the base of the fuse to hold it in firmly. Once again let 
it dry completely. Now stand the tube on end and add flash powder until 1/3 of 
the containers interior is covered.(Another alternative is to fill it 
completely and pack lightly using the end plug. I am still experimenting to 
find the right amount so be careful when trying this.) Insert a piece of 
wadded up TP in the tube and lightly pack just enough to hold the powder 
together leaving room for the other wadding that you made. Now insert the 
wadding and epoxy as before once again allowing to dry completely. You now 
have a device that I hope you enjoy. I put one of these under a 55 gallon 
plastic trash can that was inverted on concrete and it went 10' into the air. 
This device throws a very hard wadding so watch out.

Sources

Poor Mans James Bond, Granddad's, & The Survivor available from:
Atlan Formularies
P.O.Box 95
Alpena, AR 72611
(501) 437-2999