valign="top"| [7] [8]Insert the rammer with the hole into the tube and press the mix. Repeat this process until the rammer has cleared the spindle.

Then I fill the can with my report composition of choice. The traditional filling would be flash powder, but making flash has become a bit problematic for some in the current legal climate. It can be a challenge to install a fuse from the bottom of the motor, only touching the edge of the fuel-grain, with no nosing to hold it in place. VM&P Naphtha, Camping Fuel, and Mineral Spirits are all classified as "non-polar solvents." All are excellent Vaseline solvents and poor Sodium Salicylate solvents. All are easy on the respiratory system. None of these solvents mix with water. All work well in this recipe. With the support securely fastened around the paper tube, and with the fuse-hole-drilled end of the tube mounted on the spindle, I introduce 7 grams (1/4-ounce) of the whistle fuel, using a funnel.The first thing I do when pressing a motor is remove a small paper cup of the fuel from the tub of fuel. Then I close the tub tightly and set it aside away from where I am working. That way, only the small cup of fuel is exposed in case something goes wrong. NOTE: Adding Naphtha & Vaseline to the Sodium Salicylate & Iron Oxide before adding the Potassium Perchlorate "wets" and stabilizes the mixture, making it much safer to handle. Measure and pour about half of the required amount of Naphtha into the container with the melted Vaseline. Shake and/or stir until the Naphtha and Vaseline are thoroughly mixed. Pour the Naphtha & Vaseline mixture into the stainless mixing bowl with the Sodium Salicylate & Iron Oxide. Pour the rest of the required amount of Naphtha into the Vaseline melting container, swirl it around to rinse off the Vaseline residue, and add the rinse to the mix. Vaseline (i.e., petroleum jelly) is classified as a "non-polar reactant." Acetone and Toluene are poor Vaseline solvents. I weigh out the mineral oil into a clean quart jar, such as a spaghetti sauce jar, and then I add 1/2 cup of the Coleman Fuel to the oil. After tightly screwing the jar's lid on, I shake the liquid to completely mix the two ingredients.

Note: The ammonium perchlorate, barium sulfate, and potassium dichromate are each milled individually in a blade-type coffee mill until they are fine enough to pass through a 100-mesh screen. A 6-inch long, PVC plumbing pipe and band clamp tube support is used to reinforce the paper tube during construction. So, for the increments that are pressed around the spindle with the hollow drift, I'll press up to a gauge reading of 1750-psi on my hydraulic press. After the fuel and clay have been pressed in the tube, it's time to remove the motor from the spindle. This is easier if the support is removed from the engine first, which loosens the motor on the spindle just a tad.Add the petroleum jelly to the potassium benzoate/iron oxide mix and stir the mixture until it becomes homogenous. If I am going to store the motor for a while before launching it, I won't install the Visco fuse now, but will instead seal the end of the motor and the fuse hole with aluminum foil tape to prevent the whistle fuel from absorbing moisture. This article is a vehicle for exchanging information in the pyrotechnics craft. Readers are urged to learn and obey all laws and regulations of all federal, state and local jurisdictions and their agencies and representatives. Some information herein may contain incomplete descriptions of fireworks techniques based on the experience of its author(s) in a controlled environment with circumstances and conditions different from a reader’s. Readers must form their own opinion as to the application of this information. This information is considered documentary in nature and no opinion is given as to its suitability or use. No warranties are made either expressed or implied, including but not limited to warranties of the accuracy of the information herein. Using your clean-gloved hand, pour all of the Potassium Perchlorate into the stainless mixing bowl. I then strengthened the casings with some 1/2-inch wide fiberglass-reinforced strapping tape. Since my tape roll was 1-inch wide, I split the end of the tape in half. This allowed only one half of the width to tear off as I used it.

I even do the best I can to polish up inside the hole inside the hollow drift ("drift" is another word for "rammer"). This will help release any fuel which gets between that hollow part and the spindle during pressing. Optional: Ball mill with two containers and two sets of media: one for fuel/catalyst and one for oxidizer. At Let’s Party Fireworks, safety is always our number one priority. This is why we provide safety instruction and guidance with all of our fireworks. You should always read the instructions and take safety precautions when lighting fireworks in your home and, if you’re hosting a public event, should have the correct licencing and permission to do so.Inspect the powder for white granules among the red. The presence of white granules indicates that the ingredients were not properly mixed in Step 7. The correction is to thoroughly "wet" the mixture with Naphtha and repeat Steps 7, 8, and 9. When the composition has dried overnight, carefully run the mixture through a 20-mesh sieve twice and store in a paper container so that trace amounts of solvent can evaporate. After several days, the mix is ready to press. First, I loosen and remove the metal band-clamps from the support, and then slide the PVC support off of the motor.