Im just wondering what everyone likes more as in what looks the best and what gives the best explosion... Here is the list I have came up of so far. If I miss something tell me.

-Pipebomb
-M-80
-Polumna
-C02 Bomb

Thats all I can think of right now, but what do you think?

Also I should I buy potassium perchloride/aluminum powder as the flash powder, or use a cheaper alternative such as rocket engine powder ect.?

Also, what is the best formula for making flash powder... because most of my formulas take hard to find chemicals that you usually have to make on your own.

Make your own aluminum powder by crushing a aluminum pop can, get a angle grinder and grind it down.

But the impuritys of doing that....


its just not worth the time and effort.

Aluminium can's aren't just aluminium; it's an alloy, not to mention the organic dyes and what-not used to label. Futhermore, angle-drinding will leave you with chunks of Al2O3; not a fine powder of pure german dark flaked aluminium; which is basically what you want for most flash preperations. Blacky, I like ya, but you really gotta start getting your info straight before giving it to newbies.

Of that list, Polumnas are great fun pyrotechnics, easy to make and easy to use. They're not designed to hurt; but they'll take an eye or your fingers if you're too close obviously.

'Pipe bombs' don't mean shit. You could be referring to a two-inch brass threaded pipe nipple packed with smokeless powder (ala this website) or an empty industrial halon fire extinguisher packed with RDX (ala my last camping trip). It's not a clearly defined term, other then 'exploives in pipe'. Also, the phrase has negative connotations. If you start talking at school about the 'sweet pipe bomb' you made,e xpect to get fucekd by the cops. Wheras, telling your friends about the 'steel-cased flash salute' is still likely to get you laughed at my professional pyros, but at least you won't be in jail. Bomb = Bad word. Try to avoid it. Skip the CO2 canisters, too.

An 'm-80' is any cardboard firecracker with 50mg of flash powder. No more. They used to be pretty damn big, but now, the maximum is 50mg. So, if there's a great big whoopping 2oz M-Five Million; it'll still only have the same amount of FP as the little ones on the other table. Assuming they're commercial products, that is.

Potassium perchlorate is the best general oxidiser for flash, hands down. It doesn't have the instabilities of permanganate, or the weak reactivity of nitrates, any of that kind of stuff. Unfortunately the chlorine tends to fuck with colours, so if you're doing coloured salutes you're gonna need a specialised mixture. It's a great all-rounder, though. KClO4/Al is the stock flash comp for most firecrackers.

Oh didnt realize I put potassium perchloride up top, But getting ahold of potassium perchlorate isnt too easy, Like the only store that I have seen selling it online or in local places, you can only buy small amounts of it. And its been from skylighter.com. And when I mentioned pipe bombs, I meant made with pvc or steel tubing with flash powder. (My steel-cased flash salute). But on the m-80s, I have seen people make them with 150grams of flash powder and if thats good, its equivalent to a stick of dynamite. Because 50mg seems like such a small amount of powder.

But um, you mentioned to stay away from making C02 canisters. Is this because of the large amount of shrapnel and damage it gives off?

And im sorry for being a noob, but its best I learn it from a professional.

Shrap and dam? Exactly.

Also, never in my entire life have I seen a flash salute 'equal to a stick of dynamite'. I've set off kilograms of the stuff, not to mention my fair share of the 'Swedish Chilies'. 50mg IS a small amount, it's all about confinement.

But yeah, it's getting harder and harder to buy decent oxidisers because of these new bullshit regulations and nazi enforcement tactics. You can always make a chlorate cell - they're pretty simple and work well. Google that and come back with your plan, I'll give you some hints or suggestions if I see any potential problems.

[quote='[ g h o s t ];104908']Aluminium can's aren't just aluminium; it's an alloy, not to mention the organic dyes and what-not used to label. Futhermore, angle-drinding will leave you with chunks of Al2O3; not a fine powder of pure german dark flaked aluminium; which is basically what you want for most flash preperations. Blacky, I like ya, but you really gotta start getting your info straight before giving it to newbies.[quote]

I tryed it, I got the information from this website here.

http://www.roguesci.org/theforum/sho...luminum+Powder

He did it with crushed aluminum cans. I don't make up anything.

Nazi enforcement tactics eh?

Anyhow im looking into this..

But from what I have seen so far, it looks like a hella of a lot of work for a couple hundred grams of potassium perchlorate.


And black that looks pretty cool. Do you think it works?

Hmm, that's actually quite interesting; the grinding thing. I've experimented with grinder; as have many others I know and never have we had success. Other aluminium sources work great with my grinding machine; but not cans... I wonder what makes his so special? maybe he lives at a high altitude so the lower air pressure pushes the oxidation equilibrium backwards... Or maybe he faked it? I dunno; that Al looks pretty damned good for poponium alloy. It's too dark and flaked, ground metals always come out as either slivers or spherical; depending on your grinding speed and kind of grind medium.

Hmm, reading the thread they seem to think the dark colour is due to lead contamination. Makes sense; but on the whole, use Al bar stock for grinding ratehr then pop cans - Your flash will thank you.

Grinding down pure aluminum would be best, but for the people who can't get their hands on it better be able to get it on a few pop cans.

"depending on your grinding speed and kind of grind medium."
-Full speed on the grinder would do the trick on oxidizing the other impurities in the pop can.

Great website though, none the less. By the looks of it they are very well experts. Most.