UKSWAT
26th May 2008, 05:03 PM
Prelude: This guide is by UK-SWAT of tM. This is the introduction page of the pyrotechnics section of the Militant Hand Book- a project started by The-Militia. My intention is hopefully help you all, please read and post your thoughts and criticisms.
INTRODUCTION
What is Pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the art of fire, it is using knowledge of chemistry, resistant materials/design and creativity in order to create effects using chemicals and other materials. The actually word Pyrotechnics does expand into several fields such as high explosives (HEs), fireworks and special effects (SPX). This guide shall teach you about the firework field of pyrotechnics in order to give you a footing into the pyro world.
So who are you?
I am UK-SWAT, I have learnt from various sources and have been to many sites mostly teaching myself about pyrotechnics. As of this date (26th May 2007), I have just over 2 years of intense learning about pyrotechnics. To put it simply for you- the time for you to learn to create basic devices such as rockets (motors) and firecrackers (salutes) will be much quicker, providing that you read this well and also because I will be giving a list of sources to you.
As you can see I reside in the United Kingdom- does that mean that it is super hard for me to be supplied? No, the UK is one of the best places for basic pyrotechnics, I personally plan to move to America to eventually become a special effects technician or a pyrotechnician, that is my goal. Personally you shouldn't try to aim for my goals, pick your own targets. Most pyros do this as a hobby.
How will you teach me?
There is no such thing as a definite list of facts and figures that you must learn in order to practise pyrotechnics. Writing a list like that would be difficult and most likely have mistakes in it, the best way for me to teach you would be simply to give you a set of projects which in them selves have deliberately incorporated skills into them. For example, a project on making a basic rocket propellant (RP propellant) will teach you several skills: calculating ratios, how to mix chemicals safely, how to slowly wet chemicals and how to granulate and dry chemicals.
This is no straight forward 1+1=2 style of learning, it will gradually teach you and make you aware of the world of pyrotechnics. For example, there will be a term system in this book, this means that special pyro terms are highlighted, and you should learn to use them. These will be highlighted like this: Pyroterm. One particular example is the word: Firecracker. Use that word around your friends if you wish but the appropriate term is Salute. I shall no longer use the word firecracker in this guide in order to teach you not to use it.
Can't you just teach me to make a quick bomb out of house hold materials?
No, you can fill a film canister with match-heads but that is boring and as far as I'm concerned does not count as true pyrotechnics. You will however after a month of learning be able to produce decent salutes and rockets. They are more fun than "match-head bombs".
I wanna get some revenge though, I'm just gonna skim through your book to find the best way
If you want to do that, then you are on a sure fire way to kill yourself, pyrotechnics when done properly is for effect and fun. Not for carnage and revenge. It's acceptable if you wish to have a little late night fun whilst launching fireworks where they are designed to be (in the air), but that comes once you are fully confident with the device you are using. [Device: Any pyrotechnical finished item, for example rockets, salutes, smoke bombs etc.].
Ok, so what IS the point in reading this if you wont teach me to make a quick bomb?
There isn't, however you may still want to read this if you want to learn pyrotechnics. It only takes you one successful device for you to get hooked onto pyrotechnics, trust me. Making a bottle rocket fly high and fast gives a much greater satisfaction than watching a match-head bomb go off.
So erm... what is this match-head bomb you keep talking about?
Match head bomb is the term I use to describe any "salute" made using match heads, sparklers or those snapping caps. Sometimes I will refer to them as "kewl-bombs". A kewl is a person who thinks he knows about pyrotechnics when in reality he just plays with match-heads. He has most likely read the anarchist cookbook.
Anarchist cookbook?
Basically a kewl book that teaches you to make "cheap bombs", the badly written and unsafe information in that book will most likely get you killed rather than teach you to make "cheap bombs". Half the shit in the book doesn't actually work. You can find loads of fake versions of the AC (anarchist's cookbook) on the Internet but the genuine version if hard to find, don't bother reading that book. The amount of misleading crap in the book is surprising.
Well that was a mouthful, so I think that I am ready to start doing pyrotechnics, what's the first thing I should do?
If you haven't already, read all of the introduction rather than skipping down to here, it's for your own benefit, trust me.
Anyway, starting on pyrotechnics will take you a good month before you have the tools, knowledge and supplies to do something decent. Now there are things you can do to help you get started, collecting! Literally collecting items will help you in pyrotechnics greatly, rather than collecting random crap that you think will be useful, just refer to my list of things to collect:
- Plastic mallets and light hammers
- Drill bits and drills
- Electric motors
- Spoons, dowels and other things for mixing
- Metal rod and hollow rods
- Cotton string
- Things to store tools and chemicals in
- Ziplock bags
- Plastic and thick cardboard tubes
- A glue gun
- Craft paper
- Plastic storage containers.
- Lighters/sources of ignition
- Sieves and old strainers
- Meshes
- Icecream tubs and other stackable tubs
Most importantly.... Money!
Print this list or memorise it, just start collecting!
Now there are a couple things you wont find lying around your house, because pyrotechnics is a niche hobby it means that you wont find half the things you need on sale at Tesco/Walmart. So it means that you will have to look into a serious investment for pyrotechnics. Here is a list of the most important items:
Scales
Seriously, this should be the first thing you EVER buy. Scales are the most important tools in pyrotechnics because they are used to measure out the chemicals in a composition accurately so that it burns correctly.[Composition: A mixture of chemicals that can be dry mixed or binded together] You cannot measure things by volume or by eye. For example, adding too much charcoal to BP will cause the burn rate to drop significantly, bad enough that you pretty much cannot use it. Scales are essential, there is no two ways about it.
Any old postal/kitchen scale wont do, you MUST have scales that measure in 0.1g increments. That means that it should be able to measure something like 23.6 grams, it is essential to invest in a good set of scales that should last you sometime. Now I've seen ridiculous prices for precision scales on the internet, up to their thousands! That isnt nessasary, a good 20 american dollars or 10 british pounds will get you a good set of scales, from my favourite place. Ebay.
Search "0.1g scales" on ebay, here is a picture of my scales, small but reliable. You should aim for a scale like this:
http://i11.tinypic.com/4lqq0c8.jpg
Good set of scales, always use them, INVEST IN ONE, ITS MANDATORY! Bare in mind that cakecups actually weigh 0.2-0.4g, its just that I set my scale to ignore the weight of it. Buy a model that will measure up to at least 150g.
[b]Protection
When working in pyrotechnics the most important factor you must consider is safety, you must always be asking yourself whether what you are making will ignite in your face and if so what will happen. In order to make such judgements you need to have the right protection for individual tasks. During this book I will point out obvious mistakes to avoid but there are a few things that you need have handy.
When working with most powders you need to be aware that they can be so fine that they can float, especially chemicals such as high mesh aluminium or charcoal. You need to have a dust mask on for most tasks. Now dust masks can be simple cheap paper ones that you get from the builders discount or they can be more expensive ones that you can use for handling solvents. That doesn't mean you have to be as extravagant as this guy:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb185/UK-SWAT/smoothe.jpg
But anyway a standard dust mask like this is suitable for most applications:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb185/UK-SWAT/dustmask.jpg
Whilst saving your lungs is all fine and helpful unfortunately it isn't the only piece of safety essential, you need a good pair of flame retardant gloves. Heavy duty builders gloves and good quality paintball gloves serves the purpose pretty well. Whilst I personally hate wearing such constricting items such as most safety gear I also know what happens to people who don't. I'll make this short and sharp, don't wear safety gear? You risk this:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb185/UK-SWAT/rocketburn.jpg
He decided he was too "manly" to wear proper safety gear and a rocket he was making ignited and burned his hand pretty bad. Not only can he not use that hand for a good while but can you imagine the excruciating pain that not wearing basic safety gear can cause? If you still wish not to wear appropriate gear, then close this book and give up on pyrotechnics. Safety is mandatory. Even I have had a device light too quickly, I was testing a small batch of BP and the fuse failed. This meant that the fuse burnt way too fast, if it wasn't for my paintball gloves my finger tips would be looking more like cigarette butts right now.
Whilst these are the two main pieces of safety equipment that you must have there are a few additions that will be needed for different projects. Along with these protective items there is also the obvious rule about wearing old clothes, seriously. I decided to pump some stars whilst wearing my good hoodie and I got it covered in aluminium dust.[Pump some stars: The easiest process used to create cylindrical shaped stars, stars are small pieces of composition that burn brightly when lit and are used in a lot of amateur fireworks].
INTRODUCTION
What is Pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the art of fire, it is using knowledge of chemistry, resistant materials/design and creativity in order to create effects using chemicals and other materials. The actually word Pyrotechnics does expand into several fields such as high explosives (HEs), fireworks and special effects (SPX). This guide shall teach you about the firework field of pyrotechnics in order to give you a footing into the pyro world.
So who are you?
I am UK-SWAT, I have learnt from various sources and have been to many sites mostly teaching myself about pyrotechnics. As of this date (26th May 2007), I have just over 2 years of intense learning about pyrotechnics. To put it simply for you- the time for you to learn to create basic devices such as rockets (motors) and firecrackers (salutes) will be much quicker, providing that you read this well and also because I will be giving a list of sources to you.
As you can see I reside in the United Kingdom- does that mean that it is super hard for me to be supplied? No, the UK is one of the best places for basic pyrotechnics, I personally plan to move to America to eventually become a special effects technician or a pyrotechnician, that is my goal. Personally you shouldn't try to aim for my goals, pick your own targets. Most pyros do this as a hobby.
How will you teach me?
There is no such thing as a definite list of facts and figures that you must learn in order to practise pyrotechnics. Writing a list like that would be difficult and most likely have mistakes in it, the best way for me to teach you would be simply to give you a set of projects which in them selves have deliberately incorporated skills into them. For example, a project on making a basic rocket propellant (RP propellant) will teach you several skills: calculating ratios, how to mix chemicals safely, how to slowly wet chemicals and how to granulate and dry chemicals.
This is no straight forward 1+1=2 style of learning, it will gradually teach you and make you aware of the world of pyrotechnics. For example, there will be a term system in this book, this means that special pyro terms are highlighted, and you should learn to use them. These will be highlighted like this: Pyroterm. One particular example is the word: Firecracker. Use that word around your friends if you wish but the appropriate term is Salute. I shall no longer use the word firecracker in this guide in order to teach you not to use it.
Can't you just teach me to make a quick bomb out of house hold materials?
No, you can fill a film canister with match-heads but that is boring and as far as I'm concerned does not count as true pyrotechnics. You will however after a month of learning be able to produce decent salutes and rockets. They are more fun than "match-head bombs".
I wanna get some revenge though, I'm just gonna skim through your book to find the best way
If you want to do that, then you are on a sure fire way to kill yourself, pyrotechnics when done properly is for effect and fun. Not for carnage and revenge. It's acceptable if you wish to have a little late night fun whilst launching fireworks where they are designed to be (in the air), but that comes once you are fully confident with the device you are using. [Device: Any pyrotechnical finished item, for example rockets, salutes, smoke bombs etc.].
Ok, so what IS the point in reading this if you wont teach me to make a quick bomb?
There isn't, however you may still want to read this if you want to learn pyrotechnics. It only takes you one successful device for you to get hooked onto pyrotechnics, trust me. Making a bottle rocket fly high and fast gives a much greater satisfaction than watching a match-head bomb go off.
So erm... what is this match-head bomb you keep talking about?
Match head bomb is the term I use to describe any "salute" made using match heads, sparklers or those snapping caps. Sometimes I will refer to them as "kewl-bombs". A kewl is a person who thinks he knows about pyrotechnics when in reality he just plays with match-heads. He has most likely read the anarchist cookbook.
Anarchist cookbook?
Basically a kewl book that teaches you to make "cheap bombs", the badly written and unsafe information in that book will most likely get you killed rather than teach you to make "cheap bombs". Half the shit in the book doesn't actually work. You can find loads of fake versions of the AC (anarchist's cookbook) on the Internet but the genuine version if hard to find, don't bother reading that book. The amount of misleading crap in the book is surprising.
Well that was a mouthful, so I think that I am ready to start doing pyrotechnics, what's the first thing I should do?
If you haven't already, read all of the introduction rather than skipping down to here, it's for your own benefit, trust me.
Anyway, starting on pyrotechnics will take you a good month before you have the tools, knowledge and supplies to do something decent. Now there are things you can do to help you get started, collecting! Literally collecting items will help you in pyrotechnics greatly, rather than collecting random crap that you think will be useful, just refer to my list of things to collect:
- Plastic mallets and light hammers
- Drill bits and drills
- Electric motors
- Spoons, dowels and other things for mixing
- Metal rod and hollow rods
- Cotton string
- Things to store tools and chemicals in
- Ziplock bags
- Plastic and thick cardboard tubes
- A glue gun
- Craft paper
- Plastic storage containers.
- Lighters/sources of ignition
- Sieves and old strainers
- Meshes
- Icecream tubs and other stackable tubs
Most importantly.... Money!
Print this list or memorise it, just start collecting!
Now there are a couple things you wont find lying around your house, because pyrotechnics is a niche hobby it means that you wont find half the things you need on sale at Tesco/Walmart. So it means that you will have to look into a serious investment for pyrotechnics. Here is a list of the most important items:
Scales
Seriously, this should be the first thing you EVER buy. Scales are the most important tools in pyrotechnics because they are used to measure out the chemicals in a composition accurately so that it burns correctly.[Composition: A mixture of chemicals that can be dry mixed or binded together] You cannot measure things by volume or by eye. For example, adding too much charcoal to BP will cause the burn rate to drop significantly, bad enough that you pretty much cannot use it. Scales are essential, there is no two ways about it.
Any old postal/kitchen scale wont do, you MUST have scales that measure in 0.1g increments. That means that it should be able to measure something like 23.6 grams, it is essential to invest in a good set of scales that should last you sometime. Now I've seen ridiculous prices for precision scales on the internet, up to their thousands! That isnt nessasary, a good 20 american dollars or 10 british pounds will get you a good set of scales, from my favourite place. Ebay.
Search "0.1g scales" on ebay, here is a picture of my scales, small but reliable. You should aim for a scale like this:
http://i11.tinypic.com/4lqq0c8.jpg
Good set of scales, always use them, INVEST IN ONE, ITS MANDATORY! Bare in mind that cakecups actually weigh 0.2-0.4g, its just that I set my scale to ignore the weight of it. Buy a model that will measure up to at least 150g.
[b]Protection
When working in pyrotechnics the most important factor you must consider is safety, you must always be asking yourself whether what you are making will ignite in your face and if so what will happen. In order to make such judgements you need to have the right protection for individual tasks. During this book I will point out obvious mistakes to avoid but there are a few things that you need have handy.
When working with most powders you need to be aware that they can be so fine that they can float, especially chemicals such as high mesh aluminium or charcoal. You need to have a dust mask on for most tasks. Now dust masks can be simple cheap paper ones that you get from the builders discount or they can be more expensive ones that you can use for handling solvents. That doesn't mean you have to be as extravagant as this guy:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb185/UK-SWAT/smoothe.jpg
But anyway a standard dust mask like this is suitable for most applications:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb185/UK-SWAT/dustmask.jpg
Whilst saving your lungs is all fine and helpful unfortunately it isn't the only piece of safety essential, you need a good pair of flame retardant gloves. Heavy duty builders gloves and good quality paintball gloves serves the purpose pretty well. Whilst I personally hate wearing such constricting items such as most safety gear I also know what happens to people who don't. I'll make this short and sharp, don't wear safety gear? You risk this:
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb185/UK-SWAT/rocketburn.jpg
He decided he was too "manly" to wear proper safety gear and a rocket he was making ignited and burned his hand pretty bad. Not only can he not use that hand for a good while but can you imagine the excruciating pain that not wearing basic safety gear can cause? If you still wish not to wear appropriate gear, then close this book and give up on pyrotechnics. Safety is mandatory. Even I have had a device light too quickly, I was testing a small batch of BP and the fuse failed. This meant that the fuse burnt way too fast, if it wasn't for my paintball gloves my finger tips would be looking more like cigarette butts right now.
Whilst these are the two main pieces of safety equipment that you must have there are a few additions that will be needed for different projects. Along with these protective items there is also the obvious rule about wearing old clothes, seriously. I decided to pump some stars whilst wearing my good hoodie and I got it covered in aluminium dust.[Pump some stars: The easiest process used to create cylindrical shaped stars, stars are small pieces of composition that burn brightly when lit and are used in a lot of amateur fireworks].