                       ANARCHY 'N' EXPLOSIVES - VOLUME #6
                       ==================================
                          by Doctor Dissector, 6/14/89

SKY ROCKETS
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Next  to  the  Roman Candle, these are perhaps the most popular articles of the 
pyrotechnical  craft and, on good authority, apparently antedate the candle. So 
much  has been written about sky rockets that any detailed description would be 
superfluous.  The  French,  particularly,  have  left  a most complete history, 
sometimes  amusing,  in  view  of the present status of rocket manufacture. The 
rocket  consists of a tube of paper rammed with suitable composition, its lower 
end  choked to about one-third of the diameter of its bore, and having a hollow 
center  extending upward through the composition to about 3/4 of an inch of the 
top.  A  stick  attached  to  the  tube  serves  to balance it while ascending. 
Roughly,  the  composition  of  a  rocket,  that  is, the portion of it that is 
burning  while  it  is ascending, should be seven times its diameter in length. 
Six-sevenths  is pierced through the center while one-seventh is solid and acts 
as  a  fuse  to communicate the fire to the heading when the rocket reaches the 
highest point of its flight.
     The  tube is made of strong paper, preferably 3 turns of hardware paper on 
the  inside  with 4 or more turns of straw board or Kraft paper on the outside. 
A  good  rocket  case can also be made of heavy rag or building paper, if it is 
properly  rolled  with  good paste. The process of choking the case and ramming 
in  a  mold  has  been practically discontinued. An average model for a 1 pound 
rocket is given in the file "ROCKET.ANS" (ANSI graphics format).
     Good  rockets should be uniform, all those of one caliber ascending to the 
same  height  and  bursting  at  about  the  same  time.  This  is particularly 
desirable  in  bouquets  of  100 or more, fired simultaneously, or a straggling 
effect is produced.
     Most  rockets  larger  than 3 ounces are rammed singly or by gang rammers, 
which  can  be  built  on  a custom basis. Today, hydraulic rammers are also in 
use.
     For  very  large  rockets,  a  scoop  of clay is shaken in and rammed with 
eight  good  blows  of  a  mallet  on  the  longest rammer. Then, a scoopful of 
composition  is  rammed  with about eight lighter blows. This is repeated until 
the  case  is  filled  to about 1 inch from the top. Shift rammer as it becomes 
necessary  to  use  shorter  ones.  There should be 1 inch of solid composition 
above  the  top  end of the spindle. Now the final charge of clay is put in and 
the  hollow pin rammer is used. This sets the clay while leaving an opening for 
the  fire  to  reach the heading. Care must be used to see that the hollow tube 
just  pierces  the  clay.  If  it does not go through, the heading will fail to 
fire;  if  it  goes too far, the heading will fire prematurely. (The heading is 
the  blast  charge  or  whatever  you  want  to  ignite) the following are good 
compositions  for  rockets  of  the  different  sizes given: (given in weighted 
parts)

                    1-3 ounces    4-8 ounces    1-3 pounds    4-8 pounds
Potassium Nitrate      18            16            16            18
Mixed Coal             10             9            12            12
Sulfur                  3             4             3             3

     If  rockets  burst  before  ascending,  add  more coal; if they ascend too 
slowly,  add  more Potassium Nitrate. For the smaller sizes, use fine coal, for 
larger,  coarser  in  proportion  to  the  diameter.  In 4-8 pound rockets, use 
partly granulated Potassium Nitrate.


SERPENTS
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     The  eggs  for producing this remarkable article consists of small pellets 
of  sulfocyanide  (thiocyanate) of mercury which has the remarkable property of 
swelling  25-50  times its original size when lighted, producing a ling, snake-
like  ash. To prepare it, make a concentrated solution of mercuric chloride and 
add,   little  by  little,  a  solution  of  potassium  sulfocyanide,  stirring 
constantly.  A  grayish  precipitate will be formed, and when the last addition 
of  sulfocyanide  no  longer produces cloudiness, permit the mixture to settle. 
Drain  the  supernatant  liquid off as much as possible, remove the precipitate 
to  a  filter  paper,  placed  in a glass funnel, and wash slightly. When it is 
thoroughly  dried,  reduce  it  to  a  fine powder. When ready to for the eggs, 
moisten  the  composition  very  sparingly  with  a weak solution of gum arabic 
which  may  be  added  a  pinch  of  potassium nitrate and, made into cones, by 
ramming.  However,  this  product is poisonous to man and other living species, 
since  it  is  composed  of cyanide and mercury. Thus, another formula has been 
devised to accommodate safety.
     A  safer  version  of  the  above  serpent  can  be made of the following: 
Naphtha  pitch  (10),  Linseed oil (2), Fuming nitric acid (7), and Picric acid 
(3  1/2).  Reduce the pitch to a fine powder; add linseed oil and mix well in a 
mortar.  Add  the  fuming nitric acid, always a little at a time, Allow to cool 
for  1  hour. Wash several times with water, the last time allowing the mass to 
stand  in  the  water  for several hours. Dry thoroughly; powder finely and add 
picric  acid,  rubbing  it in well. Moisten with gum arabic water and form into 
pellets about the size of a #4 star.


SMOKES
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     This  branch  of pyrotechny seems to have been somewhat overlooked, though 
its  possibilities for daylight entertainment as a supplement of night displays 
could  open  an  interesting field for those with enough imagination to develop 
it.
     There  are  as  many  colors  and  tints  of smoke as there are flames and 
aerial  combinations.  The simplest form of the smoke used in pyrotechny is the 
smoke  pot,  as used in spectacles like THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII and BURNING OF 
ROME,  where it is desired to give the effect of destruction by fire. Smoke and 
spark  posts  consist  of  short  cases  about  4-6 inches in diameter and 6-12 
inches in length. A basic formula subject to variation is:

                                  Smoke 1   Smoke 2   Spark 1   White
Potassium Nitrate                    4         6        ---       12
Lampblack                            1        ---       ---       ---
Fine Charcoal                        1        ---        1         1
Realgar                              1        ---       ---       ---
Rosin                                1        ---       ---       ---
Sulfur                              ---      1 1/4      ---       16
Antimony Sulfide                    ---        1        ---       ---
Meal Powder                         ---        1         2        ---
Sawdust                             ---       ---        1        ---


WHISTLING FIREWORKS
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     The  peculiar  property  of  picrate  of  whistling while burning has been 
known  for  a  long  time.  You  can manufacture whistling fireworks using this 
substance.  In  a  porcelain receptacle, dissolve 1 pound of picric acid in the 
least   possible  quantity  of  boiling  water;  add  1/4  pound  of  potassium 
carbonate,  a  little  at a time, stirring continuously. When effervescence has 
subsided,  add 1 pound of powdered potassium nitrate. Stir thoroughly, allow to 
stand  for  an  hour  and  then  place it on a heavy piece of filter paper in a 
glass  funnel,  to  drain. When it is dry, crush to a fine powder with a wooden 
roller.
     Although  this  is  a  reasonably  safe composition, only small quantities 
should  be  handled at a time, as an explosion will cause disastrous result, or 
will  they?  heh  heh.  The dry powder may be rammed into tubes from 1/4 to 3/4 
inches  in  diameter,  and will produce the whistling sound when burned. Bamboo 
tubes are most effective.
     Owing  to the ease with which potassium picrate detonates, whistles cannot 
be  use  in  shells,  but  small tubes, 1/4 inches in diameter and 2 1/2 inches 
long,  when  charged  with the above composition, may be placed in the heads of 
rockets  or  fastened  to  the outside and arranged to burn while the rocket is 
ascending.  Attached  to wheels, they are quite amusing, but the most effective 
use  for  them  is in a series of six or eight, ranging in size from 1/4 to 3/4 
inches  in  diameter,  set  side  by  side  like  a  Pandean  pipe  and  burned 
simultaneously.
     A  non--picrate  whistle, safer than the one above, is made from potassium 
chlorate  (3),  and Gallic acid (1). This composition makes a very good whistle 
and is not nearly as troublesome to prepare as the one using picric acid.


COLORED FLAMES
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     Colored  flames  are  made  by dissolving various substances in alcohol. A 
copper  can  filled  with cotton is impregnated with the alcoholic solution. It 
is  lighted  by  a tuft of cotton protruding from the opening. For green flame, 
use  boric  acid.  Red  flame  uses strontium or lithium chloride. Yellow flame 
requires  sodium  chloride. A blue flame may be produced with copper sulfate or 
cesium carbonate


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