Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss Flash powder

Hi guys

I've been interested in pyrotechnics since I was a kid and now want to take things to the next level by making my own fireworks. I've checked with the Federal, State, and local regs and it's perfectly legal and does not require a license for the fireworks I'm interested in making.

With that in mind, I am wondering if anyone on the forum has any experience with making flash powder [it's perfectly legal, but a potentially hazardous 70/30 mixture of Potassium Perchlorate and Aluminum Powder [Dark German]]

I only want to create a little side hobby - I'm not planning on reselling anything I manage to create. My questions are:

How dangerous is mixing flash powder?
Does anyone have any experience with this process?
I don't want to risk my life [or appendages] to try and make a few mortor shells...I trust the PBF feedback on whether I'm being a sissy or if I should stay away from this idea.

Thanks!

TJ

Yo Tom G.!! Calling Tom G!

Esshup...my thoughts exactly...Yo! Tom....?

Hey TJ, I talked to one of our fire marshalls today when I was requalling at the range. Not sure about your neck of the woods, but in Fairfax County, VA, setting off M-80's is considered an explosive device and is a felony! Mere possession is a class 1 misd! So you may wanna check your local ordinances or code to make sure if you start letting a few of those rip, the local PD or state police don't hook you up and take you to jail... Now Fairfax County is quite suburban to urban, so a more rural setting may have lax laws and let you make big booms with no problemo...

M80's...why, I've never even heard of these devices - but thanks for the head's up Travis. I'm checking NE law ONE MORE TIME to be certain my fountains and smoke balls are legal.

My jurisdiction has some tight laws. Only fireworks that are legal are those that don't explode or go over 12' into the air. Kinda cuts down on the fun... I do all my fireworks blowin' up in the boon docks of PA.

Jeesh, a felony for lighting an M80. Amazing...a guy can be carrying up to an ounce of marijuana in Nebraska and it's a $100 fine...sign a ticket and drive away. Craziness.

Last week the Secret Service was shooting on my neighbor's property (it's a monthly thing) and I think they had some dynamite as well. Towards the end of the day the noise was substancially louder than anything that they were shooting earlier! I think the rules might be slightly different for them.

Just a hair bit... I live not to far from Quantico Marine Base. They actually have a window breakage hotline for you to call when their boom booms, boom boom and little too much and break a window or two! Pretty impressive stuff!

TJ, flash powdre is some pretty unstable stuff! Static electricity and humidity can set it off if it has the SLIGHTEST bit of iron oxide hit it (Thermite Reaction)

Thermite reaction----It's what had me for dinner! 6pounds blew an eight foot hole in a 25 foot roof---I was 3 feet away and landed over 40 fett away----extra crispy!

Sometimes you just gotta leave some things alone... TJ, this might be one of them. That is unless you want to leave your ponds to me in your will. Then I say experiment away!

I would advise against it.Just from my humble experiance I can tell you Im lucky to be around.It was all in fun,until after the explosion,then it was too late.The powers that be today DONT have a sense of humer.On the other hand,big BOOMS are really fun if you can run fast enough.

Tom...warnings coming from you and Rainman - two guys I consider comfortable with taking their chances from what I can tell, gives me a moment to rethink my potential experiments.

Keep your eyes on the newspapers and you ears open at the conference...

From some of the comments made about the conference,Im thinking body armor.