Introduction: How to Make a Rcandy Roman Candle Firework

By Youtube user
About: "But I being poor have only my dreams, spread out beneath your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams" 1st Cleric Preston, Equilibrium QED

Roman Candles are a type of firework that usually propels a flaming star high into the air producing light and sound which is stunning. This design, rather than shooting each star after the last has burned, shoots in rapid succession about 10 white coloured stars.
These can be joined together successfully making brilliant displays.
Note that this procedure is quite long and is only efficient if you make more than 3.
I DO NOT TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE INFORMATION DISPLAYED HERE!

Step 1: Gathering Materials

First make a 100g batch of Rcandy:

https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-rocket-candy/

Required
-Make 50g into Flash candy (see Rcandy) and the rest leave as is.
-Flat baking tray
-Ramekin (or small bowl)
-PVA wood glue
-A4 paper: 1 for each Roman Candle
-16mm or ½ inch Thick dowel (or rod) min of 30cm long
-Squewer (duel purpose)
-pencil or pen ect
-brush 5cm wide is good
-Pot
-Stove preferably electric not gas
-Rubber mallet preferred or hammer of somesort
-Masking tape
-Teaspoon measurement
-Tablespoon
-Teaspoon
-Sparkler/s or fusepaper
-Plastic bags
-Gloves and full face mask
-Cat litter (Bentonite clay)
-Mortar and pestle or other grinding device (food processor included)

Not required but fun or useful
-Oven
-COLOURED A4 paper
-ruler

Step 2: Making the Tube/s

With the dowel stick some masking tape around it about 30cm.

Get your cat litter and crush up a few tablespoons of it in a mortar and pestle or other. (Pic 1)

Set aside a flat baking tray with the A4 piece of paper on it and a ramekin with 2 teaspoons of PVA Wood glue in it.

Put the paper into a Portrait way making the shortest edges at the bottom and top, now mark a line ~1 inch away from the bottom. (Pic 2)

Use the brush and glue on the paper on the bigger side of the line using a left to right brushing action. (Pic 3 and 4)
Note that in this example there is way too much glue!

This is the skillful part; roll the Squewer in the inch that isn't glued, this will make it roll around the 16mm dowel easier, Now take the Squewer out and let it free

Now place the 16mm dowel (the side with the masking tape) onto it and roll it up. Turn the oven onto about 150 Celsius and place inside, if you don't have an oven just leave it in a warm place to dry. (Pic 5)

Once dry place a piece of masking tape over one end and insert 1 teaspoon of powdered Bentonite clay or cat litter. (Pic 6)
Get your piece of dowel and insert it into the tube, place the tube with dowel in it onto a hard surface and smack using only the wrist action 3 times. (Pic 7)
DO NOT HIT TO HARD!!
It only needs to be an adequate plug
Once done remove dowel, squeeze the end with you fingers as hard as you can. If it crumbles do it again but hammer a little harder, if not then good job and remove masking tape!
Now weight it and write the weight on the side of the tube.

Step 3: Making Stars and Lift Charges

Put on gloves and full face safety mask
Get a pot and turn on the stove to about 110 celcius and add the 50 grams of rcandy (not the flash candy) into the pot.
Stir until it melts and then you can roll into balls using your hands. Try to make them about 15mm in diameter, a good way to check is to let the star cool and with an empty tube push it through: If it has resistance but goes through with out you pushing hard then its ok. Don't use it if it just slides through, unless its a tight fit.

WARNING Melted Rcandy is very hot, treat it like dry ice don't let it touch your skin in the same place for more than a second.
The flash candy is the lift charge, for instructions on how to make flash candy see the main page How to make Rcandy.

Step 4: Tube and Fuel Together

Measure out 1 teaspoon (volume) of flash candy and load into the tube the same way you did the bentonite clay, get your dowel and pack it in the tube, after that put in a star and repeat the process until there is 3> cm left in the top of the tube.

Tip: if you make a star too big and it gets stuck and you can't ram it down, place the tube on its side and hit it on the side with a blunt object and that will crush the star inside and you can just pour its remnants out.

Then cut a sparkler's metal handle off and place the end you cut into the tube.
place some flash candy to fill it up and compress it with your finger or a Squewer end.
repeat until it is full to the top

Step 5: Safety and Ignition

With the Squewer you used, tape it to the tube with masking tape at the botom and the top leaving a bit of squewer sticking out the bottom.
ALL DONE
Stick into the ground and light the sparkler this will ensure a minimum delay of 15 seconds to get away, remember to be safe and most of all have fun!

The first attached video is of a 6 shot, remember that the designs on this page are for a 10 shot...
(The fuse is not a sparkler but fuse paper, it does the same thing) (AVI)

The second Video is an edited 35 shot (WMV)

P.S, I have been toying around with fountain formulas and have made a fairly good one, hopefully I will put a link here :)

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