How to Make Fireworks

Step 1 Shell parts

Let's start making the aerial shell (from now on it will be mentioned as 'shell')

Shell hemispheres
You will need two 3" paper hemispheres to make this shell. Note that the hemispheres themself are actually not 3", but smaller, since there must be room for pasting and quick match to make the shell fit in the 3" mortar tube.

Stars
A batch of 75 grams of 10 mm pumped "Tiger tail" stars were made for this shell, however only 70 grams were used. Remember always to make more than you need. It's better to have a bit more, than be needing. The stars were primed in meal black powder to ensure ignition. Since Tiger tail stars ignite easy, you might find that this might be unnecessary. If a 'rising comet' is desired, a 20 mm or 3/4" comet is pumped with the compostion. Make sure that the comet has a burn time equal to the time fuse or spolette (3 seconds).

Tiger tail stars:
Potassium nitrate..................44
Charcoal (Pine airfloat)........44
Sulphur....................................6
SGRS or Dextrin.....................6

Chemicals can be obtained at:
Skylighter.com

Bursting charge
'Meal coated rice hulls' was used in this shell.

Time fuse
A 'spolette' is a small tube, where black powder is confined in it. This will act as a time fuse, however one can also buy time fuse from such sites as:
Skylighter.com

Pasting
30-40 lbs kraft paper in ~70x15 mm strips are used for pasting the shell using the 3-strip pasting method. If another pasting method is desired, the strips might have to be longer or wider. A glue is needed to paste the strips to the shell. Wheat paste is a cheap solution that works well.
Find out how to make it at a tutorial I made:
Wheat paste tutorial
Wood glue thinned with water can be used, however it is much more expensive.

Lift charge
A lift charge is needed to shoot the shell out of the mortar. Approximately 15 grams of good granulated or corned black powder works well. More or less might be used depending on the quality.

Ignition
For igniting the shell either a piece of visco fuse and quick match or shoothing-wire and an e-match can be used. In this tutorial a piece of shooting wire and e-match was used. Note with this way you will need a power supply, and that you can not light the shell with a lighter

Other
You will also need lifting cup, paper tape, scissors, drill, "gummed paper tape" or kraft paper, tissue paper, brush, hot melt glue gun, cotton twine and string.

Comments

[noahh]

How much will this cost?

[PyroJon]

It will cost you about 20 years, if you are caught doing this sort of thing in the US. You need to be licensed both locally and federally and if caught with the means of making fireworks you are likely to be charged as a terrorist and branded a bomb maker for life. Of course these things CAN kill you and others if you don't know what you are doing. This set of instructions are very basic and while all of the steps are presented some very important details are omitted, this should not be undertaken by amatures, leave it up to the trained professionals.

[dagabu]

Blah, blah, blah.... Hobbiest fireworks CAN be made at home without any interference from the BATFE. The problem comes with firing them off, storing them overnight and transporting them. Join a pyrotechnics club, get your type 54 license from the BATFE, Join the PGI, come to convention and enjoy. I get tired of all of the naysayers and pundits, plus you can make and shoot all of the fire works your state and city say you can shoot so if you are able to shoot all consumer fireworks in your area, go ahead and make the shells 1.75" and below, NO salutes and talk to your neighbors. BOOM!

[mrdepo96]

what does the type 54 license allow you to do?

[dagabu]

Take a look here

http://www.atf.gov/forms/pdfs/f540013.pdf

[lugh23s]

So in order to get the same effect of a larger shell can I legally put in flash powder instead to stay within the 1.75" requirement?

[dagabu]

Flash is a whole other subject. Flash is considered by all practical purposes a high explosive even though it does not deflagrate as would C-4. A 1.75" shell is considered a consumer shell. It may incorporate a report of no more than 130 milligrams of flash per aerial shell. "As far as the BATFE is concerned, it is legal to manufacture pyrotechnic devices as long as such devices and any remaining mixed chemical compositions are ignited that day - ie, not put into overnight storage (unless you are using an approved explosives storage magazine). Your state, county, and city laws may be (and likely are) much more restrictive, and may require manufacturing licenses and any sort of manufacturing to take place in special compounds. If you are interested in making fireworks, it is highly recommended that you fully investigate and understand your local laws."

[lugh23s]

ok so what if it takes me more than a day to make is that the same as overnight storage?

[dagabu]

Midnight is the line according to some agents. It will vary from agent to agent, some say at the end of a normal day such as 6PM, others are OK with 10 PM. But yes, your in bed, it must be in a magazine. No flash unless you are licensed, cops don't know the orange book and don't care, explosives are explosives as far as they are concerned.

[Danish M1Garand]

No kidding, you can build a machine gun with the appropriate licenses in the USA

[pineypl]

Actually you cannot legally build a new machine gun with the "appropriate" licenses. There is a manufacturing date cutoff. Anything fashioned into a machine gun after that date is considered "new" and thus cannot be obtained by the "appropriate" license. Indeed with the proper background check and federal tax stamp you may obtain a full auto machine gun that was manufactured prior to the aforementioned cutoff date.

[Danish M1Garand]

Class seven FFL and payment of the SOT tax you can become a legal manufacturer of Machine Guns. These are not transferable to Joe Citizen though, only to Police, Military and other Class 7 FFL's. It can still be done but once you surrender the Class 7 FFL you must surrender the MG or destroy it. These are called "Post Dealer Samples". Colt has this sort of paperwork to continue building M16's for our forces and foreign sales.

None for us peons though.

[dagabu]

The difference is that you can make class b (1.3g) fireworks at home without breaking the law... Its just the transportation and storage that gets you i trouble. Boom!

[noahh]

I know. Im not actually gonna make it now or ever. I was just wondering.

[Loveofchaos]

It CAN, but, the chance of it killing you,... is very small, what "Very important steps are omitted"?

[Rishnai]

I would guess its the sorts of small but important tips that one generally only picks up when learning face-to-face.

[stevoIution]

I guess we're lucky that the internet reaches countries other than terrorism paranoid America.

[Mr. Tinker]

My Good Sir;

If your loved ones were suddenly destroyed by the acts of a group that hated you simply because you are who you are, repeatedly, would you not have concern? They simply do not have the technology to reach where you are, otherwise you and your mates would be in the same boat with us.
God Bless, Friend.

[BigShotUK]

In reality, the attacks are not happening because of who we are, but because of what our governments do on our behalf. Of course, to ask WHY something happens is perversely seen as justifying it, but really, that's not the case; it's just a sensible question to ask.

For many, many years there was a continuous (and very much *real*) threat of bombings (I refuse, point blank, to call them terror attacks - an emotive term used to cook up unwarranted fear in the public) from the IRA in mainland Britain and in Northern Ireland. At no point were they called terror attacks and, for the most part, the were not used as an excuse to drum up mindless patriotism or to bring in draconian reductions in liberty.

The simple facts of the matter are that the terrorists currently active (in a shockingly low-scale way) are not attacking because of who we are; and that we (on the whole) have become insanely paranoid about it with no just cause whatsoever... mainly thanks to hysterical media outlets and governments keen to capitalise on freak events in order to further the overriding cause of all governments... control of the people through fear.

As for not having the technology to reach... the USA is about as far as it's possible to get from the middle east. If terrorists from that part of the world can reach the USA, they can reach everyone. Also note, technology didn't really come into it. They checked in as passengers and hijacked with knives. That's about as low tech as it gets.

The hard and brutal truth is that before 9/11 the USA, for the most part, was a very, very long way from terrorism whereas the rest of the world (ETA in Spain, IRA and UVF in the UK and Éire and many more besides) has a history of the same. It's new and shocking to many Americans, and far less so to the rest of us.
All said I love the States and the attitude of most of its inhabitants, so please don't take that as a dig, it really isn't. It's just a comment on the history of terrorism in places like Europe contrasted with that in the USA. There's no value judgment being made here.

If you can't accept what I've said, consider this... What were the three targets on 11th September 2001?
World Trade Centre (symbol of how America effectively runs the world's financial system)
Pentagon (symbol of America's military)
White House or Capitol (symbol of the government - that plane never reached its target, obviously)

Not schools, not sports stadiums, not Hollywood, Liberty Island, The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier or any other things representing the people of America or what they do... but targets related to the government, military and financial systems and what they do (or are perceived to do - the difference matters not) to the rest of the world.

Your government might tell you you were attacked for who you are, but the reality is THEY were attacked for what THEY are, but that won't sell things like Real ID and get everyone running to the government for protection.

I can't help thinking that looking at what the targets were and why the attacks took place should make it all easier to reconcile with things like basic common sense and what is really happening in the word.

I had intended this to be a brief response, but really, it's not something that can be explained in brief without sounding off the cuff.

The only thing the American people do wrong is to let the ruling class get away with making a mockery of the constitution... but there's not a terrorist outside the government that will attack the people for that.

Rest easy, you're not the target of the ones you fear... but maybe you fear the wrong ones.

God bless, Friend.

[jridley]

Really has nothing to do with terrorism, this scale of fireworks has been illegal for decades. The reason is that there's a large overlap between people who do this and morons who don't realize that these are powerful explosives. Just this year some complete bonehead woman decided to look down a 4 inch mortar to see why it hadn't fired. Her fiance and young son got to see her headless body drop to the ground a second later. I'm all for responsible people having fun, and I personally have indulged in a bit of this sort of thing myself, and I'm not sure that government should be trying to stop morons from selecting themselves out of the gene pool. But there are good reasons for control without invoking terrorism.

[Johan8335]

I do have to agree with you on your point of “natural selection”. And yes a hand full of mentally challenged people is ALWAYS the Government’s excuse to implement more and more restrictions on the normal person. It does not matter where you are a citizen in the world we are and always will be enslaved by governments, most probably for our own protection. I for one do see the irony in people giving information but not all the inn’s and out’s, Then say “DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME, for you do not everything” I have to admit that I myself have done some stupid things in my life, things that give me the creeps till today. But it could be put down that I needed to do these things in secret and behind closed doors. This is just my thoughts and I will have to advise you to “think independently from the good opinions of others”

[chewymst]

although i am aware that many people are killed an injured every year by fireworks, i highly doubt the woman you mention was decapitated (it takes quite a bit to fully be-head a human). And further more people die as a result of their own stupidity every day. maybe if said women hadnt died how she did (as a result of her stupidity) she wouldve taken people with her in a car accident. All im saying is none of us are omnipotent....so why act like we have all answers?

[gormly]

I would expect this kind of comment on Digg or reddit but not here. "paranoid" suggests an excessive concern that is not warranted. USS Cole, WTC Bombing and most certainly 9/11 would prove your comment misplaced. PyroJohn is incorrect, there are some statutes in the US in some areas (not all) that would label you a criminal for making unlicensed fireworks and land you a fine (or if selling them some jailtime), but they would not label you a terrorist, unless of course you were making a 500 pound "firework" for "personal" use. I for one, am glad I live in a state where my neighbor can't make his own "fireworks" and burn down my house with instructions from a website.

[Rishnai]

Or if the DA or prosecutor took a real dislike to you. It's been known to happen. Then you might get more than a simple fireworks charge.

[stevoIution]

Yeah, the completely unconstitutional Patriot Act is great. Ever heard the expression "Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean people aren't trying to kill me"? There's warranted paranoia but it's still paranoia.

[jackas]

u ssccaarree me!

[Vendigroth]

We are, ste, we really, REALLY are.

[Bert2368]

If you really want to do this, please go to pgi.org (Pyrotechnics Guild International web site). It is entirely possible to do this legaly in most states, and we can show you how, as well as give safety education and help put you in touch with licensed amateur clubs and/or professionals in the field, who are allways in search of enthusiastic people. If this sounds good and you're near the twin cities area in MN or WI and at least 18 with no felony convictions, you may also contact me directly. email to [e-mail] Please mention Instructables in the subject line.

[Helter]

I'm pretty sure that you're incorrect in that PyroJon. As long as you're not planning on transporting the explosives across state lines, giving them to someone else, or using them in a professional display, you should be perfectly fine with making your own fireworks for immediate use.

[rjogden]

Nope. ATF says you can't transport on public roads w/o a license. Also you need legal storage for anything you make and keep without shoting immediately. The storage magazine must be a minimum of 150 feet from roads, railways and dwellings (including your own house). It must be constructed according to ATF regs, which are very stringent. Do a google search on ATF ORANGE BOOK. And that's just Federal regs. Your state/local regs can be a LOT stricter. -Rich (ATF Display Operator permit holder)

[Helter]

I've read the Orange book, by my reading it only regulates 1) interstate transportation and 2) commercial transportation.
If you're not transporting for commercial purposes, and not transporting across state lines, you should be fine with your standard HAZMAT endorsement as required by your state DOT.
Storage requirements only apply if you intend to *store* the materials (note that I said "for immediate use").
If you're just building the devices for same day personal use, you really should be fine. I've been doing this for a while, and have never heard of a conscientious pyro getting any trouble for their hobby.

I'm not familiar with an ATF Display Operator Permit. I have display operator permits/certifications from NYC, PA (through my company), NJ, AZ, and DE, but have never heard of a federal operator permit. Can you provide a link so that I can get more information about it?

[rjogden]

The ruling regarding transportation on public roads has actually been in effect (but not vigorously enforced) for many years. Clarification was recently made on request of a certain national organization of hobbyists. The ruling can be read at www.atf.gov/explarson/eipb/pyrotechnic_club_member_activities_2007-03-22.pdf. The exact name of the ATF permit is Type "54-USER OF FIREWORKS (DISPLAY)". The application is available www.atf.gov/forms/pdfs/f540013.pdf/.

[Haumesser]

would a plastic shell work? if not, where can I buys a 3" paper hemisphere?

[codongolev]

just so you know, it's not a good idea to put a yellow box in another yellow box. then you can't get to it.

[mattadams]

you do know that shells are CAT4 in the uk and you have to have isrance and a licend store (to keep them in )

[pudi.dk]

I don't, because I don't live in the UK.

[mattadams]

lucky low we let some shells of estate

[Earl_Grey]

It's also wise to use 'Grounding' i.e. to earth yourself to prevent static discharge (those sparks that jump from your fingers when you touch your car or rub your feet on a carpet). You can get a bracelet that can be attatched to something suitable to earth yourself to prevent static discharge from electrical shops. WOuld not be nice to have a bowl of powder to go off in your face.