Fusing Display Shells

[Seaburnj-PA]

I have seen numerous videos of commercial shells being chain fused with green Visco, is it acceptable to fuse 3" display shells in the same manner? I have not seen many videos of display shell fusing other than e-firing or hand lighting each shell individually.

For example I have 12 racks of 10 tubes for my 3" shells, totaling 120 shells. Would the standard method to shoot these shells be firing each individually or is there a safe and preferred method to chain them using Visco?

[CTPYRO]

I've used regular visco before on some 4's as part of a finale before. We had excess 4's from the body and chained them into part of a finale. It worked fine but the speed wasnt really there and it was expected but it was a club shoot. If you can get a rool of QM that will work better and burn much faster like regular finale chains. I used flash tape as well and they all went up. Are all the 3's you speak of all color?? You can hand fire them or e-fire as they should come with a port for the e-match. You could maybe use 30-40 as part of a finale though

[Seaburnj-PA]

The majority of the 3's will be in the body and I was hoping to not have them go up excessively quick. Unfortunately an e-firing system is on the shopping list for next year so that is out.

I'm assuming since you mentioned using regular Visco on 4's that putting together strings of 10 shells that are 3" on Visco wouldn't be excessively dangerous? I'd like to fire a string of 10 from one ignition point and have them go off at a 2-4 sec pace per shell.

[Rocketshooter]

If you are using your shells as a finally chain, you can use visco but make sure its a fast visco. I would recommend nothing slower than 2/sec ft. Now, if you use them as part of the main body, just hand light them. You could slow fuse them but there is always the risk that if one of the shells catos, you still have fuse setting off shells on a broken rack.

[rppyro]

I fuse my 3 inch finales with 1-2 sec per foot visco (it usually is yellow or pink colored fuse). It is time consuming, but I have never had to relight a finale that went out, which seems to happen often with regular finale chains. If that is too slow, simply light both ends of the finale at the same time, perhaps with a cobra system or you and a buddy.

[displayfireworks1]

Sometimes I think I am pyrotechnic clairvoyant, I was just thinking about this same issue two days ago. I was recalling an event working with a new ATF user of professional fireworks. As he was progressing with 1.3 fireworks some old habits of using one long fuse to light multiple artillery shells moved into display shells. For example, using Visco fuse to light 20 or 30 display shells one at a time. the downside of this is if one display shells blows in the mortar and tips the racks over, you have now created one long chain of display shells firing in all directions of tipped over mortars. You can never use this one long fuse technique on display shell if you have an audience near by. If you choose to use Visco, set off small flights of three shells.
Still feeling the need to carry over some Consumer Fireworks tricks once you move into Display Fireworks may be a natural course of events. I would recommend adding another person to hand light the display shells.

[Seaburnj-PA]

Thank for the replies! Dave you are spot on in your assessment of my situation. I think I may go with your suggestion of fusing flights of 2-3 shells together this year and next year move more into electronic ignition. Thanks again.

[Ember_Pyrotechnics]

I'm planning on making my own quickmatch for the show that will be shot off this year. Another item I will construct will be strings using quickmatch and visco fuse. This would allow a three second delay between each individual shell. These strings will have five arches in them for the script to correct any malfunctioning in the fuse, that is, if any occur.

[PyroJoeNEPA]

I'm planning on making my own quickmatch for the show that will be shot off this year. Another item I will construct will be strings using quickmatch and visco fuse. This would allow a three second delay between each individual shell. These strings will have five arches in them for the script to correct any malfunctioning in the fuse, that is, if any occur.
You may find that you have a problem with the quick match not lighting the visco---the QM burns very fast & the visco is hard to light--suggest slicing the visco on an angle at least 1/2" with black powder exposed. Even then, it is "iffy".
If you are making your own QM you can tie "delay knots" in the paper QM by making a loop &tying a clove hitch around it to choke the gas. Each "knot" will give you half a second delay.
Dave has a video showing this with Albert from Little Big Shots. It was posted quite a while ago. It does work--but only with paper quick match....not with the plastic coated water resistant style.
An even more reliable method is to use 1/4" time fuse for delays with the quick match. That is how the "big boys" do it.
Also, what did you mean by "These strings will have five arches in them for the script to correct any malfunctioning in the fuse, " ???