Cremoras

[Jake-Pa]

I'm planning on doing cremoras this year with 1,2, and 5 gallon buckets. I'm using milk fat replacer as my fuel and for testing I used fff black powder. I'd like to know what kind of powder you guys recommend for them because I've heard on a larger scale fff can be dangerous

[PyroJoeNEPA]

We use 2FA for 5 gal buckets. Works great. Thin layer--just enough to cover the bottom of the bucket, tissue paper, cremora.

[displayfireworks1]

My experience has been you need a metal dog food bowl to hold the black powder and direct the blast upward. Near every time I see people just drop in black powder in a bucket and throw the powder on top , the bucket explodes.
https://timenewsfeed.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/154142648.jpg?w=480&h=320&crop=1
http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/300/9a/9ae472bd-7aae-4dfd-ac2f-97c6448663e2_300.jpg
https://cdn.couponcabin.com/prd/www/res/img/coupons/brand/cremora/large_logo.png
http://nmlra.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Goex1.jpg
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LYLMQ4Sirds/hqdefault.jpg

[Jake-Pa]

Do you use the same amount of black powder with the dog food bowl or less?

[displayfireworks1]

There is probably a formula to calculate the amount of black powder used, I do not know it. Can someone post something if they know?
I saw it where once the black powder is in the dish, you cover with thin plastic then add the powder. Guys that make a lot of these use some sort agriculture powder calf milk product. Rumor has it the product floor sweepings from the factory are sold to the pyro market.

[PyroJoeNEPA]

The buckets we use are white HDPE--have never had one blow up. And we have re-used them. Actually--they are 6 gallon buckets, that I buy used from a local lumber yard. I don't know what the orange "homer" buckets are made of. Also, the 2FA powder is not the same as FFg. Here is a chart showing differences between "sporting grade" & "blasting grade" powders from the Skylighter website:
http://www.skylighter.com/fireworks/help/Black_Powder_Size_Charts.asp
You can see the fffg is much finer & will burn faster & hotter than the 2FA powder I use.

[Fire Art]

For you cremora guys...we just received and are offering for sale 2fa and 4fa powder in one pound bottles. I am also working on obtaining bags of cremora that are already measured out for 5 lb buckets, more on that when I receive them.

[displayfireworks1]

Al, now all you need to do is sell a dog dish and a Homer Bucket to complete the fireball effect. LOL

[PyroJoeNEPA]

Here are a pic of the 6 gal HDPE Cremora Buckets I use. The one in the pic has been used several times & is as good as new. Note the HDPE mark on the bottom. Also, a pic of two 6 gal Cremoras going off as the last shot in my July family picnic Pyromusical. It was pretty intense! Using a thin layer of 2FA powder [just enough to barely cover the bottom of the bucket] produces a great effect without having to use the parabolic curve of a dog food bowl. Lots of ways to skin a cat! This is mine. :-)

http://pyrotalk.com/wp-photos/wp-content/gallery/united-states-pennsylvania/cremora-bucket-6-gal-7b0ff8868d18268b7d30da3c9991dd0ed04b2edc.jpghttp://pyrotalk.com/wp-photos/wp-content/gallery/united-states-pennsylvania/20150804_175856-ed2add690d9b4e27bfce29f75e7db6b764f90040.jpghttp://pyrotalk.com/wp-photos/wp-content/gallery/united-states-pennsylvania/dual-cremoras-06c68d76cc0e6c1910962a088b246de667a17728.jpg

[displayfireworks1]

After you posted this I looked at my Home Depot Homer bucket it does say HDPE #2 . I never thought to check that. Perhaps people are adding too much black powder when the bucket blows apart. I know AL at Fire Art is selling premeasured amounts of Creamora for 5 gal. buckets. We need to come up with a weight amount of black powder that is enough to lift the powder but not blow the bucket apart. Then when people make these they can have baggies of premeasured black powder.