1.4 shell "flights"

[N3OQO]

I've never thought of doing this before, but last year it took me 4 and half hours to fuse and set everything up. I was thinking this year, a day or so before my big shoot, of taking a rack and the shells I'm going to use out on the patio and fusing them up in flights. Using Dave's Magic Tape of course, HEH. After fusing them the way I want, removing them from rack and sealing and marking them in 1 gallon ziploc bags for the trip to the shoot site. Does that turn them into a 1.3 product? Does anyone do something like this? It would indeed be nice to cut down the set up time to positioning and wiring remotes.

[CTPYRO]

It doesn't make them 1.3 because you aren't taking anything apart. Weather you make your 1.4 can shells into pairs or flights of 5 still makes this 1.4 product regardless of how many you string together

[displayfireworks1]

My experience has been only people in commerce have to worry about preparing product ahead of the shoot outside of their magazines. Another example is a distributor can not sell a solid case of canister artillery shells with a certain number of mortar tubes included. A solid case of consumer canister artillery shells for them would make it a 1.3 product even if the composition of each shells is meeting the consumer fireworks guidelines. You on the other hand can purchase say a case of Excalibur artillery shells remove all the mortar tubes and store all the shells in one box. It is not 1.3 for you , it still stays 1.4. What is true for you is not true for him in business. I hope I said that in a way it made sense. The scenario I just stated I reviewed past one of my legal experts, so I believe it to be true.

[N3OQO]

Thanks guys, I believe you have answered my question.

[HuskerNation]

I've never thought of doing this before, but last year it took me 4 and half hours to fuse and set everything up. I was thinking this year, a day or so before my big shoot, of taking a rack and the shells I'm going to use out on the patio and fusing them up in flights. Using Dave's Magic Tape of course, HEH. After fusing them the way I want, removing them from rack and sealing and marking them in 1 gallon ziploc bags for the trip to the shoot site. Does that turn them into a 1.3 product? Does anyone do something like this? It would indeed be nice to cut down the set up time to positioning and wiring remotes.

Yes I do this every year. I might make up 10 strings(or more) of 5 shells and put them in baggies. They make for nice little fillers or larger effects when hand lighting cakes and such before the finale. Pop them in my little 5 shot rack I built just for that reason and light one fuse.

[Westpapyro]

The safest way is just get more racks!
I don't rec, but if you are going to please put in a metal or plastic cooler. A nice new cooler with a handle and wheels to roll to your shoot site. Grab one out, close lid keeping the next string of shells safe from fallout or accidents.
I maybe to busy to use all my racks on the fourth this year, might be able to lend some out?

[joed2323]

Just be careful

First year I did this because didnt have enough tubes together for all my shells.

I would light a flight or string of shells and go back to my cake boards light a few and run back to my limited supply of tubes and pull more put together strings of shells out and try and get them together and into tubes...

I even went as far as putting newspaper between each flight...

I do not recommend this at all..

It is completely dangerous and unsafe... I do not care who you are, its it's still dangerous to do.
Any fallen spark or burning paper could float down and land in your box of flights of shells... Or ignite one in your hand...

I had fun but it was the last time I did this. Complete stupidness years ago...

Please try and get more tubes... And play it safe instead of being like one of those fools on youtube with a headline (watch this)

Yes it has been done by me and im sure more then a bunch others...

I do recall shells going off and up about 3' from my head.. Do not not do this.

Depending on your show date I will lend you shells you pay for shipping.

I would hate to read about any fireworks fatility eapecially if it was something similar to this.

Yes ppl have done this. Is it safe? Hell no

You get it done once. Do not ever do it again. Once is just being stupid I was stupid.... Like most dedicated pyros. We are here to help each other.

Please buy more tubes if you can squeeze the extra money

[joed2323]

I've never thought of doing this before, but last year it took me 4 and half hours to fuse and set everything up. I was thinking this year, a day or so before my big shoot, of taking a rack and the shells I'm going to use out on the patio and fusing them up in flights. Using Dave's Magic Tape of course, HEH. After fusing them the way I want, removing them from rack and sealing and marking them in 1 gallon ziploc bags for the trip to the shoot site. Does that turn them into a 1.3 product? Does anyone do something like this? It would indeed be nice to cut down the set up time to positioning and wiring remotes.

Also. Your post makes no sense.

You say it took you 4 hours to fuse everything up. Guess what so what... It takes time. If you dont like 4 hours of your time then quit this hobby.

4 hours isnt crap sir...

Be safe. Not stupid.

Buy more tubes since it sounds you have a "patio" to fuse stuff on.

Seriously 4 hours... You have no idea. It takes most exp pyros longer then 4 hours

Give yourself more time... Again 4 hours?? It takes others days and weeks. Tack in the time for show planning, given a pyromusical or what. It adds up sir...

Be safe. Take your time..buy more tubes or if you can't buy more cakes

[joed2323]

My experience has been only people in commerce have to worry about preparing product ahead of the shoot outside of their magazines. Another example is a distributor can not sell a solid case of canister artillery shells with a certain number of mortar tubes included. A solid case of consumer canister artillery shells for them would make it a 1.3 product even if the composition of each shells is meeting the consumer fireworks guidelines. You on the other hand can purchase say a case of Excalibur artillery shells remove all the mortar tubes and store all the shells in one box. It is not 1.3 for you , it still stays 1.4. What is true for you is not true for him in business. I hope I said that in a way it made sense. The scenario I just stated I reviewed past one of my legal experts, so I believe it to be true.

Why would you of all people give him the "head nod" to blow himself up??

I said ive done it, but it was completely unsafe.

Trying to drop fights of connected shells together into hot spent tubes with "glowing embers" possibly in the bottom of the tubes is stupidity ...

This thread should have been shut down or with the moderator stating this is completly unsafe to try and accomplish...

All the firework antis out their would love another article to try and use against us pyros.

[PyroManiacs]

Hey Joe, feeling a little ranty?

I do not think he was complaining to the extent you are thinking about the time it took him to set up everything. It seems as though he was just merely stating a fact about the amount of time it took and maybe there was a way he can be more efficient. At least that is how I read it.
No need to to get angry and/or hostile.

We do need to learn from each other.... and yes, constructive criticism is needed on certain subjects in which "we" may be more versed than others, but going off like you just did, or at least that is how I read it, is not really called for. There is a right way and a wrong way of teaching. Which kind of "teacher" would you want to be known as?

[N3OQO]

I do not think he was complaining to the extent you are thinking about the time it took him to set up everything. It seems as though he was just merely stating a fact about the amount of time it took and maybe there was a way he can be more efficient. At least that is how I read it.
No need to to get angry and/or hostile.



PyroManiac1981, you read me correctly. Efficiency and safety. I have no desire to act unsafely. I threw this out for advice. I have no desire to throw flights into hot mortars, that's insane. I load mine ONCE for the show.

We do need to learn from each other.... and yes, constructive criticism is needed on certain subjects in which "we" may be more versed than others, but going off like you just did, or at least that is how I read it, is not really called for. There is a right way and a wrong way of teaching. Which kind of "teacher" would you want to be known as?[/QUOTE]

[pfm1700]

I thought you were asking if it were okay to chain up your flights ahead of time, so when you reach your shoot site you could simply pull them out and drop them in your racks. I didn't get the impression you were trying to reload one after another. I would highly recommend NOT doing that, which you already said you wouldn't.

[ilovecrackle]

I thought you were asking if it were okay to chain up your flights ahead of time, so when you reach your shoot site you could simply pull them out and drop them in your racks. I didn't get the impression you were trying to reload one after another. I would highly recommend NOT doing that, which you already said you wouldn't.

That's what I thought as well.

[zzzybil]

Yes I do this every year. I might make up 10 strings(or more) of 5 shells and put them in baggies. They make for nice little fillers or larger effects when hand lighting cakes and such before the finale. Pop them in my little 5 shot rack I built just for that reason and light one fuse.

WELL I want all caps and CLEAR warning - this sounds like reloading ( 10 strings for a lil 5s rack - lit with 1 fuse ) and its A terribly unsafe idea !! FEEL free to THUMP ME if i post something unsafe .......... I understand the point of gentle teaching , explaining etc........ but I also grasp the concept of 1 tiny mistake leading to EPIC TRAGEDY and suffering...... if any of my kids , grandkids family or friends got hurt , I'd never forgive myself for corner cutting /saving time. Preparation in advance has its risks.... and reloading TUBES significantly changes the risk...to DUMB IDEA AND DANGEROUS... we're talking apples and oranges.... and RELOADING got mixed in with the original question.........tAKe your time and BE SAFE...... if yuh don't have enuff tubes get more. I reloaded an angle rack shooting over water but NOT WITH CONNECTED STRINGS .... think about it anything goes wrong ... always consider murphy's law... even with a safe container - if the 1st or 2nd OR ANY ON A STRING goes before all 5 are in tubes - ITS NOT going to ge a good day....
10 strings for a 5 shot rack , is 9 x5 uhhh 45 chances something is STILL HOT......OK 40 CUZ ONCE YOU GETT'M IN you're golden but 40 chances of hurtin somebody is wayyyyyy too many...........

[MontanaMike]

The OP was not talking about "reloading," he was just talking about putting his shells into a rack, fusing them up, then taking them out of the rack for transport to the shoot site. Then repeating the process with another group of shells. (NOT reloading a hot rack.) This way he can do his fusing in a nice shady patio rather than on the shoot site.

I assume he has a bunch of identical racks, so this would be an easy way to wire up groups of shells and avoid having to move all the racks around pre-shoot. He can take the empty racks to the shoot site, and load up his pre-fused flights according to plan.

Funny, I've been lighting fireworks every 4th for about 50 years and I just got into the world of pro-type mortars and the Cobra firing system last year, and now awaiting my first batch of wfboom wholesale fireworks this year. What sucks is....two months from tomorrow it'll be all over for another year!

[N3OQO]

Yes Mike, you understood my question. Cutting down on set up time, and safety is the goal. I figured not loading shells into a hot rack is a no brain-er so I didn't even mention it.