Hello there from Georgia. Just south of ATL.

[theundecidedt]

Hey everyone I just joined the forum after reading some threads and watching some of Dave's videos. I am from Georgia and I have always liked doing fireworks. It all started when I was 10 or 12 and we started lighting off the small fountains that you used to be able to get at Walmart before the big ones were legal here. From there my addiction has grown and this is promising to be the biggest year yet.

The thing is I have never set up "shows" per say more just lit one firework off at a time, usually re-loadable mortars because my parents banned repeaters at the house after I had one flip... That is until this year.

I guess I have a couple questions that need to be answered I'll go ahead and post them here but if I need to post them elsewhere too I will do that.


What basics do I need to know about setting up shows?
What is the best way to keep repeaters from flipping? And yes when I shoot them it is off a sturdy board on flat ground.

Thanks for any answers and I am looking forward to exploring more into the forums.

[displayfireworks1]

Welcome to the forums. Place the fireworks cakes on a flat surface and put old bricks on either end of them. The same with re-loadable mortars, a flat surface and old brick on either side of the mortar.

[AstroEd]

Welcome to the forums. there are a lot of helpful knowledgeable folks here, I am new myself. I have also been advised to use liquid nails and glue them to a 4x4,4x8 sheet of plywood.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Hey there Georgia. Welcome to the boards. If you have lots to learn, you're in the right place. Use the search box to search for key items. You will find a plethora of information on pretty much every possible pyro related topic.

To answer your questions in short order... As Dave (displayfireworks1) suggests, you want to do SOMETHING to secure the cakes (what you call "repeaters") from flipping. If you only have a few cakes to shoot, using bricks is a good option. If you're going to build out boards and/or you have a lot of cakes, the best option is to glue them down with liquid nails. Under each cake is a thin sheet of paper. You're going to want to remove that paper and expose the cardboard or wood underneath, and apply the liquid nails to the cardboard or wood bottom and NOT the paper. From there you can hand light each cake or fuse them together and light it once and enjoy the show.

Good luck! Shoot safe!

[Crab107]

Hey everyone I just joined the forum after reading some threads and watching some of Dave's videos. I am from Georgia and I have always liked doing fireworks. It all started when I was 10 or 12 and we started lighting off the small fountains that you used to be able to get at Walmart before the big ones were legal here. From there my addiction has grown and this is promising to be the biggest year yet.

The thing is I have never set up "shows" per say more just lit one firework off at a time, usually re-loadable mortars because my parents banned repeaters at the house after I had one flip... That is until this year.

I guess I have a couple questions that need to be answered I'll go ahead and post them here but if I need to post them elsewhere too I will do that.


What basics do I need to know about setting up shows?
What is the best way to keep repeaters from flipping? And yes when I shoot them it is off a sturdy board on flat ground.

Thanks for any answers and I am looking forward to exploring more into the forums.

Hey bro!! Welcome!! I from North of Atl!! Glad youre here. These guys on here are awesome and very helpful!! Do like rick said and secure your cakes. This is my first show for my family this year. Dont get me wrong. Ive shot fireworks off but never in an organized pattern. This year i have some fuses rigged up. If youre like me and dont have any mortar racks yet you may want to set up a few "runs" like this..this just how i started..just load the tubes and start tying fuse in. This is very low tech compared to the pros on here. But its a start. I secure miy mortars by screwing them down to a piece of wood just how i have them set up on the table

[theundecidedt]

Thanks for the welcomes guys. Looking forward to learning as much as I can in the coming months.

[ilovecrackle]

Always remember the ABC's of fireworks. "Always Brace Cakes" because as you found out the hard way, they don't stop firing if they tip over.
I also use the brick method. A brick on a minimum of two sides of the cake, sometimes all 4 sides. Yes, I have a lot of bricks. :)
I also tape cakes together with duct tape or uhaul tape to give them a wider base. I'll group 200 grams in groups of 4-6 and 500 grams in groups of 4's. When i group the 500's together, I usually just set them on the ground or ply wood without any bricks since they have such a wide base on them. But even with the 200 grams grouped together, I will tend to put a brick on each side of them.
This is just me. Some will say i tend to over kill on the bracing but I'v never had a cake tip over on me using this method. :)

[Clipcolnd]

so true!!!!!!!!

[Clipcolnd]

Hello , I'm new to the post , Last years show i set off was a great success with multiple arrangements of cakes and mortars fused all together. This year was a huge disappointment repeating the same process as last year but adding a lot more motors. Can someone shed some light on why every chain ,jump ,transfer fire fuse popped and would not transfer fire ???? much appreciated any help