First fireworks show

[Cwpyro]

Hello everyone I just got my fel permit and I am in the process of planning my fist show. Nothing huge just backyard shows. so far I am ordering hdpe pipe from a local shop and will end up with 90 2.5" mortars and 50 3" mortars to work with I am wondering any suggestions on how many shells to buy and a rule of thumb of length of a show compared to shells? Also would it be worth getting and smaller 2" to fill in the show?Any suggestions or tip would be appreciated. Thanks.

[displayfireworks1]

Welcome to the forums, I curious did I help you get your ATF license? What is your level of fireworks experience?

[Cwpyro]

No I sent everything in myself and mostly have just delt with consumer fireworks this will be my first display show.

[displayfireworks1]

Do you have a fireworks firing system? My advice is no matter how many fireworks you buy, try to do a display in 15 minutes. Or if the audience wants to really enjoy it go to 25 minutes. You must have some carpentry skills.

[Cwpyro]

I do not have a firing system was planning on lighting everything by hand. And have plenty of carpentry skill.planning on making all my own mortars and racks.how many 2"-3" shells usually make up a 15 minute show? I know there a lot of factors that play into this. It just trying to get a starting point.

[displayfireworks1]

If you are new at this , I would say to slowly fire off one box of 3 inch shells. Who is the audience going to be, friends and family on private property? The first few times you fire off a display it does not need to be perfect. Enjoy using the larger fireworks and get a feel for the difference if you normally use Consumer Fireworks

[PyroManiacs]

Welcome To PyroTalk!

Good luck on your shows!

[chriskrc]

Welcome to the forum and great to meet you, can't wait to see a video of the show.

[Fire Art]

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your license. What part of PA are you in? Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

Some suggestions:
If you shoot one shell off every four seconds that will be 15 shells a minute. 20 minute show = 300 shells. That is for something constantly going off in the air. A case of 2.5 at 120 shells and 2 cases on 3" at 72 = 264 shells Add a couple cakes to the body and start planning your finale and you should have a robust show with no dead sky. Try occasionally doing a couple of the same shells in a volley through the body every once in a while to raise the AHHH factor. Also consider low level effects like consumer cakes and/or Articles pyrotechnic slices as easy and inexpensive ways to raise your game.

All the best to you and shoot safely!

Al

[PGH_Pyro]

less is more .
paint an elegant picture in the sky .

[jamisonlm3]

I'm in a similar situation as you Cwpyro, though I'm only shooting 1.4 stuff. I was wondering how I could get a 10 minute show out of a case of 144 excaliburs. I thought I'd light 6 as an opener, light sets of 1, 2 or 3 randomly at a time for the body with a fake final of 6 and then the actual final with 24. There would be short pauses for to help extend time to the full 10 minutes and to account for fuse burn time. I think I could barely get it in that time frame. Good luck with your show! The poeple around here are a huge help. I've learned a ton just by reading though older threads.

[Cwpyro]

Thanks for everyone's help definitely going to need it.im sure I will have plenty of questions as get more and more into it!

[PyroOz]

Personally, I don't think I've ever fired a show either hand or electric longer than 12 minutes. I've always been involved in shows using a combination of shells and cakes. Cakes as a low level effect continually throughout the show and shells every few seconds or chain fuse 2 or 3 together every so often. I think that's a big difference between Aus and the US, we have much shorter shows here, almost never will you see a show longer than 12 minutes, most will go for 5-10 minutes, even on a big budget. One notable exception is Brisbane Riverfire.