Cake wrapper

[Pyro6]

Hi all,
I’ve been on this site for a short time now and have to say it’s been awesome! I’ve learned a lot from all of you. Thank you for keeping this site going, Dave. Question...I’ve noticed in many videos people will remove the top paper from cakes. Does it matter? Does not removing it reduce the height? Sorry if this is a little bit of a newbie question. I’m learning! Thank you.

[Big Worm]

It's all about having less mess to clean up after the show.

[MtnViewPyro]

Yeah like Big Worm said, they remove the paper from the top to reduce the mess and have less clean up. However, I’m a big worry wart and leave the paper on. In my mind, it’s just another extra layer of protection from moisture/rain.

[displayfireworks1]

Leave the paper on your cakes and all fireworks products unless you have a specific reason to remove it. Fireworks products are messy no matter how much paper you try to remove. There is going to be paper, clay plug .paper disk etc.
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https://c.o0bg.com/rf/image_960w/Boston/2011-2020/2017/07/05/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/fireworks1.jpg

[Pyro6]

Thank you guys! I think I’ll leave the wrapper on and just spend a little more time cleaning up after. Maybe I’ll take one or two wrappers off just so I can learn a little something about these cakes. Lol that’s quite the mess Dave!

[PGH_Pyro]

i like to cut them off cleanly with a razor blade and collect them. the better cakes, anyway.

[Rocketshooter]

One advantage to leaving the paper on is if you have a cake that only shot partially, you can spot it right away. You, don't want throw that one on the burn pile.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

Pyro6 - Don't apologize for asking questions! Ever!! It's the only way we learn this stuff. As you've just seen, even experienced pyros disagree on how to do certain things. lol...

As for me, I cut the tops off all my cakes. Yes... There's always going to be some mess. But I believe in mitigating my damages and minimizing my next day cleanup as much as possible. I put all my cakes in garbage bags to guard against rain. The garbage bags melt away when the cake fires, and any remnants are usually stuck to the cake carcass afterwards. So it's easily disposed of. As for those little cardboard disks.... Forget about it. You'll never find all those little bastards.

[kingsixx]

Paper comes off during prep. Less crap to deal with the next day.

[Icooclast]

it depends on whether i feel like cleaning up a lot of mess. but i will say this: sometimes if you look at the pieces raining back down to earth... their burning a little. never had a problem yet, but i've never shot a lot of them close together before. so if they are close it may be a problem. what does everyone think?

[Stormcrow]

Protecting your fuses with tape should avoid premature firing. Or thinking about sports oh wait that’s for something else.

I leave tops on for protection and lawn sweeper the next day. I do orange fence in my area to try to contain the mess.

[BLACKOMI]

One advantage to leaving the paper on is if you have a cake that only shot partially, you can spot it right away. You, don't want throw that one on the burn pile.

I hadn"t thougjt about that, this is a very good reason not to cut the tops if you burn the leftovers.

[BLACKOMI]

Just make sure you have a push-broom handy and a standing dustpan/ kitchenbroom. Personally I cut the tops as I've noticed a differance in the mess at least at my scale of small handlit/nail board shows.

[Hartman]

I cut the tops off my cakes. Makes a cleanup alot easier. A sharp blade and it doesn't take that long. The first couple years I didnt cut the tops off, I spent an awful lot of time in the street with my leaf blower.

[displayfireworks1]

Remember if you remove the top paper from a 1.3 cake or even a 1.4 cake , a spark can drop into it and set it off. Here is one of my unlisted videos from 2011. This finale had large 1.3 cakes with in an out chain fuse. Someone removed the top silver paper in an apparent effort to make clean up easier. A spark fell into the now exposed cake mortar tubes and set the finale off in the middle. Removing the top paper makes the cake more vulnerable keep that in mind.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3Ascwn4HzE

[RalphieJ]

Gotta tell these kids everything............

[Pyro6]

Thanks for all the great advice guys. It seems like leaving the wrapper on is the way to go, especially after seeing the video that Dave posted!

[PYRODAN]

Paper decomposes. I leave it on. Where I shoot at half the mess is in the grass, half in the pond. The next day we burn the cakes, and pick up the big stuff. The mower and nature take care of the rest. I think the fish in the pond like the sparkly paper! I see them hanging around the bigger pieces. They seem fascinated by it. (Not to anthropomorphize , but that is what it looks like!)

[Zippster]

Love the crowd going nuts not knowing what a major screw up just happened, lol.