Covering fireworks

[Jb690]

Hi everyone
Had some rain issues getting cakes and fuses wet just wondering if there is a difference between a clear plastic bag or a black plastic bag when setting up 3 or 4 hours before firing. The reason I ask is because I tried putting plastic wrap on them last year and and in 2 hours there was condensation under everything cakes and tubes thanks for any help.

[Robbro097]

Clear collects condensation. Black grey white all works well this was my setup worked great c
No condensation close to clear witch was nice to b able to see whats what. http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=4416&stc=1 http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=4417&stc=1

[displayfireworks1]

Clear plastic seem like a great idea so you can see what each item is. Clear plastic just make condensation and gets everything wet. Use dark color plastic bags and get some magic tape and place the tape on top of the now covered cake. Mark it by module and cue. For example Mod 1/1 Mod 1/2 etc. When you do an electric display everything now become a number

[Fox One]

Excellent thread! After this past soggy July 4th, I too have spent a great deal of time thinking about what I can do to make future shows less dependent on the weather conditions. I had pretty much settled on going with some type of clear, thin, plastic bags until I saw this thread. I had no idea that the clear plastic would create condensation, whereas black, gray or white bags would prevent condensation issues. I am finding this forum to be such a valuable tool for learning. Just simple tips such as these from experienced people can be the difference between a well executed show and a disaster. Looks like I may have found another purpose for those thin, white 13 gallon kitchen bags I pick up in the 200 count boxes from Sam's Club.

BTW, while we are on this topic, what other potential considerations are there when using plastic bags as rain covers? For example, I like to start setting up as early in the day as possible to beat the most intense heat of the day. Say it doesn't end up raining and the sun shines most of the day. Something sitting outside in the July sun all day covered in plastic is going to get quite toasty. Can this intense heat cause other problems besides condensation? I would imagine it would take a lot more than a single day of excess heat before you start seeing degradation in the powder or what not, but I thought I would ask anyway since I am new to this aspect of fireworks shows.

[PyroJoeNEPA]

BTW, while we are on this topic, what other potential considerations are there when using plastic bags as rain covers? For example, I like to start setting up as early in the day as possible to beat the most intense heat of the day. Say it doesn't end up raining and the sun shines most of the day. Something sitting outside in the July sun all day covered in plastic is going to get quite toasty. Can this intense heat cause other problems besides condensation? I would imagine it would take a lot more than a single day of excess heat before you start seeing degradation in the powder or what not, but I thought I would ask anyway since I am new to this aspect of fireworks shows.

It gets a lot hotter in a CONEX container being shipped over from China than you will encounter having product out in the hot sun. As far as the plastic goes, just shoot thru the plastic. As long as they are the thin bags and not the super heavy duty ones....Found that out the hard way with a 1.3g 360 shot whistle cake--small bore tubes [about a half inch] in a heavy duty bag---guess what didn't go up in the air but did some real "interesting" stuff on the ground! We all have those days-----and learning experiences!

[Fox One]

While not related to rain, I thought I would also share another rather simple solution to a problem I once had. I don't know about the rest of you, but I live out in the middle of nowhere. I don't have any problems with people getting into my wired up fireworks and causing problems since I do all the setting up myself and guests usually stay away from the fireworks. What I have had problems with are dogs and deer. It isn't uncommon at all to find deer wandering through my yard at any time of the day. Needless to say, a handful of deer getting tangled in your setup can create quite the headache. So I have actually started putting a temporary fence around my shoot sites once they are set up. Now, it isn't really so much a fence as it is a visible "go around' deterrent. But it works. What I do is use some of those little 4' aluminum or poly step-in fence posts you can pick up at Lowe's for $1.50 to $2.00 each. I take those posts and make a perimeter around the shoot site once finished. Then I add a couple strands of white bailing twine to serve as "wire" and tie on some strips of brightly colored cloth to make it more visible. It is quick and easy to set up and likewise quick and easy to take down. It also doesn't cost much, but it is usually enough to make the dogs, deer and other critters go around my fireworks, rather than right through the middle of them. I suppose something like this could also help keep mildly nosy and/or clumsy people from walking through your setup too.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

For deer control I would recommend a Winchester 30-30 with a scope.

For rain control I would recommend the opaque, thin plastic bags too. I would also add tarps. Tarps are a quick, easy, cheap, and reusable solution to prevent rain from getting at your cakes/effects.

[Fox One]

Rick, was that you by chance that posted a link to a site where you buy those type of bags? I know someone made a post somewhere here on the forums back around the 4th but I have looked and looked and can't seem to find the thread it was posted in. If memory serves me, these were really thin opaque plastic and just a bit smaller than the typical 13 gallon kitchen garbage bags, which would be an ideal size for 500 gram cakes. I seriously need to start jotting this stuff down in a notebook when I come across it to have for future reference.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

No clue if it was me or not. However, I believe these are the bags I used a few years back.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ruffies-Tall-Kitchen-Wing-Tie-Trash-Bags-13-Gallon-82-Count/44438879

Just needs to be the thinnest, cheapest crap they sell that you can fit your cakes. in. Make sure the top of the cake is facing the bottom of the bag, and tuck and tape the bag opening to the bottom of the cake. Boom. Done.

[PyroManiacs]

You can just literally place the cake in the bag like it was trash normally so you can just run your initiators or ematch out of the opening then just twist the fold that opening underneath the cake. Its how we place all of our cakes in bags.

[Jb690]

Thank you all for your opinions I'm off to Walmart