Leftover Mortar Tubes

[Salutecake]

Hey I have to ask, what does everyone do with all their left over mortar tubes. I know some of you re-use and even make your own racks with them, but for me, after the years of doing this, I believe I have enough racks that I really don't use the mortars that come in the packages. Just today I unpacked several cases of shells and now I must have a mix of 3 or 4 different types, from all canister shells, excal, raccoon, and so on, maybe 75 or so, and year after year I keep throwing them in the recycling bin. I wish they could sell some in bulk form, and save all that waste and many save some cash.

So any idea's or suggestions?

[Fox One]

I like having lots of extra tubes. It gives me an excuse to buy more shells that I don't really need. Then of course I gain even more tubes. See what I mean? It is a nice problem that you can never really solve. But I kinda like it that way.

Use those extra tubes to build some poor man's racks. Even if you have enough professional type racks to do hundreds of shells, you can always throw in a few more. A couple of my favorite racks are poor man racks made from some large cuts of plywood about the size of a typical door. I have attached handles at the ends to help move them and each has almost every inch of space occupied with leftover mortar tubes from shell kits in rows. These two racks are always visual favorites of guests who see them. They are like "holy crap...look at all the tubes!".

[jamisonlm3]

If you don't have any need for them, I wouldn't feel bad about tossing them. At a certain point, you have more than enough and those that you have will last years. This is especially true for those HDPE excal mortars. Besides keeping some as replacements for the ones you aready have, you can try selling them, but shipping will be expensive. It might have to be at a very low, almost at the cost of shipping price to get rid of them. Maybe they have some other use outside of firewroks, but I don't know.

[psilynt]

Fiberglass tubes go in the trash straight out of the box. HDPE Excal tubes get added to a growing collection that are screwed down to various peices of plywood.

[Berserker23]

I have so many now when I buy a case of Excalibur’s the tubes goes straight into the trash can I wish there was an option to buy just the canisters no tubes

[Salutecake]

I guess most of us are in the same boat, after years of doing this, you end up with to much. I haven't found anyway to repurpose yet, I haven't found anyone locally that wanted them, in a sense I would sell them by that I mean if someone wanted them they could have for the cost of shipping, mortars free. I'm an old fart that grew up in the disposal age but when I look at all that waste, it's just a shame.

I think I'm going to write to some of these companies and see if they will consider some kind of bulk sale. Example, I believe a case of Excal's are like 24/6, that's easily cut down to 48/3 without the mortars. That's half the space and how much weight do you save with 4 mortars removed from each box? That's 24 mortars to a case, and Excal mortars are pretty heavy. Scrap the mortars and add extra shells!

Hey thanks for you input!!!

[displayfireworks1]

I tried to tell you no one wants them. LOL The Consumer Fireworks regulations require a mortar for every x number of shells. The regulations also state the mortar has to last through x number of firings I believe that number is twice the previous x number I mentioned. It may be 6 and 12 times respectively. You can look it up.
It would be nice to just buy the artillery shells by the case without the mortars. That can not happen last I checked because it becomes a 1.3 classification if it is sold that way.

[jamisonlm3]

I guess most of us are in the same boat, after years of doing this, you end up with to much. I haven't found anyway to repurpose yet, I haven't found anyone locally that wanted them, in a sense I would sell them by that I mean if someone wanted them they could have for the cost of shipping, mortars free. I'm an old fart that grew up in the disposal age but when I look at all that waste, it's just a shame.

I think I'm going to write to some of these companies and see if they will consider some kind of bulk sale. Example, I believe a case of Excal's are like 24/6, that's easily cut down to 48/3 without the mortars. That's half the space and how much weight do you save with 4 mortars removed from each box? That's 24 mortars to a case, and Excal mortars are pretty heavy. Scrap the mortars and add extra shells!

Hey thanks for you input!!!Don't feel too bad. That's just how fireworks are, sadly. Think of all the rockets, roman candles and cakes that are thrown away after they're shot. It's one reason I hate all the fancy packaging and the rest of the BS that goes into them. Rockets that are made to look huge even though they're actually a fraction of that size. Hollographic packaging on shells and cakes. All those big NOABs that only have a 1.5" or 1.75" shell. Shells that are 5" and 6". There's more, no doubt, but it's all just fluff to catch the eyes of potential buyers to make them beleive it's better than the rest and they pay for it.

Personally, I'd love to be able to buy cases of shells without the mortars, but I doubt it'll ever be commonplace. Mortars have to be provided with the shells or they can't be sold to consumers. Since most wholesaler's customers are going to sell directly to customers, they must have them. Still, it would be great. The size of the case would be much smaller and lighter. Since these are consumers shells, it'd be nice if they were articles of pyrotechnics.

[Rick_In_Tampa]

As a few have stated the vendors are required to supply a tube for every "X" number of shells they sell commercially. My question to the vendors is, why can't you come up with a 1.4Pro line (AOP) shell that can be sold "for pro use only" where a tube would not be required?

I would *think* that the "pro" designation would imply that a more "advanced" method of using the product would be required (i.e. DR11 tubes), so they could be sold without tubes. I don't know how ideas get pitched to make these things happen, but it seems like a question worth asking (assuming it hasn't been already).

[Salutecake]

Thanks Dave, as usual you are right on! I don't know why it hit me this year, I usually just throw all the plastic away, and then after the shoot, the people left help clean up, a collection of everything burnable turns into a bonfire, I sit down, have a cigar and wait for the un-exploded shells in the cakes to pop, lol.

[Mississippipyro]

I tried to tell you no one wants them. LOL The Consumer Fireworks regulations require a mortar for every x number of shells. The regulations also state the mortar has to last through x number of firings I believe that number is twice the previous x number I mentioned.
Maybe if the shells sell as 1.4pro-line Dominator or something they could sell them in bulk with no tubes idk sounds like a good idea.