Old Technology - Blue Touchpaper

Thanks, Richard - yes, I'm just pondering the possible change in reliability between the regular Spout of the common Banger and a version which could include an explicit prime / first fire. Loose powder content from the normal Spout charge would no doubt make it very likely that it would ignite - I'm just considering what "sure thing" would look like. Given that a Spout delay was also used on e.g. some large set pieces, I think reliability is a good objective of course. Thanks again. J.

 

Bangers that I have examined tend to have a fine blackpowder rammed tight into the fuzetube with the end inside the banger casing splodge sealed to prevent powder falling into the void in the casing. Charge inside the banger is in most cases a larger grained blackpowder, in most cases Flash powder being used in a lot of the early 50's ones..........as a kid I remember that Standard bangers if allowed to fizz for couple of seconds before would carry on fizzing underwater. Seem to remember Astra were just rubbish at this and in most cases went out.......... only had access to Standard and Astra as a kid so can't comment on other brands.....

 

The 321zero bangers of the 80's (white wrap, pink print) just had scratch mix tamped into the spollette and not very tightly tamped. This made for almost 100% failure rates if thrown once lit. The powder would just get knocked free and extinguish. A safety measure? These were the crappest bangers of all. The paper bungs in the bottom were just shoved in so when the charge went, it just pushed the paper bung out with a "phuh". Absolute garbage UNLESS you glued them in. I used to up end full boxes into a coffee mug until no more would fit. go and get dad's wood glue from the shed and squirt it intot he bottom of the tubes. 24 hours later they were better performers.

 

Interesting points - so the Std Bangers appeared to have multiple design elements to make them safer - I guess the assumption was that the device WOULD explode in the hand of the user. Course grain BP as opposed to Flash, thick wall but with a single hole thru' the side of the tube ( only covered by the outer wrap or two to induce low pressure structural failure ), weak bung, large aperture left by Spout fuse, cross section of main charge small to reduce rate of gas production. It's interesting that the item sold so many zillions of times as a Banger was built to do anything but ! Off topic on this thread, but memories if nothing else J.

 

You know all this talk of built in safety “devices” or not depending on your views of the manufacturers is a little depressing!
There was me thinking that banger “phuts” were just part of the game.
Wells and Brock’s bangers used to perform very/pretty well in my record.
Wells Cannon ..top,left of my part collection photo...were very good ..emitting a very satisfying......well not so much a bang ......as a whacking THUMP!
That may have been something to do with the resonance factor of the bigger area of deflagration ...don’t know ..not sure...... but they were terrific ..especially when imitating exploding shells when put in cow pats!...country life..hey Ho.

 

Some very beautiful content in that collection - wow - how lucky we were to have a childhood in which a dozen misc. bangers, a box of Bryant & May and going out to play on an Autumn evening meaning meant max excitement, devilment, sense of adventure and memories for a lifetime. All for that 10p total outlay - and kids today have to spend £1000 on an iPhone just to watch somebody else "influencing"...I'm *so* lucky to have grown up with proper pyro and home computers...John.

 

Absolutely correct..beautifully put John

 

I was hoping that the Budget would hold a key strategic announcement for the return of good olde English pyro - British Pyro made in Britain for the multiple celebrations, family amusements and individual mischief after dark...well it's time we got lobbying...DO WE HAVE A PYRO COMPANY MAKING DISPLAY GEAR ( single shots aside...) IN THE UK - what would our pyro sages of old say about this situation - ????????????????

 

Plenty of funding in the budget available for start-ups.

 

Lower Penn Silver Jubilee Celebrations Part 10 - YouTube

 

...and at the other end of the budget and tech. excellence scale: Queen - Super Fireworks Japan - YouTube I don't know what the last hit at approx 4:25 cost thou'...about as much as an F35 jet I guess... J.

 

JWW, these look like the old Standard pieces. A pity they didn't "see that the wheel spins freely" as it used to say on the labels. Hope you are well.

 

Agree, they do - mainly why I posted same - a shame to see a lack of spinning ! That said, whilst a "Size 20" box was good to take from newsagent to firing site after a days work and set off there and then, once the move to "display" happens, we know it's a LOT more work, even with say three wheels, couple set pieces and rockets. Throw in a waterfall and a pigeon and it's moving toward civil engineering Happy happy hours lost in damp cold October / November weekends of childhood J.

 

What a treat to drink my tea to whilst nursing a fuzzy head. Pity we saw no rockets or romans but loveley pieces all the same.

 

Lower Penn....Wolverhampton..I guess.I did a similar sized show for at the same time for the Express and Star ..the local wolves evening newspaper at Kingswood. ...just down the road.
It’s a classic vid....you know it’s Standard by the Good Night design with corner fountains etc.
Pity about the sticking wheel ..amateur set up..didn’t follow the instructions..cor blimey ..I dunno!...classic..great items ..

 

A small wheel not rotating at a show is as British as a drag act in a pantomime - and yet we all know - should push come to shove - we can produce the BEST wheel, the most interesting wheel, the loveliest wheel. From the Web to Television, electricity to the jet engine, Fermat's Last Theorem proof to cracking Enigma - if we need to be the best we can be. However, us eccentric, easy going, inventive Brits still love our wheel falling off its nail, the rocket going splosh instead of whoosh - when we leave that show, we know that those in charge are not too superior - "did you see that wonky firework!?!" - and all is well - only a year until Nov 5th again JW.

 

Not to mention the biggest wheel - at least until the Maltese took the record

 

Excellent post John! As a Brit who lives in the USA, I can tell you that you put it perfectly. We love the underdog and don't take ourselves too seriously.

 

Quite right... absolutely agree !! R

 

I note pyro quite often appears in historical / period drama type productions, and in particular the new channels (netflix etc.) see to afford to "do things properly".

However, as a life long pyro type I still can't resist checking out as best I can to see if a bit of modernity manifests itself in said pyro.

Too strong a shell break, too bright an effect, too symmetrical, wrong style, not enough smoke, using 2 micron Aluminium or even Aluminium before it was discovered...and of course colours before their time !!! - think we should have a descriptive word for this spotting of pyro tech date anomaly ?!? JW.