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bojanbarisic Elite user Croatia 462 Posts |
Is there anything that can produce the same effect. I used once sparkle additive and demaged very nice wall to wall carpet.
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Jordini Inner circle 2765 Posts |
The packaging warns not to use this around or over carpet. This is the best and safest stuff, but you have to beware of where you use it, and remember that it can fly in directions you don't want, and it could take up to 3 seconds to burn away, which is a long time for fire effects. NOTE it doesn't always do that. Just make sure you're careful with it and never use too much.
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Miracle Man Show New user Indiana 56 Posts |
One thing that will give a very similar effect, is metal filings. I'm not sure what brand of sparkle additive you're using, but Theatre Effects sparkle additive is a metal filing. Twenty years ago, I was teaching a course in Special Effects at Ball State University. During the research phase of the coursework prep, I decided to play around with sparkle additives. (though nobody was calling it that, at the time) I knew from my own experiments as a kid thd that iron filings that came with my chemisrty kit (for magnetic field experiments) would produce the prettiest, most delicate golden sparks, when sprinkled over my alcohol burner. I started mixing iron filings into black powder and flash powder, and found the same effect was being produced. I also found that the different brands of iron filings from different science kits were yeilding different displays. I figured that there were different alloys being used, and I found that the particle size varied (larger particles yeild longer displays). I wondered, at that point, if different iron alloys would behave in different ways, how would steel filings behave? I fould a machine shop that agreed to give me samples of different filings and to label the alloys that they came from, and sure enough, some yeilded spectacular displays and some were duds. Like I said, this was a lifetime ago, but if memory serves, there was a steel, molybdenum, and something else alloy that was absolutely spectacular. I'll see if I can find those research notes sometime, and I'll post it if I do.
One other observation, your original post specifically said "additive", so I don't know if this applies, but I have seen that some "sparkle flash powder" brands do not produce a sparkle with a metal filing. (which in the case of a magnesium based powder would be suicidal) But rather, use a crystal flake which would have a slower burn rate, and thus give the sparkle effect. I have noticed with these that there are most definetely burning particles that hit the ground from a flashpot. I hope this helps.
Tom McCormick
"The Miracle Man Show" There's only one Miracle Man, that's Jesus Christ; I just get to do a show about HIM. www.themiraclemanshow.com |
Jordini Inner circle 2765 Posts |
You can get those "sparklers" at different places (chinatown for anyone in SF or NY) and you could use a nail file to get all that sparky goodness of that little stick.
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niva Inner circle Malta (Europe) 2970 Posts |
Ooooh that's a good idea!!
Yours,
Ivan |
Slim Price Inner circle 1935 - 2006 1326 Posts |
I suggest for sparkle and flash stuff(various metals and techniques, in this case) you lurk at alt.pyrotechnics (usenet) It's a great learning tool.
Howie Diddits
sanscan@tds.net
"I will never bitter be, as long as I can laugh at me!" "The people who were dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music" |
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