By David Bleser CANNOT be substituted for the magnalium as it is

much too reactive with ammonium perchlorate and

Most of the so-called "electric purple" formulas I
will produce a composition that will rapidly de-
have tried in the past have turned out to resemble
compose, giving off ammonia fumes and presenting
electric reds rather than a true purple. The difficul-
a real hazard even if the stars are bound with ni-
ty in achieving a true electric purple arises from
trocellulose lacquer. The magnalium must be as
the bleaching out of the CuCl blue molecular emis-
fine a mesh as possible to minimize the production
sion bands at the high temperatures present in
of white sparks. I used 200 - 400 mesh mag-
metal fuel stars. If an "electric" star is defined as a
nalium. The flame size and brightness is very good,
color star containing a metal fuel to increase the
but the burning rate is still less than that of a
brightness of the flame, then adding metal fuel to
chlorate/resin or lactose based purple. Increasing
an existing purple formulation suggests itself as an
the percentage of magnalium will start bleaching
approach to the problem. I have found that stand-
out the blue color component with only a moderate
ard perchlorate and chlorate based purple formula-
enhancement of the burning rate. I believe that the
tions give a whitish purple which rapidly lose their
burning rate is high enough to keep the star burn-
delicate color with the addition of even small
ing at all but the very highest ejection speeds.
amounts of metal fuel. These failures led me to in-
vestigate more fully the ammonium perchlorate
ELECTRIC PURPLE
based purple compositions.
Ammonium perchlorate 68
Ammonium perchlorate purples, while clearly su- Copper benzoate 8
perior to the chlorate/perchlorate purples, suffer Strontium carbonate 12
from slow burning rates which make them difficult Magnalium 200-400 mesh 5
to use in stars which must stay lit at high ejection Hexamine 7
speeds. Often, part of the ammonium perchlorate Dextrin additional 4%
is replaced by potassium perchlorate to increase
the burning rate, at the expense of some color pu-
The copper benzoate in the formula functions as
rity. It turns out that if a small amount of metal
a color imparter, fuel, and oxidizer catalyst. Copper
fuel is added to a purple composition containing
oxide could be used, but it will not function as a
only ammonium perchlorate as an oxidizer, the
fuel and another fuel would have to be substituted.
burning speed will increase along with the bright-
Copper carbonate would produce a very slow burn-
ness and still give a very acceptable purple color.
ing mix as it cannot function as a catalyst or fuel.
The formula given below is an example of the ad-
ditive approach where magnalium was added to a Continued on page 3
very good, but slow burning purple. Magnesium
 A ME R I CA N F I R E W O R KS NE W S

COPYRIGHT
©2020, Rex E. & S. P., Inc. This publication is edited for, is published
by, and is the sole property of the copyright owner, and is not to be
sold, distributed or reproduced without written consent. Reproduction
without permission will be deemed a purchase and implied authoriza-
tion by the user to accept billing and make payment of a minimum $50
user's fee. Distribution is limited to paid subscribers. Articles for public a-
tion are solicited but no payment is made for such material.
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Issued monthly, subscription is $29.00 per year. Mailed by First Class
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on a New York bank, or by major credit card. PayPal accepted. Over-
seas issues are sent by Air Mail.
WARNING
This publication may contain depictions and descriptions of fireworks.
The information is based on the experience of the author(s) using spe-
cific tools and ingredients under specific conditions not necessarily de-
scribed in the article. No warranties are made. Readers are cautioned
that they must form their own opinion as to the application of anything
found in this publication.
STAFF, EDITORIAL OFFICE AND PERMANENT ADDRESS:
Jack Drewes, Founder
Dorothy J. Drewes, Founder
Elizabeth V. Musselwhite, Editor
John Eric Drewes, Editor
Feature Writers: Jason Musselwhite & Ian von Maltitz
Special Correspondent: Charles P. Weeth
Art: Bob (Nitro) Lawrence

AMERICAN FIREWORKS NEWS

233 Silver Lake Rd., Dingmans Ferry, PA 18328
Phone 570-828-8417 - Fax 570-828-8695
Telephone hours 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET
E-mail betty@[Link] - [Link]
ISSN-8755-3163. Printed in U.S.A.

2 October, 2020
 A ME R I CA N F I R E W O R KS NE W S
PREPARATION OF COPPER BENZOATE
I simply dissolve equal amounts of copper sulfate
and potassium benzoate in the smallest amount of
hot water in separate containers. I combine the two
solutions and let the blue precipitate cool. I then
Location: 731 Whitlock Ave. SW, Marietta, GA
filter through a paper towel in a funnel. When most 30064
of the water has passed through, I add fresh tap
water to refill the funnel on top of the precipitate. Date: October 3, 2020
This will help rinse away the solubilized potassium
Registration Start Time: 8am
sulfate. I repeat this washing step once or twice
more. Then I remove the filter paper from the fun- Seminar End Time: Approx. 4:30pm
nel and allow the precipitate to dry.
Fee: $50. Covers breakfast, lunch, and costs for
When I make up this formulation, I make sure instructor.
that the ammonium perchlorate and hexamine are
finely ground. I find that milling is necessary for Payment: PayPal to info@[Link]
these two ingredients to bring the mesh size to 200 They will be offering a safety training class where
or finer. I make sure to mill the hexamine and after completion will enable that person to pur-
ammonium perchlorate separately to avoid a nasty chase 1.4 Pro products. All firework purchases will
accident. A mixture of equal parts of alcohol and be 20% off for attendees. They are also an author-
water is recommended for a binder, but up to 70% ized dealer for Cobra Firing Systems. Plan on buy-
alcohol can be used to speed drying. It should not ing or have any questions,
be dried out in the hot sun as we want to minimize Email: brian@[Link]. 
the chances for decomposition of the magnalium.
It would be nice if the purple stars could be
primed with meal powder, but that will fail for two
reasons: No Hero Left Behind is a 501(c)(3) founded in
1. Not hot enough burning; honor of Captain Erick Foster, Bob Kellner’s neph-
2. Makes the star so hygroscopic as to prevent ew. Captain Foster was killed while engaging ene-
ignition. my forces in Iraq in 2007. Team Foster brings our
civilian and military communities together to part-
Chlorate primes are completely out of the ques-
ner service dogs to injured, disabled veterans and
tion because of the explosion hazard, so we are left those who also suffer from combat-related disabili-
with potassium perchlorate primes. A good prime
ties including post-traumatic stress disorder
to use would be a potassium perchlorate/resin fuel
(PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the mid-
purple mix. A large number of such formulas by
Atlantic and Greater Philadelphia region.
Dr. Shimizu can be found in Pyrotechnica VII. I lay-
er at least a 1mm coating over the dried purple The organization ensures the dogs are obtained,
cores. When the primed cores are finally dry, I ap- cared for and provided a specialized training team
ply a final prime of meal powder, or, if necessary, a – all at no cost to our veterans. One service dog
50/50 mixture of meal powder and the potassium can take two years to train and more than $25,000
perchlorate purple, followed by a final thin skin of to properly prepare to partner. #NoHeroLeftBehind.
meal powder. A glitter to purple star is quite at-
Team Foster is coming to Oil City, PA, November
tractive and the glitter mix is plenty hot enough to
7th. It is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, non-profit organi-
ignite the potassium perchlorate purple prime. If
zation dedicated to supporting and rehabilitating
ignition difficulties present themselves, I would try
injured combat veterans, primarily by funding ser-
applying the final potassium nitrate based prime
vice dogs for wounded veterans. They will be pro-
coat with NC lacquer to prevent leaching of the
moting the cause and raising funds by bicycling
potassium nitrate through the intermediate prime. 100 miles from Oil City to the University of Pitts-
Finally, I should mention that stars should not be burgh. If you'd like to be a sponsor, please contact
made too big. In round peony and chrysanthemum Bob at bkellner@[Link].
shells, stars over 12mm diameter will burn too
long for most applications. DB For more information:
[Link]

 For donations:

[Link]

October, 2020 3
 A ME R I CA N F I R E W O R KS NE WS
have ended.
According to Dominator Fireworks, “about 35
Last December, 2019, there were too many acci-
Chinese suppliers, including Dominator, have
dents occurring at Chinese factories. When that
formed the “Export Fireworks Science and Tech-
happens, the Chinese government steps in to close
nology Research Group”. The group launched an
ALL fireworks factories and holds meetings to dis-
on-line funding drive and raised close to $100,000
cuss a remedy. The first meeting concerned Chi-
USD in just over 5 hours from Chinese suppliers.
nese directives or regulations for factories and the
Additional funding has been provided by large USA
fireworks industry within China, making modifica-
importers as well. The funding will be used to pay
tions of Chinese national standards on firework
for lobbying efforts as well as a resolution of the
safety and production. This meeting did not ad-
“subjective testing issue”. The group has requested
dress European or USA standards.
a delay for the 2020-21 season, but so far this re-
The firework items under watch are 3” 9-shot quest has been denied.”
cakes that are currently considered 1.4G consumer Importers should contact their wholesalers, Chi-
fireworks, however, the total powder weight per na suppliers, and the American Pyrotechnics Asso-
tube exceeds Chinese government regulations for ciation (APA) & National Fireworks Association
1.4G, so they want to change those items to 1.3G (NFA) to make them aware of the added cost of us-
display fireworks. 2” 10-shot cakes are also con- ing wire cages (or similar packing) for consumer
sidered. fireworks in the U.S. and that the U.S. follows APA
So, if that’s the case, then importers can mix Standard 87-1 and not the European UN Stand-
their containers of 1.4G & 1.3G items, however, ard.
the container is shipped as all items being 1.3G. According to APA’s website: APA Standard 87-1:
Standard for Construction and Approval for Trans-
The Chinese government (Hunan Customs) came
portation of Fireworks, Novelties, and Theatrical
up with one solution which the factories have al-
Pyrotechnics is a voluntary standard in which fire-
ready been using with their European market. Iron
works classifications are assigned based upon the
wire cages. They keep firework items from bursting
weight and type of chemical composition contained
out and flying in case of a fire or “sympathetic det-
for each specific type of device, including specific
onation, when a pile of fireworks transitions from a
permissible and restricted chemicals.
normal fire to an explosion”.
This issue is the result of confusion by Hunan
Hunan Customs is demanding that the U.S. fol-
Customs between the UN Standard and the USA
low the European UN Standard, that “allows pow-
Laws. Dominator's argument is that both ap-
erful flash powder breaks and tightly packed tubes.
proaches are valid and result in the same overall
The USA law bans flash burst and tightly packed
transport/storage risk. Hunan Customs wants the
tubes. Because of the less powerful burst charge
U.S. to only follow the UN standard with the small-
and 1/2 inch spacers, the USA allows larger diam-
er tubes. Every country should be allowed to have
eter tubes. The result is that the two different ap-
their own laws based on the situation in their own
proaches result in similar transport/storage risk
country (as it has been for the last 30 years). And
profiles. So, UN = smaller more powerful shots.
fix their production/storage/shipping problems
USA = larger less powerful shots with 1/2 inch air
within China and not throw the problem in the
gaps,” posted Dominator Fireworks on social me-
U.S.’s lap by making us change our regulations.
dia.
There is one other area of confusion. It is how
Using the wire cages also poses a waste problem,
Hunan Customs is interpreting the criteria for
since they cannot be used again, recycled for use
Series 6(c) test. One test criteria says that 1.4G
in other products, and therefore are a pollution
can't hamper firefighting efforts, specifically that
problem for our landfills. Not to mention the cost.
there can't be any dangerous projections within a
Each firework item enclosed in a wire cage will
50-foot circle.
raise the cost at least $6-$8 each.
Hunan Customs is assuming that no fireworks
The Chinese factories don’t want to use wire cag-
shell can fly more than 50 feet (15 M) to remain
es for their U.S. customers. They want the govern-
1.4G per the 6(c) criteria. But logically this is
ment to delay or postpone this idea until next sea-
wrong because even small 1-inch cakes shoot fur-
son, so they can better prepare for the change. At
ther than 50 feet. So by this faulty logic almost
this moment in the season, Chinese factories are
every fireworks cake would need to be reclassified
limited in their production time due to weather
as 1.3G. This is the main error in Hunan Custom's
problems and upcoming government meetings
understanding.
which makes all factories close until the meetings

4 October, 2020
 A ME R I CA N F I R E W O R KS NE WS
In 2009, the Series 6 test from the United Na- sy, their UN counterparts, and their Chinese coun-
tions’ recommendations on the transport of dan- terparts. The message is that APA’s 87-1 should be
gerous goods is to assign a substance or article to accepted as equal to the UN Standards, because it
Division 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, or 1.4 or exclude it from is equivalent in safety to the UN Standards. Also,
Class 1. The results from four types of series 6 PHMSA officials have stated their desire to work
tests are used to determine which division corre- with the APA on developing short-term interim
sponds most closely to the behavior of a product if measures to aid the industry if importers need to
a load is involved in a fire resulting from internal import consumer
or external sources, or an explosion from internal devices as 1.3G.
sources. This also applies to a compatibility group
The NFA is also
S of Division 1.4.
contacting the US
The Series (Type) 6(c) is a test on packages of an State Department
explosive substance or explosive articles, or non- via its Washington
packaged explosive articles, to determine whether contacts with a
there is a mass explosion or a hazard from danger- similar message.
ous projections, radiant heat and/or violent burn-
Dominator is in-
ing or any other dangerous effect when involved in
terested to hear
a fire. The test they use is an external fire (bonfire)
feedback from ex-
test.
perts in Series 6(c)
In January 2014, the DOT’s PHMSA (Pipeline and testing and practi-
Hazardous Materials Safety Administration) con- cal feedback from
ducted research of the feasibility of improving UN firefighters. Con-
Test Series 6(c) bonfire test. They want to investi- tact them at
gate new technologies and evaluate the reproduci- mattp@[Link]. 
bility of the test results, current procedures pre-
sent difficulties in measuring thermal output of
energetic events (thermal flux) using irradiometers
due to issues with calibration and baseline correc-
tion, especially with wood fires. Burn time calcula- Dear Valued NFA Member,
tion only works if the mass of material burning in
each “event” is known. Must see separate identifia- As you may be aware, there is a movement devel-
ble events. Using a high speed camera may work. oping in China that would classify shells and cakes
with tubes over 1.2” in diameter as 1.3g Profes-
In April, 2015, PHMSA heard a presentation given sional Fireworks and not consumer fireworks. This
by Safety Management Services (SMS) on UN Man- has been going on for a while now and we have
ual of Tests and Criteria: Areas Identified for Im- been involved with the issue for some time now.
provement and Ideas for Potential R&D Projects.
They found that there is rarely a linear burn rate in Like with everything governing the fireworks in-
a bonfire and that it is very difficult to discern dustry, NFA will take the right thoughtful and legal
burning times of adjacent materials. And that there approach with this. As such, we’ve already begun
is no accepted or recommended methodologies for working to address the situation by opening up
determining heat of combustion since that changes lines of communication with regulators. As this
burning time and heat flux qualifiers. They rec- situation continues to develop, we will continue to
ommended using a controlled ignition test (con- assess the situation, solicit member feedback and
fined/unconfined) using the smallest packaging determine the best steps in how to represent the
unit and a standardized ignition source/location fireworks industry. Like we did with the NPR earli-
(eliminating many of the variables). SMS, located in er this Spring in making sure our containers had
West Jordan, Utah, employs “engineers and scien- access to ports despite COVID, NFA will be leading
tists having an average of 15 years of experience in the industry and working with our representatives
explosives risk management, testing, and test in Washington to SAVE OUR FIREWORKS.
equipment and have a thorough understanding of Stay tuned for email updates and thank you.
energetic materials in-process testing, DOT testing,
risk management, and sensitivity test equipment.” Steve Houser, President, NFA 

The APA sent an updated e-mail to its members

on September 10 of their spearheading efforts for

top USA PHMSA officials to engage the US Embas-

October, 2020 5
 A ME R I CA N F I R E W O R KS NE WS

The Ozark Pyrotechnics Guild is holding their

annual Pyrofest on October 3 at Poplar Bluff Mo- October 17: Celebration Fireworks Annual
torsports Park. Gates open at 5pm; Fireworks start
1.3G Demo & PGI Display Operator Training
at 7pm. Check out their website to join:
Class at Independent Park Community Center, 150
[Link]/view/ozarkpyro/home.
Independent Rd, Breinigsville, PA 18031 (intersec-
The Pennsylvania Pyro Artists Club is holding a tion of route 863 and route 222). Demo night be-
club shoot on October 3 at 1104 Deer Creek Rd., gins at about 8pm. Remember to bring along a
Morrisdale, PA. (Morrisdale Township Firemans pen/pencil, small light and lawn chair. Detailed
Park). Pavilion will be open at about 2pm. Kneppy’s lists of each device to be fired that night and price
Fireworks retail store is open all day until 6pm; lo- lists will be supplied and is also available on the
cated at 1265 Kylertown Drifting Highway, Morris- website. Food and drinks will be available. PGI
dale, PA. Club members get 55% off retail pricing Certification Class on Saturday starts promptly at
off the shelf. If you need cases, order ahead of time 8am at the demo site at Independent Park, Brei-
(no later than 5pm on Friday October 2. Case list is nigsville PA. Class is rain or shine. Class is limited
up on their website at [Link]. 20 participants to allow for social distancing and
Club members get the “B” pricing list. There will be adhering to state regulations for gatherings. Stu-
a small meeting at about 4:30pm. Dinner will be dents are invited to help set up the evening demo
available at about 5pm or 5:30pm. Can shoot up to display, and this counts towards the experience
6” shells; Bring your own racks. Shoot times are requirement for PGI certification. Cost is $99 pay-
6pm-9 or 9:30pm. Salutes ONLY until 8pm; color able to Celebration Fireworks. Fee includes the lat-
only after that. Check out their website to join: est 300-page PGI Display Fireworks Operator Cer-
[Link]. tification Study Guide, lunch, supervised hands-on
live fireworks training, and a written final exam.
The Rocky Mountain Pyrotechnics Guild Re-certification is only $60. Please bring your copy
(RMPG) has a club build and shoot on October 3 &
of 2011 PGI Operators Study Guide; otherwise full
4 and a Dinner Show on October 10 & 11. Check fee will be charged and you will be given the latest
out their website to join: [Link]. edition of the Study Guide. Register for class on
The Pyrotechnic Artists of Texas (Fireants) is the website or call 610-978-8989; E-mail:
holding their annual Fall PyroFest on October 16- john@[Link]; Website: [Link].
18 at 4137 County Road 196, Bluff Dale, TX
October 18: Air Magic FX Pyrotechnics Safety
76433. Friday: classes on building fireworks, open & Legal Awareness Course in Canada from 10am-
manufacturing for builders, and open shooting all 5pm. Cost: $200 + HST. See [Link]
day. Saturday: fireworks building and open shoot-
for more information.
ing and professional displays for members and the
public to watch. Sunday: cleanup. Check out their October 24: Winco Fireworks International,
website to join: [Link]. Inc. Fall 2020 Virtual Blast Off at 7pm CT/8pm
EST; Live on their YouTube Channel:
The Mid-Atlantic Pyrotechnic Arts Guild [Link]/user/WincoFireworks
(MAPAG) is holding a manufacturing, magazine in-
ventory, food, and fireworks get-together on Octo-
ber 22-25. Check out their website to join: MASSIVE COLLECTION: PGI BULLETINS,
[Link]. AMERICAN FIREWORKS NEWS, FIREWORKS
BUSINESS, CATALOGS, PUBLICATIONS: AFN reach-
The Wisconsin Pyrotechnic Arts Guild (WPAG) ing all the way back to Issue #1, 1968 American Pyro-
has an Open Shooting on October 10 at the Wild- technist, by founder Max P. Vander Horck – some miss-
life Campground, N4597 Willow Lane, Birnam- ing issues in Bicentennial years under Pete, then next
wood, WI 54414. No Friday activities planned, no with first Jack Drewes issues of AFN & FB to present. All
formal manufacturing, no pot luck, no tents setup, PGI Bulletins since 1979. Lots of International Commer-
no club meeting. Just bring your stuff for a fun cial & Consumer Fireworks Catalogs 1970 – 1990, WPA
shoot. Check out their website to join: Newsletters, even F/X News & 2 Firemakers -- Make An
[Link].  Offer (ALL as one Lot only; Buyer pays shipping) –
contact Ken Nixon via Amanda’s email --
Pyromanda2@[Link] – If no one wants these, they are
 going in the trash.

6 October, 2020
 A ME R I CA N F I R E W O R KS NE WS
If this well incorporated fine powder is rolled into
stars, several unanticipated problems will result.
Unless the alcohol percentage of the solvent spray
By David Bleser is kept very high, bumps will form on the star sur-
face, which can break off into detached spikes, if
The electric purple formula given in the New Elec- the process is not brought under control. A high
tric Purple article contained magnalium powder. percentage of alcohol helps by reducing the surface
Magnesium powder was eliminated from considera- tension. The stars will grow very slowly, only a
tion on account of its high reactivity in the wet fraction of a millimeter in each damping-dusting
state with ammonium perchlorate. The first couple cycle. The composition will accrete on the star in a
of batches I made with the formula, rolled up quite very densely packed layer. This will actually de-
nicely into round stars, using 70% alcohol and crease the burning rate for the same reason that
dextrin as a binder. Then an attempt was made to flare stars are usually highly compressed - to in-
increase the burning rate by reducing the ammo- crease the burn time.
nium perchlorate to a very fine powder in the ball
The best, but unfortunately the most labor inten-
mill. This material was screened with the other in-
sive procedure, is to granulate the finely powdered
gredients and made into stars using 70% alcohol.
mix by incorporating 5-7% water to the powder.
The stars grew in size very slowly and began to give
Addition of more than this amount of water will re-
off fumes of ammonia which was not immediately
sult in a mud pie, because the oxidizer and the
noticed because I was wearing a dust mask which
hexamine are very water soluble. The dampened
adsorbed the ammonia vapors. Then I noticed the
mix can be pushed through a 10 mesh screen and
pan was warm on the bottom. The stars were ra-
the granules allowed to dry in the sun. These
ther warm, not hot, to the touch. Here was a clas-
granules will burn quite rapidly if you ignite a
sic case of reactivity being dependent on the parti-
small pile, for the same reason that granulated
cle size of the fuel or oxidizer. The stars had to be
meal burns faster than meal powder - the flame
discarded and water was liberally poured on them
rapidly rushes through the interstitial air spaces
in a dirt pile.
around the granules. The resulting 10 mesh parti-
This reaction can be prevented from occurring by cles are too large to be rolled into size, so it is nec-
the addition of 5% of finely ground potassium di- essary to place them on top of a 36 or 40 mesh
chromate and 1% boric acid. The potassium di- screen. The composition passing through the
chromate is toxic and a dust mask must be worn. screen will contain a mix of sizes, from less than
It will effectively stop the decomposition and maybe 400 mesh up to 36 mesh, fines below 80 mesh can
even speed the burning rate up a bit while degrad- be screened out, but that is not necessary nor de-
ing the flame color slightly. The boric acid is insur- sirable, as they help congeal the stars' larger parti-
ance as the reaction rate proceeds the slowest in a cles. The resulting star will roll much quicker,
weakly acidic environment. catch fire much more easily and burn much more
I. Influence of Particle Size on Burning Speed quickly than a dense star of fine particles. This is a
fundamental consideration and can be applied to
This is a good time to review the effects of particle
almost any other pyrotechnic mixture.
size on the burning rate of round stars. When deal-
ing with relatively slow burning compositions like II. Changing the Color
the electric purple mix, the temptation is to in- The electric purple composition can be adjusted
crease the burning rate by reducing the composi- to give a different flame hue, if the ratio of stron-
tion to a fine powder. The way this is usually ac- tium carbonate to copper benzoate is altered. I
complished is by ball milling the composition in a would keep the total percentage of the two in-
rubber-lined tumbler using ceramic grinding me- gredients the same as the original. A somewhat
dia. Ammonium perchlorate mixtures seem to be bluer purple can be achieved by making the per-
quite safe to tumble for 12 hours or so, providing centage parts of copper benzoate and strontium
that absolutely NO metal fuels are present. To re- carbonate equal. In this case, the burning rate will
main on the safe side with this mix, it would be increase as the strontium carbonate tends to de-
best to mill only the ammonium perchlorate, dex- crease the burning rate in higher percentages. DB
trin, and strontium carbonate in a tumbler. The
hexamine and copper benzoate, potassium di-
chromate, and boric acid can be ground separately.
These separate batches can then be screened to-
gether with the addition of the fine magnalium
powder.

October, 2020 7
 A ME R I CA N F I R E W O R KS NE WS

TIME IS RUNNING OUT

ONLY THREE (3) AVAILABLE,
TO #SAVE OUR STAGES
ORDER TODAY
YOUR VOICE MATTERS
If you have not seen the Fireworks
For those in the indoor special effects business, magazine by John Bennett you do not
know what you are missing. Published
COVID-19 has certainly put them out of business only twice a year! Mr. Bennett and his
or close to it. Also affected are independent musi- staff bring to you in-depth reporting
from a world-wide perspective. Each
cians, agents, managers, event staff and touring magazine is 52 pages in full color
crew. glossy print, made with the finest of
old English craftsmanship. Each is a
The mission of the National Independent Venue collector's item beyond being a great
source for pyro news.
Association (NIVA) is to preserve and nurture the
ecosystem of independent live music venues and Due to the high cost of shipping this
magazine from UK we only order enough
promoters throughout the United States. to fill our subscriber list. We get a few
extra for safety. Now is your limited opportunity to get one of the col-
They need you to contact your legislators to save lector items.
independent music venues. They need the #Save- Here is what you will find in this issue:
OurStagesAct and the #RestartAct passed by Con-  It gives you a wallow in firework's past
gress in order to keep independent venues nation-  It covers unique events
wide from closing permanently.  If you use or trade in fireworks, it provides
On their website at [Link], they what you need to know
 It delves into firework history
have a fillable form to put your information and
 It amuses and entertains you
contact and a letter to send to Congress. 
 It supplies firework news from around the
world
PYRO MUSINGS  It provides you with colourful firework photo-
graphs
By Anonymous Baby Boomer  It gives you illustrated nostalgia
SPIG  It provides the unusual. And more!
This was my term for spontaneous ignition mix- This is number 70 in the series (35 YEARS!)
tures. These were great for getaway time delays. and we have most of the back issues. Just go to
The local Rexall drugstore maintained a stock of our website and search for "Bennett"
chemicals from Humco. Included among them was
$19 + $8 shipping. AFN, 570-828-8417.
a dark purple oxidizer used as a chicken shed dis-
infectant. Another product was a liquid referred to
historically as Sweet Oil (not the more recent olive
oil) used in antifreeze and lotions. FORMULA OF THE MONTH
One of my favorite concoctions was a small paper
PURPLE STARS
tube filled with potassium permanganate plus a
drop of glycerin fuzed and activated with a drop of Potassium chlorate 24
the emollient. I had to demonstrate that it couldn’t Strontium carbonate 3.75
possibly have been me, because here I stand. I Copper oxychloride 2.5
rigged up one of these delays to a firecracker, put it Shellac 4
on the outside ledge of the my sister’s bedroom Hexachlorobenzene 2
window and ambled back into the house to engage Dextrin 1.5
her in some serious, ersatz conversation about Water.
whatever. The cracker fired; the window remained
intact. How could it possibly have been me? ABB From Best of AFN II

8 October, 2020
 A ME R I CA N F I R E W O R KS NE W S
Spirit of ’76 Fireworks gave a few virtual demos of
their new lines for 2021, including Winda & Bright
Star showing actual video footage that was shot at
their warehouse in Missouri, so you know what
By Jason Musselwhite you’re actually getting, not those embellished sam-
Now is the time for all py- ples from China.
ros to check in with their fa- Apparently, NOW is the time for all pyros to make
vorite consumer fireworks your list and check it twice for placing container
retailer to see if they’ve re- orders.
ceived more inventory to fill If you can’t afford a whole container, some com-
their shelves just in time for panies offer drop shipping, a mixed container,
upcoming holidays. and in-house containers. Schneitter Fireworks in
If this past Fourth of July Missouri offers all of the above. Contact Stacy or
was any indication of how Sue at 816-232-3969.
people will be lining up to buy their goods for at With COVID-19 continuing its ugly path of de-
least New Year’s Eve, then now would be a good struction, and governors flipping back and forth
time to get ahead of those people who wait until from Phase I to all is open, some people are still
last minute and get your goods for the holidays. out of work. Spirit of ’76 is hiring! They are offering
In October, there’s Columbus Day, Indigenous three full-time positions: Account Executive/Sales
People’s Day, & Halloween and on a personal note, Representative, Sales Support Coordinator, and
Betty & I will be celebrating 25 years in marriage! Full Stack Web Developer all at their Columbia,
In November, there’s Election Day, Guy Fawkes Missouri location. They also are looking for both
Night, Veteran’s Day, Diwali, & Thanksgiving. But, part-time and seasonal over-the-road Class A &
for Veteran’s Day, we should pay respect for our Class B HazMat drivers to make pickups and deliv-
Veterans who gave their all for our freedoms and eries to and from their Columbia warehouse to
now deal with PTSD, so perhaps we all could shoot their Boonville, Missouri warehouse.
some fountains and other not-so-loud goods. For more information, check out their website at
And, of course, in December, there’s Christmas [Link]/jobs. You can apply on their
Eve & Day, Hanukkah, Festivus, Kwanzaa, Boxing website, on Indeed, or send your resume and cover
Day, and New Year’s Eve. letter in an Email to hr@[Link] or call
Human Resources with any questions at 573-615-
Then, there’s always lighting fireworks just be-
cause you can. There are now 49 U.S. states allow- 1616.
ing the sale and use of some type of consumer Betty & I will be celebrating our anniversary and
fireworks. And even though this past Fourth of Ju- her current health condition. Since April of this
ly caused much havoc in the streets of cities and year, she has been undergoing chemo treatments
neighborhoods with everyone shooting off consum- through immunotherapy and it’s working! Her light
er fireworks, some towns and municipalities have chain numbers are where they should be, so now
discussed shooting times and curfews, so people she will be continuing immunotherapy once a
will stop shooting fireworks at 2am. But, one thing month for the foreseeable future. She appreciates
is for sure, those cities and states do not want to all who have kept her in their prayers and church
walk away from the sales tax and consumer fire- prayer circles, and especially to Julie & David
works tax that are generated from every sale of Beem for sending cards with inspiring notes. They
consumer fireworks. So, I’m sure they won’t paddle brighten her day. JLM
back to having no consumer fireworks available to
just allowing certain times for shooting. Some-
where in that process, there’s a happy medium for
everyone.
AFN’s Best Formulary
Over 200 of the formulas published in the Best of
Just in time for Halloween, Winco Fireworks is AFN series over 30 years! Forget wasting time and
holding a virtual demo on October 24 at 7pm CT effort researching kamuro, orange magnesium, bril-
on their YouTube channel at liant titanium – it’s all here in an easy-to-use manual.
[Link]/user/WincoFireworks.
Only $20 plus shipping.
Raccoon Fireworks gave a virtual demo of their
new line for 2021 on their YouTube channel a few 570-828-8417
weeks ago. [Link]

October, 2020 9
 A ME R I CA N F I R E W O R KS NE W S

Advertising in Trading Post costs only 30¢ per word, $3. minimum.
Send check to American Fireworks News, 233 Silver Lake Rd.,
Dingmans Ferry, PA 18328. Closing date is the 20th of each month.
Notice: Concerning any offer in this publication to sell or transfer products or information
that are subject to governmental regulation, such sales or transfers will be made in accord
with Federal, State and local laws applicable to the buyer or transferee, as determined by
such regulation.

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HDPE MORTARS AND RACKS FOR SALE. Over 15 years manufac-
turing experience. Highest quality in the Pyro industry. Also large sup-
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WASP SUPERSTINGER shell pasting machine. Includes all acces-

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tails, orders: [Link]. 203-856-8313.
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[Link]
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es to choose from. [Link]. 570-646-9029.
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HIGH QUALITY STAR SORTERS. Available in 1/32” increments!
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FIREWORKS CONSULTING. Regulatory consulting and expert
witness. NFPA 1123, NFPA 1124 (Display Fireworks or Retail Sales of
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state regulations. Charles P. Weeth, Weeth & Associates, LLC,
122 17th St S, La Crosse, WI 54601-4208 USA 608-784-3212 -
608-782-2822 chzweeth@[Link] [Link].
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NEW! Selected Pyrotechnic Publications of Dr. Shimizu Books 1-4 now
available on CD! Only $39. plus $8 shipping within the U.S. AFN’s
catalog #SHIM1-4 CD. See [Link] for more info.
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10 October, 2020
 A ME R I CA N F I R E W O R KS NE WS

October, 2020 11