Artificial fire-works

by Robert Jones

When more than two rockets, are tied on one stick, there will be some danger, of their flying up without the stick, unless the following precaution be taken, for cases being placed on all sides, there can be no notches, for the cord which ties on the rockets, to lay in; therefore instead of notches, drive a small nail, in each side of the stick, between the necks of the cases; and let the cord which goes round their necks, be brought close under the nails; by this means, the rockets will be as secure, as when tied on singly. Your rockets being thus fixed, carry a quick-match without a pipe, from the mouth of one rocket to the other; this match being lighted will give fire to all the rockets at once.

Notwithstanding the directions already given, may be sufficient, for the management of those sort of rockets; I shall here add an improvment, of my own, on a very essential part of this device, which is, that of hanging the rockets, to be fired; for before I hit upon the following method, many of my essays, proved unsuccessful; but to prevent such perplexities, instead of the old and common manner of hanging them on nails or hooks, make use of this contrivance, have a ring made of strong iron wire, large enough for the stick to go in, as far as the mouths of the rockets, then let this ring be supported by a small iron, at some distance, from the post or stand, to which it is fixed; then have another ring, fit to receive and guide the small end of the stick; rockets thus suspended will have nothing to obstruct their fire; but when they are hung on nails or hooks, in such a manner, that some of their mouths, are against or upon a rail, there can be no certainty of their rising, in a vertical direction.

Of Sky Rockets without sticks.

To fire rockets without sticks, you must have a stand made in this manner; get a block of wood, one foot diameter or there abouts, and make the bottom of it flat, so that it may stand steady; in the center of the top of this block, draw a circle two inches and a half diameter, and divide the circumference of it into three equal parts; then take three pieces of thick iron wire, each about three feet in length, and drive them into the block, one at each point made on the circle; when these wires, are drove in, deep enough to hold them fast, and upright, so that the distance from one to the other, be the same at top, as at bottom, the stand is compleat.

The stand being thus made, prepare your rockets after the following method; take some common sky rockets, of any size, and head them as you please, then get some balls of lead, and tie to each a small wire, two, or two feet and a half long, and the other end of each wire, tie to the neck of a rocket; these balls answer the purpose of sticks, when made of a proper weight, which is about two thirds the weight of the rocket; but when they are of a proper size, they will ballance the rocket in the same manner as a stick, at the usual point of poize. To fire these sort of rockets, hang them, one at a time, between the tops of the wires, letting their heads rest on the points of the wires, and the balls hang down between them; if the wires should be too wide, for the rockets, press them together, till they sit, and if too close, force them open: the wires for this purpose, must be softened, so as not to have any spring, or they will not keep their position, when pressed close or opened.

Of Rain-falls for Sky Rockets, Double and Single.

Gold and silver rain composition, are drove in cases, that are pinched quite close at one end; if you roll them dry, four or five rounds of paper will be strong enough, but if the are pasted, three rounds will do, and the thin sort of cartridge paper is best for those small cases; which in rolling you must not turn down the inside edge, as in other cases, for a double edge would be too thick for so small a bore; the moulds for rain falls, should be made of brass, and turned very smooth in the inside; or the cases, which are so very thin, would tear in coming out, for the charge must be drove in tight; and the better the case sits the mould, the more driving it will bare. These moulds have no nipple, but instead of which they are made flat; as it would be very tedious and troublesome, to shake the composition out of such small ladles, as are used for these cases; it will be necessary to have a funnel made of thin tin, to fit on the top of the case, by the help of which you may fill them very fast; for single rain falls for four ounce rockets, let the diameter of the former be two sixteenths of an inch, and the length of the case two inches; for eight ounce rockets, four sixteenths, and two diameters of the rocket long; for one pound rocket five sixteenths, and two diameters of the rocket long; for two pound rockets, five sixteenths, and three inches a half long; for four pound rockets, six sixteenths, and four inches and a half long; and for six pounders, seven sixteenths diameter, and five inches long.

Of double rain falls, there are two sorts; as for example, some appear first like a star, and then as rain; and some appear first as rain and then like a star: when you would have stars first; you must fill the cases within half an inch of the top, with rain composition, and the remainder with star composition; but when you intend the rain should be first, drive the case half an inch with star composition, and the rest with rain. By this method, may be made many changes of fire; for in large rockets, you may make them first burn as stars, then rain, and then again as stars, or they may first shew rain, then stars, and afterwards finish with a report, but when they are thus managed, cut open the first rammed end, after they are filled and bounced, at which place prime them; the star composition for this purpose must be a little stronger than for rolled stars.

Of Strung Stars.

First take some thin paper, and cut it into pieces of an inch and a half square, or therabouts, then on each piece lay as much dry star composition as you think the paper will easily contain; then twist up the paper as tight as you can; when done, rub some past on your hands, and roll the stars between them, then set them to dry; your stars being thus made, get some flax or fine tow, and roll a little of it over each star, then paste your hands and roll the stars as before, and set them again to dry; when they are quite dry, with a piercer, make a hole through the middle of each, into which run a cotton quick-match, long enough to hold, ten or twelve stars, at three or four inches from one another: but any number of stars may be strung together by joining the match.