How to Manufacture 1.4 fireworks legally?

[kessie]

Trying to put together a Christmas Show this year, and it was difficult but I managed to collect a bunch of Red/Green cakes. Most of the red & green ones also have blue or some other color. That got me thinking... I wish there was more "festive" Consumer Fireworks, in the form of cakes or shell kits. I know HOW to go about doing everything, but getting the materials could be expensive and perhaps even illegal... and doing it inside a factory would be safer too. Putting this idea into the suggestion box for a company would be a total waste, and they'd end up doing something stupid or funky with my Christmas Fireworks idea. Not just Christmas though, red/pink/white for Valentine's Day. Those are easy colors to accomplish in pyrotechnics. Halloween colors for after the trick-or-treaters are inside, Orange & Purple, since it's the closest thing to black.

Haven't you ever had a good idea for a shell or cake and said, "I wish I could make one."

I really have no interest in 1.3 fireworks. I just don't think fireworks should only be for the 4th and new years eve, so give them a reason!

[PyroMonkey]

Kessie,

Many vendors now stock single-effect and single-color devices, including comets, mines, shells, and all sorts of cakes -- because they saw the demand for these type of themed effects for choreographed shows. I'm not familiar with the vendors in your area, but perhaps someone else will chime in with their suggestion. Dominator and Spirit of '76 would be good places to start.

With regard to manufacturing 1.4G... any product that is homemade is considered a 1.3G item. 1.4G isn't merely a reflection of physical size -- it is a Department of Transportation classification, and these items undergo considerable scrutiny by the CPSC in order to be sold to the public. You're certainly not alone in wanting to design one's own shells, which is why we join clubs like the PGI or Crackerjacks. You're right that the investment in chemicals and tooling is significant... but if you start with the basics and build your inventory gradually, you'll have a well-stocked shop before you know it.

[matandch]

The Crackerjacks Fireworks Club has an active building community with world class PGI Grand Masters among the group. PM me for more information.

[PuroJon]

Buy the cakes you like and take them apart, then re-mount the tubes in a configuration that pleases you. You can glue them to boards, duct-tape them together, etc. Easiest way to make your own customized 1.4 displays.

[displayfireworks1]

I am not telling anyone not to take apart consumer fireworks; you have to be careful how you store them once you take them apart. A story comes to mind, someone in the business told me he imported a batch of cakes to sale. He was curious how the effect of the cake looked. He decided instead of lighting the entire cake he would just break off one of the tubes and electrically set it off. He let the now altered cake just lay around. During an ATF inspection, he was cited for not having that 1.4 cake in a magazine. Somehow, when you alter a consumer fireworks product it becomes something other than a consumer fireworks product. If those rules only effect someone in commerce or everyone I really do not know.

[PuroJon]

I did not think the OP was a Type 54 license holder and therefore not inspected (i.e. magazine storage) like a license holder would be. I am not aware of the ATF doing inspections of consumer/owner 1.4g fireworks storage. Heck, I have run 1000lb+ fireworks stores selling only 1.4g and never even met an ATF agent.

To me, proper storage of 1.4g product is such a basic and fundamental element of safety that I don't think about it much. The end user either acts and stores intelligently, or are doomed to accidents which should (and we hope would) warrant ATF attention. Nothing at all to do with circumventing laws or acting in an unsafe manner, and not much different than mixing different types of alcohol in a cocktail. I buy them legally, store them rationally, and mix them as I please.

[kessie]

Well I think the post about joining a club best describes what I want to do. In order to customize cakes to shoot specific colors that I want, you would have to replace the entire Chemistry of the shell. Completely different stars. Again I know HOW to do everything but having access to the materials is impossible, especially in a high-prohibition state (MA). If a license is required then so be it. Just wanted to know if there was an easy way to craft custom firework cakes or shell kits.

PyroMonkey, there aren't any vendors in NH that do that. I've looked through Seabrook and Derry and there's just Phantom, TNT, Fantasy, Atomic, and a couple smaller stores that are hard to find. I'll ask them when I visit, but spending $15 on a 200g Pro Series Red/Green cake is getting pricey.