Chapter II: Part 2

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VIII. Meal powder two pound, saltpetre one pound, brimstone half a pound, and sea coal two ounces.

IX. Saltpetre two pound, brimstone one pound, meal powder four pound, and glass dust four ounces.

X. Meal powder one pound, saltpetre two ounces, and steel dust three ounces and a half.

XI. Meal powder two pound, and steel dust two ounces and a half, with two ounces and a half of the fine dust of beat iron.

XII. Saltpetre eleven pound thirteen ounces, brimstone eight ounces, and charcoal six ounces.

A slow Fire for Wheels.

I. Saltpetre four ounces, brimstone two ounces, and meal powder one ounce and a half.

II. Saltpetre four ounces, brimstone one ounce, and antimony one ounce six drams.

III. Saltpetre four ounces and a half, brimstone one ounce, and mealed powder one ounce and a half.

A dead Fire for Wheels.

Saltpetre one ounce and a quarter, brimstone a quarter of an ounce, lapis-calaminaris a quarter of an ounce, and antimony two drams.

For standing or fixed Cases.

I. Meal powder four pound, saltpetre two pound, brimstone and charcoal one pound.

II. Meal powder two pound, saltpetre one pound, and steel dust eight ounces.

III. Meal powder one pound four ounces, and charcoal four ounces.

IV. Meal powder one pound, and steel dust four ounces.

V. Meal powder two pound and a half, brimstone four ounces, and seacoal six ounces.

VI. Meal powder three pound, charcoal five ounces, and saw dust one ounce and a half.

For Sun Cases.

I. Meal powder eight pound and a half, saltpetre one pound two ounces, steel dust two pound ten ounces and a half, and brimstone four ounces.

II. Meal powder three pound, saltpetre six ounces, and steel dust seven ounces and a half.

For a Brilliant Fire.

Meal powder twelve pound, saltpetre one pound, brimstone four ounces, and steel dust one pound and a half.

For Gerbes.

Meal powder six pound, and beat iron two pound one ounce and a half.

Chinese Fire.

Saltpetre twelve ouces, meal powder two pound, brimstone one pound two ounces, and beat iron twelve ounces.

Charges for Tourbillons.

For four ounce Tourbillons.

Meal powder two pound four ounces, and charcoal four ounces and a half.

For eight ounce Tourbillons.

Meal powder two pound, and charcoal four ounces and three quarters.

For large Tourbillons.

Meal powder two pound, saltpetre one pound, brimstone eight ounces, and beat iron eight ounces.

N. B. Tourbillons may be made very large, and of different colour’d fires, only you are to observe, that the larger they be, the weaker must be the charge; and, on the contrary, the smaller they be, the stronger must be their charge.

For Water Ballóóns.

I. Saltpetre four pound, brimstone two pound, meal powder two pound, antimony four ounces, saw dust four ounces, and glass dust one ounce and a quarter.

II. Saltpetre nine pound, brimstone three pound, meal powder six pound, rosin twelve ounces, and antimony eight ounces.

For Water Squibs.

I. Meal powder one pound, and charcoal one pound.

II. Meal powder one pound, and charcoal nine ounces.

For Mine-ports or Serpents.

I. Meal powder one pound, and charcoal one ounce.

II. Meal powder nine ounces, and charcoal one ounce.

Port-fires for firing Rockets, &c.

I. Saltpetre twelve ounces, brimstone four ounces, and meal powder two ounces.

II. Saltpetre eight ounces, brimstone four ounces, and meal powder two ounces.

III. Saltpetre one pound two ounces, meal powder one pound and a half, and brimstone ten ounces. This composion must be moistened with one gill of linseed oil.

IV. Meal powder six ounces, saltpetre two pound two ounces, and brimstone ten ounces.

V. Saltpetre one pound four ounces, meal powder four ounces, brimstone five ounces, and saw dust eight ounces.

VI. Saltpetre eight ounces, brimstone two ounces, and meal powder two ounces.

Port-fires for Illuminations.

Saltpetre one pound, brimstone eight ounces, and meal powder six ounces.

For Cones or Spiral Wheels.

Saltpetre one pound and a half, brimstone six ounces, meal powder fourteen ounces, and glass dust fourteen ounces.

For Crowns or Globes.

Saltpetre six ounces, brimstone two pound, antimony four ounces, and camphor two ounces.

For Air Ballóón Fuzes.

I. Saltpetre one pound ten ounces, brimstone eight ounces, and meal powder one pound six ounces.

II. Saltpetre one pound and a half, brimstone eight ounces, and meal powder one pound eight ounces.

Serpents for Pots des Brins.

Meal powder one pound eight ounces, saltpetre twelve ounces, and charcoal two ounces.

For Fire Pumps.

I. Saltpetre five pound, brimstone one pound, meal powder one pound and a half, and glass dust one pound.

II. Saltpetre five pound eight ounces, brimstone one pound, meal powder one pound eight ounces, and glass dust one pound eight ounces.

For a Slow White Flame.

I. Saltpetre two pound, sulphur three pound, antimony one pound.

II. Saltpetre three pound and a half, sulphur two pound and a half, meal powder one pound, antimony half a pound, glass dust four ounces, brass dust one ounce.

N. B. These compositions, driven one inch and a quarter in a one ounce case, will burn one minute, which is much longer time than an equal quantity of any composition will last, that has yet been made public.

For Amber Lights.

Meal powder nine ounces, and amber three ounces. This charge may be drove in small cases, for illuminations.

For Lights of another Sort.

Saltpetre three pound, brimstone one pound, meal powder one pound, antimony ten ounces and a half. All these ingredients must be mixed with the oil of spike.

For a Red Fire.

Meal powder three pound, charcoal twelve ounces, and saw dust eight ounces.

For a Common Fire.

Saltpetre three pound, charcoal ten ounces, and brimstone two ounces.

To make an Artificial Earthquake.

Mix the following ingredients to a paste with water, and then bury it in the ground, and in a few hours the earth will break and open in several places. The composition: Sulphur four pound, and steel dust four pound.

Having laid down, under the preceding heads, the different compositions used in fireworks by our modern artists; I shall, in the next place, give some tables of charges that were formerly used, according to the several accounts given by those authors from whom they are collected: but if the reader will consider, he will find the charges in these tables to be very uncertain, by comparing their method of determining the size and weight of rockets, and the proportions of ingredients thereto, with the method taught in this work, which is so plain, easy, and certain, that I have never yet known it fail; and doubt not, but that it will be so allowed by all who chuse to make a tryal thereof.

The subsequent table is taken from Siemienowicz, wherein is specified the different charges of sky rockets, from half an ounce to one hundred pound; the charges being calculated in proportion to the weight of a leaden ball of the same diameter as the bore of each mould; which bores are divided into inches and lines[1], and each line into twelve equal parts, according to the French method.

TAB. I.

Weight | Diameter |powder.|Saltpetre| Brim |charcoal.
of the | of the | | | stone |
ball. | mould. | | | |
-------+----------+-------+---------+-------+--------
lb. oz.|in. 1. pts|lb. oz.| lb. oz. |lb. oz.| lb. oz.
-------+----------+-------+---------+-------+--------
½ | 0 6 3 } | | |
1 | 0 7 8 } 0 15 | 0 0 | 0 0 | 0 2
| | | | |
2 | 0 9 7 } | | |
3 | 0 11 0 } 0 12 | 0 2 | 0 ½ | 0 1½
| | | | |
4 | 1 0 1 | | | |
| | | | |
5 | 1 1 0 } | | |
6 | 1 1 10 } 1 3 | 0 12 | 0 4 | 0 1½
| | | | |
7 | 1 2 7 | | | |
| | | | |
8 | 1 3 4 | | | |
| | | | |
9 | 1 3 11 | | | |
| | | | |
10 | 1 4 5 | | | |
| | | | |
11 | 1 5 0 | | | |
| | | | |
12 | 1 5 5 | | | |
| | | | |
13 | 1 6 0 | | | |
| | | | |
14 | 1 6 5 | | | |
| | | | |
16 | 1 7 3 | 18 0 | 8 0 | 2 0 | 4 0
| | | | |
2 0 | 2 0 3 } | | |
3 0 | 2 3 7 } 0 0 | 60 0 | 2 0 |15 0
| | | | |
4 0 | 2 6 9 } | | |
5 0 | 2 8 8 } 0 0 | 64 0 | 8 0 |16 0
| | | | |
6 0 | 2 10 9 } | | |
8 0 | 3 2 6 } 0 0 | 35 0 | 5 0 |10 0
| | | | |
10 0 | 3 5 4 | 0 0 | 62 0 | 9 0 |20 0
| | | | |
12 0 | 3 7 10 } | | |
15 0 | 3 11 4 } 0 0 | 32 0 | 8 0 |16 0
| | | | |
17 0 | 4 1 5 } | | |
20 0 | 4 4 2 } 0 0 | 64 0 |12 0 |16 0
| | | | |
27 0 | 4 9 9 | | | |
| | | | |
30 0 | 4 11 6 } | | |
40 0 | 5 5 1 } 0 0 | 30 0 | 7 0 |18 0
| | | | |
60 0 | 6 3 3 } | | |
100 0 | 7 5 3 } 0 0 | 30 0 |10 0 |20 0

TAB. II.

The following table is taken from a late French author[2], whose
method of regulating the charges is according to the interior
diameter of the mould, which he divides into lines.

Interior | Weight of |Saltpetre.|Brimstone.|Charcoal.
diameter of|the rocket.| | |
the mould. | | | |
-----------+-----------+----------+----------+---------
Lines. |lb. oz. dr.| ounces. | ounces. | ounces.
-----------+-----------+----------+----------+---------
6 | 0 0 4 } | |
7 | 0 0 6 } 44 | 4 | 16
8 | 0 1 1 } | |
| | | |
9 | 0 1 5 } | |
10 | 0 2 2 } 40 | 4 | 16
11 | 0 3 0 } | |
| | | |
12 | 0 3 7 } | |
13 | 0 4 6 } 38 | 4 | 16
14 | 0 6 1 } | |
| | | |
15 | 0 7 4 } | |
16 | 0 9 1 } 36 | 4 | 16
17 | 0 11 0 } | |
| | | |
18 | 0 13 1 } | |
19 | 0 15 4 } 34 | 4 | 16
19¼ | 1 0 0 } | |
| | | |
21 | 1 7 1 | | |
| | | |
24 | 1 15 1 | 32 | 5 | 16
| | | |
30 | 4 0 0 } | |
36 | 6 9 0 } 30 | 6 | 18
72 | 55 8 0 } | |

TAB. III.

A table of charges for sky-rockets in which the charges are adapted
in proportion to the weight of composition contained in each
rocket, after the method of Hanzelet.

Weight of | Powder. | Saltpetre. | Brimstone. | Charcoal.
composition. | | | |
------------- | ------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------
lb. oz. | lb. oz. | lb. oz. | lb. oz. | lb. oz.
------------- | ------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------
0 1½ | 0 4 | | | 0 1
or, | 1 0 | 0 1½ | | 0 1½

0 2 | 0 4 | 0 1 | |
or, | 0 4 | | | 0 ½

0 4 } | 1 0 | 0 4 | | 0 4
0 8 } | | | |

or, | 0 3 | 0 10 | 0 1 | 0 3
| 0 10 | 0 3½ | 0 1 | 0 3½

1 0 | 1 0 | | 0 1 | 0 2
or, | | 1 4 | 0 2 | 0 3½
3 0 | | 1 14 | 7 7½ | 0 11

6 0 } | |31 0 | 4 8 | 10 0
7 0 } | | | |

8 0 } | | 8 0 | 1 8 | 2 12
10 0 } | | | |

TAB. IV.

A table collected from Henrion, whose method of adjusting the
charges is the same as in the preceding table.

Weight of |Powder |Saltpetre. | Brimstone. | Charcoal.
composition.| | | |
------------| ----------|-----------|------------|------------
lb. oz. | lb. oz. | lb. oz. | lb. oz. | lb. oz.
------------|-----------|-----------|------------|------------
1} | | | |
2} | 1 0 | | | 0 2
or, | 1 0 | 1 0 | | 0 1
3 | 4½ | 0 1 | | 0 1
| | | |
4} | | | |
8} | 4 0 | 1 0 | 0 ½ | 0 4
| | | |
| 1 8 | 0 4 | | 0 2
or, | | | |
| 1 0 | 0 4 | | 0 1
| | | |
| 3 ½ | 0 10 | | 0 3½
| | | |
8} | | |{ 0 2 }|
} | 2 5 | 0 0 |{steel dust}| 0 6
10} | | |{ 0 2 }|
| | | |
12 |17 0 | 0 4 | 0 3½ | 0 7
| | | |
14} | | |{ 0 3 }|
} | 2 8 | 0 9 |{steel dust}| 0 3
15} | | |{ 0 3 }|
| | | |
1 0 | 1 0 | 0 0 | 0 1 | 0 3
| | | |
2 0 | 0 2 | 0 12 | 0 1 | 0 3
| | | |
3 0} | | |{ 1 4 } |
} | 0 0 | 8 0 |{steel dust}| 2 2
10 0} | |{ 0 2 }|

TAB. V.

A table of charges for sky rockets, taken from the Memoires
D’Artillerie de M. de Saint Remy, with improvements by M. F***.

French names for Sky Rockets.

Remarks on the foregoing Tables.

In table the first, we find that the compositions for all rockets under one pound are made chiefly of gun-powder and charcoal, which method has been long proved erroneous in many respects: first, that rockets made with such charges will not keep long without spoiling; secondly, that they are very uncertain in performing their proper effect; thirdly, they will carry but a short tail, with a black and smoaky fire.

We also find those charges for rockets above one pound, that are composed of saltpetre, brimstone, and charcoal, to be too strong; by which we should imagine that, at the time when they were used, the piercers did not bear the same proportion to the rockets, as those made use of by our present artists; for it is on the size of the cavity in the composition, that the effect of the rocket and proportion of the charge depends: which we shall endeavour to shew hereafter.

Table the second is given, by the author, as an improvement on the first; wherein he takes notice of the charges being too many in number; he has therefore reduced them to seven only, which, according to his opinion, are sufficient for rockets of any size: he also observes, that the ingredients are expressed in unequal quantities; which he has likewise laid down in a more regular order. By the same author’s account, rockets were made in France, not many years since, with the compositions mentioned in his table. I shall not here pretend to say, that rockets were not made with the charges given in the above-mentioned table; yet can affirm, by practice and experience, that several of them will not agree with our present moulds.

As to the method prescribed in the third and fourth tables, it is difficult to determine whether we shall praise or condemn it, as they were wrote when the art of making fireworks was in it’s infancy; as may be seen by their strange method of determining the proportion of ingredients, and weight of rockets, by the quantity of composition contained in each case; which must have required a very nice calculation, for at that time, they had not fixed upon an exact length for rockets, but made them from six to nine diameters long: all which differ so much from our modern practice, that I never thought it worth the trouble of making a trial: but am of opinion, that very few of the charges will answer.

In table the fifth, the compositions are in proportion to the weight of the rocket, with it’s head and stick, all compleat; which head and stick together are equal to the weight of the rocket, according to the improvement made by M. F***, as may be seen by the second column from the top; he also has added the diameters to the moulds, in proportion to their height, allowing each six diameters, which supposing to be right, the rockets will be nearly reduced to half their weight given in the first column. On the charges in this table I have made no experiment, therefore cannot recommend them as proof.

Having already given a variety of charges for sky-rockets, in the preceding tables, which are collected from the principal authors on this subject, together with remarks on the same; I shall, in the next place, according to my promise of not omitting any thing that may be of service to the reader, add some compositions for rocket-stars of several colours, as inserted by former authors.

Compositions for Stars of different Colours.

I. Meal powder four ounces, saltpetre two ounces, brimstone two ounces, steel dust one ounce and a half, and camphor, white amber, antimony, and mercury-sublimate, of each half an ounce.

II. Rochepetre ten ounces, brimstone, charcoal, antimony, meal powder, and camphor, of each three quarters of an ounce, moistened with oil of turpentine. These compositions are made into stars, by being worked to a paste with aqua vitæ, in which has been dissolved some gum-tragacanth; and after you have roll’d them in powder, make a hole through the middle of each, and string them on quick-match, leaving about two inches from one to the other.

III. Saltpetre eight ounces, brimstone two ounces, yellow amber one ounce, antimony one ounce, and powder three ounces.

IV. Brimstone two ounces and a half, saltpetre six ounces, olibanum or frankincense in drops four ounces; mastick, and mercury-sublimate, of each four ounces; meal powder five ounces; white amber, yellow amber, and camphor, of each one ounce; antimony and orpiment half an ounce each.

V. Saltpetre one pound, brimstone half a pound, and meal powder eight ounces, moistened with potrolio-oil.

VI. Powder half a pound, brimstone and saltpetre, of each four ounces.

VII. Saltpetre four ounces, brimstone two ounces, and meal powder one ounce.

For Stars that carry Tails of sparks.

I. Brimstone six ounces, antimony crude two ounces, saltpetre four ounces, and rosin four ounces.

II. Saltpetre, rosin, and charcoal, of each two ounces; brimstone one ounce, and pitch one ounce.

These compositions are sometimes melted in an earthen pan, and mixed with chopped cotton match, before they are rolled into stars, but will do as well if wetted, and worked up in the usual manner.

Another Sort of Stars, which yield some Sparks.

I. Camphor two ounces, saltpetre one ounce, meal powder one ounce.

II. Saltpetre one ounce, ditto melted half an ounce, and camphor two ounces. When you would make stars of either of these compositions, you must wet them with gum water, or spirit of wine, in which has been dissolved some gum-arabick, or gum-tragacanth, that the whole may have the consistence of a pretty thick liquid; having thus done, take one ounce of lint, and stir it about in the composition till it becomes dry enough to roll into stars.

For Stars of a yellowish Colour.

Take four ounces of gum-tragacanth or gum-arabick, pounded and sifted thro’ a fine sieve, camphor dissolved in brandy two ounces, saltpetre one pound, sulphur half a pound, coarse powder of glass four ounces, white amber one ounce and a half, and orpiment two ounces. All these ingredients being well incorporated, make them into stars after the common method.

Stars of another Sort.

Take a pound of camphor and melt it in a pint of spirit of wine over a slow fire; then add to it a pound of gum-arabick that has been dissolved; with this liquor, mix one pound of saltpetre, six ounces of sulphur, and five ounces of meal powder; and after you have stirred them well together, roll them into stars proportionable to the rockets for which you intend them.

Of the Colours produced by the different Compositions.

As variety of fires adds greatly to a collection of works, it is necessary that every artist should know the different effect of each ingredient; for which reason, I shall here explain the colours they produce of themselves; and likewise how to make them retain the same when mixed with other bodies: as for example, sulphur gives a blue, camphor a white or pale colour, saltpetre a clear white, yellow amber a colour inclining to yellow, sal-armoniac a green, antimony a reddish, rosin a copper colour, and greek-pitch a kind of bronze or between red and yellow. All these ingredients are such as shew themselves in a flame, viz.

For a white Flame.

Saltpetre, sulphur, meal powder, and camphor, the saltpetre must be the chief part.

For a blue Flame.

Meal powder, saltpetre, and sulphur vivum, the sulphur must be the chief part: or, meal powder, saltpetre, brimstone, spirit of wine, and oil of spike; but let the powder be the principal part.

For a Flame inclining to Red.

Saltpetre, sulphur, antimony, and greek-pitch, the saltpetre the chief part.

By the above method may be made various colours of fire, as the practitioner pleases; for, by making a few trials, he may cause any ingredient to be predominant in colour.

Of such Ingredients as shew themselves in Sparks when rammed in choaked Cases.

The set colours of fire produced by sparks are divided into four sorts, viz. the black, white, grey, and red; the black charges are composed of two ingredients, which are meal powder and charcoal; the white of three, viz. saltpetre, sulphur, and charcoal; the grey of four, viz. meal powder, saltpetre, brimstone, and charcoal; and the red of three, viz. meal powder, charcoal, and saw dust.

There are, besides these four regular or set charges, two others, which are distinguished by the names of compound and brilliant charges; the compound charge being made of many ingredients, such as meal powder, saltpetre, brimstone, charcoal, saw dust, seacoal, antimony, glass dust, brass dust, steel filings, cast iron, tanner’s dust, &c. or any thing that will yield sparks; all which must be managed with discretion. The brilliant fires are composed of meal powder, saltpetre, brimstone, and steel dust; or with meal powder and steel filings only.

How to make Cotton Quick-match.

Quick-match is generally made of such cotton as is put in candles, of several sizes, from one to six threads thick, according to the pipes it is designed for, which pipe must be large enough for the match, when made, to be pushed in easily without breaking it. Having doubled the cotton into as many threads as you think proper, coil it very lightly into a flat-bottomed copper or earthen pan; then put in the saltpetre and the liquor, and boil them together about twenty minutes; after which, coil it again into another pan, as is shewn in Fig. 4. and pour on it what liquor remains; then put in some meal powder, and press it down with your hands, till it is quite wet; afterwards place the pan before the wooden frame, Fig. 5, which must be suspended by a point in the center of each end; and place yourself before the pan, tying the upper end of the cotton to the end of one of the sides of the frame.

When every thing is thus got ready, you must have one to turn the frame round, while you let the cotton pass through your hands, holding it very lightly, and at the same time keeping your hands full of the wet powder; but if the powder should be too wet to stick to the cotton, put more in the pan, so as to keep a continual supply till the match is all wound up; you may wind it as close on the frame as you please, so that it does not stick together; when the frame is full, take it off the points, and sift dry meal powder on both sides the match, till it appears quite dry: in winter the match will be a fortnight before it is fit for use; when it is thoroughly dry, cut it along the outside of one of the sides of the frame, and tie it up in skains for use.

N. B. The match must be wound tight on the frames.

Ingredients for the Match.

Cotton one pound twelve ounces, saltpetre one pound, spirit of wine two quarts, water three quarts, isinglass three gills, and meal powder ten pound. To dissolve four ounces of isinglass, take three pints of water.

SECT. III.

Of Sky-rocket Moulds.

As the performance of rockets depends much on their moulds, it is requisite to give a definition of them and their proportions, which are as follows: They are made and proportioned by the diameter of their orifice, which is divided into six equal parts: as for example, Fig. 6. represents a mould made by its diameter A B, its height from C to D is six diameters and two thirds; from D to E is the height of the foot, which is one diameter and two thirds; F the choak, or cylinder, whose height is one diameter and one third; it must be made out of the same piece as the foot, and fit tight in the mould; G an iron pin that goes through the mould and cylinder, to keep the foot fast; H the nipple, which is half a diameter high, and two thirds thick, and of the same piece of metal as the piercer I, whose height is three diameters and a half, and at the bottom is one third of the diameter thick, and from thence tapering to one sixth of the diameter: the best way to fix the piercer in the cylinder, is to make that part below the nipple long enough to go quite through the foot, and rivet it at the bottom. Fig. 7. is a former or rowler for the cases, whose length, from the handle, is seven diameters and a half, and its diameter two thirds of the bore A B; 8. the end of the former, which is of the same thickness and one diameter and two thirds long, the small part; which fits into the hole In the end of the rowler when the case is pinching, is one sixth and a half of the mould’s diameter thick. Fig. 9, the first drift, which must be six diameters from the handle, and this as well as all other rammers must be a little thinner than the former, to prevent the sacking of the paper, when you are driving in the charge: in the end of this rammer is a hole to fit over the piercer; the line K marked on this is two diameters and one third from the handle, so that when you are filling the rocket, this line appears at top of the case; you must then take the second rammer, 10, which from the handle is four diameters; and the hole for the piercer is one diameter and a half long. Fig. 11. is the short and solid drift which you use when you have filled the case as high as the top of the piercer.

It is to be observed, that all rammers must have a collar of brass at the bottom, to keep the wood from spreading or splitting; and that the same proportion be given to all moulds, from one ounce to six pound. I mentioned nothing concerning the handles of the rammers; however, if their diameter be equal to the bore of the mould, and two diameters long, it will be a very good proportion; but the shorter you can use them the better, for the longer the drift, the less will be the pressure on the composition, by the blow given with the mallet.

A Table of Dimensions for Rocket Moulds, in which the Rockets are
rammed solid.

Weight |Length of the |Interior diameter|Height of the
of rockets.|moulds without| of the moulds. | nipples.
| their feet. | |
-----------+--------------+-----------------+-------------
lb. oz. | Inches. | Inches. | Inches.
-----------+--------------+-----------------+-------------
6 0 | 34·7 | 3·5 | 1·5
4 0 | 38·6 | 2·9 | 1·4
2 0 | 13·35 | 2·1 | 1·0
1 0 | 12·25 | 1·7 | 0·85
0 8 | 10·125 | 1·333 &c. | 0·6
0 4 | 7·75 | 1·125 | 0·5
0 2 | 6·2 | 0·9 | 0·45
0 1 | 4·9 | 0·7 | 0·35
0 ½ | 3·9 | 0·55 | 0·25
6 drams | 3·5 | 0·5 | 0·225
4 drams | 2·2 | 0·3 | 0·2

The diameter of the nipple must always be equal to that of the former.

I have omitted the thickness of the moulds, it being very immaterial, provided they are substantial and strong.

I would not advise any one who makes rockets for his private amusement, to ram them solid, for it requires a very skilful hand, and an expensive apparatus for boring them, which will be shewn herereafter. Driving of rockets solid is the most expeditious method, but not so certain as ramming them over a piercer, which I have found by experience.

Of Moulds for Wheel Cases, or Serpents.

Fig. 12. represents a mould in which the cases are drove solid; L the nipple[3], with a point[4] at top, which, when the case is filling, serves to stop the neck, and prevent the composition from falling out, which without this point it would do; and, in consequence, the air would get into the vacancy in the charge, and at the time of firing cause the case to burst. These sort of moulds are made of any length or diameter, according as the cases are required, but the diameter of the rollers must be equal to half the bore, and the rammers made quite solid.

How to roll Rocket and other Cases.

Sky rocket cases are to be made six and a half of their exterior diameter long, and all other cases that are to be filled in moulds must be as long as the moulds, within half its interior diameter.

Rocket cases, from the smallest to four or six pound, are generally made of the strongest sort of cartridge paper, and rolled dry; but the large sort are made of pasted paste-board. As it is very difficult to roll the ends of the cases quite even, the best way will be to keep a pattern of the paper for the different sorts of cases, which pattern should be somewhat longer than the case it is designed for, and on it marked the number of sheets required, which will prevent any paper being cut to waste: having cut your papers of a proper size, and the last sheet for each case with a slope at one end, so that when the cases are rolled it may form a spiral line round the outside, and that this slope may always be the same, let the pattern be so cut for a guide: before you begin to roll, fold down one end of the first sheet, so far that the fold will go two or three times round the former; then, on the double edge, lay the former with its handle off the table, and when you have rolled on the paper, within two or three turns, lay, on that part which is loose, the next sheet, and roll it all on.

Having thus done, you must have a smooth board, about twenty inches long, and equal in breadth to the length of the case; in the middle of this board must be a handle placed length-ways; under this board lay your case, and let one end of the board lay on the table; then press hard on it, and push it forwards, which will roll the paper very tight; do this three or four times before you roll on any more paper: this must be repeated every other sheet of paper, till the case is thick enough; but if the rolling board be drawn backwards, it will loosen the paper: you are to observe, when you roll on the last sheet, that the point of the slope be placed at the small end of the roller. Having rolled your case to fit the mould, push in the small end of the former F, about one diameter from the end of the case, and put in the end piece within a little distance of the former; then give the pinching cord one turn round the case, between the former and the end piece; at first pull easy, and keep moving the case, which will make the neck smooth, and without large wrinkles; when the cases are hard to choak, let each sheet of paper (except the first and last in that part where the neck is formed) be a little moistened with water: immediately after you have struck the concave stroke, bind the neck of the case round with small twine, which must not be tied in a knot, but fastened with two or three hitches.

Having thus pinched and tied the case so as not to give way, put it into the mould without it’s foot, and, with a mallet, drive the former hard on the end piece, which will force the neck close and smooth; this being done, cut the case to its proper length, allowing from the neck to the edge of the mouth half a diameter, which is equal to the height of the nipple; then take out the former, and drive the case over the piercer with the long rammer, and the vent will be of a proper size. Wheel cases must be drove on a nipple with a points in order to close the neck, and make the vent of the size required; which, in most cases, is generally one fourth of their interior diameter: as it is very often difficult, when the cases are rolled, to draw the roller out, you may make a hole through the handle, and put in it a small iron pin, by which you may easily turn the former round, and pull it out. Fig. 17. shews the method of pinching cases; P a treddle, which, when pressed hard with the foot, will draw the cord tight, and force the neck as close as you please; Q a small wheel or pully, with a groove round it for the cord to run in.

Cases are commonly rolled wet, for wheels and fixed pieces; and when they are required to contain a great length of charge, the method of making those sort of cases is as follows: Your paper must be cut as usual, only the last sheet must not be cut with a slope; having your paper ready, paste each sheet on one side, then fold down the first sheet as before directed, but be careful that the paste does not touch the upper part of the fold, for if the roller be wetted, it will tear the paper in drawing it out: in pasting the last sheet, observe not to wet the last turn or two in that part where it is to be pinched, for if that part be damp, the pinching cord will stick to it, and tear the paper; therefore, when you choak those cases; roll a bit of dry paper once round the case, before you put on the pinching cord; but this bit of paper must be taken off after the case is choaked. The rolling board, and all other methods, according to the former directions for the rolling and pinching of cases, must be used to these as well as all other cases.

To make Tourbillon Cases.

Those sorts of cases are generally made about eight diameters long, but if very large, seven diameters will be sufficient: tourbillons will answer very well from four ounces to two pound, but when larger there is no certainty. The cases are best rolled wet with paste, and the last sheet must have a streight edge, so that the case may be all of a thickness: when you have rolled your cases, after the manner of wheel cases, pinch them at one end quite close; then, with the rammer, drive the ends down flat, and afterwards ram in about one third of a diameter of dryed clay. The diameter of the former for these cases must be the same as for sky rockets.

N. B. Tourbillons are to be rammed in moulds without a nipple, or in a mould without its foot.

To make Balóón Cases, or Paper Shells.

First you must have an oval former turned of smooth wood; then paste a quantity of brown or cartridge paper, and let it lay till the paste has quite soaked through; this done, rub the former with soap or grease, to prevent the paper from sticking to it; then lay the paper on in small slips, till you have made it one third of the thickness of the shell intended; having thus done, set it to dry, and when dry, cut it round the middle, and the two halves will easily come off; but observe, when you cut, to leave about one inch not cut, which will make the halves join much better than if quite separated; when you have some ready to join, place the halves even together, and paste a slip of paper round the opening to hold them together, and let that dry; then lay on paper all over as before, every where equal, excepting that end which goes downwards in the mortar, which may be a little thicker than the rest; for that part which receives the blow from the powder in the chamber of the mortar consequently requires the greatest strength: when the shell is thoroughly dry, burn a round vent at top, with square iron, large enough for the fuze: this method will do for balóóns from four inches two fifths, to eight inches diameter; but if they are larger, or required to be thrown a great height, let the first shell be turn’d of elm, instead of being made of paper.

For a ballóón of four inches two fifths, let the former be three inches one eighth diameter, and five inches and a half long. For a ballóón of five inches and a half, the diameter of the former must be four inches, and eight inches long. For a ballóón of eight inches, let the diameter of the former be five inches and fifteen sixteenths, and eleven inches seven eighths long. For a ten inch ballóón, let the former be seven inches three sixteenths diameter, and fourteen inches and a quarter long. The thickness of a shell for a ballóón of four inches two fifths, must be half an inch. For a ballóón of five inches and a half, let the thickness of the paper be five eighths of an inch. For an eight inch ballóón seven eighths of an inch. And for a ten inch ballóón, let the shell be one inch and one eighth thick.

Shells that are designed for stars only, may be made quite round, and the thinner they are at the opening the better; for if they are too strong, the stars are apt to break at the bursting of the shell: when you are making the shell, make use of a pair of calibers, or a round gauge, so that you may not lay the paper thicker in one place than another; and also to know when the shell is of a proper thickness; ballóóns must always be made to go easy into the mortars.

Of the Method of mixing Compositions.

The performance of the principal part of fireworks depends much on the compositions being well mixed; therefore great care ought to be taken in this part of the work, particularly in the compositions for sky rockets. When you have four or five pounds of ingredients to mix, which is a sufficient quantity at a time (for a larger proportion will not do so well), first put the different ingredients together, then work them about with your hands, till you think they are pretty well incorporated; after which put them into a lawn sieve with a receiver and top to it; and if, after it is sifted, any remains that will not pass through the sieve, grind it again till fine enough; and if it be twice sifted it will not be amiss; but the compositions for wheels and common works are not so material, nor need not be so fine. But in all fixed works, from which the fire is to play regular, the ingredients must be very fine, and great care taken in mixing them well together; and observe that, in all compositions wherein are steel or iron filings, the hands must not touch, nor will any works, which have iron or steel in their charge, keep long in damp weather, without being properly prepared, according to the directions given in the following article.

How to preserve Steel or Iron Filings.

It sometimes may happen, that fireworks may be required to be kept a long time, or sent abroad; neither of which could be done with brilliant fires, if made with filings unprepared; for this reason, that the saltpetre being of a damp nature, it causes the iron to rust, the consequence of which is, that when the works are fired, there will appear but very few brilliant sparks, but instead of them a number of red and drossy sparks, and besides, the charge will be so much weakened, that if this should happen to wheels, the fire will hardly be strong enough to force them round: but to prevent such accidents, prepare your filings after the following manner.

Melt in a glazed earthen pan some brimstone over a slow fire, and when melted throw in some filings; which keep stirring about till they are covered with brimstone, this you must do while it is on the fire; then take it off, and stirr it very quick till cold, when you must roll it on a board with a wooden roller, till you have broke it as fine as corn powder; after which sift from it as much of the brimstone as you can. There is another method of preparing filings, so as to keep two or three months in winter; this may be done by rubbing them between the strongest sort of brown paper, which before has been moistened with linseed oil.

N. B. If the brimstone should take fire, you may put it out, by covering the pan close at top: it is not of much signification what quantity of brimstone you use, so that there is enough to give each grain of iron a coat, but as much as will cover the bottom of a pan, of about one foot diameter, will do for five or six pound of filings: cast iron for gerbes may be preserved by the above method.

The Method of Driving or Ramming Sky Rockets, &c.

Rockets which are drove over a piercer must not have so much composition put in them at a time, as when drove solid, for the piercer, taking up great part of the bore of the case, would cause the rammer to rise too high: so that the pressure of it would not be so great on the composition, nor would it be drove every where equal: to prevent which, observe the following rule; that for those rockets, that are rammed over a piercer, let the ladle[5] hold as much composition as when drove, will raise the drift one half the interior diameter of the case, and for those drove solid to contain as much as will raise it half the exterior diameter of the case: ladles are generally made to go easy in the case, and the length of the scoop about one and a half of its own diameter.

The charge of rockets must always be drove one diameter above the piercer, and on it must be rammed one third of a diameter of clay, through the middle of which bore a small hole to the composition, in order that, when the charge is burnt to the top, it may communicate its fire, through the hole, to the stars in the head: great care must always be taken, to strike with the mallet, and with an equal force, the same number of strokes to each ladle-ful of charge; otherwise the rockets will not rise with an uniform motion, nor will the composition burn equal and regular; for which reason they cannot carry a proper tail, for it will break before the rocket has got half way up; instead of reaching from the ground to the top, where the rocket breaks and disperses the stars, rains, or whatever is contained in the head. When you are ramming, keep the drift constantly turning or moving; and when you use the hollow rammers, knock out of them the composition now and then, or the piercer will split them: to a rocket of four ounces, give to each ladle-ful of charge sixteen strokes: to a rocket of eight ounces twenty-one strokes: to a rocket of one pound, twenty eight: to a two pounder, thirty-six: to a four pounder forty-two: and to a six pounder fifty strokes; but rockets of a larger sort cannot be drove well by hand, but must be rammed with a machine made in the same manner as those for driving piles, which are so very common to be seen, that I shall here omit giving a description of them.

The method of ramming of wheel cases, or any other sort, in which the charge is drove solid, is much the same as sky rockets; for the same proportion may be observed in the ladle, and the same number of strokes given, according to their diameters, all cases being distinguished by their diameters; in this manner, a case whose bore is equal to a rocket of four ounces is called a four ounce case, and that which is equal to an eight ounce rocket an eight ounce case, and so on, according to the different rockets.

Having taught the method of ramming cases in moulds; we shall here say something concerning those filled without moulds, which method, for strong pasted cases, will do extremely well, and save the expence of making so many moulds. The reader must here observe, when he fills any sort of cases, to place the mould on a perpendicular block of wood, and not on any place that is hollow, for we have found by experience, that when cases were rammed on driving benches, which were formerly used, the works frequently miscarried, on account of the hollow resistance of the benches, which often jarred and loosened the charge in the cases; but this accident has never happened since the driving blocks[6] have been used.

When cases are to be filled without moulds, proceed thus; have some nipples made of brass or iron, of several sorts and sizes, in proportion to the cases, and to screw or six in the top of the driving block; when you have fixed in a nipple, make, at about one inch and a half from it, a square hole in the block, six inches deep and one inch diameter; then have a piece of wood, six inches longer than the case intended to be filled and two inches square; on one side of it cut a groove almost the length of the case, whose breadth and depth must be sufficient to cover near half the case; then cut the other end to fit the hole in the block, but take care to cut it so that the groove may be of a proper distance from the nipple: this half mould being made and fixed tight in the block, cut, in another piece of wood nearly of the same length as the case, a groove of the same dimensions as that in the fixed piece; then put the case on the nipple, and with a cord tie it and the two half moulds together, and your case will be ready for filling.

The dimensions of the above described half moulds, are proportionable for cases of eight ounces; but notice must be taken, that they differ in size in proportion to the cases.

Note, the clay, mentioned in this article, must be prepared after this manner; get some clay, in which there is no stones nor sand, and bake it in an oven till quite dry; then take it out and beat it to a powder, and afterwards sift it through a common hair sieve, and it will be fit for use.

Of the Proportion of Mallets.

The best wood for mallets is dry beech, though some have preferred other sorts of woods and have likewise pretended to determine their exact weight, which is not of much signification; however, for the better instruction of those who have not made a great progress in this art, I shall here give a good proportion for mallets; but at the same time would have every practitioner know, that if he makes use of a common mallet, of a moderate size, in proportion to the rocket, according to his judgment, and if that rocket succeeds, he may depend on the rest, by using the same mallet; yet it will be necessary that cases of different sorts be drove with mallets of different sizes.

The following proportion of the mallets for rockets of any size, from one ounce to six pound, may be observed; but as rockets are seldon made less than one ounce, or larger than six pound, I shall leave the management of them to the curious; but all cases under one ounce, may be rammed with an ounce rocket mallet. Your mallets will strike more solid, by having their handles turned out of the same piece as the head, and made in a cylindrical form: let their dimensions be worked by the diameters of the rockets: for example; let the thickness of the head be three diameters, and its length four, and the length of the handle five diameters, whose thickness must be in proportion to the hand.

Of the Proportion of Sky Rockets, with the Manner of heading them.

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Artificial fire-worksChapter II: Part 2

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