Artificial fire-works : $b improved to the modern practice, from the minutest to the highest branchesJones, Robert
History
Artificial fire-works : $b improved to the modern practice, from the minutest to the highest branches
Jones, Robert
Fireworks -- Early works to 1800
Supposing fig. 11, to be on the block A, in fig. 12, and to turn to
the right, and another piece of the same construction on the block B,
with its fires placed so as to turn it to the left, you will find them
move very true and fast, by the help of the three iron wheels, which
serves to regulate their motions, as well as to assist them in
turning; let the iron circles in the front of the great wheels be of
different diameters so that when fired there may appear six circles,
when this piece is fired, all the wheels and illuminations must be
lighted at one time.
To Fix a Sky-Rocket with its Stick, on the top of another.
Rockets thus managed make a pretty appearance, by reason of a fresh
tail being seen when the second rocket takes fire, which will mount to
a great height; the method of preparing these rockets is thus, having
filled a two pounder, which must be filled only half a diameter above
the piercer, and in its head not more than ten or twelve stars; the
stick of this rocket must be made a little thicker than common, and
when made, cut it in half the flat way, and in each half make a
groove, so that when the two halves are joined, the hollow made by the
grooves may be large enough to hold the stick of a half pound rocket,
which rocket make and head as usual, the stick of this rocket put into
the hollow of the large one, so far that the mouth of the rocket may
rest on the head of the two pounder; from whose head carry a leader
into the mouth of the small rocket, which being done, your rockets
will be ready for fireing.
A New Method of placing Leaders.
The placing leaders, on small cases or illuminations, is a much
quicker, stronger, and more expeditious way than that of using pins,
which method has been practised till very lately. Your port-fires
being filled within about three eighths of an inch of the top, bore
with an awl a hole through each side of the case close to the
composition, then fill the mouths of the cases with meal powder wetted
with spirit of wine, when you have thus prepared your cases, fix them
on your works, then take an empty leader, and lay it on the mouths of
as many cases as it will reach, then with your finger nail, mark the
leader exactly in the middle of the mouth of each case, then at each
mark with a pair of Scissars, cut a bit out of the pipe, so that when
you put in the quick-match, it may be seen; this being done, lay the
leader on the cases again with that side on which the match is seen
downwards; then take some small twine, and put it through the holes in
the mouths of the cases, and tie on the leader; do this to every case
and then cover them with single pasted paper; by making use of the
above method your works may be made very clean, there being no
occasion to put dry meal powder in the mouths of the cases which
always soils the works and prevents the paste from sticking.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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