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
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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