Mackenzie's Ten Thousand Receipts

Ten thousand receipts from the great Victorian household compendium — cookery, brewing, dyeing, gilding, fireworks, medicine, farriery and the rest of the useful arts, in one volume.

HomeMetallurgy › For Theatrical Illumination

For Theatrical Illumination

White.

Sixty-four per cent. nitre, 21 sulphur, 15 gunpowder. Red.

Or, 76 per cent. nitre, 22 sulphur, 2 charcoal.

Fifty-six per cent. nitrate of strontia, 24 sulphur, 20 chlorate of potash. Green.

White. Mealed powder, 4 oz.; saltpetre, 12 oz.; sulphur, 6 oz.; oil of spike, 2 oz.; camphor, 5 oz.

The above are to be made into balls, rolled in grained powder and dried in the sun. Used in Roman candles, rockets, etc.

Trailed Stars.

Saltpetre, 4 oz.; sulphur, 6 oz.; sulphate of antimony, 2 oz.; rosin, 4 oz.

With Sparks. Mealed powder 1 oz.; saltpetre, 1 oz.; camphor, 2 oz.

Colored Stars May be made by using any of the receipts for colored fires, with a solution of isinglass, 1/2 oz.; fires, with a solution of isinglass, oz.; Make into camphor, oz.; and alcohol, oz. balls of the requisite size, roll in gunpowder, dry Sixty per cent. nitrate of baryta, 22 sulphur, 18 in the sun. chlorate of potash.

Pink.

Twenty per cent. sulphur, 32 nitre, 27 chlorate of potash, 20 chalk, 1 charcoal.

Blue.

Twenty-seven per cent. nitre, 28 chlorate of potash, 15 sulphur, 15 sulphate of potash, 15 ammonio-sulphate of copper. The dark blue is rendered still darker by the addition of some sulphate of potash and ammonio-sulphate of copper. It must be borne in mind that the red and purple fires are liable to ignite spontaneously, and serious accidents have happened from this cause. Sulphide of Cadmium in Fireworks.

In the following composition it is said that sulphide of cadmium gives a white flame, which is surrounded by a magnificent blue margin: Saltpetre, 20 parts; sulphur, 5; sulphide of cadmium, 4; powdered charcoal, 1.

Iron Sand.

Used to give corruscations in fireworks, is far better than iron or steel-filings. It is made by beating cast steel or iron into small pieces on an anvil. These are sifted into 4 sizes, the smallest for the smallest pieces; and vice versa. The corruscations produced by these are exceedingly brilliant. The sand should be kept in a dry place in a well-closed bottle, as any rust damages it.

Fireworks containing it should not be made very long before using.

Touch-Paper.

Soak unglazed paper in a solution of nitre in vinegar or water. The stronger the solution, the faster will it burn. A good plan is to dip it in a weak solution, dry it, try it, and if it burns too Roman Candles.

Meal-powder, lb.; saltpetre, 24 lbs.; sulphur, glass dust, each, lb. This is rammed in cases as follows: Put at the bottom of the case a small quantity of clay, then some gunpowder, then a wad of paper, then & of the height of the case of the composition, then a wad and powder and a star or ball, then more composition, and so on till the case is filled. The wads must be loose (only to prevent the mixing of the composition and gunpowder), and the ramming should not be begun until the case is filled, and then should be gentle Irst the stars be broken.

Chinese Fire.

← CommonRed (Saltpetre lb sulphur oz) →