Re: Large diameter mortars

On Jan 15, 5:27 pm, mss...@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
HDPE is handy, and OK for 12" ball shells if you do not plan to
reload.

I once blew the bottom out of a 10" HDPE mortar with a single-break
10" cylinder shell. It made me uneasy before I did it, but its owner
said it would be OK. It wasn't, and ended up in the trash. I would not
trust an HDPE or fibreglass mortar for use with cylinder shells of
size 8" or larger, nor would I care to reload one with any shell, ball
or cylinder. Steel is the way to go for big cylinders, or reloading
all types of shells, but is hard work to transport, set up, and dig
out. I believe NFPA guidelines no longer allow reloading of these big
mortars anyway.

On Jan 15, 3:23 pm, jasper <fl_...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:



On 15 Jan, 08:42, hobar...@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

On Jan 15, 8:29 am, Unkle Jake <amerfwk...@xxxxxxx> wrote:

An experienced hobbyist has now graduated to 12" ball shells and he is
asking about the best (safest? cheapest? lightest?) mortar to use.
Some people have advised him to not use HDPE for that large a ball
shell, and others have told him that he would have too much trouble
finding one anyway. But steel is too heavy. Any comments on the best
mortars he can use for this application?

The cheapest/lightest has to be Fiberglass. I would rate the Safest
for 12" Ball Shells is HDPE. You will have to do some looking for an
HDPE and anywhere has fiberglass.

But again; I would think an "experience" hobbist wouldn't even be
asking these questions.

take care;

Doug Hobart

Your experienced hobbyist friend probably knows to bury the mortar at
least 2/3 of the way into the ground, right? At least that's what I've
read- I have no personal experience shooting (or building) 12" shells.

These monster HDPE mortars are available on line, BTW.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Hi Mike;

I wouldn't shoot a 2 break(weight even a single) out of a HDPE mortar.
At club shoots anything over a single break has to come out of a steel
mortar.

I have had some large single breaks blow the wooden plug out of the
tube. Midwest Wood makes some plugs solid 6" is 6" deep. It is pretty
hard to blow them out even with 2 breaks. Some of the cheap HDPE uses
2" plugs. On these I wouldn't shoot anything larger than chinese ball
shells.

Again- I think the question is Ball shell-Use Fiberglass/Its cheaper
and light weight-but still bury it!

take care;

Doug Hobart
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Large diameter mortars
    ... and OK for 12" ball shells if you do not plan to ... I once blew the bottom out of a 10" HDPE mortar with a single-break ... size 8" or larger, nor would I care to reload one with any shell, ball ...
    (rec.pyrotechnics)
  • Re: Large diameter mortars
    ... 10" cylinder shell. ... size 8" or larger, nor would I care to reload one with any shell, ball ... all types of shells, but is hard work to transport, set up, and dig ... mortar to use.. ...
    (rec.pyrotechnics)
  • Re: Problems with the radio carbon dating of the Newport Tower
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  • Re: Problems with the radio carbon dating of the Newport Tower
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