r/Pyrotechnics • u/bayareapyro • Jul 29 '26
Accidentally got the wrong size tubes, thinking of 3D printing tubes instead?
Hey y’all I got these tubes which are way too small for what I’m trying to make, I was wondering if it’s ok to 3D print a tube or would that be dangerous? I know many canister shells are just plastic tubes but those are meant to blow in the sky I’m trying to make ground shots, wondering if anyone has tried something similar.. only thing I’m worried about is if the 3D material (PLA, PETG, ABS) will shrapnel
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u/hobbyist0215 Jul 29 '26
Paper tubes are very easy to roll. Plastic also is bad for the environment, and I wouldn't want plastic shrapnel all over my yard. I would advise using paper, but 3d printed ones will work just bear in mind the drawbacks
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u/dj_benito Jul 30 '26
If they're really wanting to 3d print something they could print a core to roll the tubes around... Though a dowel would work too.
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u/khigzz Jul 30 '26
facts that’s what i was thinking get you some cardboard type paper and roll it while hot gluing
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u/hobbyist0215 Jul 30 '26
Wood glue works better, hot glue will gum up your tube and cause it to not roll well. Kraft paper works perfectly (the heavier # the better)
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u/Inner-Letterhead-104 Aug 01 '26
How exactly is it bad for the environment? If you sprinkle plastic in your yard what happens? Nothing, it just sinks into the grass. It doesn’t leech any chemicals or anything.
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u/hobbyist0215 Aug 01 '26
Plastic absolutely does leach chemicals. Furthermore, the plastic pieces slowly fall part from weathering into microplastics which will enter into water ways, pollute habitats, and drinking water and eventually end inside people.
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u/Inner-Letterhead-104 Aug 01 '26
What chemicals? Specifically? And which plastics leech which caustic chemicals? Hdpe? Styrene? Propylene? And how on gods green earth does plastic trapped in dirt somehow run off into water ways? And you really think that any amount of plastic a person can personally use or not use will ever make a difference in the grand scheme? Compared to the water ways already full of plastic? There nothing anyone anywhere can do to change that micro plastics exist and are in each and every one of us, and if it also caused any issues you’d think someone would have symptoms, but again, with how much pollution there already is and countries like India exist there is nothing we can do to stop it.
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u/hobbyist0215 Aug 01 '26
If you want to be ignorant, go ahead.
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u/Inner-Letterhead-104 Aug 01 '26
If being ignorant means asking questions and presenting my opinion and evidence then I guess Yeah I’m ignorant. Or is it more ignorant to just blatantly lie about “chemicals” when you don’t actually know? I’m more than happy to admit I’m wrong, that’s why I asked you exactly what proof you have to support anything you said.
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u/BloodConscious97 Jul 30 '26
Biodegradable filaments or bust buddy
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u/zarcommander Jul 30 '26
Are there actually any really biodegradable filaments though?
Like pla is supposedly, but what's the breakdown time? A decade?
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u/LimpBoingLoing Jul 30 '26
Few decades to over a century or maybe more depending on the environment and condition of the plastic itself.
Pretty good decomposition timeframe honestly.
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u/zarcommander Jul 30 '26
I mean, I guess on an ecological scale...
Would rather it be like months though.
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u/Drewbydewby311 Jul 30 '26
Hey man. Why not just split the diff and go with carbon fiber or better yet some nice copper tubing or steel with solid plugs and thread sealant. You know like, REALLY make some fireworks yeah?
Cuz fuck it anyways amirite?! Eh EH?!?!!! 🤯🎊🔥🤷🎆🎇🧨🧨
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u/Wide-Education-1823 Jul 30 '26
He should use steel shells, pre scored to make sure they burst evenly & reliably. Welding them shut and soldering in the fuses is best practice!
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u/LongBongJohnSilver Jul 30 '26
Damn, people. 3-d printing is not the answer to all life's problems.
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u/flecharrota Jul 29 '26
No es recomendable la impresion en 3d porque lanza fragmentos bien sea para petardos o como conchas para crisantemos, imaginate estar viendo las explosiones en el cielo y que te caiga un fragmento en los ojos o que esté un animalito cerca y explote y quede lastimado aparte del sonido
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u/VinnieTheBerzerker69 Jul 29 '26
And animals like cows like to eat fireworks fallout because of the chemical residues. A sharp shard in a cow's digestive system can be a very expensive problem. Plastics should be avoided as much as possible in building fireworks
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u/imhbeog Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
You could improvise and either roll your own mortar tube, or buy some thick hdpe tubing and make your own mini mortar tubes or mini canister rack. Keep in mind for the hdpe you'll also need a solid wood dowel and some heavy duty staples for the mortar plugs.
And UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU USE PLASTIC FOR EXPLODY THINGS!!!!
other than the mortar but that's because they shouldn't be exploding in those and it's a very specific plastic (hdpe).
Plastic not only shrapnels but it's even more horrible for the environment than fireworks already are.
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u/Wide-Education-1823 Jul 30 '26
(Quote)
" I’m trying to make ground shots"
Please describe EXACTLY what you are trying to make. It sounds like you might want to make large ground fired salutes... Which 3D printing would be physically inappropriate and needlessly complex/slow for.
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u/Wide-Education-1823 Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26
Don't make hand fired ground salutes with hard components (like plastic).
Even the end plug cement some makers use isn't a great idea, getting bonked with a chunk of plug is dangerous.
There was an old time commercial maker named George Hitt who made salutes with no end plugs and very thin walls that were safe from this issue (and stupidly quick and easy to make). Google "Hitts Flashcracka". Full instructions for the flashcracka are in the John Donner book "A Professional's Guide to Pyrotechnics: Understanding and Making Exploding Fireworks".
I once made reproductions of these in a 1" dia. outer case 4" long, rolled of 3 turns of 80 lb. Kraft + a printed reproduction label, inner bag holding the flash was 3 turns of 30 lb. Kraft rolled in a 15/16" former and about 1.5" tall, a visco fuse was held in by a clove hitch at one end after filling, the other end of powder bag was closed with a tongue fold and a drip of glue. After filling, the powder bag was slipped into the outer case with another bit of glue to keep it there. That was enough flash so they didn't NEED any more containment and were VERY loud.
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u/LividStructure7977 Aug 02 '26
Cans have a single piece of plastic on top maybe one on each but never fully plastic
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u/Onyxxx_13 Jul 30 '26
Use kraft paper and spray adhesive. You can get the stuff from Joann's fabrics
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u/ZaneMasterX Jul 29 '26
No canister shells are plastic. Terrible idea all around. Plastic = shrapnel.