Does anyone know a good formula for theatrical flash: photo...

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Question by Dusty
Submitted on 3/26/2004
Related FAQ: rec.pyrotechnics FAQ
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Does anyone know a good formula for theatrical flash: photo flash and concussion flash? Also, does anyone know any good books for instruction on making theatrical stage gerbs etc?

Answer by 4 fingers
Submitted on 6/19/2004
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magnesium does a great job of making a lot of light in a little time. a problem with this is getting the heat to it and keeping the oxygen up to it. another good one that should be listed on this site is thermite the light created by this reaction is almost blinding. its the best i can tell you with the knowelege i have.

Answer by Corvidae
Submitted on 4/29/2006
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4 fingers has the idea. Remember that the finer a substance is, the faster it will react. Think how quick an inch of magnesium ribbon burns, and how bright it is. If you grind that magnesium ribbon to dust, it will release all that light (and heat) in a much shorter time, as it has a higher surface area. It is therefore a good idea to buy the finest ground ingredients when making flashes. I would strongly recommend against using the thermit reaction as liquid iron and MASSIVE amounts of heat are produced in this reaction. The reaction also happens far too slowly for creating a flash.

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