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Introduction to Reloadable Mortar Tube Kits
If you are new to the world of Pyrotechnics chances are you have never been around a reloadable mortar kit. These reloadable mortar kits contain anywhere from 6 to 60 shells and anywhere from one to six pipes to launch the shells out of. This section is going to demonstrate how to safely use one of these kits. I have heard stories of people lighting these shells before they are in the tube only to find out that the shell is no sliding in easy. I have also heard stories of people not unwinding the fuse and lighting it and then trying to get it into the pipe.
For this demonstration I am going to use a kit called the Super Magnum. This kit contains one 14.5 inch pipe and 12 ball shells.
| 1. Unwind the Fuse The first step in loading the pipe is to unwind all of the shells fuses. This will help you reload the shells more quickly.
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| 2. Brace the Pipe It is important that you brace the pipe that you get in any of these kits. Some techniques that are used are; screwing the base onto a board of some type. Sliding the tube through the hole in a chimney block or cinder block. Lastly you can use a brick or a stone to make sure the pipe doesn't tip over.
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| 3. Loading the Shell There are six different types of shells that are available to a consumer. The types are; Ball, Canister, Peanut, Triples, Quadruples, and Quintuples. We are going to show you which side of the shell is the bottom. You always want to make sure that you load the shell properly otherwise it will break inside the pipe. Always make sure that the shell can slide freely in the pipe.
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| 4. Lighting the Fuse The last inch of the fuse should stick out of the top of the mortar pipe this is now when you light the shell. Like everything else do not light while standing over top of the mortar, always from the side. The last step in using a reloadable mortar tube kit is to light the fuse. After the fuse is lit you have about 12 seconds to get away to a safe distance.
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| 5. Wait 30 Seconds This is probably the one step that not a lot of people do while using these kits. You must wait 30 seconds between each shell to make sure there is not anything burning inside the pipe that might prematurely light the shell you are loading. Also with reloadable kits you always have to buy the pipe and the shells. This is to make sure that people use these properly and not light them and throw them.
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