10. When all the pasting that has been necessary in making the pots is
thoroughly dry, the filling them with stars is all that remains to be
done for the completion of the rocket. You will find that the ¼lb.
rocket will carry an ounce of stars well. After weighing out your stars,
then, into parcels of this weight, empty one of these parcels into each
pot. You will next require some sort of powder to strew among the stars
which shall have the effect of igniting them and at the same time of
bursting the pot. I have always found meal-powder by itself to be too
rapid in its explosion to convey the fire to all the stars; many of them
are blown out of the pot, never taking fire at all. The mixture which I
should recommend you to use is the following:—
Meal-powder 6 parts.
Fine charcoal 1 part.
Charcoal added to the meal-powder in the above proportion will render
its combustion slow enough to light all the stars, without being too
slow to burst the pot. Of this mixture take a ladleful (I mean the ladle
which you use in filling your cases), and put it with the stars into the
pot, which must now be securely glued over the clay end of the
rocket-case.