63. First we will speak of the single Saxon. Its case should be eleven
inches in length, and should be made round a “former” of the one-ounce
size. In order to cut your paper and board of a proper size for these
cases, refer to the following woodcuts. Open a sheet of 60 lb. brown
paper of the imperial size, and divide it in halves lengthwise. At fig.
92 it will be seen that each sheet of paper will give you two cases. If
you use 70-lb. brown paper instead of that of the 60 lb. substance, you
will hardly require any imperial board. But I think that the cases are
better when made with a piece of the board used with the paper.
Supposing, then, that you employ 60 lb. brown paper, cut your imperial
board as shown at fig. 92a, that is, into eight equal pieces, one of
which is to be used with each strip of paper.
[Illustration:
Fig. 92.
]
[Illustration:
Fig. 92a.
]
Now paste your paper and board well all over, for you will require a
hard, strong case. Then proceed to roll your paper round the former,
folding it over in the manner described at par. 39. Then place upon the
unfolded paper the piece of imperial board, and roll both up together
into a close firm case. Your former should be moistened with paste, and
particular care must be taken that the inner fold of the paper, that
which lies next to the former, is well saturated with paste. This will
effectually prevent its being separated afterwards when dry, and will
obviate one cause of failure and explosions. I have before explained the
necessity for attending to this piece of advice in speaking on
tourbillons. The cases for these Chinese flyers are, in fact, very much
like those made for Roman Candles, but as they are to contain a very
much stronger composition, must have so much additional care bestowed
upon their preparation.
The next thing necessary is to know the principle upon which these
Chinese flyers are made. A reference to fig. 93 will make this easily
intelligible. The composition is rammed into the cases in two
compartments, between which and at the extreme ends of which some dry
powdered clay is driven in. The clay in the centre of the case is put
there to form a solid substance, through which a hole can be bored to
admit the spindle on which the case is to revolve. The clay at the
extremities of the case is driven there to form a hard ending which is
capable of resisting the force of the combustion of the composition. The
intervening spaces between the ends and centre of clay are filled with
composition.
The cases are filled over a settle proper for the purpose, of which a
sketch is given at fig. 104. When the cases are dry, take one of them
and place one of its ends over the projecting piece at the top of the
settle. You will now require a long drift, rather less than half-an-inch
in diameter, so that it will pass easily in and out of the case. It
must, of course, be of a length not less than that of your case. I must
suppose that you provided yourself with a ladle proper for filling the
cases of brilliant fire, and the wheel-cases, of which I have treated.
The same ladle will now come into use again. In case you have not such a
ladle, buy or make yourself one in metal which will pass easily into
cases of the one-ounce size. In this ladle take up as much powdered clay
as will, when driven, occupy a quarter of an inch in the length of the
case. Drive it in firmly by means of your drift and mallet. Then put in
the composition, for which the following are the formulas:—
COMPOSITION FOR
SAXONS.
Meal-powder 16 parts
Nitre 8 „
Sulphur 6 „
Or,
Meal-powder 6 „
Nitre 3 to 4 „
Sulphur 2 „
Antimony 2 „
Of these two I prefer the former, but the latter is perhaps better when
the flyers are to to be fired singly, as it produces a much greater halo
of sparks.
Now drive in the selected composition, a ladleful at a time, giving from
twelve to sixteen blows to each, until it rises to half-an-inch below
the middle of the case. It is a good plan to mark cases, so that there
shall be no possibility of mistake as to where this point is. Remember
that you will require one inch of clay in the exact centre of the case,
in the middle of which clay you will have afterwards to bore a hole.
Upon the top of this clay ram in more composition until the case is
filled to about three-eighths of an inch from the end. Upon this second
composition drive in as much powdered clay as you drove in at the other
end of the case, taking care that it is made very firm, and is not at
all likely to be blown out by the combustion of the composition.
The next thing to be done is to bore the central hole through the clay.
I do this generally with a bradawl first, and afterwards with a pin-bit
or spoon-bit. The size of spindle which is best adapted for such
fireworks as these is that which is three-sixteenths of an inch in
diameter. I should therefore use a bradawl of about an eighth of an inch
in diameter first, and then a pin-bit of the same size as the spindle to
be employed. Care must be taken that the hole is not made unnecessarily
large, and that it is bored at right angles with the length of the case.
Having accomplished this, you have in the next place to bore the holes
from which the fire is to issue. These are to be made on opposite sides
of the case at each end, and about half-an-inch from the ends of the
case. I make these holes with a bradawl, beginning with a small one and
finishing with one rather less than three-sixteenths of an inch in
diameter. I believe the true size of the awl that I use to finish with
is five thirty-seconds of an inch. I mention this because some
considerable nicety is required with regard to the sizes of these holes,
otherwise the Saxon will either burst or not have force enough. The
compositions that I have given have reference to holes of the above
size, and will not be found to succeed well with any other sized
aperture. I bore these holes about half-way through the composition, and
then nearly fill up the hole with some of the same composition, leaving
room for the ends of the match to be pressed in. A very convenient
instrument for filling up these holes after boring, also for filling up
tourbillon holes and the necks of wheel or brilliant fire cases, is that
represented at fig. 94, which consists of a piece of stout brass wire
driven into a bradawl-handle, and having a flat end. This simple
instrument will serve also to press in the ends of the quick-match which
is to connect the extremities of the case.
At fig. 93 is represented the manner in which the quick-match is
applied. A hole is bored at A. A piece of match is put into it and
carried to the end of the case for the convenience of lighting the
flyer. A piece of thin paper is pasted over the match and round the end
of the flyer to keep the match in its place, and to protect it from
injury and from taking fire before its time. Another hole is made at B
just large enough to admit an end of quick-match. The match is inserted
into this hole, and is carried on to another hole at C, bored exactly
like the one at A, and at the same distance from the end of the case,
but on the opposite side.
The reason for all this contrivance will be readily understood. The
Chinese flyer is lighted at the match which enters the hole A. It
revolves on the spindle which is passed through its centre, and in a
direction opposite to that of its mouth. The composition continues to
burn till it reaches the point marked B, when it communicates its fire
by means of the quick-match with the other aperture at C. If the flyer
be required to burn by itself, a piece of touch-paper should be pasted
round the end at A, and twisted into a point. If, however, it is to be
connected with other pieces, some thin paper should be used, two or
three folds thick, and projecting an inch beyond the end of the case, so
as to allow the communicating match from the other pieces to be tied in.
In my opinion no Saxon or Chinese flyer, single or double, used singly
or in combination, should be without a colour in its centre. For this
purpose colours in cases of the one-ounce size will be found sufficient.
A case an inch long, independently of its clay end, will burn as long as
is required. It may be fixed on in such a position as that indicated at
D in fig. 3. It can either be tied on with wire or glued on, or fastened
in both ways if considered necessary. It must be connected by
quick-match with the end of the case which is fired first.
The colours that I recommend to be used for this purpose are those given
at Nos. 21, 22, and 26, in paragraph 50. It is a good plan to fill the
cases with at least two colours, if the Saxon is to be fired by itself,
so that it may have a varied centre. But if the piece is to consist of
more than one Saxon, then it is best to employ a separate colour, which
does not change, with each. I shall say more about the construction of
pieces consisting of Saxons presently, when I have described the making
of what is known among pyrotechnists under the name of the