My name is Colin Bradley and I'm originally from Port Angeles, a small town on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State.  I've always loved drawing, computers, physics, chemistry, and fireworks.

Over the last ten years, since about 1996, I've been putting on small consumer firework displays in my neighborhood on July 4th, each one gradually increasing in size and complexity.  During that time I've come up with lots of tips and hints for various things such as what fireworks to use, how to hook them up, and how to organize a great display.  I've learned a lot about both consumer and display pyrotechnics, from how they are made to how the chemical reactions work when they function.  I created this web page in 2001 so I could share this knowledge with others who are interested in fireworks and want to learn more about them, and even put on their own show.  Whenever I come up with a new trick, technique, or design for something used in fireworks (such as how to connect fuse, how to use electric matches, and how to build aerial shell racks, whatever), I post it on this site so everyone else can read about it and use it.  I owe the inspiration for the creation of this site to Bob Weaver of fireworksland.com.  I received his 1995 book "Fireworks for Everyone" as a present for my 13th birthday, and spent the entire summer reading it over and over again, along with his (unfortunately) short-lived PYRO magazine series.

Currently I live in Bellingham and am a junior at Western Washington University, where I am pursuing a degree in chemistry.  I hope to eventually work in the explosives industry as a research chemist.