Newbie to Racks...

[drew]

This will be my first year in which I would like to start utilizing racks. I don't have a whole lot of room between firing area and crowd. So I want to keep it safe and simple this year.

I was thinking of just getting a 5-shot rack and giving that a go this year.

Is it possible to prepare shells in advance, so that I can just reload after each shot? (I know this may be a fusing question), that or do I buy multiple 5 shot racks
OR
If I bought a 30-shot rack would it be possible to just shoot off 1 row at a time? My thinking is that this wouldn't work b/c it might set off the others.

Any input for first-timers is appreciated.

Thanks!

[DennyMo]

Define "a whole lot of room". If it's not at least 100ft, don't bother with aerials. Also, be aware of your local laws...

[pyrochris]

Define "a whole lot of room". If it's not at least 100ft, don't bother with aerials. Also, be aware of your local laws...
Yes, if its not in the vacinity of 100ft, your crowd will be hit with smoldering casings from aerial shells, cakes, and rockets.

[Deweycoon]

I would not shoot reloadabl shells unless I had at least a 150ft. safety zone and the wind was in my favor.
If I only had a 100ft. safety zone the biggest firework I would use is a 200 gr. cake. my 2 cents

[shrapnel]

You could fuse the 30 shot rack to go off any way you like, 3 rows of ten each, 10 rows of 3 each, 6 at a time, z-fire it, however you want! But definately dont sacrifice safety.;)

[Colin]

What you could do is place five shells in a five-shot rack, fuse them up with visco, then remove the "set", place it in a plastic bag to protect it, then keep it in a spark-proof ready box. If you do this several times, you call reload the rack several times with five-shell clusters.

[graybeard]

Drew, If you have a good safe distance from your spectators you can fire a nice show with a small number of mortars. You don't want grandma and the kids sitting in lawn chairs a few feet away;) Pace off at least 100 feet from the spot you intend to shoot your mortars. There should be nothing within that space in every direction, not even your own house or garage. Before the shoot, take all your shells and unwind and straighten out all of the fuses. Then find a box with a lid large enough to hold all of your shells. The box should have a lid. Something as simple as a shoe box will work fine for this. This is your 'ready box' and will keep your shells safe from sparks while you shoot your show. keep the box at least 20 feet back from your mortars. Keep the lid on, except when you are getting shells out to load the next round. Practice loading your mortars without ever letting your head, hands, or any part of your body extend above the mouth of the mortars. Hold the shell by the end of the fuse and swing it gently with a pendulum motion, dropping it into the mortar. During your show, take your time and be careful. You can fire a couple of mortar shells, then a few fountains or cakes, and then more shells. Avoid trying to 'speed load' your mortars, as they will get quite hot. You want to be aware of hot scraps of the lift charge cups smoldering in the mortar, which could set off the next shell loaded, so again, take your time and give your mortars a minute or two to cool down before reloading for the next shot. If a fuse drops into a mortar while loading or a shell does not fire, Do not try to dig it out with a stick or anything. leave that mortar alone for at least an hour. You can get by without racks, for your small show. If you only have a few mortars that came with your shell kits, I suggest you put them in several sand buckets. You can then angle your mortars out to a safe fall out area away from your spectators. You don't need to fill the buckets with sand all the way to the top, just enough sand to hold the mortars steady and to keep the bucket from tipping over. Don't worry about the mortars setting each other off when they fire, as you indicated. This is not a danger with consumer shells because the shell leaders (fuses) are not quick matched as they are in the pro display shells. Hope this helps, and feel free to ask more questions...graybeard.

[drew]

I'll need to find out how much space it is...I'd say its at least 100ft. Though, I'm looking into buying cases so I guess I need to figure out if its worth buying reloadables that way or not.

Back to the think-tank...

[PyroShawn]

oh jeez. I don't think I have 150 ft.

:(

i already have stuff though

[face_cry]

[skole]

You could angle your racks away from your crowd if you have room in the other direction. You still need to keep your minimum distance 100ft distance from your crowd but angling away will give you some breathing room in the event of a low burst. This is especially effective if the wind is blowing towards your crowd.;)

Shane