Waterglass question?

[Pyromsatc]

I have an abundance of cardboard tubes that I would like to use in racks. I had seen a post in the old forum about the use of waterglass, to keep the tubes from unraveling. I found the waterglass at Skylighter. My question is what is the process for application of the waterglass, and how much waterglass should I purchase for 75 15" tubes??? Thank You

Pyromsatc

[Marty]

As cheap as you can get it here, I'd get a gallon.

http://www.chemistrystore.com/sodium_silicate.htm

As for application, someone else may know better but I would thin it so the paper absorbs it. Too thick it will most likely break loose on the first shot and send chips flying.

[RPS]

From an old Skylighter bulletin:

Coating Paper Mortars for Longer Life

Around The Mighty Fourth and New Year's, we always have a flurry of orders from poor slobs who are buying Class C (1.4G) festival balls by the bushel, only to belatedly discover that they only got one measly mortar tube to shoot 'em out of. We actually get feelthy rich at those times of the year selling 1.75 inch and 2 inch mortars (#TU2100 and #TU2200 respectively) to accommodate these unfortunates. We would get even feelthier if we did not pass along this tip. Cardboard tubes are notorious for unraveling after they have been used once or twice. The problem is that the potassium nitrate residue left in the tube absorbs water. The dampness causes the glue in the tube to loosen up, and your tube is now history. You can extend their life considerably by waterproofing them.

Put some thinned varnish or polyurethane in a shallow tray that's big enough to accommodate your tube. (I prefer varnish, even though it takes longer to dry. Varnish penetrates the cardboard; but polyurethane coats it and makes the ID slightly smaller.) Then dip the tube, completely coating it inside and out with goo. Hang up to dry. I use straightened wire coat hangers and decorate my wife's dogwood trees with 'em for a couple of days. This is why she is divorcing me.

And:

Rock-Harden Your Tubes

This one is so simple it ain’t funny. Tom Dimock was at my house a couple of nights ago and I was able to get him drunk enough to find out that he increases the strength of the parallel tubes he buys from us. Basically, you just dip your tubes in Minwax® Wood Hardener, then hang them up to dry. Use the MWH without anything done to it. The tubes will soak up the stuff and once dried, will withstand far greater forces when being pressed as rockets or drivers. As soon as my hangover goes away, I am going right out and buy stock in the Minwax Company. Thanks, Tom.

The first is specifically about mortars, but I imagine the second would work as well. Just an idea if you have either of these sitting around as an alternative to buying something new.

[skypainter]

The first is specifically about mortars, but I imagine the second would work as well. Just an idea if you have either of these sitting around as an alternative to buying something new.[/QUOTE]



the second would work but if the shell explodes in the mortar you have shrapnel. 1 qt of silicate would probably treat 500 tubes. I use the following method:

http://www.pyropage.com/Misc/cardboard.html

[danmagicman]

.

[BigDave]

(talking about Minwax Wood Hardener) the second would work but if the shell explodes in the mortar you have shrapnel. 1 qt of silicate would probably treat 500 tubes. I use the following method:

http://www.pyropage.com/Misc/cardboard.html

I don't know, the silicate if anything might make it as likely to shatter as wood hardener, and a one step treatment with wood hardener would be much easier.

I'll tell you what. I'll be testing shells in a few weeks. I won't have the top shells, but I will have some Ghost Killers.

I'll take a couple of the same tube and do a inverted burst test of a tube plain, and with wood hardener to see the damage and scatter difference.