Critical Acclaim rack question

[TexChuck]

This is probably a silly question asked a million times, but here goes ---

I have multiple 15" racks, but I have a case of CA's and I want to make a good show with mines. What's the ideal length for mine mortars? Will my 15's work, or should I cut some down (or buy some more) to 8"?

[danmagicman]

8" will give you slightly wider mine shots which would be optimal. 15" will be a narrower spray of sparks.

[Mike]

They will work. Have you seen this thread yet?

http://www.pyrouniverse.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7216

Lots of good info and video about tube lengths and spacing in that thread.

[rolln]

if you have a way to plug the bottoms, i would cut down 20 of your tubes, giving you 40 7.5" tubes, then use half 7.5", and half 15" in your racks, in some sort of planned order adding a little more to the effect!!!

[Switchfoot55]

I personally like a tall thinner mine. I shoot them out of 12's or 15's...whatever i have on hand. This year i'm mixing tube heights in my fronts...try to create a little different effect. Hope you figure out what works for you!

[dfluke]

Note: You'll have to add some visco if you're using 15 inch. (I learned the hard way) 12 inch tubes are close, but I'd go 10.5 to 11 on the tubes to have enough fuse sticking out to join/light etc.

[Big No No]

I save my old cardboard mortars to make mine racks. They are easy to cut down to different lengths and the mines don't have huge pressure like shells so they can be used for a while before you have to throw them away.

[Pyrotude]

I cut down one of my CA tubes to eight inches to see if it made much difference. I liked it, so I cut down six of them and made a six shot angled poor mans rack. Try cutting down one of the cardboard tubes from your case and see what you think, they look good either way but I prefer the shorter tube.

[Rikerz]

Will this work? How about dropping a dowel rod in the tube and it can be removed if needed?

(Switchfoot55, your avatar cracks me up!)

[UnkleSAm]

Will this work? How about dropping a dowel rod in the tube and it can be removed if needed?

(Switchfoot55, your avatar cracks me up!)

I usually use the fiberglass Rambo Kid tubes for CAs. They start out at about 10 to begin with, but for some wider effects I have an assortment of 1" high wooden plugs that I can adjust the working depth to. This method works fine, and is both customizable and reusable. I used a hole saw to cut 1-3/4" plugs. Most notably with angled racks, where the center tube gets a 1" plug. This 'levels out' the effect by widening and lowering the center tube's spread.

[leeca]

When it comes to mine effects the idea of using rack doesn’t work for me, When I think of mines I get the vision of a mine wall with tubes spaced out about 4 -6 feet apart to get that nice wall of stars. I like to by the CA's by the case and I just keep all of the tubes that come with the kits. I like to use them spaced out, I burry the bases a little for some added stability. Then use e-match or QM to fuse them up so I can get them to fire at once.


As of late rather than using CA's for this effect we have been using a 8/1 case of 16 shot mines cakes (U.P. Beyond Reality) 16 times the effects with much less setup. This will get Ohhs and Ahhhas out of the crowd every time.


Now and then when I load my Milk Create racks since they are 25 shots and shells come in groups divisible by six I always have the extra tube that requires breaking open another box of shells just for it. I have been putting a CA in the middle tube to add some bottom stars when I shoot all 25 shells at once.

[Stinkyfeesh]

I'm curious, if the mine effect is so much better with shorter tubes and meant for them, why are the tubes included with the CA's so long?

[IndianaPyro]

I'm curious, if the mine effect is so much better with shorter tubes and meant for them, why are the tubes included with the CA's so long?

I'm not positive, but I imagine that it is due to CSPS regulations. I have a feeling it gets classified as a "reloadable shell" like everything else.

[BillDCat]

Note: You'll have to add some visco if you're using 15 inch. (I learned the hard way) 12 inch tubes are close, but I'd go 10.5 to 11 on the tubes to have enough fuse sticking out to join/light etc.

Hmm, could different batches have different leader lengths? I don't remember 15" tubes being a problem with my CA's last year.

[Switchfoot55]

Hmm, could different batches have different leader lengths? I don't remember 15" tubes being a problem with my CA's last year.

yeah, doesn't seem like i've had a problem with them (the little i've actually used them).

[pigfrogg]

to shorten my 15 inch tubes i used sand just pour in a measured amount into each tube. then load.... this way you dont have to cut and ruin anything. You can load different tubes with different amount for a wide variety of critical acclaim sprays. I personally love this mine..

[UnkleSAm]

I'm curious, if the mine effect is so much better with shorter tubes and meant for them, why are the tubes included with the CA's so long?

Better is a very subjective word when talking about mines. I like them wider. Some people like them narrower. Depending on how you want to use them in your show, you may want them both ways. That's one of the nice things about them, you have some measure of control regarding their performance.

I'm sure the tube length is at least in part a control issue, probably due to safety issues. A tighter spread is inherently safer. As well, tighter packed stars look brighter, and less chaotic.

[UnkleSAm]

to shorten my 15 inch tubes i used sand just pour in a measured amount into each tube. then load.... this way you dont have to cut and ruin anything. You can load different tubes with different amount for a wide variety of critical acclaim sprays. I personally love this mine..

Why didn't I ever think of that! Of course now I'll have to have some sand handy when I'm fusing, and the racks will be heavier, but it's bound to be easier than cutting plugs for my new racks.

[thecuch]

will sand harm the tube in any way?

[Dewey]

I don't know what sand would hurt. Make sure it's dry sand though.
A round piece of wood cut to the length you want works to.

[shrapnel]

about a month ago myself and some of the guys here did a test, we shot mines out of 9, 12 and 15" mortars.........no difference. shot an entire kit. bottom line is these things are very inconsistent, ever rattle one? theres a lot of room for the comp to move around in there. I think it has more to do with how the comp is laying in the casing when fired than it does tube height. I couldnt believe how narrow and high some of the mines shot out of a 9" mortar, 7.5" if you deduct for the plug. Likewise, some of the shots from 15" tubes spread quite well. 1 or 2 shells does not constitute an accurate test.

[revkev]

I imagine the Critical Acclaim tubes are the same length as shell tubes for the simple reason that the average consumer who buys several shell kits and a CA kit is not going to be picky about which tubes he/she shoots the shells out of. If someone drops a shell in an 8 inch long CA tube they are risking a low break. With a long tube in the CA kit, any shell (within reason) can be shot out of it.

[TexChuck]

Lots of good responses to my question -- and I thank everyone. This is my first shot with mines, and based on the responses here I'm thinking this is what I'll do, lacking QM or E-Matching (fastest I have is fast visco) -- I want to do a 30 shot rack, each row fused seperately (3 parallel lines of fuse), with an Excal in each followed by a quick visco'd matching mine, hopefully by effect -- slow visco to the next, ditto on the mine. The idea is 10 separate bursts of nearly simultaneous excal bursts up high at angles, with a mine in the same place. This should look something like crazy exciting, but on much more than steroids.

This is all new to me but I'm trying to piece together something for my show this year that's not all aerials and cakes -- I like the play of low sky vs. high, and working with CA's seems like the right thing to do.

I've considered a poor man's rack of cardboard tubes (short -- 8") laid out in front of my excal and supermag (filler) racks, but without e-match I don't think I can get it timed properly--especially at the distances recommended to get the maximum effect.

How does my use of a 30-shot 15" fan rack sound? (15 excal, 15 CA, fused close together with some slower visco separating the barrages)

[BigDave]

I just shot off a test set of CA's tonight and all I can say is WOW!

I had a few friends watching my test and they all were wowed by them.

[Davepars7]

The CA tubes have a large plug at the bottom raising the mine about 2 inches more then a "regular" tube. Funny thing is I had a friend take several of my CA tubes without knowing what they where and he had low breaks with em. Eh well, he should of asked before he took em anyway, lol.

-dave

[chuckrx]

Guys, I would be very careful when using tubes from other reloadable kits for Critical Acclaim. I had a 40 shot front of CA at the beginning of my show using tubes from various other reloadables, and 8 of the 40 DETONATED and sent cardboard fragments outward so rapidly that some off those fragments actually penetrated the tubes of othe cakes within 6 feet !

Please be very careful guys. I was lucky that the fragments did not inhibit the performance of the affected cakes, but please please please be cautious.

Thanks,
Chuck

[DennyMo]

This is probably a silly question asked a million times, but here goes ---

I have multiple 15" racks, but I have a case of CA's and I want to make a good show with mines. What's the ideal length for mine mortars? Will my 15's work, or should I cut some down (or buy some more) to 8"?

http://www.pyrouniverse.com/FAQ.htm#7

[TexChuck]

DennyMo - should have checked the FAQ, my bad. I searched the forums and didn't see the answer I was looking for. Thanks for pointing in the right direction.

Chuck - good advice. They come packed 10x8 so 10 will be my max shooting this year! Also sent you a PM

[RudyG]

Critical Acclaims are packed 8/10. Eight kits, ten shells in each kit.

[TexChuck]

Dang, my mild dyslexia is kicking in! 8 shots at once, then.

I'll cut in half (and plug) some of my 15" HDPE tubes and rack them together, in addition to a poor man's rack of the above CA tubes -- with a case, I should be able to segregate effects and use mines at more than one instance during my display.

Thanks again for everyone's help.