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GLOSSARY OF PRODUCTS AND EFFECTS
A
Aerial -
Any fireworks item that shoots flaming balls into the air, such as a
cake or mortar.
AHJ - Is an acronym for "the
authority having jurisdiction". Generally refers to the fire
marshal, local police department, local fire department, or whoever
is responsible for regulating and monitoring fireworks in your
area.
Ash Can - Ash can is another name for a
silver salute. True ash cans became illegal in 1966. Legal ash cans
today contain only 50 milligrams of flash
powder.
Assortment - A collection of fireworks
items, generally consisting of fountains, sparklers, rockets, and
firecrackers.
ATFE (ATF) - The Federal Bureau of
Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives. The ATFE is responsible for
regulating the sale, manufacturing, importation, storage, and use of
commercial fireworks and explosives. The ATFE does not regulate the
legal use of consumer fireworks.
B
Barrage - A group of items fired all at once.
Battery -
A battery is a group of similar items that is constructed as a
single bundle, such as a missile battery of a roman candle
battery.
Black Match - Used in the manufacture
of fireworks, black match is a type of fuse that is made by
saturating cotton string in black powder. Unconfined, black match
burns at an approximate rate of one inch per second. See also quick
match (below).
Black Powder - Also known as gun
powder, black powder is a mixture of potassium nitrate, charcoal,
and sulfur. It is the principal ingredient in most fireworks because
it is not sensitive to shock and its burning properties are
predictable and slow. Generally used as a propellant to shoot
flaming balls, and in the manufacture of stars for aerial
effects.
Bombette - A Bombette is an exploding
star, usually ejected from a roman candle or fountain. Bombettes are
limited to a maximum charge of 130 milligrams of flash powder in
legal consumer fireworks.
Bottle Rocket - A
small rocket that is approximately the size of a standard
firecracker, one and one-half inches long, with a thin stick
attached to it that is approximately 12 inches in length. Bottle
rockets can contain whistle effects and may contain a report (loud
bang).
Bouquet Pattern - A bouquet patter is a
floral-shaped aerial pattern of stars, usually in a spherical shape
(see the definition for peony).
Brocade - A
spider like effect in the sky, much like fine lace. The brocade
effect is generally a silver tail effect, and is brighter than the
willow or tiger tail effect. Most brocade effects use glitter to
produce the long brocade tails.
C
Cake -
Sometimes referred to as "repeaters" or "multi-shot aerials", a cake
is an item that has a single fuse which is used to light several
tubes in sequence. Cakes can have a variety of intricate aerial
effects, including spinners, fish, flower bouquets, comets,
crossettes, and other elements. Cakes are the most popular consumer
fireworks item outside of sparklers and
firecrackers.
Candle - Another name for roman
candle (see definition below).
Cherry Bomb - A
cherry bomb is a round firecracker, red in color, and approximately
one-inch in diameter, with a green water proof fuse sticking out the
side. The original cherry bomb contained more than one gram of flash
powder and was very powerful. These were declared illegal in 1966 by
the federal government. Legal cherry bombs today are restricted to
50 milligrams of flash powder.
Chlorates - A
powerful form of chemical oxidizer, including potassium chlorate and
barium chlorate. Because these items can form compounds that are
sensitive to shock, especially when they come in contact with
sulfur, they are banned from all consumer fireworks, but may be
present in some commercial
fireworks.
Chrysanthemum - A flower-like aerial
pattern, usually resulting from a cake or
mortar.
Comet - A type of star that leaves a
trail of sparks as it flies through the
air.
Commercial Fireworks - Sometimes referred
to as display fireworks, these are professional fireworks that are
regulated by the ATFE and generally require a special license to
buy, store, and use. These fireworks are commonly seen in large
displays sponsored by a city or other large organization. Consumer
fireworks are not commercial fireworks.
Cone - A
type of fountain in the shape of a
cone.
Confetti - Paper streamers in multiple
colors that are propelled by a gas cartridge or by a small
pyrotechnic charge.
Consumer Fireworks -
Fireworks that have been approved by the US Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC). Fireworks that are approved by the CPSC must be
able to withstand 350 degree temperatures for two days, must not be
able to explode with mechanical shock, are limited to 500 grams of
composition, and can not contain aerial bursts that have more than
130 milligrams of flash powder. If the item has not been approved by
the CPSC, it can not be classified as consumer
fireworks.
CPSC - The US Consumer Product Safety
Commission, a federal agency responsible for testing and approving
all consumer fireworks. The CPSC website can be found at
http://www.cpsc.gov/.
Crackle Effect - A
fireworks effects that sounds like hundred of snaps or crackles,
usually accompanied by an aerial gold lace visual
effect.
Crossette - A type of comet that breaks
into multiple comets, usually forming a cross shape.
D
Dahlia -
A shell that produces a starfish like shape.
Day
Time Effect - A type of fireworks that can be enjoyed better
during the day time than the night time. Includes smoke items and
parachute items.
Decomposition - The chemical
process of converting a compound or mixture into another chemically
stable form. Decomposition is usually accompanied by the production
of heat.
Deflagrate - To burn or vaporize
suddenly, usually accompanied by a considerable amount of heat and
large volumes of gas. When the speed of the burn or the escaping gas
exceeds the speed of sound, the result is a loud boom. Deflagration
is the scientific term for how fireworks
explode.
Detonate - A characteristic of high
explosives, a detonation occurs when the explosive decomposition of
a substance forms an energy wave that moves rapidly though the
substance at speeds that exceed the speed of sound. Technically
speaking, fireworks do not detonate, but high explosives
do.
Display Fireworks - Sometimes referred to as
commercial fireworks, these are professional fireworks that are
regulated by the ATFE and generally require a special license to
buy, store, and use. These fireworks are commonly seen in large
displays sponsored by a city or other large organization. Consumer
fireworks are not commercial fireworks.
Display
Permit - A special permit that is granted by the local authority
having jurisdiction (AHJ) to allow you to shoot fireworks legally.
Some areas charge a fee for a display permit and may require a
fireworks license, hazard insurance, or other documentation to
obtain the permit. The larger the local population, the more
difficult the display permit process is.
DOT -
DOT is an abbreviation for the US Department of Transportation. The
DOT is responsible for classifying explosives in the United States.
The DOT classification 1.4G is synonymous with consumer fireworks,
while 1.3G is synonymous with display fireworks. The DOT imposes
special requirements on businesses that transport materials with
these special designations. The DOT website can be found at
http://www.dot.gov/.
E
Electric
Match - An electric match is a device that is used to ignite
fireworks using electrical current. Approximately one inch in length
and ¼ inch round, these items usually consist of a small
nickel-chromium wire with a pyrogen coating. An electrical current
causes the nickel-chromium wire to heat up, igniting the pyrogen and
starting the fuse. Typical manufacturers of these devices include
Oxral and Davey Fire.
Explosive - A substance or
mixture which, when submitted to shock, friction, sparks, or flame,
can undergo rapid decomposition with the production of a
considerable quantity of heat and large volumes of
gas.
F
Falling
Leaves - A beautiful aerial effect that consists of glowing
embers that tumble slowly in the air, flickering back and forth as
they fall back to earth.
Firecracker - A
fireworks item containing flash powder and wrapped in paper with a
fuse attached. When the fuse is lit, it burns down inside the paper
until it reaches the flash powder. The deflagration of the flash
powder results in a loud bang. Legal consumer firecrackers are
limited to a maximum of 50 milligrams of flash
powder.
Firefly - A stroboscopic tail effect
that consists of many distinct bright flashes of
light.
Fireworks - A device that is designed to
be burned or ignited in order to yield a visible and/or audio
effect.
Fish - An aerial effect that looks like
a swarm of objects squirming though the air. This effect usually
lasts only a few seconds. Fish are actually a type of fuse that
propels itself through the air, creating a swimming
effect.
Flare - A cylindrical device containing
a composition that burns for several minutes. Flares are generally
12 inches of longer in length, and are commonly used to light
display fireworks. Flares are also used as safety devices for
automotive emergencies (known as road flares).
Flash
Powder - A silvery chemical mixture usually consisting of
potassium perchlorate and finely powdered aluminum. It is used as
the explosive component of firecrackers, aerial salutes, and the
reports in rockets and roman candles. Flash powder is very dangerous
to manufacture.
Flitter - Similar to glitter,
flitter is a type of star that contains bright flashes of light in
the trail the star leaves behind.
Floral Pattern - An aerial pattern that resembles a flower with points of light
that streak outward from the center of the
break.
Fountain - A ground device that emits
showers of sparks several feet in the air.
Fuse - An item resembling a string or wire that is used to light a
fireworks device.
G
Girandola - A large
horizontal wheel that rotates quickly enough to rises into the air.
Once it reaches its peak, it usually explodes or shoots flaming
stars. Girandolas are rare, and are not considered consumer
fireworks items. These are sometimes referred to as "flying
saucers". Girandolas are popular in Mexico and
Malta.
Glitter - A tail effect that contains
flashes of light and small explosive bursts lasting several
seconds.
Go Getter - A self-propelled star that
"swims" in the sky link a rocket without
fins.
Ground Item - Ground items are any item
that is lit on the ground and does not shoot objects into the sky.
This includes fountains, sparklers, snaps, snakes, pops, smoke
balls, and other items.
H
Helicopter - A term
for a device that spins very fast and lifts high into the sky, only
to explode or burst into a special aerial effect. These are also
called planes, sky flyers or UFOs.
High
Explosives - High explosives are extraordinarily powerful
substances that can release large amounts of energy and heat. They
can be detonated by a sufficiently large mechanical or explosive
shock, and generally require the use of an initiator to start the
detonation. Examples of high explosives include TNT, nitroglycerine,
RDX and PETN. High explosives are not used in
fireworks.
I
Illegal
Fireworks - Illegal fireworks include any firecracker with more
than 50 milligrams of flash powder, such as the original 1960's
version of the M80, cherry bomb, silver salute, or quarter stick.
Consumer fireworks also may not contain any chlorates, red
phosphorus, high explosives, more than 130 milligrams of flash
powder in an aerial report, or more than 500 grams of total
composition.
Initiator - A device containing
primary explosives that is used to initiate quantities of high
explosives. These are not fireworks.
J
Jumping
Jacks - Similar in appearance to a firecracker, jumping jacks
spin rapidly and emit red and green sparks.
L
Lance -
A tube of pyrotechnic composition, usually five inches long, that
burns for one minute. Lances come in various colors are used in set
pieces for fireworks events. See the definition of set piece
below.
Low Explosives - These are explosives
that burn at a steady speed and can only be detonated under extreme
circumstances (if at all). Low explosives are generally used as
propellants, and are seldom used in demolition work. Examples of low
explosives are black powder and fireworks.
M
M80 -
The original M80 was a military simulator that was sold as a
firecracker. M80s are red in color, one and one-half inches long,
5/8 of an inch in diameter, with a green waterproof fuse sticking
out the side. It contained two grams of flash powder and was
responsible for hundreds of serious injuries due to its powerful
blast. These items were banned by the CPSC in 1966, and made illegal
by the BATF (now ATFE) in the 1970's. Legal M80's today contain 50
milligrams of flash powder, which is about 1/40th of the original
M80. Illegal M80's sometimes contain compositions that are sensitive
to shock and can injure of kill people. If you like having full use
of your fingers, hands, and eyes, don't mess with illegal
M80's.
Mine - An aerial device that shoot stars
into the sky in an upward spray pattern.
Missile - In fireworks, a missile is a sky rocket that does not have a stick
for guidance. Instead, it may rotate to give it some stability as it
lifts off, or may be shot from a tube (like Saturn Missile
Batteries).
Mortar - A mortar is a paper or HDPE
tube containing a shell with a long fuse. The shell has a lift
charge on the bottom that helps propel it into the air. Once in the
air, the shell explodes open and release stars and other effects
that streak the sky with various designs. Most display fireworks are
shot from mortars.
Multi-Shot Aerial - This is
another name for a cake or repeater.
N
NFPA -
An abbreviation for the National Fire Protection Association. The
NFPA is responsible for setting uniform national standards for
fireworks use, manufacture transportation, and storage. NFPA 1122
sets standards for Model Rocketry. NFPA 1123 sets standards for
using display fireworks. NFPA 1124 sets standards for manufacturing
and transporting fireworks. NFPA 1125 sets standards for
manufacturing model rockets. NFPA 1126 sets standards for the use of
proximate (indoor) fireworks. NFPA 1127 sets standards for the hobby
of high-power rocketry. The NFPA website is
http://www.nfpa.org/.
Novelty - Fireworks items
that limited in their potential to harm people and property, such as
snaps, snakes, poppers, and (sometimes) sparklers.
P
Palm
Tree - An aerial effect that produces a gold or silver stem as
the shell rises into the sky (known as a rising tail), followed by a
brocade or willow effect that creates palm fronds. It resembles a
gold or silver palm tree in the sky.
Parachute -
A paper projectile that is expelled from a mortar tube either as a
single-shot item, or as a multi-shot effect in a
cake.
Peony - An aerial effect that looks like a
spherical ball of colored lights in the sky. A very common aerial
effect on most fireworks displays.
Perchlorates - A common oxidizer used in fireworks manufacture. With a few
exceptions, perchlorates are preferred over chlorates because their
compounds are generally less sensitive to
shock.
Pistil - A ball of stars in the center of
another ball of stars. Another way to describe this effect is a
small peony inside a larger peony.
Planes - A
term for a device that spins very fast and lifts high into the sky,
only to explode or burst into a special aerial effect. These are
also called helicopters, sky flyers or UFOs.
Primary
Explosives - Also known as initiators or initiating explosives,
these items are stable under normal conditions, but will detonate if
ignited and can be extremely sensitive to mechanical shock. These
are typically used to initiate high explosives. Primary fireworks
are used in fireworks.
Proximate Fireworks - The
formal name for indoor fireworks. Indoor fireworks are used for
concerts and public events, and their use in public shows is heavily
regulated in most States.
Punk - A punk is a
bamboo stick with a brown coating that burns slowly. These look
identical to incense sticks, but do not have a distinctive aromatic
effect like incense does. Punks are generally used to light consumer
fireworks. Another way to light fireworks is with an instant-on
propane torch or a road flare. Because fuses are known to spit fire
occasionally, lighting fireworks with matches is strongly
discouraged.
Pyrotechnics - Ant item that burns
in order to perform its function. Fireworks are classified as
pyrotechnics.
Q
Quarter
Stick - The original quarter sticks were similar to M80's, but
were larger in size and contained 10 grams or more of flash powder.
Quarter sticks were silver in color, four inches long, one inch in
diameter, with a four inch green waterproof fuse sticking out the
side. These items were so powerful that they could dismember and
kill people who misused them. Quarter sticks were banned by the CPSC
in 1966, and made illegal by the BATF (now ATFE) in the 1970's.
Legal quarter sticks today contain 50 milligrams of flash powder,
which is about 1/200th of the original quarter stick. Illegal
quarter sticks can contain compositions that are extremely sensitive
to shock and can injure of kill without warning. The ATFE imprisons
people that are caught with illegal quarter
sticks.
Quick Match - Quick match is a type of
fuse that is used to light commercial fireworks. It consists of
black match that is wrapped loosely in a paper pipe, approximately
3/8 on an inch in diameter. While black match burns at a rate of one
inch per second in the open air, quick match burns at a rate of
approximately sixty feet per second (very fast). See the definition
of black match (above) for more information.
R
Reloadable
Aerial - A reloadable aerial is an aerial mortar that includes
one or more mortar tubes and several reloadable aerial shells. The
shells are placed inside the mortar tube, a long quick-burning fuse
is lit, and the item is fired into the sky. These items are consumer
versions of the mortar-based fireworks used in commercial fireworks
displays.
Repeater - Sometimes referred to as
"cakes" or "multi-shot aerials", a repeater is a cluster of aerial
tubes with a single fuse. The name "cake" was attributed to these
because the cluster of tubes looks similar to a cake in size and
shape. Once the fuse is lit, each of the tubes is fired in sequence.
Cakes can have a variety of intricate aerial effects, including
spinners, fish, flower bouquets, comets, crossettes, reports, and
other aerial effects. Cakes are the most popular consumer fireworks
items outside of sparklers and
firecrackers.
Report - A report is another name
for a bang. Items with reports explode with a bang. This term is
most often used with rockets and cakes.
Ring
Shell - A shell that produces a ring as its aerial pattern. See
also Saturn shell.
Rising Tail - A rising tail
is a gold or silver tail effect that is created when a shell is shot
into the sky, similar to the trunk of a tree. Commonly used with
palm tree shells.
Rocket - A rocket is a
tube-like pyrotechnic device made out of a paper tube that propels
itself into the air in order to fly. There are many different kinds
of rockets, including sky rockets, bottle rockets, and missiles.
Please refer to these items for more information on
rockets.
Roman Candle - A paper tube filled with
composition that shoots flaming balls out one end of the tube. Most
roman candles have five or more balls. Roman candles should never be
held in your hand. Instead, they should be planted securely in the
ground and pointed away from people and flammable objects. A good
way to shoot roman candles is to get a five gallon pail and fill it
with kitty litter. The roman candles can be easily inserted into the
bucket of kitty litter and fired safely.
S
Safe and
Sane - This is a term for fireworks that do not have aerial
effects or explode. Items that are classified as Safe and Sane
include sparklers, snaps, smoke balls, fountains, snakes, and (in
some cases) wheels. Items that are not classified as Safe and Sane
include firecrackers, rockets, and cakes. Some States restrict legal
fireworks to Safe and Sane items only.
Salute -
A salute is an item that explodes. This term is most frequently used
in regard to aerial items, although some people refer to
firecrackers as "ground salutes". When a salute explodes, it is
referred to as a "report".
Saturn Shell - A
shell that produces a ring around an inside ball of stars. The
Saturn shell is a combination of a peony with a ring around
it.
Serpent - Another name for a tourbillion. A
serpent is a type of star that spins in the sky and gives off large
quantities of gold, silver, or white light. These are generally
constructed as a small paper tube with holes on each end that allow
it to spin.
Set Piece - A ground item consisting
of many colored lances that is used to draw a picture. Common
examples of set pieces include American Flags, the Liberty Bell, the
Statue of Liberty, God Bless America, and many other types of signs.
Set pieces are expensive and time consuming to build. It is not
unusual for a single set piece to cost several thousand
dollars.
Shell - A shell is an aerial item that
is fired into the sky. It generally consists of a fuse, a lift bag,
and a paper ball filled with stars and burst media. The fuse lights
the lift bag on the bottom of the shell propelling it into the sky.
At the same time, an internal time fuse is triggered and at the
right time the paper shell bursts with all of its stars lit. The
type of stars contained inside the shell determines the effect the
shell produces in the sky.
Silver Salute - A
silver salute is an M80 firecracker with a silver colored paper
tube. The words "do not hold in hand" are generally written on the
tube. See the item titled M80 for more information on these
devices.
Single Shot Aerial - A single shot
aerial is a mortar tube with a shell already installed in it. These
items generally have a fuse sticking out the side of the mortar at
the base of the tube. While these are single-shot, one time use
items only, these items can produce some spectacular
effects.
Sky Flyer - A term for a device that
spins very fast and lifts high into the sky, only to explode or
burst into a special aerial effect. These are also called planes,
helicopters, or UFOs.
Sky Rocket - A sky rocket
is a pyrotechnic device made out of a paper tube that propels itself
into the air in order to fly. Sky rockets generally have a stick to
add stability to the flight of the rocket. Firework rockets that do
not have sticks are referred to as missiles.
Smoke
Item - Any item that produces a smoke effects, including smoke
balls and aerial items that produce smoke instead of light or noise.
Smoke items are generally used during the
daytime.
Snakes - Snakes are hard pellets that
are lit and produce a long carbon snake. The items are popular with
kids; however the pellets can be poisonous and should not be
accessible to young children.
Snaps - Snaps are
paper balls that are filled with a cap composition that goes BANG
when they are thrown at something. Snaps are generally safe for most
kids to use.
Sparkler - A stick with a coating
of pyrotechnic composition that creates sparks when lit. While
sparklers are generally considered safe, they are responsible for
over eighty percent of the injuries due to fireworks each year. This
is because people throw the hot sparkler wires on the ground and
other people step on them. If you use sparklers, please make sure
you have a bucket of water handy to place the used sparkler wires in
when the sparkler burns out.
Spinner - A spinner
is a type of star that spins in the sky and gives off large
quantities of white light. Another name for spinner is
tourbillion.
Squib - A type of fireworks slang
for an electric match (see definition of electric match above). True
squibs are actually blasting caps (initiators) used in the explosive
industry to set off high explosives. This term crept into fireworks
jargon by individuals that did not understand the differences
between an electric match and a blasting cap. True squibs are not
used for fireworks.
Star - A small pellet of
composition that produces a pyrotechnic effect. Stars are used in
aerial shells, rockets, roman candles, cakes, and fountains to
produce streaks or light, pulses, long golden tails, and other
aerial effects. A single shell could contain several hundred
stars.
Strobe - A strobe is a blinking effect.
When used in a shell with hundreds of strobe stars, the strobe
effect looks like shimmering water in the sky. Strobes can be a
variety of colors, including white, green, blue, and
orange.
T
Tail - A
burning trail that follows a star in the sky. Most comets have
tails, and so do willow and brocade
effects.
Titanium Salute - An aerial salute that
produces white sparks along with a loud report. Titanium is
frequently used in fireworks to produce bright silver-white
sparks.
Tourbillion - Another name for a
serpent. A tourbillion is a type of star that spins in the sky and
gives off large quantities of gold, silver, or white light. These
are generally constructed as a small paper tube with holes on each
end that allow it to spin.
Tube - A tube is
another name for a mortar (see definition for mortar
above).
U
UFO - A
term for a device that spins very fast and lifts high into the sky,
only to explode or burst into a special aerial effect. These are
also called helicopters, planes, or sky flyers.
V
Visco -
Visco is a type of rugged water proof fuse that is used to light
fireworks. Most visco fuse is green in color, but is available in
almost any color. Because visco fuse is know to spit fire when it is
lit, you should never light visco directly with a match or anything
that would put your fingers in close proximity to the fuse. Instead,
visco should be lit with a propane torch, a road flare, or a long
punk (see definition for punk above).
W
Wheel -
A wheel is a stationary device that spins and creates a circular
ring of fire and sparks. These are generally nailed to a pole or a
tree before they are lit. You should always be careful to make sure
the area is free from flammable debris before you light a wheel as
the sparks can carry ten feet or more.
Whistle -
Whistles are generally small paper tubes filled with a composition
that makes a sharp howling sound. Whistles can be found in rockets,
fountains, cakes
Wholesale Fireworks - Fireworks
that are sold by the case. You can generally save twenty percent of
more by purchasing fireworks by the case.
Willow - An aerial effect that looks like a giant gold willow tree in the
sky. A true willow effect has delicate golden trails that hang in
the sky ten seconds or
more.
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