Fountains

A fountain is a tube or cone shaped device made of cardboard. Inside is a slow burning pyrotechnic composition that releases spark on ignition. They are forced through a small hole in the top that the fuse runs down. Microstars can sometimes be used inside the mix to add different colours or crackling to the effect.

These are one of the oldest types of firework - a tube containing a propellant is attached to a wooden stick. On ignition the fuel inside the tube produces large volumes of gas which push through a hole (called the nozzle). This gas forces the rocket in the other direction (upwards) high in to the sky. When it reaches the apex (maximum height) the payload ignites and explodes. This is usually a cluster of colour stars or effects such as whistles. Rockets come in 2 shapes either tube like or ball style.

A paper tube contains one or more shots. Each shot is a star or effect that is launched by a black powder lift charge. The shots are stacked on top of each other with a time delay between them. The time delay layers are usually clay or sawdust with a time fuse running through or down the side. Roman candles can be part of bigger fireworks called barrages which fire many shots rapidly.

A cake is basically a series of tubes glued together. Each tube is a mini single shot roman candle (so it only fires one unit). The tubes are linked at the bottom with time fuse which controls how and when each tube fires. Cakes are also produced in a fan configuration which starts with a set of tubes are glued on sheets of cardboard and then sandwiched together.

A thin metal wire which is dipped in composition. They are lit and burn producing lots of sparks. Some sparklers are colour changing, others can crackle.

Usually a wide tube containing a lift charge and a payload. On ignition the mine might start like a fountain burning with lots of sparks and colour, sometimes crackling or whistling. The mine effect happens after the fountain (if present) and is a massive column of colour and/or effects rising into the sky. Mines are quite short burning but very very impressive.