where to buy legal fireworks

[Dark empire]

does anyone know were I can buy some fireworks without a permit?

[Benzito]

I think that they are illegal in the ACT without a permit now. My house-mate, last night, said that the Northern Territory is the only place left where you can buy them without a permit.

And I did hear some race-car-drivers in Darwin on the weekend talking about how Saturday night was 'firecracker night', and none of them got any sleep before their big race. (some crap on channel 10)

So, they're obviously not hard to get up there, but illegal? don't know?

[incognito]

when i lived in sydney they where for sale left,right and centre in chinatown,,thats going back about 7 yrs though!!!i used to buy those waterproof big ol' bungers,,u could throw em in a pool and they would still blow up!!

[waterdragon]

fyshwick in canberra had plenty of legal fireworks and then there was the non sanctioned gear which you should be able to still procure, sky bombs, BIG roman candles, etc. bring your money, coz it's not hard to put a hole in three hundred bucks, ie the big sky bombs at fifty a piece, but they're worth it. let some off in town once, they were heard for miles.

[ 12. July 2005, 10:28: Message edited by: waterdragon ]

[caludia]

call me a heartless libertarian, but banning fireworks in NSW was the dumbest, most killjoy thing they ever did to my childhood.

i don't care that some "Darwin Award" type kids got their hands blown off. I do feel sorry for attacks on innocent people (for example by bullies) but bullies can attack people using MANY forms of abuse

firecracker night was the best night of the year. Even better than Xmas.

[AndyAmine.]

I agree, I used to love the queens birthday, I didnt give a stuff about the queen but the fireworks were the event of the year!

I remember going to the fireworks warehouse in Canbera and it was just amazing, like a HUGE warehouse full of isals of shelves filled wiht them.

Ohh man.. memories...

People let them off around here all the time, I think they are still leagl to buy in NSW, thats why they keep busting people that duck down over the boarder for some N.Y.E fun.

[AndyAmine.]

One of the best parts about my time in India was "Devwally" (sp?) which is the Festival of lights.

All of a sudden firecracker shops open up on every 2nd corner and everyone goes out and spend thier last rupee, even the desperatly poor and let'em rip for a full week.

No shit, for 7 or more days its non stop BANG, WHISTLE, FLSH, CRACK, BOOOM, WHRRRRR..

Its wonderful for the first few days but it wears on you after a while.. LOL

Anyway, the prices were the best, one of the fav's were the "KingKong bombs" at about 10c each, which were like big cherry bombs but they were made from twine, like there was the explosve filler then wrapped in a layer of twine, then glued and another layer of twine and on it went unitl it was a bit larger than a golfball.

These things were like TNT, I acidently threw one from my 15th story balcony and it rolled under and car and I could have sworn it lifted it up a little.

Then there were the "Screeming Cockrel" or something liuke that at about $20, which was about the size of a large /document/X-ray tubes they sell at the post office cut in 1/2.

When let off it shot up screaming like a banchie and disapierd, I thoguht it was a dud when all of a suddeen, BANG it split into 2 stages, then each one of them split in 2 and then those 4 blew up into a massive ball of sparks.. fucking AWSOME!

[Trip Dr]

As far as i know you can only get crackers on the queens birthday long weekend now in Canberra and have to be an ACT resident

Last few years when i went to get crackers they went up by 50% each year. One year i got these sick black bungers, 6 for $10. Only about 2.5" long, 1" thick but DAMN LOUD! I bought $50 bucks worth of them and they threw in two extra packs free. Went back next year and they were $15 a pack. Next year(this one?) i rang the shop. Closed. :mad:

On another slightly different note, if you really like fireworks it is possible to make your own. It takes A LOT of time. A LOT of patience, and heaps of failure to make anything good. But when you do make something that works just right, its very rewarding.

[Leo^]

SWIM has made his own small scale fireworks using only sparkler powder and various containers, very fun

[Darklight]

I've always wanted to make fireworks. I even bought a book, but its too technical, way over my head, and given my poor chem abilities it would prolly all end in tears, dammit. I lack technical expertise. Fireworks are purty :cool:

[Torsten]

hmmm, as long as you don't buy drums of diesel and bags ammonium nitrate from the same shop you should be alright :D

[Bundy]

I hear private courier is the way to go

[nabraxas]

yeah, if anyone does try making their own, be abit careful. don't make huge quantities.

it might be hard to explain when the paramilitary police come knocking your door down after a tipo-off from a neighbour

[devils_cactus]

hey all.

theres fireworks for sale in a little shop on the pacific highway just south of newcastle...

in the white pages it's advertised as a 'party shop'

however they have a great range and aren't to steep.

[Dark empire]

are you talking about red back fireworks and do thay sell firecrackers dc

[ 13. July 2005, 01:32: Message edited by: Dark empire ]

[Fenris]

When I was a kid before we moved to Oz I used to get Bengal matches for bonfire night. The matches were probably about the same length as a normal match and 70% of the stick was covered in match head that burned red and green. I think and they burned for a good 5+ seconds I have never seen them since, even when I was back visiting the rellies.

[nabraxas]

where you from Fenris?

my brother's in the RAF. they give them matches for "emergency use" that are waterproof, & flare up for about 5 seconds.

[wandjina]

fireworks...*maniacal laughter*....oooh yeah :D .

Simple and brief...but still pretty cool:

Take at least 4 packs of sparklers (6-8 is better), empty out contents and roll together like a fat cigar in cardbpoard (depending on how many used... a sparkler box may be suitable). Use the wire end of one to hold base together if necess...pull one sparkler up a few inches for a wick in the centre...Bind TIGHTLY with loads tape(gaffer is good)...jam into ground, light wick and stand well back. A fountain/jet of golden sparks follows,at least 1-5m vert depending on how many sp used and how tightly bound, making a pretty cool noise to boot!

If you wanna get fancy, add appropriate minerals for colour (see web for easily obtainable).

Alternatively, crumbling off GP and packing into small containers makes for some interesting, if not potentially dangerous, bangers...be careful

[ 13. July 2005, 03:21: Message edited by: wandjina ]

[Fenris]

nabraxas:

where you from Fenris?

Belfast, N Ireland. My family moved out here when I was 9 because it was so frigging cold and Thatcher was strangling the nation.

I was back in Belfast on New years eve 1999/2000 and we were able to buy fireworks from the local shop, the ones that shoot up and explode in a chrysanthimum of coloured sparks. After drinking champagne, smoking cigars and imbibing a galaxy other fun things :D we set the fireworks off in the street. Best new years I ever had. I did look for the Bengal matches but couldn't find any.

[nabraxas]

actually it's quite funny they called them Bengal matches.

matches in India are lethal.

they have tons ov stuff on them to make them flare up, but they don't impregnate the wood w/wax, so 9 times out ov 10 the match dies after it's initial flare. also the wood in the matches is shocking, half the time the match breaks as you strike it, sending this flaring missile flying---always strike them away from your body

[Andrew]

When I was a kid we used to make an interesting combo of glycerine and pottasium permangernate with good results.Fill a small glass bottle about half or so with p.permangernate(condies crystals) and top up with glycerine then stand back and wait for the reaction.Usually you will get a fountain of purple sparks.

[Trip Dr]

Darklight you say that the fireworks stuff is too hard for YOU to understand??? I find that a little hard to believe . I never really got into the chemistry side of it, that was over my head, but you can still learn a great deal about properties of different mixtures techniques etc to make just about anything you can think of. Stacks of good info on the net. Just keep it safe, ie dont just go making bombs etc. There is a big difference between a pyro and a bomb maker. I never really made any super pretty stuff like you see at shows etc. due to the difficulty in obtaining the required chemicals to get colours. I have however made heaps of top notch black powder, tonnes of small rockets, and the odd small shell. Great hobby, but takes alot of time and work. I would encourage anyone to try it, just remember you wont be making stuff like you see on NYE any time soon!

[gerbil]

[ 15. July 2005, 00:48: Message edited by: gerbil ]

[gerbil]

AndyAmine.:

One of the best parts about my time in India was "Devwally" (sp?) which is the Festival of lights.

LOL spent NYE in Udapour (sorry bad spelling), hear all these thunderous booms all around the town, then wailing of the ambulance few minutes later hehe classic but it shows some of the quality standards.

We set off a plastic bag full of crackers, showers etc while some high ranking official was staying in the same place, guards all around fully armed ah man that was a laugh. Funniest bit was, indentical crackers, some would pop and fizzle, then same ones would blow big craters in the ground with ten times the noise haha to top it off a little indian boy about 8, friend of family, was putting fresh hot sparklers into the bag full of crackers The parents didn't really pay too much attention, that kind of really layed back and acceptance of death if it occurs that they have, pretty amazing in some ways.

[AndyAmine.]

Yeah, I know what you mean Gerbil, there was stuff in the papaers every day of the festival about people geting injured by fireworks but like you say death and disease is such a part of everyday life that its not as big of a deal plus they know its not the end.

I was almost jelous of the pure faith they had and all of the traditoon, being a part of a multi-racial fmaily and having moved house and or state every couple of years since I was borned I havenever had any real history or traditon let along blind faith. LOL..