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Post by luftwelle93 on Oct 18, 2014 20:05:54 GMT -5
I found this amazing WW2 reenactment of the Polish invasion.The mass of reenactors,gear,equipment,and pyrotechnics in this is badass!It would of been amazing to be a part of that!
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2nd Bat
Master sergeant
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Post by 2nd Bat on Oct 19, 2014 16:07:58 GMT -5
We use pyro at our large events. The impressive artillery effects are actually fairly easy to create. A relatively small explosive is placed at the base of a plastic tube. ( I use empty canisters from sanitary wipes.). These are buried in the ground so they aren't visible and then dried cement is poured on top of the small pyro charge and chunks of either foam or better still beauty bark). The plastic cap may or may not be inplace although if damp conditions exist the canister has to be dry to be effective so plastic covers may be needed.
The explosives are wire detonated although there are also inexpensive infra red beams and receivers that can be used ( the receivers have to be shaded on bright sunny days and are less reliable then direct wire). When detonated I have an initial small pop that serves as a "headsup" and somewhat loosens the powdered cement prior to the big boom. The cement flows skyward quite impressively as seen in the video and can be set off quite close to your actors although ear plugs and of course goggles are a good idea.
these effects add a lot of emmersive effects at events and if you know what you're doing and act responsibly are quite safe,
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2nd Bat
Master sergeant
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Post by 2nd Bat on Oct 19, 2014 17:33:52 GMT -5
The Napalm effects can be created (although not as pronounced as seen in this videa) by following the same process and instead of using dried cement and TALC powder fill your canister with dried powdered dairy creamer. Believe it or not dairy creamer ignited explosively creates the impressive ball of flame which raises quickly into the air. unlike the dried cement my recommendation you keep all actors well away from this effect. In both cases fire conditions are a critical consideration with any pyro. Its always a good idea to wet down the grass in a 30 foot circumfrence around any set explosive effect.
Compressed air explosions can also be created with ball valves and sprinkler releases beneath a tube of TALC and dried cement but do not generate the audio effects or intensity. At night distand artillery can be created with LED strobes and base drums. (sounds corny but its very effective and obviously safe.). Flares and slightly modified aerial fireworks also can work very well.
be sure neighbors, local fire departments and law enforcement are aware of what you are doing! If permits are required, get them.
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Post by insterburger on Oct 19, 2014 20:06:02 GMT -5
Impressive video. One thing that reenactment really communicates-- even in the video, and I'd think even moreso on site-- is how vital the coordinated ground/air attacks were to the success of Blitzkrieg. It was a leap forward in tactics, and something other armies were ill-prepared for. Soon enough the Germans would soon find themselves on the wrong end of a much sophisticated version of the same tactics.
I love those pre-war Polish uniforms. Seeing them makes me think how much fun it would be to reenact oddball military conflicts from the inter-war years. Spanish Civil War could be fun, but if I won the lottery, what I would do (after setting up the remote control big rig demolition derby park, of course!) would be the War of Latvian Liberation. We could have Letts in authentically styled uniforms and German M1917 helmets squaring off with early-style Bolsheviks in Budenovkas! Then we could field a rogue force of German Freikorps who randomly switch sides and shoot at anyone and everyone. Heck, the weaponry is even there: Mosins, Lee-Enfields, and 98k's that could be modded out to look like Gew 98's.
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Post by luftwelle93 on Oct 19, 2014 20:12:04 GMT -5
Yeah I like unique early 20th century gear/uniforms like the Dutch,Poles,Swedes,Finns,ect.And 2nd Bat its pretty cool information you said on how all the explosions work in these events
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2nd Bat
Master sergeant
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Post by 2nd Bat on Oct 19, 2014 22:20:29 GMT -5
The discovery about how effective dry cement is at creating impressive ground erruptions was huge. Its quite apparent when you watch movies as to how prevalent it is. When the eruptions are white the powder used is TALC. Flour is actually explosive at certain densities so not recommended.
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Post by luftwelle93 on Oct 19, 2014 22:35:46 GMT -5
Didn't know flour could be explosive ???You learn something new.
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2nd Bat
Master sergeant
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Post by 2nd Bat on Oct 20, 2014 0:34:58 GMT -5
It is rare of course but the same effect as grain silo explosions
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Post by volkssturm on Oct 20, 2014 10:12:06 GMT -5
Dust explosion. Mix a flammable dust with air, provide an ignition source and you've got what amounts to an air/fuel explosive. We have bombs that work the same way, except they use a liquid fuel that's atomized before being ignited. They're very powerful.
Anyway, I couldn't help noticing a lot of the reenactors were using Mosins. The standard Polish rifle was a Polish made version of a shortened Gew98. I would imagine the Poles had stocks of Mosins left from WWI and the post-war fighting with Russia. Were they actually using them?
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2nd Bat
Master sergeant
Posts: 11,813
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Post by 2nd Bat on Oct 20, 2014 11:37:15 GMT -5
I noticed the prevalence of Mosins as well and wondered the same thing. loved the early war armored car and Mk I tank. The pyro certainly was impressive.
As for flour, many decades ago (when I was a kid actually) I used some of moms flour to "spice up" my simulated explosions for greater effect and had a very pronounced and frightening "after explosion" which I discovered was caused when the flour arrived at just the right mass together with the ignition source. Very intense and quite frightening.
TALC is lighter and more effective then flour (from a visual perspective) as is ASH and dried cement. None of these materials can combust and disperse more dramatically than flour (by alot) The dried cement approach is what you see in most movies and special effects. One cautionary note for your actors is breathing the ash or dried cement is not a good idea (at all) and that is actually the best reason to keep them away from the simulations.
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