Mouse Turd Stars

 

Making stars for small inserts or class C type shells is a pain. Here is a simple solution that will work for most star mixes. The mix in this case is a magnalium red star mix that had parlon in it. The mix was wetted with lacquer thinner which makes the parlon act like a binder.

Wet the star mix and roll out into a thin sheet

Push the mix through a 1/8" screen

 

Dry

Prime by wetting slightly and mixing in a bowl with 
your favorite prime. Repeat the procedure enough times 
to get a 1-2 mm layer of prime on the individual stars.

The result? Mouse Turds!

Let's Use 'Em!

Cobble up a former for the size of shell you want. This is a 1.25 inch dowel with a smaller dowel as a handle. It has a coat of polyurethane on it - just because.

Cut a piece of chip board to the length needed for three wraps on the dowel. It should be as wide as the dowel is thick.

Roll three turns of 3" gummed tape over the chipboard and centered on it. Wet the tape with a mist of water from your spray bottle.

Roll the tape to get all the air out.

Cut out an end cap and install it. It should rest on the inner chipboard sleeve you made

Hot glue (or other) the inside seam and crimp the paper over. Press it onto a flat surface to seal tightly.

Fill with stars (Mouse Turds!)

 

Add 3/4 teaspoon of hot whistle (or other strong burst)

Make another cap with your choice of fuse in it. Make the delay about 2 seconds if launching from a tube.

 

Press cap onto filled can and then hot glue and crimp.

As before, press down tightly and eliminate all leaks


If you are going to lift these, then add a lift cup and fuse. This one is courtesy of Wendy's. If shot from a standard festival ball tube, use about 5 grams of 2FG or equivalent.

Click on the image above and watch the shell we made fly!

To make miniature pasteless multibreaks (similar to the above shells):

1. Fuse everything at 1.5 seconds or less.
2. Use a 1.5" length of 7/8" rocket tube as the bottom shot
2. Cap with 1/8" plywood fused with time fuse - hot glue
3. Spike the bottom shot vertically with stranded tape
4. Make a 'color/report' shell by wrapping the bottom shot with three wraps of 30 lb paper.
5. Put three wraps of 1" wide chip board inside (important!)
6. Use small stars (Mouse Turd Stars work fine)
7. Add 2/3 teaspoon of hot whistle as burst
8. Spike the color/report with stranded tape in both directions
9. Add a second color onto the top by wrapping the color/bottom shot with paper similar to what was done in item 4
10. Spike both vertically and horizontally with stranded tape
11. Wrap with masking tape
12. Add quick match passfire and complete as with any Italian-style shell ( 2 Inch Salami page has an example)
13. For two color and report, you will get a 75 gram shell - use 10 grams of festival ball BP for lift
14. For three color and report, you will get a 105 gram shell - use 14 grams of festival ball BP for lift
15. Use a 1.75 inch festival ball tube to launch (note that some tubes are oversized, use one of the smaller ones for best altitude).