The price to pay

Earlier today, the two hours I spent working on a photoshop assignment for diploma plus was totally wasted when I accidentally closed the window containing the image I spent two hours working in (go ahead, laugh). It was a lousy mistake, not saving at all during the entire time. I have no choice but to redo the entire thing from the start. And it's entirely my fault.

But it gets better - The nonsense of this holiday is building sparkler rockets. My previous attempts at such feats of rocketry usually resulted in a little melted pile shooting out sparkles. Well today I decided to make something different. Rather than grinding up the sparklers and tamping the powder into aluminium foil tubes, I tightly wrapped three of them in multiple layers of aluminium foil (which surprisingly, held better than I expected). The nozzles were the gaps between the sparklers. The top was sealed, and I made a crude wire platform on which to launch it.

I have no photos since I didn't bother taking any, and I've already disposed of the remains of the rocket. I will, however, take some photos the next time I attempt such a feat again.

T minus 15 seconds - Rocket on launchpad and ready for launch. All nearby flammables are removed as a safety precaution (which would prove invaluable later). I use a lighter to light a single sparkler which I will use as a match to ignite the propellant.

T minus 7 seconds - Eight seconds later, the sparkler has reached ignition temperature and combusts into a bright shower of sparks. I place the lighter aside.

T minus 5 seconds - I place the lighted sparkler next to the short "fuse" for my rocket which in reality is just the ends of the sparklers sticking out of the crude foil tube.

T minus 3 seconds - Due to the high temperature, the propellant rapidly ignites. What happens next happened so fast, it was almost a blur.

T minus 1 second - The tiny and closely packed sparkler fuse burns out in a mere 2 seconds, faster than I expected. I don't even have time to get back.

T minus 0 seconds - The propellant has reached the "nozzle" of the rocket. A bright flash floods the area. "This can't be good", I think.

T plus 0.5 seconds - I hear a loud fizzing sound.

T plus 1 second - The rocket takes off. My fear turns to amazement.

T plus 2 seconds - The rocket hits my arm and lands on the floor. I am surprised that the rocket actually worked even though it flew chaotically.

T plus 3 seconds - The remains rocket is smoldering on the floor. The pungent smell of ammonia fills the air. My senses kick in, and a sharp, searing pain fills my arm, and I hurry off to treat my 2nd degree burns.

I never expected the rocket to actually liftoff, and it did. Therefore, I consider this experiment a success.

To whom it may concern: The sparkler powder is not used for improvised explosives. They are used a propellant for rockets. These rockets are not weapons. They are intended to fly into the sky, not to injure people.

| HCH - 7:00 PM |