ALLOWED to make our own flares??

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toadfish

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I have bought for a couple of pounds some instructions on how to make white, red and grey smoke flares.

Yes they work a treat and yes they seem safe and I have had a lot of fun. Have spent every evening testing my diy ones. Even stuck one in a bonfire (white one on a farmer friends field, anchored down so could not shoot off) and it did not burst into flames quickly. This was to test to see if it would go off accidentally in sun or if got hot somehow onboard.

But, am I allowed to do this? Am I allowed to carry diy flares in UK only. I do have proper rocket flares. And is the seller allowed to even sell me instructions? I don't exactly want to go and ask the authorities at the moment in case they get their knickers in a twist - these do seem like a way of increasing my flare collection very cheaply - 40pence a flare and I only coastal sail.
Thanks
 
you need COER 3 - Certificate to Acquire and Keep Explosives, this can be picked up from your local police station. IIRC there's a limit of 5kg for your own use as flares or deeer scarers etc.

Transport of flares as explosives is subkect to other legislation.

I'm on the HSE Explosives Group for other items, but can find out some more details. It will be next week if someone else doesn;t come up with the answers first.
 
I don't have coer 3 for flares from marine shop and I bet a lot of sailors don't - what this mean - are many of us sailors in trouble?
 
Flares are hardly explosives are they? This is a free country - of course you can buy, own and make up pyrotechnic mixtures (fireworks and flares) if you like. Your insurance company might take a dim view if there was a fire but then how would they know?

Google will find plenty of sites on making them but the potassium nitrate/sugar types burn like welding torches and the fire risk on a boat would be ridiculously high.

Then again, unless you particularly want to make your own why not try paintball smoke grenades? Far cheaper than marine ones (and doubtless far smaller, thus less visible) and available in colours. Just how visible one of these would be at a couple of miles distance compared to a commercial marine smoke of ten times the weight would need to be tested I think.
http://www.store.justpaintball.co.uk/smoke-grenades-specials.html
 
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sarabande said:
you need COER 3 - Certificate to Acquire and Keep Explosives, this can be picked up from your local police station. IIRC there's a limit of 5kg for your own use as flares or deeer scarers etc.

Transport of flares as explosives is subkect to other legislation.

I'm on the HSE Explosives Group for other items, but can find out some more details. It will be next week if someone else doesn;t come up with the answers first.
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Correct, you will also need an RCA document to transport the powder. completed flares do not require a document.
Legislation here: http://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/transfer-of-explosives.htm
 
Lots of how-to with a google search.

Basic pyro mix of potassium nitrate and sugar. KNO3 is readily available on the internet. Presumably you can dope the mix to get colours other than the white of the basic mix.

This burns very fiercely indeed and is totally unsuitable for use on a boat.
 
MASH said:
rigger, the clue to its unsuitability is in the first part of that sentence...
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Sorry that's a bit too cryptic for me. I assume you are referring to the stuff burning, but that's exactly what commercial flares do and they are pretty fierce. To be honest, I don't know what goes into a commercial flare or if the OP was using KnO3/sugar. I'm just genuinely curious to know what the difference is....if any.
 
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Puff from Malta may be along soon.

A lot of amateur firework making goes on there - and they regularly have explosions which kill people.

Paul
 
hands up

Rigger Mortice said:
Sounds like fun. What are the basic chemicals?

I'm not overly bothered about the legality. :D
Click to expand...

I am the one that sold this chap Toadfish (who introduced me to this site) the instructions to make the flares.

You cannot make coloured flares without using complicated, toxic and expensive chemicals = just forget it = not worth the research or money or bother.

But you can make white and red and a very very long lasting grey smoke flare for pennies. I will do calc and work it out = it really is pennies = and the metal tubes an be reused time and time again. I love it.

So for years I have been perfecting the technique.

Now I do not know if I am allowed to sell these instructions so I will stop until I find out.

See my videos on my website for some rather poor video attempts = but it took approx 5 mins to make each flare.

Never had a safety issue unlike Pains Wessex in 2006 with that poor man that received a batch of bad white flares. The automatic manufacturing system had left a gap, or underfilled or something the flares container.

My flares are kept in a metal box away from heat sources and never had a problem.

My flares last longer than 60 secs and do not sputter as much hot debris as proper ones AND the tube can be held in with a bare hand - last proper red I let off with MCA go ahead was dropped before it reached the plastci habdle because I did not have loves on and the heat was too much

At 30p a go I will not be buying white or red or smoke again, just rockets.
 
MASH said:
Lots of how-to with a google search.

Basic pyro mix of potassium nitrate and sugar. KNO3 is readily available on the internet. Presumably you can dope the mix to get colours other than the white of the basic mix.

This burns very fiercely indeed and is totally unsuitable for use on a boat.
Click to expand...

Sorry, if you tried that the "DOPE" would just burn rather than be suspended and you's still get grey smoke
 
MASH said:
Then again, unless you particularly want to make your own why not try paintball smoke grenades? Far cheaper than marine ones (and doubtless far smaller, thus less visible) and available in colours. Just how visible one of these would be at a couple of miles distance compared to a commercial marine smoke of ten times the weight would need to be tested I think.
http://www.store.justpaintball.co.uk/smoke-grenades-specials.html
Click to expand...

£29 !!!???!!! I make denser, longer lasting smoke for less than £1. And would like to continue to do so if Tuesday arrives and
we are told we are allowed to.
 
Since last post I went out and made a smoke flare. Took about 30 mins. The computer work takes longer.
It should be here
http://youtu.be/nN2uH0hTjNM
in about 18 mins computer says.
The mixture is supposed to set overnight and superb results are made then.
This vid shows very poor flares, but shows what is possible using junk containers in 30 mins.
I will do it properly when I get more time.
The instructions are good and clear, but I am not selling any until I find out if I am allowed to.
 
sarabande said:
it relates to manufacture. I need to check the full details but can't do that till Tuesday.
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Hi Sarabande, any news on legislation about making my own flares or selling written instructions on how to do it?

My website links to youtube where you can see a few more of my attempts.

Certainly cheaper than Pains Wessex and possibly safer?

I only dinghy sail now I had to sell my boat and I always have mini rocket flares but if I go a long way out (I like adventure) a metal box of many flares would be good and it would help my yet to take off business if I was allowed to sell instructions for a couple of pounds per set of instructions, but I don't want to break nay laws.

link http://youtu.be/XHubcxmLyhk

http://youtu.be/2cKY5Up78-s
 
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waiting to hear back from some tech guys in the office. It seems that someone else has also asked a similar question in the last couple of days, so it may be that a briefing note and soem other checks are being made. .
 
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