Book Review - Best of AFN II
From beginner to expert we are all learning the art of fire. Our books are as valuable as our tooling and chemicals, without them many of us would be blindly creating unstable and dangerous mixes. The internet is filled with good information intermixed with dangerous formulas, bad advice and a general lack of direction, personally I find it a useful research tool, but one that can not compare with the knowledge gained by a good book. With such an overwhelming topic as pyrotechnics where does one start? Of the hundreds of books what’s the best?
If you’re just starting out, or would like to better your general knowledge with the advice of pros with tried and tested formulas used in commercial manufacture, few books compare to American Fireworks News (AFN). Each release contained a wide variety of topics to wet the pallet of the reader. AFN has done a great job in compiling the best articles, projects, and tips into an informative series of books titled Best of AFN. No where else can you find as many experts weighing in on their favorite topic.
This weekend I picked up Best of AFN volume II and flipped though the table of contents looking for a fun and simple project, something different, something that would one-up the last shoot. With over 150 articles, projects, and tips, best of AFN II is sure to get your imagination going. While I was only looking for an idea I had a hard time putting this book down and read it cover to cover.
Some books specialize in one topic, rockets, rolled stars, black powder, others try and cover a broad range of topics for beginners. AFN covers everything broken down into organized chapters. If you’ve never read AFN most articles are between a few paragraphs to a few pages making it very easy to digest. The Best of AFN series took that a step further connecting rebuttals and new ideas together with the original articles.
Best of AFN II starts with Black Powder manufacture and Black Powder devices and it covers everything from building a ball mill, tips for improving the CIA method, to inexpensive Rocket Meal. The next chapter builds on this knowledge by exploring rockets, tourbillions, and stinger missiles. What’s a display without aerial burst? The next two chapters, covering stars and display shells, definitely gave me some ideas to think about! Ever wonder how they get that sound from sizzling color comets? Falling leaf shells using balsa chips? How about electric purple with Copper Benzoate (CH8085)? Maybe the lowdown on flash bags? It’s covered in the pages, in bite sized chunks.
I especially enjoyed an article on making falling leaf stars using chips of balsa wood from your local hobby or craft store. The lightness of the balsa, and flat porous surface, makes this material nearly ideal for soft floating stars. And unlike falling leaf fuse, because the balsa flips as it falls, it produces a wonderful strobe like flickering effect. Or perhaps you’d like an easy project for the fourth? Don’t skip over “An Easy 4-inch Chrysanthemum Shell” it is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
The final chapter covers Chemicals and sensitivity, a topic every pyro should be very familiar with. This volume contains seventeen articles focused on the safety of chemical compositions. Several authors take an in-depth look at aluminum/nitrate reactions and the formation of ammonium chlorate. A pyros best tool is knowledge and I highly recommend Best of AFN II. This book will give you the information you need to safely construct a wide assortment of projects.
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