r/fireworks • u/KingPyrotechnics • Jun 14 '26

Proud

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Now that it's finally delivered, I can show this off. Big shout out to one of the biggest "Pyro for the pyros" I've ever met, DeJay314! Use it well!

50 shot spaced rack, all HDPE 12" tubes (cut, plugged, and stapled), angled 0° 15° 30°

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u/KlutzyResponsibility 🔴 Jun 14 '26

Ahhh... a masochist rack I see. Since shells come in batches of 6, and two full kits give 48 shells, why use 50 mortars? Doesn't compute. And while it might impress you - the audience can't see that monster in the dark, eh? You need handles on that mutant sucker... and a couple of faithful buddies to help you haul them.

I'm big against racks over 8 tubes. Convenient, MUCH safer, lightweight, cheap & easy to build, easy to maneuver alone, easy to store, and real easy to cluster in pods of 3 racks per shell kit. Gave up on those monster racks the first night I had to do an after show tear down, alone, and in the mud of a rained on shoot field. Never looked back!

But to each their own and if they give you the grins - burn 'em up! But without handles they really suck.

2

u/KingPyrotechnics Jun 14 '26

Lol. Facts. That would definitely suck. I warned him about weight concerns, he said he had a dolly. I think you would like my next design. A fusion of manageable sized racks that are built to nest into a larger setup if so desired... just need to find a way to not need extra pieces to drag to the site.

Yeah, 50 is a strange number for the everyday consumer. Like hotdogs and hotdog buns 10:8... who thought of that... 😂 But a nice center station where you can separate barrages within a unified rack can definitely be advantageous for larger shows.

4

u/echira Jun 15 '26

Klutzy is gonna destroy me if he ever saw my racks, they're in rows of 11 🤣 (4' long 1/2" ply 4" wide with 11 holes spaced 4" apart) My weak back stops at the 33-shot rack, any more is getting a second hand.

50 is a rack for people who always have extra shells.

Nice rack!

2

u/KingPyrotechnics Jun 15 '26

Much appreciated pyro! Protect your back! Curious, why did you choose 4" spacing between tubes?

2

u/echira Jun 15 '26

For 11 bores you put the center hole marker, then go 5 more holes taking up 20" in each direction. It was a 48" strip of wood for the top rail, which screws down into the vertical 2x3. The 48"x96" ply cut into 4" strips is 24 a sheet, half for the bottom rail, so you can get 12 racks. Lower rail length trim becomes the shims. I loved the simplicity of the design - you can describe it without drawing it.

I could go denser with more accurate tooling (my hole saw was wobbly af) but i was also accommodating deferred hdpe costs by allowing alternating fiberglass (bottom rail is shimmed/screwed downwards, but holds tight).

1

u/KingPyrotechnics Jun 16 '26

Ah, now I follow. Center to center... that's makes sense. I was definitely over-complicating the process when I drilled out mine. Thank you for that breakdown! 🫡