First and foremost - Happy Anniversary and many more!!!!! I loved the overall mix of effects across the cakes and the shells. You really painted the sky wonderfully. And pish-posh on the timing gap. It's a "professional hazard" in the DNA of our hobby. Putting both the Whirlwind Romance and American Heartland cakes on my "find and get" list. Doubling up Lace Combustion really made it shine. As I said in an earlier post, I really don't think it its best seen as a stand alone item, but rather as at least a duet. I have never done a cake board using fusing, which I am inept at. Only shoot scripted shows using Ignite. Before that it was the time honored "light and run" method. That said, I do arrange and shoot all of my cakes and tubes off platforms elevated 4' off the ground. Labor Day show was shot off a 12' x 8' platform created by interlocking three 4'x8' 3/4 inch flooring sheets. All 200g cakes and single shot tubes are taped down, some 500g's were brick-braced, and then the audience-facing edge of the platform is "bumpered" by two 4"x4" x8' posts stacked and lain across the front edge to block any shots from cakes that might tip. Then there is a spider web of wiring between the modules and the pieces. Again Happy Anniversary!!! ps - is American Heartland a private label brand?
Wow, thanks Dennis for the great comment! American Heartland is by The Great American Fireworks Company from SFX. It's one of our favorite cakes and I've got a "full demo" video of it in our earlier uploads if you want to see it more. I also used it in my Memorial Day show. The cake board was a fun experiment and I may try more down the road but I think I'm finally ready to order a smaller firing system and begin learning about how to use one well. I've been looking at a 12 cue system on mortarsupply.com. PyroBoom has the same one, and I like that company a lot, but they seem to be sold out. I've never tried elevating anything but fountains but I'm still hand lighting too. Funny you mentioned how you brace your cakes, I actually went back after recording and added Gorilla Tape to all the cakes on the board because I wasn't comfortable with only the glue. Usually I use bricks but the spacing on the board made it impossible to do that effectively. Anyhow, I'll probably wait on buying the firing system until after we close on Pyro Camp. We're going to have to make a lot of purchases to get the place up and going so I might have to put the system on hold for a bit. All things in time though. Thanks again for watching and sending along your thoughts. I'm grateful to be able to sponge off of your experience and knowledge. Talk again soon. -Jon
@@VermontPyroBoys802 Always fun to talk pyro with you. As regards electronic firing, I highly recommend the Ignite i18 system. I bought my first unit 2.5 years ago, and it was a game changer. Priced at $199.99 for 18 cues it's not much more expensive than one of the 12 cue systems and certainly much more versatile. With Ignite you get access to the show designer software which allows you to script a show, load the show on your phone, which, in turn, then loads it into the firing module. Sit down, push a button on the phone, and the module does the rest. Alternatively, you can also step-fire items if you want (that's what you would be doing with the 12 cue system). Ignite also comes with a lifetime warranty. Over time, you'll also want to get some breakout boards ($8.95 each) which enables 1 cue to fire up to 5 items simultaneously - allowing you to seamlessly blend pieces/effects/locations. Next time you go to Elite in NH, check it out. They're an Elite dealer.
Great job on the cake board and happy anniversary. My wife and I celebrated our 35th anniversary last night with a dinner cruise on the Seine. I must say American heartland is a great cake that does not get the respect it deserves. Great demo pyro
Thanks Jay. Glad you liked the display. It was literally "double the fun" shooting multiples. Not sure how my wife is going to feel when I start wanting to buy two of everything 😂😂
Very nice show! That little lag was fine considering you were dealing with limited room and angled cakes. You’ll never get it perfect without some sort of firing system but those aren’t flawless either. Happy Anniversary!
Thanks Mike. It was a fun experiment just to make the board. I may still try to make more every once in awhile just for the fun of it but I definitely feel like I'm ready to pick up a firing system too. For the time being, I'm waiting until our property transaction for Pyro Camp closes before I plan anything more.🙂
Nice💪 never done a one fuse cake board. Mine have always been with the firing system, which is very easy to do two cakes at the same time, just two wires in 1Q & Happy anniversary you guys🥂
Thanks Crossfire! I've been looking at a 12 cue firing system on mortarsupply.com. I really think that would be a better option but it was fun to build the board just to see what it was like.
Nice job, and Happy Anniversary! Up until we got the Ignite modules our shows were always a mainline fuse, or/lots of fusing and one cobra….i remember the first year we got a 20’ roll and put the whole show on a 4x8 sheet-game changer from hand lighting. Yes it’s challenging as hell sometimes to squeeze in there(and omg sooo time consuming). Sometimes the best are those Bob Ross happy accidents where you “mess up” the timing and it leads to unexpected beauty too. Get yourself a brass awl and poke from cake to cake. It is much easier and allows you to really dial it in IE going from row 2 or 3 of cake one with fast fuse to another cake or just beginning to end. However be prepared for more cake fires with all the extra fuse everywhere….haha okay I’ve rambled long enough-congrats again! 🤘🏻Tool🤘🏻
Hey Luke, thanks for writing. I've gotta say that despite the pain in the ass of fusing it, I really did like the display a lot. Though I think I'll probably get myself a firing system and just do cake boards for fun every once in a while. I've also thought about playing with more, and various speeds, of fuse to make the boards work more easily. For the frequency I shoot fireworks, I rarely do actual "shows". I try to get out and light fuses every couple of weeks or so and I usually wind up picking a few random things and making sure not to deplete my stash too fast. Also, Hell yeah Tool!!! I've loved those guys since Undertow came out back when I was in highschool. Favorite album is a tie between Aenima and Fear Innoculum but all their stuff is rad.🌀🤘
First and foremost - Happy Anniversary and many more!!!!!
I loved the overall mix of effects across the cakes and the shells. You really painted the sky wonderfully. And pish-posh on the timing gap. It's a "professional hazard" in the DNA of our hobby.
Putting both the Whirlwind Romance and American Heartland cakes on my "find and get" list. Doubling up Lace Combustion really made it shine. As I said in an earlier post, I really don't think it its best seen as a stand alone item, but rather as at least a duet.
I have never done a cake board using fusing, which I am inept at. Only shoot scripted shows using Ignite. Before that it was the time honored "light and run" method. That said, I do arrange and shoot all of my cakes and tubes off platforms elevated 4' off the ground. Labor Day show was shot off a 12' x 8' platform created by interlocking three 4'x8' 3/4 inch flooring sheets. All 200g cakes and single shot tubes are taped down, some 500g's were brick-braced, and then the audience-facing edge of the platform is "bumpered" by two 4"x4" x8' posts stacked and lain across the front edge to block any shots from cakes that might tip. Then there is a spider web of wiring between the modules and the pieces.
Again Happy Anniversary!!!
ps - is American Heartland a private label brand?
Wow, thanks Dennis for the great comment! American Heartland is by The Great American Fireworks Company from SFX. It's one of our favorite cakes and I've got a "full demo" video of it in our earlier uploads if you want to see it more. I also used it in my Memorial Day show.
The cake board was a fun experiment and I may try more down the road but I think I'm finally ready to order a smaller firing system and begin learning about how to use one well. I've been looking at a 12 cue system on mortarsupply.com. PyroBoom has the same one, and I like that company a lot, but they seem to be sold out.
I've never tried elevating anything but fountains but I'm still hand lighting too. Funny you mentioned how you brace your cakes, I actually went back after recording and added Gorilla Tape to all the cakes on the board because I wasn't comfortable with only the glue. Usually I use bricks but the spacing on the board made it impossible to do that effectively.
Anyhow, I'll probably wait on buying the firing system until after we close on Pyro Camp. We're going to have to make a lot of purchases to get the place up and going so I might have to put the system on hold for a bit. All things in time though.
Thanks again for watching and sending along your thoughts. I'm grateful to be able to sponge off of your experience and knowledge.
Talk again soon. -Jon
@@VermontPyroBoys802 Always fun to talk pyro with you.
As regards electronic firing, I highly recommend the Ignite i18 system. I bought my first unit 2.5 years ago, and it was a game changer. Priced at $199.99 for 18 cues it's not much more expensive than one of the 12 cue systems and certainly much more versatile. With Ignite you get access to the show designer software which allows you to script a show, load the show on your phone, which, in turn, then loads it into the firing module. Sit down, push a button on the phone, and the module does the rest. Alternatively, you can also step-fire items if you want (that's what you would be doing with the 12 cue system). Ignite also comes with a lifetime warranty. Over time, you'll also want to get some breakout boards ($8.95 each) which enables 1 cue to fire up to 5 items simultaneously - allowing you to seamlessly blend pieces/effects/locations. Next time you go to Elite in NH, check it out. They're an Elite dealer.
Great job on the cake board and happy anniversary. My wife and I celebrated our 35th anniversary last night with a dinner cruise on the Seine. I must say American heartland is a great cake that does not get the respect it deserves. Great demo pyro
Thanks so much jam! And happy anniversary to you both as well! How wonderful to celebrate with a trip to France. Quelle formidable!
Happy anniversary to your y’all happy yall light it up 🔥🍻
Thanks Operator. It was a fun way to celebrate!🎉
Happy anniversary!! That was a great display!
Thanks Jay. Glad you liked the display. It was literally "double the fun" shooting multiples. Not sure how my wife is going to feel when I start wanting to buy two of everything 😂😂
Happy anniversary .
Thank you and thanks for watching. Hope you enjoyed the display.
Very nice show! That little lag was fine considering you were dealing with limited room and angled cakes. You’ll never get it perfect without some sort of firing system but those aren’t flawless either. Happy
Anniversary!
Thanks Mike. It was a fun experiment just to make the board. I may still try to make more every once in awhile just for the fun of it but I definitely feel like I'm ready to pick up a firing system too. For the time being, I'm waiting until our property transaction for Pyro Camp closes before I plan anything more.🙂
Nice💪 never done a one fuse cake board. Mine have always been with the firing system, which is very easy to do two cakes at the same time, just two wires in 1Q & Happy anniversary you guys🥂
Thanks Crossfire! I've been looking at a 12 cue firing system on mortarsupply.com. I really think that would be a better option but it was fun to build the board just to see what it was like.
Nice job, and Happy Anniversary! Up until we got the Ignite modules our shows were always a mainline fuse, or/lots of fusing and one cobra….i remember the first year we got a 20’ roll and put the whole show on a 4x8 sheet-game changer from hand lighting. Yes it’s challenging as hell sometimes to squeeze in there(and omg sooo time consuming). Sometimes the best are those Bob Ross happy accidents where you “mess up” the timing and it leads to unexpected beauty too. Get yourself a brass awl and poke from cake to cake. It is much easier and allows you to really dial it in IE going from row 2 or 3 of cake one with fast fuse to another cake or just beginning to end. However be prepared for more cake fires with all the extra fuse everywhere….haha okay I’ve rambled long enough-congrats again! 🤘🏻Tool🤘🏻
Hey Luke, thanks for writing. I've gotta say that despite the pain in the ass of fusing it, I really did like the display a lot. Though I think I'll probably get myself a firing system and just do cake boards for fun every once in a while. I've also thought about playing with more, and various speeds, of fuse to make the boards work more easily. For the frequency I shoot fireworks, I rarely do actual "shows". I try to get out and light fuses every couple of weeks or so and I usually wind up picking a few random things and making sure not to deplete my stash too fast.
Also, Hell yeah Tool!!! I've loved those guys since Undertow came out back when I was in highschool. Favorite album is a tie between Aenima and Fear Innoculum but all their stuff is rad.🌀🤘