Availability of chemicals vs. fuse in various countries.

[Macgyver]

How is it where you live, is it easy to get the kind of chemicals and fuse you'd like for your experiments?

After reading the forum for quite some time, I notice that the regulations seem to vary alot from country to country.

In Sweden where I live for example, there is no restrictions on chlorates, perchloratesm, metal powders, you can get almost anything but concentrated nitric/suphuric acids.

But the only fuse available to us without a license is blaster's fuse (bickford fuse), which isn't too bad, but maybe quite useless for rockets and smaller fireworks :( Visco fuse for example is a big no-no without a license....

On the other hand I know you who live in England have a real hard time finding various oxidizers like chlorates/perchlorates etc?

[Anthony]

Perchlorates are hard to find, but sodium chlorate is widely available over-the-counter by the kilo. There is no restriction on fuse, but only a handful of places will supply it in anything but bulk quantity.

[Macgyver]

Originally posted by Anthony
Perchlorates are hard to find, but sodium chlorate is widely available over-the-counter by the kilo. There is no restriction on fuse, but only a handful of places will supply it in anything but bulk quantity.

Just as I suspected, in many places either the chemicals you need *or* the fuse is hard to get.

As I said, just about anything can be had here as long as it's not on the list of restricted chemicals (drug precursors), so I really shouldn't complain about it. After all it's easier to whip up some BP and make your own fuse than it is to make your own Potassium perchlorate.

Besides that I finally found a few rolls of visco, just gotta get the time to pick them up from where they are.

[T_Pyro]

Well, nitrates are easy to get here, as are conc. acids and other standard laboratory reagents (for a price, of course).

Chlorates and sulfur are banned, but sulfur can be obtained with some difficulty, and it's cheap, too! Chlorates are available (with great, great difficulty, though) only in 1 region in the entire country- where 90% of the matchsticks & fireworks factories are located, a little-known place called "Sivakasi".

Perchlorates are available, but they're just way too expensive, and have to be specially ordered.

As far as fuses go, unless one has a license, and has a demand for them in bulk, they're next to impossible to get.

[xyz]

In Australia, H2SO4 and nitrates are both very cheap and easy to get. This is because the nitrates are used in agriculture and the H2SO4 (BTW, H2SO4 is the most widely used industrial chemical in Australia, excluding water and air) is used in the manufactue of fertilizers.

[pdb]

In France, you can still buy Bickford fuse in some pyro shops, but as things evolve, I am not sure it will still be the case in 6 months from now...

NaClO3 is still available, like in England.

100% H2SO4 can be found. However, 100% HNO3 is sold to companies only. Al and other metals powders are available, but not necessarely at the mesh you expect.

Last news: I just found an "old times chemicals" shop, specialized in old furniture refurbishing, that seems to sell picric acid powder (not solution) by 100gr units ! Hard to believe, but I will verify soon...

[Wild Catmage]

Few of the shops around me (in the UK) sell sodium nitrate now, although I have yet to ask at a pharmacy. Sulphuric acid at more than 98% concentration is availble at certain hardware stores and builders' merchants. Hexamine is easily available, hell, I'll start a list of the things I can get.

11:12 17/11/2003 - to be continued.

[nzrockets]

In New Zealand Visco fuse is very easy to find and pretty cheap, nitrates are very easy to get but as far as i know you cant easily get sulfuric or nitric acid. Metal powders are also very hard to find.

[Lil_Guppy]

nzrockets
I'll supply you with metal powders, if you supply me with Visco :p Now all I have to do is find a way past customs... ;)

[nzrockets]

Lil_Guppy
why not just get it from here http://www.forbesws.com.au/Pricelists/BPA.htm

[0EZ0]

They do not update their price lists. Last I checked they did not stock it any more. Even at the price they quote, it is way too much to pay.

Visco or very similiar chinese versions of fuse are quite available in aus. You just have to know where to look and ask. Don't expect to find a convenient source close to you though.

[Lil_Guppy]

Lol 0EZ0, I was waiting for someone to say that. I have had a look around, and I have only come up with one or two suppliers, one in the state I live in (not insanity btw :p). However, they both ask for pyro licences. Of course there are most likely to be other sources that I have not been able to find yet (hopefully).You just have to know where to look and askSo... 0EZ0... Where do you find it? :p I'm kidding of course :)

[Cyclonite]

I was thinking about a way to help people that have proved that they aren't idiots with their chem. supply problems. Well here it is, im not sure if its a good idea. I or others that are 21 years of age or older could take orders for trustworthy people that simply don’t have the ability to fax or scan their proof of age that are on this forum from skylighter ect.... Payment would be via paypal. Im not sure how to set this up for the right type of people but trust is an issue, more so on the buyers side. Also I think international participation would be great, due to price and chem. availabilities. Well let me know what you think, I know it sounds shaky but I think it could work.

[Macgyver]

Originally posted by Cyclonite
I was thinking about a way to help people that have proved that they aren't idiots with their chem. supply problems. Well here it is, im not sure if its a good idea. I or others that are 21 years of age or older could take orders for trustworthy people that simply don’t have the ability to fax or scan their proof of age that are on this forum from skylighter ect.... Payment would be via paypal. Im not sure how to set this up for the right type of people but trust is an issue, more so on the buyers side. Also I think international participation would be great, due to price and chem. availabilities. Well let me know what you think, I know it sounds shaky but I think it could work.

The idea is great, but as soon as you start consider shipping international you can and will get one out of two problems.

1. The carrier finds out about hazmat shipped as a normal package.
2. If you send it properly with hazmat declaration, the customs might be unhappy - at lest in the recieving country.

So it'll probably work best if you keep it on a national scale.

[static_firefly]

I had a bit of a hard time finding fuse in australia, not some much knowing where to get it but who will ship to state QLD. I still managed to find it however. I believe the most commonly found chemical (for pyro) in australia would be potassium permangante.

[Anthony]

One person buying for several will probably arouse the suspicions of the pyro suppliers who don't like individuals buying too much of certain chemicals. Especially with skylighter who set annual perchase limits on certain materials.

I also think you'd find a lack of volunteers.

[Hang-Man]

I enjoy they difficulty associated with our hobby; if I could have bought fuse, I never would have learned to make an electric igniter out of a disposable camera. If I could have bought nitric acid, I never would have filled my room with Cl gas trying to make it- wait, that wasn't a good thing, but it was an experiance. When I blow something up I’m not just making a bang- I'm saying "Ha- up yours government regulations" If you could buy whatever you needed there would be Kewl dipshits doing all kinds of stupid things. Here's to keeping this hobby restricted to people with IQ’s over 80.

[al93535]

Here in the USA, there is only one thing I was unable to get because of california laws, toluene. But thats a small price to pay for having easy access to everything else. Visco fuse for .25 cents a foot at any local gunshop. I have bought 1 liter 98% H2SO4 lab grade, but now use battery refill, its cheaper. 98% HNO3 for 17.50 a liter, I also distill some of my own. So far I have found everything I needed within a few hours, then a short 20 minute drive into town.
Plus I believe everything is so readily availiable because I am less then 100 miles from Los angeles.

[ikbendirk]

down here in the Netherlands, it's very hard to come by chems, except for agricultural fertilisers like NH4NO3 and KNO3 (not pure).
especially H2O2, isn't supposed to be sold in concentrations higher than 5%.
fuses, too, are hard to get by, but i never actually tried to obtain them.
I myself am looking for some chlorates at the moment.. anyone (Dutch) could help me out?