Supplies:

In addition to your standard pyro equipment (mallet/dowel/safety gear, etc), you will need:

A Tube - I use 5/8" ID tubes for my candles, but you can use any ID that will fit your stars. Make sure it is fairly long, 12" or so should suffice.

Stars - Use stars that look nice up close. Strobe stars are nice, as well as silver stars and effect stars like spreader stars.

Delay Powder - You can search the formulary for a good compo (type delay into the search all fields box under view). I use Lancaster's delay compo, substituting the 36 mesh C for 80 mesh. It must be granulated or it WILL NOT WORK! To granulate, moisten and run over a window screen. Instructions for this will be on the site in the projects section.

Lift/Burst - You can use Cannon, FG, or FFG (I've used all three with success) BP. Check the Buy Supplies section for a place to buy BP over the Internet. For this project I am using FG.

A Scoop - After you have a delay and lift powder, you can measure the right amount to use by volume rather than weight. I use a scoop made out of a chopstick and lids to little bottles to ensure consistent results.

Clay and Extra Dowel - The clay and extra dowel will be used to create a plug that is recessed into the tube so that the part of the tube being held is empty.

Manufacture:

			1) Select a tube. Tube length will effect the amount of lift powder you will need for each star. You should choose an ID that is slightly (couple mm) larger than your stars.
			Your stars should drop easily into the tube. Remember that you are going to need to leave extra space for the handle.
			2) Measure an area big enough for your hand. This area will be kept empty inside the tube so that you don't get burned or blow your hand off. Mark a dowel as shown so that you can measure the clay plug. After you start making consistent candles, you can eliminate the handle (assuming you are using very small lift charges).
			3) Insert the dowel you just measured into the tube up to the mark you made and pour some clay powder in for the nozzle. One or Two times the ID of the tube in length should suffice.
			4) Insert another dowel on top of the clay so that you have a dowel sticking out of each side of the tube. Set the bottom dowel on the ground and ram.
			Notice I am wearing silver Jewelry, this is a no-no. If sulfur touches the bracelet, it will be tarnished like crazy the next morning.,
			5) Now that you have a clay plug rammed, pour a small amount of lift powder into the tube. I recommend starting small, like 1/10th of a teaspoon. Work your way up from there. Repeat this and the following steps for each star.
			6) Drop a star into the tube. This should fall freely to the bottom with any help. If it snags on the way in, it could snag on the way out as well. After you put the star in, you will need to pour some more lift powder to fill in the space around the star. Take a look at the diagram near the bottom of this page to see what I mean by this.
			7) Now pour in your granulated delay powder. Make sure that it has dried for a week or so. If you live in a desert climate like me, you may only have to wait a few days.
			8) Now press the delay powder down so that it is tight. If you don't press it the fire will propagate to quickly and you will have a machine-gun roman candle. If this is your desired effect, skip this step. After you are done here, repeat steps 5 through 8 until your tube is full. You should leave some empty space in the tube for a long initial delay.
	9) The last step in the process is to pour a large section of delay powder for the beginning of the candle. After the candle is lit the user will need to get there bearing. I usually add 3x or 4x the between-star delay charge at the beginning of the candle for a long delay and so that I can use a shorter piece of Visco. After this is done, insert fuse and a piece of tissue paper and you are done!

Diagrams:

I should mention some notes on technique concerning candles here:

• I have heard of people putting more lift charge in the bottom of the candles (near the clay plug) and less lift powder near the top. This is backwards! If you are altering the amount of lift charge for consistent candle height you should put more lift charge near the top (the stars that fire last) and less near the bottom. Rev. Lancaster describes a process in which a six star candle uses lift charges of .45, .55, .60, .90, 1.20, and 1.50 grams. The charges are from bottom to top respectively.
• Obtaining consistency in a candle is a difficult task to accomplish. If one were designing candles for commercial sale or display one would probably strive for consistency from star to star and candle to candle. The reason volume consistent scoops are used for delay, lift, and passfire is to achieve consistency on a star to star and candle to candle basis.
• If you find that your stars are firing out and not igniting, you may be using too much lift powder or a poorly primed star.
• If your delays are very short you are probably not using granulated delay powder that has been rammed in the tube. I have tried to skip the granulation step before and it never works (-:

Check out the test shoots section for videos of the one made in the display (it's the handheld one) and other candles.