What Racks Should You Build/Buy?

[@nicholasl169]

I must say, I was impressed on your idea of building a 20 shot motor, and then using the remaining motors that came with a kit as a "poor man's rack". That was very clever, and saved me a lot of future hassle on building. I bought an Excalibur kit along with other fireworks, so this will be great! .

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

I absolutely love my 5 shot rack. Perfect for hand firing a small show or testing out fireworks on a regular basis.

[@DanaLewisT]

Nice video - thanks. My preference is multiples of 4 and/or 6. I use spacers cause I had too much fratricide without them - and when one shell hits another, usually one of them heads right for the ground (and me!). In my finales/false finales I use racks that are straight up and down. In the rest of the show I use 8, 12 and 24 fanned racks that are doubled up (i.e. 4/6/12 on each side). 2013 show has 688 of which 310 are in a 30 second finale. But you're right - no such thing as a bad rack!

[@valpoboom]

Another great info video. This should really help many new people to the hobby. I personally build 10 shot racks without side boards. Then in the field I can build racks at angles and have certain amout of racks at different firing stations.

[@JG-PyroTX]

I went overboard for my first purchased rack did a 96 shot rack from a local store. It's awesome but it's also heavy as hell when loaded with 4 x 24 shell kits.

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

Yeah that has to be insanely heavy! These days, I love 12-18 shot racks simply because of the weight haha

[@jmank121]

I'm looking to build a 5 shot rack for spring break when I'm heading to Nevada

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

It really depends. Normally January through April is more about buying mortars, racks, firing systems, fuse, and other supplies. That is why here lately my videos have been more focused on those kind of things.

[@mhrepoman]

I built a modular rack setup where I have 8 - 12 tube racks 4 - 6 tube racks and 4 - 24 tube angled racks (they all gradually angle the same direction, but you can flip the rack around so it fans the other direction. It looks wild when you load those up with triple or quad break mortars!!!). What I mean by being modular is all of the racks connect to each other in any way you want. Took some time to build but well worth it. Another nice thing is that all of the racks are the same height and width, so you can store the racks much easier, you just stack them on their side and you're good to go. Great video BTW. Nice job man!

[@chrispyrozigzeigler9298]

I got 36 racks dr 11s with detachable 12s holding dr 9s that are also adjustable. Straight up or fan. Just a way to take off some of that weight you were talking about. And really easy to set up.

[@pleasurenadpain]

Thank you for talking about the spacers, was not sure what they were for. If I build one, I think the spacers will just add more time to the build, and if I really don't need em, them forget it! Thx!

[@ryanhudson1531]

I like your video. I like your reasonings for numbers. Some advice is instead of worrying about weight, don't build racks with more than 1 row. Just build a bunch of 6, 8, 10, whatever you want racks as single rows and make them all the same dimensions. No feet either. Then just bring out a stack of plywood pieces for the ends and a drill/bucket of screws...build your racks at the shoot site real quick with however many rows you want. You have to disassemble too, but it is quick and way easier for storage and lifting. Plus then you can either fan them or leave them straight depending on your show. I do this on $1000 1.4g consumer shows up to $40,000 1.3g professional shows. Many people build consumer racks with just "feet" but I moved away from those....Any rack built shouldn't be able to fall over with a solid kick from any direction.

[@blackcatBOOM16]

great informative video! the only thing i would add is that if you add spacers to you rack they will be stronger, but will take up more space in storage and building the rack is a lot more time consuming.

[@cippy24]

I have several variations 10s, 10s fan, 12 shot, 30 shot fan, 20 shot, 50 shot. The 50 is the biggest I will go , and 2 is plenty for the special finale lol. I've thought about making more fanned racks, but honestly every show is gonna be different that's why I built a bunch of 10 shots, so I can add strapping and fan them how I want. I have some other rack ideas I'm gonna play around with. Thanks for sharing It really is as always preference lol. Great vid dude!!!

[@maziarmomeni2866]

I bought a 28 shot rack from Grizzly and love it as part of my finales. I also like putting together "poor man's racks" that include tubes and space for cakes. I will be building a series of 6x and 10x racks for this years events, but overall, Joel, your advice is spot on. Keep up the good work.

[@PyroCrazed]

Nice video,I have been doing consumer shows for about 8 yrs. now,and I am always finding tips to make things better.I have found no difference in using spacers in my racks except ones with spacers cost a lil more in wood and time.some things I do is use ply or sheathing for side rails in the bottom area were a blowout may occur,on single railed racks I like to add eye screws on each end to run rebar through for support.you could take that 30 shot pitch out the end rails poof an angled rack

[@michaelfrank333]

Excellent video. No music an straight up information! Thank you.

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

Yeah that is the advantage of having 10 shot racks. You can stake them together to form a 30 shot fan rack or whatever you desire.

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

It is possible to piggy back canister shells, but like Dillon said, I would not piggy back anything bigger than a single break ball shell specially for an actual show. We did piggy back canister shells just to test out and I do believe the shells lost some height in the process. If you wanted to piggy back than you could use 20 ball shells in a 10 shot rack or just buy 10 double or triple break balls shells.

[@TotalChaos1231]

i have an 8 shot poor mans rack and 3, 5 shot racks, this year i am hopefully going to build 1 more 5 shot rack, a spaced out 5 shot rack, a 20 shot rack, and 10 shot angled rack plus add onto my poor mans rack, this fourth is going be great!

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

Yeah turning 10 shot racks into whatever configuration you need for a show is always a great way to go! You know we could try to beat a record or something a build a huge ass rack! Thanks for the comment man!

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

If you are just wanting one ten shot rack, I would probably just buy it if money isn't an issue. If you were planning on getting 3 or more than I would probably build them to save some money. If you watch my show setups from last 4th of July I used different speed fuses on the finale. Really nothing to it.

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

That's good to hear! I just know that a lot of people have low attention spans, 2-4 minutes, so anytime a video is longer than that I always worry I guess. That is part of the reason I was talking so fast most of the video lol

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

I saw an adjustable fan rack for sale, but it was pretty pricey. I thought about making one, but just figured it would be enough work that I didn't want to do it lol.

[@lobopiro4732]

Bro..... I really think you over thought this by a fairly large margin I built in entirety my first rack today it turned out amazingly well... turned out to be an 8 shot rack .. cool 8 shots got it...

[@realpro8817]

Huh? You made absolutely ZERO sense.

[@TMS5100]

I use 12 shot racks to match the mortar box sizes.

[@UEnjoyMiself]

i built a 10 shot slide rack for excaliber tubes. ingenious way i did it. my next rack was going to be a 24 shot but now im going 30 shot for sure

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

That is awesome to hear! I still use excals that are screwed down to boards all the time haha.

[@UEnjoyMiself]

@@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics the only mortars I can get right now are Excalibur and I was lucky to be getting those. Picking them up today.

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

@@UEnjoyMiself hey nothing wrong with that. Glad to hear you were able to get some!

[@UEnjoyMiself]

@@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics My local fireworks store owner went on a 2 hour drive to his warehouse to get them. Now I’m gonna build the 30 rack tomorrow and get ready for this weekend!

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

@@UEnjoyMiself That was nice of him! Heck yeah man, have a fun and safe weekend!

[@egruter89]

any chance you could do another video on piggybacking excals... i have never seen that done and don't understand why more people don't do it instead of buying so many racks. why buy a 20 shot rack when you could by a 10 shot rack and shoot 20 shells... thanks great videos love them

[@just_ruby_fps]

My 24 shot rack is hefty enough to lug around i dont need any bigger

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

Facts! I'm perferectly fine with 18-24 shots these days lol

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

No I have not, but I have heard good things. What were you thinking about buying?

[@NicksFireworkDemos]

Yeah i agreee with you. Good to have a variety of racks. I have 2 - 10 shots, 2 - 12 shots, a 20 shot and a 30 shot. Plus all the my poor man racks I will build.

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

Thanks! Honestly I only use skype on my phone with family. I have thought about doing some live streaming through google hangouts though.

[@rank9262]

have you ever used excal mortars as they are (no disassembly) and made a rack to hold them, other than a "poor man's rack"? I'm thinkin about building several since i have over 100+ excal mortars at the moment. I've heard it's a pain in the butt to remove the bases and sheaths off those things.

[@pleasurenadpain]

Good video , thanks ! Do you recommend building a ten shot rack or just buying one? I made a poor mans already, want another but have no more tubes. Also, can you show a quick

[@michaelkern6992]

Well done great job explaining the difference., learned a lot.

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

Thanks for watching!

[@jrod2110]

Nice video good info..and I have an adjustable fanned rack in the works nd will hopefully be posting a vid soon

[@anirino]

Nice video Joel. I'm from Brazil and here is possible to buy mortars (tube+shell) of 3", I'm wondering if you have any blueprint to share that show how to build a 10 tubes fan rack? Thanks!

[@Curtistownsley]

I'm planning on building my own rack next year. I think it would be cooler than buying expensive cakes. How hard is it to set up all the fuses?

[@BackHomeGunReviews]

I build all 10 shots and do like the prose and put together depending on my show

[@dnspyrotechnics]

Carefully break apart a pallet, I built a 12 shot rack for consumer shells , no cost but screws

[@pyroman6000]

My own preference is also for 10 shot racks. (they're what I'm used to from the display shows- it's a standard size) And also for simple strait single row racks. To me, they offer the maximum in flexibility, and if you want doubles, triples, fans, etc- you can just use a wooden board and screws/nails to make 3 into a 30 shot fan. Having 1 size and shape also makes for easier more compact storage. When it comes to filling them, I'm also like you: a box of these; a coupla those; some of this kind, etc. Then I'll cherry pick. The neatest, the fanciest, and the best performers go in the body racks- where the audience can enjoy them. The rest end up in finales or "sample shooters" lol. So, how many come in the box is largely irrelevant. Those who won't label shells for effect are the spawn of Satan... All you can do with those is single fire- or you just end up with a random sky puke.

[@jeffmiller7046]

I have all different sizes of racks and i agree the 50 racks are heavy i use my 20 and 30 racks mainly

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

Even today, years after this video I still prefer lower shot count. I use an 18 and 12 shot all the time now

[@157buffum]

Are you buying hdpe pipe and cutting it yourself or buying them and where you getting the hdpe if cutting yourself?

[@tomtyl6902]

I use treated plywood and screw the tubes to that in groups of 20 or 30. No spacers needed.

[@dammoff120]

What kind of pipes are you using

[@myroadrashownz]

What size are most canister, or excalibur type shells?

[@ThePyroGuys1]

12 shot rack measurements 4 1by3 16 inches 2 1by6 12 inches 1 1by6 14 7/16 inches 2 1by2 14 7/16 inches

[@elcheco5481]

What are the measurements on that 30 shot rack on the sides? Pls reply back

[@cippy24]

LOL I'm down for that let's buils a 1000 shot lol. The tough thing is gonna be how to move it and where to build it lol. Gonna have to stay where we build it lol.

[@braydenstevens5853]

i have got 4 ten shots and the good thing about the is you could make a 30 shot out of the 40 shot out of them And 20

[@mauriceb5021]

Where do you buy your tubes?

[@beastlybearded1888]

What size tubes do you use?

[@dkoch1271]

How long will a tube last before it should be replaced

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

I've been using the same tubes in this video for the last 8 years (at least one use a year) and haven't had to replace one yet. I always inspect my tubes annually to make sure they are all in good shape. Check for any damage to the wood plugs, or any stress/cracks on the tube itself.

[@MrJamesThekat]

aproximatly how much money do yo spend each month on fireworks? its totally understandable if you dont want to answer.

[@jmank121]

Yeah man! Ill probably build a 5 shot rack! But thanks for the informative video

[@JDubFromMaine]

Bought 400 HDPE tubes and just built 40 x 10 shot racks .. gonna then build a bunch of 30 fanned racks and use a bunch for a HUGE finale .. can't wait to see these in action!!

[@muckiee]

How'd they work out?

[@JDubFromMaine]

@Berzuhh Worked out PERFECT .. actually ended up building 8 50 shot fanned racks .. VERY IMPRESSIVE!

[@muckiee]

John White Damn nice I'll have to try it

[@manmfireworks]

Lots of good info man.

[@chuuggg412]

here in 2024?

[@DoubleOh42]

2day, 2 days later

[@monkeyman5866]

A week later here

[@chuuggg412]

@@monkeyman5866 W

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

Nothing wrong with a little throw back video

[@chuuggg412]

@@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics yo joel, im a big fan! my favorite video was probably your budget firework show! what you did in the beginning was sweet! I'm a 13 year old pyro, I just ordered 1 thousand dollars worth of fireworks for the 4th today! have any tips?

[@Thatxawesomexperson]

Joel, where can u buy racks?

[@Bdd1223]

I'm already looking forward to next year (2016). I'm planning on building my own racks and buying my own tubes. My question is, do I need to get a specific size of tube and do I need to put concrete or anything in the bottom of the pipes or will the bottom of the rack be all that I need?

[@justinthelightguy1936]

You need a plug or use a soda can cap

[@Bdd1223]

What kind of a plug do you use? What do you mean by soda can cap? The ones in your video, are they just sitting against the wood or do you have them plugged with something?

[@justinthelightguy1936]

+Blake Dieringer You can order wooden plugs online or use a soda bottle

[@justinthelightguy1936]

+Justin Holt Soda bottle cap

[@brandon99959]

How many shells could i put through one of those mortars?

[@dbproductions1605]

Love the info thanks man definitely gonna use it I just got the excailibers for the first time so yeah

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

Thanks man!

[@coasterphanatic]

Nice vid keep up the good work!

[@pleasurenadpain]

On how u fuse with 2 diff fuse speeds.? Thanks

[@kristinheller1656]

50 shot fan rack

[@JunkYardPaintball]

Two 30 shot racks, 20 shot rack, 8 ten shot racks, 5 shot rack, multiple poor mans racks and probably buying another 50 mortars before the 4th of July!

[@davidthadani]

Weight should be a factor. My 25 shot fan rack weighs a lot more than a 30 shot fan rack.

[@tonkapoplol]

you're welcome

[@timlewis6777]

Can u do a mortar rack build video

[@HybridEdits]

tim lewis he did. check through his channel.

[@tonkapoplol]

lol i am sub to both of you Joel Robinson and pyrocanadiens

[@justinthelightguy1936]

1 Problem With A 30 Shot Rack.. If You Are In Cali And Want To Light A Whole Ton At The Same Time.. bad idea.. cops will come and running with a 30 shot rack is hard... 20 is the max I'm going with.. I'm only 13.. RIP.. checkout my firework shopping video too!

[@dalefriedenstab5916]

I make the same racks , but I use the mortars that come with the BLACK WIDOW shells By RGS (I buy 4 cases a yr 384 canisters) the only difference is the lengths.

[@automotiveeverything9726]

I may sound dumb but do these racks fit festival balls like the regular 2" racks

[@sr.pabl0806]

Xboxplayer 1080 usually festival balls are about 1 3/4 inch ball shells so I would say yes

[@pyroschmit1287]

joshua escobar I think these are DR11 mortars. Festival balls fall into the DR9 mortar.

[@VELDSTADT]

dude.............thanks!!!!!

[@madeiramckinny8854]

also where do you buy your mines from?

[@JacobJonesy]

Watching this video is probably a felony crime where I live in Northern California. We just banned sparklers.

[@squidinkRC]

Gross lol I’m sorry

[@FOURSTAR50]

I build by 24 it's easier to figure one box one rack done

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

Yes that is absolutely true!

[@FOURSTAR50]

I hate milk crates !!

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

@@FOURSTAR50 Yeah milk crates are not a good idea.

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

Sorry for the length. Wanted to make sure to get as much detail in the video as possible.

[@justinthelightguy1936]

Why not make something bigger than a 30 shot rack?? I mean like.. It's not like somebody's gonna put it on their bed of the truck with a 200 shot mortar rack and light it.. totally not me 😅😅😅

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

Pyro Dog 30 shot is heavy enough as is lol

[@justinthelightguy1936]

no.. just take a HUGE truck.. put a 200 shot mortar rack in the back.. light it.. drive along a highway.. LOL.. BIGASS BACKBED FINALE

[@tomtyl6902]

@@justinthelightguy1936 I do more than 250 Excalibers per show from my pontoon boat and increase every year. 300 next year

[@imjustyourneighbor3602]

Boy I’m 14 and bench 180 lb

[@louisdwyer8684]

Fireworks

[@oilinlet]

What’s I’ve learned; get better at math & workout.

[@ThisInsurrection]

watching you talk with your hands... WHO IS HOLDING THE CAMERA?

[@julethestabillo3327]

himself

[@tattoorocker]

a friend of mine build a 30 poor man rack

[@rositamoreno5798]

Hi :)

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

Rosita Moreno Hi!

[@Ahrun51]

6:48 you know, i dont know hahahahahah

[@rositamoreno5798]

Ahrun51 011+5216442094683

[@pbrad36]

cool man

[@justinthelightguy1936]

60 shot racks are 114 pounds

[@JoelRobinsonPyrotechnics]

Thanks man!