Happy 4th Of July!!
 

Okay -- HAPPY 4TH OF JULY everyone!! Be safe - not sorry!

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So.... thought I might post a few pics up of what I would normally be doing this last 10 days or so... (I'm an internationally licensed pryo and have done many of the shows in New York City - Vegas - Korea etc)


This would be me.... after catching an 8" mortar... and dropping it in the rack. This is ONE barge (each barge in NYC has TWO pyros - there's typcially 6 barges total for that show.... in 2000 we had 13 barges!!). A typical barge has 4500 shells (in NYC - which is the largest show - period).

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My buddy Lee -- a rather big boy -- throws the mortar to me... and YES THEY ARE HEAVY -- this is thick wall steel - with a heavy bottom! He throws it to me so that I really just catch it and drop it in... I'm standing up on the rack in this shot. BTW -- If I miss it -- it goes past me and into the water (we're on a barge!).

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The "mother of all shells" --- this is an ATTEMPT to create a shell 50 INCHES in diameter. I'm in the plaid shirt.... the short one. And this was taken while I was at a munitions factory in Inchon, Korea.

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At noon on the 4th -- a large tug hooks up to each barge and pushes us up into position - mid town in the East River (NYC)... where we do a bunch of final prep and checks (two of us per barge plus one or two firemen). There is a barge between us and the tug - a 'safety' distance... and we can use the facilities etc on the tug - because we won't see land again until 2 or 3 AM on the 5th. Note the background of this photo!

PS -- The big mortars in the sanded barrels -- those are 10" and 12" shells! The mortars weigh a couple hundred POUNDS each...

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Here's a 3" shell - deconstructed.... Note that the CENTER of this shell is nothing but COATED WHEAT or RICE... it's the stuff you see that FLOATS down and fizzles etc... funny huh! BTW -- the shells have a lift charge fuse - the long one - then a lift charge (black powder) on the bottom which then ignites the timed fuse in the center (see it?) and that then does the detonation of the shell.

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Happy 4th Greg and everybody else.


Tonny

In my opinion Greg, you have/or had the coolest job, thanks for sharing that. I would have loved to see a 50" shell go off.

Happy 4th to all....and take a moment to reflect on why we celebrate it!

that's awesome, i was actually kinda curious how those things were made and launched.
so whatever happened to that 50" shell?? and was there ever a plan on how to launch it? just a huge mortar?

and happy 4th everyone!

Awesome pics Greg. I like the one with the Twin Towers in the background.
HAPPY 4th OF JULY!!:patriot: :patriot:

wow thats cool I always wondered about the work that went into those huge shows..

Thats really cool Greg-how the heck does one become an internationally licensed pyro guy - amazing job. Mike Roe needs to do a feature on you, may not be a dirty job but certainly a cool one.

Rich

Enjoy yourself...:cheers:

Very cool Greg and hapy 4th to you and your Fam.:cheers:

I could tell ya -- but then I'd have to kill ya....

Mike Roe did a show on making shells... in a little tiny one man 'factory' - it was "interesting" but not how they're REALLY made... but close enough.

We call it "getting corn dogged" --- because of course in New York - or most places in the country other than the good old Pacific NorthWET - it's HOT on the 4th -- and prior - when you're doing this work. You tend to sweat a lot -- and the RUST and the spent burnt paper and the left over sand etc - all manage to stick to you... so you're like like a corn dog (a guy dipped in batter). It's sucks and tends to chafe you in places you don't want to be chaffed.

These BIG shows -- take a few days to build - before you can load the shells... lots and lots of "physicality" (LOL) in building this stuff. It's all heavy -- and there's no machinery except your back. Lug - tug - pitch - catch - push - lift - and then twist wire for a couple of days... oh -- and lots of hammering/nailing.... Angles to figure out... locations... it's a CRAPPY JOB! But the most fun a guy that is barely above an idiot (me) can do.
And I forgot to mention -- I'm also a "shooter".... so am 60 feet from the closest shells going off... and the 10's and 12's shake the whole barge -- and you get the lift charge going off before the detonation... it's WAY KOOL STUFF. Worth the effort it takes to build it and take it all apart on the 5th!

Putting it all back in the containers on the 5th! I'm the short idiot in the red.


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The barge next to us --- showing the lift charge "fire".... EEEEEEEHHHHHHAAAAAAA
It has a sound like "kaaaa whooooophf"......

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The Souzas are personal friends - and long story - I got talked into it... Started back in 1996 or so... because the NYC show is so hard - most guys won't do it only one time... it's way too much work and not enough pay - and a costly town to enjoy. I worked for FREE (paid actually, but donated my pay to the 3 school teachers that worked as pyros)... This show is BRUTAL... and most guys just can't hack the work. I LOVED IT.. because it gave me something to look forward to -- I used to live in NYC -- and I worked out all year just to be able to do this show... My other buddy - Lee (the one pitching the mortars to me) and I had a pinky swear -- that NOBODY could work harder - longer - lift more - throw more - take less breaks -- than he and I - and we were the OLDEST... However... our other buddy Jose - (a drug rep from Albuquerque) kicks our butts... Nobody could work harder than him. Nobody. :woot:

That sure beats what I do at work all day. I'd love to blow stuff up and make it look like art in the process---or, just blow stuff up.

Happy 4th good buddy.


Doug

cool story Greg- enjoy the holiday!

Rich

Doug --

Thanks! And same to you and the family!

Just a note on your thoughts about you'd love to blow stuff up...

A few years back - The Morning Show with Charles Kuralt (Who died on 4th of July by the way!) did a show on our show... they had cameras all over for a week -- and a lady doing the commentary and interviews and stuff... found out about my buddy Lee and I -- and that we were both retired for many years -- and we were just doing this for FUN.... well she sticks a mic in my face and says "so... why are a couple of guys (her question was a little different but I don't like to reference what she really said) from Seattle doing this kind of work?!" -- and I said -- because we're just a couple of big kids doing what every kid in the world would like to do -- We get to blow stuff up!!

To me -- it's like I'd gotten everything a guy could ever wish for... how many people get to be on the barge in NYC.... DUDE! You can't buy that ticket for any amount of money! :rofl: :rofl: :woot:

Best fireworks show I have ever seen was New years In Las Vegas millions of people on the strip and fireworks off the tops of the resorts. It was pretty cool.
Pretty disappointing here right now only show on the strip was at Ceasars.

Bob --

I did Vegas New Years -- I was on the Treasure Island...

We had to carry everything up 6 flights of stairs. The elevators went to 36 -- but the ROOF is 42 !! Every mortar - every box of shells - all the wiring - all the racks -- EVERYTHING up 6 flights...

The good news --- we shot the shells - so only empty boxes of those came back down! LOL

Watching the "strip" come alive every night from up there was something I'll never forget... and then on New Years when they close the street off and the people start coming out -- it's OMG!! There must have been 300,000 people in the street... concert going on (Sheryl Crow that year)... so the lights and the music -- and I'm on the roof surveying it all... then 9 minutes of mayhem...

EEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
:cheers: :woot:

Man--that musta been cool. Was it as good as the Speed Tech party at SEMA? LOL. Hey, speaking of that, when is SEMA this year? You are going right?

Doug

Yeah it was kool... But not as kool as the Speed Tech party! How could anyone top that?

Yes - I'll be at SEMA... If for no other reason than to harass Todd.... (but mostly to see Keli) and.... go to the Speed Tech party. :woot:

Tuesday, November 2 – Friday, November 5, 2010
LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA

This year is my treat. Don't expect 5 star dining. In fact, I may be your chef for the night. I know you like a chef with an attitude. :rofl:

Now that's what I'm talk'n' about!

EEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAA


:lateral: :cheers: :woot:

Brunswick Ohio fireworks show.... Nothing like NYC I am sure! Cool stuff Greg.

My wife and I went to up to Cleveland last night but I have not had time to upload this pics to my PC just yet. Soon though....

In the meantime, enjoy!

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Couple more:

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Chris

Happy 4ht Cleveland style.... :)

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Hope you guy and gals like them.

Chris

So Todd, not to hijack thread here (but that's exactly what I am going to do) do you have room for the Camaro from like Thursday night through Optima? I would leave from the Optima event for home. I can help assemble Kelli's Barbi dream house as a return favor. Greg will take us to dinner, this sounds like a "win win" combo.

Doug

Hell yes, looks like I'm cooking for 4. As much as Kelli would love her own Barbi mansion I think I can make you more productive!:unibrow:

Todd, do you have any recommendations for good dinner here in Vegas ?
I'm here in Vegas and with 20,000 choices we are undecided on where to get an awesome dinner

Great pics Greg!
We went camping this weekend and went to Hood River for their parade and show last night...quite a turn out and a pretty good fire work show too! :cheers:

Happy 4th to my buddy Greg from north of the boarder, nice thread here bud...

Greg, your pyrogymnastics adventures

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are another reason you were chosen for the 'Most interesting man in the world extreme makeover'.

So you look a lot grayer and a lot older...it works on ya.

Congrats my friend. :thumbsup:

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LOL Skip. "Stay thirsty my friends"---that's totally GW---gold Skip, gold.

Doug

Thanks Doug, I'm not a big fan of the guy though. :mad:

He saw me approaching and said...

I don't get down there much anymore. I'd hate to recommend a place.

:lol:

Doug