Pyrotechnics is a very dangerous hobby, as you are playing around with very energitic chemicals that have the potential to explode. There are some rules that should never broken in pyrotechnics:

1. Never smoke or have a naked flame around any pyrotechnic compositions.

2. Read through the instructions fully and make sure you understand them before attemping them.

3. Experiment in small quantitys.

4. Pyrotechnics does not include high explosives (dentonation at over 1000 feet per second)

5. Trust no-one. Not even me. Everything you do is at your own risk. You never know who wrote the article.

6. Try to avoid ever mixing chlorate salts and sulphur together (or any acidic compound). Sulphur can contain small amount of acids which react with the chlorates and greatly increase the sensitivity of the mixture.

7. When mixing aluminium with nitrate salts, always coat the aluminium with potassium dicromate or linseed oil first. Iron should be coated with linseed oil as well.

8. Try and use potassium perchlorate instead of potassium chlorate. The perchlorate is less sensitive and works better.