[Jim Hawkins]

in reply to: How do you actually fuse multiple cakes together, or is that something you should never try yourself? #6251

Honestly just don’t tape fuses together and think you’re good. The visco on consumer stuff burns at different rates so your ‘chain’ will fire all over the place, not in order.

If you really wanna do it, get some quickmatch or slow visco and learn to cut/pike it right, and even then keep the gaps tight. Most people doing the fancy chains are using pro 1.3G gear anyway.

[Jim Hawkins]

in reply to: Do you need a license to buy wholesale fireworks from China, or can anyone just order a container? #6239

Consumer 1.4G you don’t need an ATF license to buy or import, but you DO need an import license if you’re bringing in 1.3G display stuff. For a container of 1.4G it’s still not a walk in the park though — you need a customs broker, and a lot of distributors already did the import legwork so by the time you add freight, duties and a broker, the per-case savings aren’t always worth it unless you’re doing a full 40ft. Splitting with buddies helps but someone’s gotta be the importer of record.

[Jim Hawkins]

in reply to: Can you legally buy 1.4G fireworks online and have them shipped to your house, or do you need an ATF license? #6219

1.4G is the consumer stuff, you don’t need an ATF license for it. The catch is shipping – only a couple carriers (mostly UPS) are even set up to move hazmat class 1.4S and they charge an arm and a leg for it. The website itself usually has to hold a hazmat shipper cert, not you. So yeah you can get cakes to your door, but the shipping fee is often more than the product, lol. 1.3G is the one that needs the license.

[Jim Hawkins]

in reply to: Labor Day is about three weeks out — how far ahead do you actually start building your show? #6183

I’m with you on the last-minute scramble honestly. My advice: figure out the finale first and work backwards. Once the ending is locked in the middle kinda writes itself. Also check your igniters/fuses now while you can still order more, shipping gets slow the closer you get to the holiday.

[Jim Hawkins]

in reply to: Can you legally drive fireworks across state lines in your own car, or is that asking for trouble? #6172

its not really a federal thing for consumer stuff. crossing a state line you’re mostly dealing with whatever the state you’re entering says is legal. michigan is strict on aerials so if you only got fountains and small cakes you’re probably fine, but honestly check before you go. transporting in your own car is sketchier than it sounds if you get pulled over and the cop decides to make a thing of it. keep em in the trunk, unopened, away from people.

[Jim Hawkins]

in reply to: What’s the best way to light a 500g cake remotely so you’re not standing right over it? #6161

honestly for a single 500g cake the simplest cheap answer is a longer piece of green visco fuse taped onto the factory fuse. gives you like 3-4 seconds to step way back, no wires no batteries. igniters are neat but overkill for one cake. if you do go electric the talon-style clip igniters are the move.

[Jim Hawkins]

in reply to: How much consumer fireworks can you actually haul in a personal car before it counts as ‘transporting explosives’? #6153

tbh I looked this up a while back and it’s more about the DOT classification than some magic pound number. Consumer fireworks are 1.4G which is the ‘minor blast’ category, and the weight limit for anyone without a CDL/HazMat is generally 1,000 lbs gross weight of the articles per vehicle. That’s a LOT of cakes. Practically nobody is hitting that in a pickup.

[Jim Hawkins]

in reply to: What’s the cheapest way to ship fireworks from China if you don’t want a full container? #6144

Bumping this because I finally priced out a 40ft vs 20ft after talking to a couple of suppliers and the per-case savings on 40ft are pretty significant if you can fill it. But the catch is you need multiple people splitting it, otherwise you’re stuck renting warehouse space for a year.

For anyone still on the fence about China direct ??if you’re only buying a few cases, it’s almost never worth the freight and customs headache. The direct route really only pencils out at container scale, and then you’re usually dealing with either a big importer or doing a group buy with a few buddies. I’ve heard Skysong gets mentioned a lot for that FCL kind of order, but never pulled the trigger myself. Curious if anyone here has actually locked in a container for NYE 2027 yet.

[Jim Hawkins]

in reply to: How long does it take to ship fireworks from China to the US? And what’s the process from factory to warehouse? #6133

Steve, I looked into this a while back. From what I gathered talking to a few guys who’ve done container orders, you’re looking at roughly:

– 2-4 weeks for production (depending on how busy the factory is)
– 1-2 weeks for consolidation and booking at port
– 3-5 weeks actual ocean freight to the US west coast (longer if you’re going to the east coast)
– 1-2 weeks for customs clearance and trucking to final warehouse

So yeah 2-3 months total is pretty realistic for a full container. And I don’t think any of the manufacturers handle the shipping directly – you’ll definitely need a freight forwarder who knows hazmat. The paperwork for DG Class 1.4 isn’t something you wanna DIY tbh.

[Jim Hawkins]

in reply to: Anyone else think 2026 fireworks season was way better than last year? #6104

Idk man, maybe it’s just where I live but our local show was pretty mid this year. Barely 20 minutes and half the shells looked like they were duds. The town probably cheaped out after blowing the budget in 2025 lol.

That said, the pro shows I saw on youtube were next level. Whoever did the Boston display needs a raise.

[Jim Hawkins]

in reply to: Is it worth doing a group buy for a container from China? #6083

The other thing nobody mentions is the quality gamble. You’re buying based on spec sheets and maybe a video, but you never really know what you’re getting till the container shows up. My buddy ordered a container two years ago and half the 200g cakes had different effects than what was listed. They still looked good but it wasn’t what he expected.

Also depends on which supplier you go with. There are some Chinese factories that have good QC and actually deliver what they promise, and then there are others that’ll bait-and-switch you between the sample and the production run. Do your homework on the supplier before you commit to a whole container.

[Jim Hawkins]

in reply to: What’s the cheapest way to ship fireworks from China if you don’t want a full container? #6067

Circling back on this — anyone actually pulled the trigger on a full container this summer? I’m getting quotes around $18-22k FOB for a 20ft but freight is still all over the place depending on the port.

Also curious if anyone’s got experience with TNT’s wholesale program vs going direct to China. The direct route seems cheaper per unit but the logistics headache… idk if it’s worth it for a one-time thing.

[Jim Hawkins]

in reply to: What’s the one firework product you wish stores carried but never seem to stock? #6042

Dude I’d kill for a solid 200g zipper cake that isn’t the same generic red/green/gold combo every brand does. There’s gotta be like 3 manufacturers in China that actually make interesting small effects and none of them get imported here.

Part of it is the retailers – they buy what moves. But tbh the importers play it super safe too. Nobody wants to sit on a container of weird niche stuff that might not sell.

[Jim Hawkins]

in reply to: How do you keep fireworks from degrading in a hot garage over summer? #6036

Late to this but wanted to add — if your garage has a concrete floor, don’t put the boxes directly on the concrete even if it feels dry. Concrete wicks moisture like crazy especially in summer when the temp difference makes condensation. Put em on a wooden pallet or at least some 2x4s underneath.

Learned that one the hard way a few years back. Lost half a case of canister shells to damp cardboard.

[Jim Hawkins]

in reply to: Do consumer fireworks have expiration dates? How long can you realistically store them? #6019

I’ve had some Excalibur shells sitting in my garage for 3 years now and they still hit just as hard as day one tbh. The key is humidity — if your basement stays dry you’re golden. I’d be more worried about cakes than shells though, those cardboard tubes can absorb moisture even if you think it’s dry enough.

One thing I learned the hard way: don’t stack heavy stuff on top of cakes. Had a 500g cake where half the tubes got squished and the lift charges barely cleared the tube. Was a mess.

[Author]

Posts