FAQ

Streamer and Confetti One Shot Disposable Cannon

What are Streamer Cannons?
What comes out of them?
How far do they go?
How wide do they go?
Do I need a permit?
Can I get specific colours?
Can I fire them remotely?
Do they make smoke?
How do I fire them?
I really want confetti in specific colours, can I get it?
How much mess is there?
What is the best way to show these?
What if there is wind?
What if it hits things?
Is there a fire risk?
I need to fire a lot, how do I do it?
How can I fire faster?
How reliable are these?
How much will it cost?
How long does it take to deliver?

What are Streamer Cannons?

These are hand held, gas fired tubes containing confetti or streamers which are shot out (once) by the gas already charged inside them. They require no permits and are suitable for indoor and outdoor use. Simple to operate. Easily used by any adult. Just point them up over people's heads, give a quarter turn to the ring and they fire out, in various ranges, up to 30 m. They make a satisfyingly loud bang on firing, but not enough to cause fright.

What comes out of them?

There is a range of options for the contents, all lovely, and the coverage is generous.

STANDARD: The standard fill is an assortment of colours and shapes such as rings, ribbons and hearts. The colours and shapes are mixed and prepacked (ie you cannot choose just one or two specific colours). Please note that if the fill gets wet the dye in the paper can run and stain.
COLOUR TISSUE STREAMERS: 6m long, 12mm wide streamers in a mix of sky blue, indigo blue, tangerine orange, fuchsia pink, forest green, lemon yellow, red and white. Colourfast. Very pretty. There are 20 streamers in the small cannons, 60 in the middle size, and 120 in the large. These are colourfast. In late 2005, we will have individual colour choices for these.
METALLIC STREAMERS: 5m long 20mm wide streamers in choice of red, green, blue, silver and gold. Gorgeous. There are 12 streamers in the small cannons, 36 in the middle size, and 72 in the large. They are colourfast.

How far do they go?

The distance the streamers reach depend on the size of cannon and the angle the streamers are fired.
At 45 degrees the 30cm cannon has a range of 4 to 8 metres; the 40cm cannon has a range of 8 to 15 metres; the 80cm cannon has a range of 15 to 30 metres.

How wide do they go?

The width of the trail is about three metres. Much depends on the angle to which they are fired, any wind, and the size of the cannon. So if you want to flood a large venue with streamers or confetti, quite a few have to be used.

Do I need a permit?

No. As these are not "fireworks" no permit or approved handler is required.

Can I get specific colours?

At this stage only with the Metallic Streamers (red, green, blue, silver and gold). You may select any of these or a mix to suit your event colour.
Coming up in late 2005 we will have a wider range of choices of both streamers and helifetti in the colours of your choice. Our development team is working on these at present with great results.

Can I fire them remotely?

No.
They are simple cheap and reliable. Adding remote fire would add complexity and require technical assistance.
Instead ask for pyrotechnic cannons

Do they make smoke?

No.
But if you want smoke we can fill these with fine talc for a smoky effect. Best used outdoors for "Cannon Bang and Smoke" effects, as talc gets everywhere when fired inside, and may make the floor slippery or irritate singers.
However if an explosion effect is wanted indoors, without pyrotechnics, then we do have special mixes, to simulate your desired effect. Ask for our technical manager to discuss this.
We also have a mix of talc and confetti for joke "cannons".

How do I fire them?

Follow the instruction on the side. Note that you are advised to open the top to ensure you have it the right way up. You will be able to see the contents when the top is opened. It is possible that without this check the top and bottom could be confused.
However confetti or streamers may drop out, so have a bucket or holder so they will stand vertically, while you are waiting to fire. If you do lose streamers out just drop them back in. Small amounts of confetti will not be missed and they are quite hard to put back in.
If the paper top has been ruptured in transit or in handling, you may use tape temporarily to hold the contents in but this must be removed before use.
Note you hold the upper tube and turn the ring, not the lower tube. See the diagram on the side. This ensures you do not unscrew the lower tube, accidentally releasing the gas. It would however require several turns to unscrew the lower tube.

I really want confetti in specific colours, can I get it?

Certainly. We can provide helifetti, which is beautiful slow falling twirling confetti, the slowest falling in the business, in a wide range of colours. But it must be fired out of either pyrotechnic cannons, or the large reloadable cannons which you can hire.
See the Pyrotechnic Cannon FAQs, Reloadable Gas Cannon FAQs, or contact us on 03 982 3473

How much mess is there?

Standard confetti is large so it is easy to clean up, but for really simple clean up, select either the tissue streamers, or the metallic streamers. Long streamers are very easy to collect.
Remember the standard confetti is not colourfast, and is best not fired over a dinner or when it is wet outside.

What is the best way to show these?

Any streamers need plenty of light. In daylight outside there is plenty of light. But if they are fired over the audience in many venues there is not sufficient lighting. Normal venue lighting is usually too low.
The best approach is to use extra lighting shining over the audience's heads preferably from the sides and back to illuminate the streamers. It is essential for the lighting technician to raise the lighting level before these are fired. If it is raised after they are fired, much of the effect is lost. When firing over the stage ensure there is plenty of lighting directed high.

What if there is wind?

Outdoors when cannons are fired, initially it comes with a rush, which gets them in the air. But then they come to a halt and the wind takes over and it may carry them away swiftly. If there is time before the event, fire a cannon to decide on the best position. Otherwise stand up-wind from the people in the venue, further away for stronger winds, and fire vertically. This will give a "ceiling" of confetti travelling over people's heads.

What if it hits things?

Do not aim this directly at lights or at tile ceilings as you can flip the tiles out with a direct hit. For suspended tile ceilings, fire almost parallel to the surface, no more than 10 degrees. Firing directly at people is dangerous. Firing well over their heads so streamers cascade down on them is excellent. You may also fire over their heads from the side or behind the audience.
We strongly suggest that you buy one or two extra cannons to try these out and become familiar with how they behave before the audience is there.
We have never had an incident with these.

Is there a fire risk?

The metallic streamers and the tissue streamers are fireproof, meaning that if flame is put on the streamer and then the flame is removed, the streamer stops burning. The standard fill is not fireproof. However these are used widely, and it is not been an issue even when they have been fired over lights.
Attention to fire regulations and good fire extinguishing equipment is mandatory in all public venues. Those holding over 100 people require an evacuation plan filed with New Zealand Fire service.

I need to fire a lot, how do I do it?

If you are firing from a fixed location, and have the cannons in front of you it is quite straightforward to fire one cannon every three seconds. But we strongly advise practice with some of the smaller ones, (for economy's sake) so it becomes automatic. One competent person could fire 10 cannons in 30 seconds.
Another approach is to have several people staged about the venue, with one or two cannons each to fire. We advise a short training session where each person fires one economy cannon. A good place to do this training session is in a hallway where it is easy to clean up all the confetti. Watch out for lights or someone opening a door.

How can I fire faster?

If you want to fire faster than this, then ask us about pyrotechnic cannons. These can be mounted in numerous positions and instantly remotely fired. See the Pyrotechnic Cannon FAQ.

How reliable are these?

We have a very reliable source of these, and although some people have returned them saying they did not work, it is because they have turned the ring the wrong way in the heat of the moment. We do issue these with full instructions so taking the time to check them and use one is a sure way of increasing reliability. Every technical operation like this requires attention to detail and practice. We can assure you they are simple and reliable.

How much will it cost?

Price will depend on quantity ordered, the size, plus the type of fill (standard, colour tissue, or metallic).
We offer substantial discounts for carton lots of the standard cannons. This discount does not apply to streamer cannons as these are filled to order.
Our prices do not include GST or freight. Contact us for the current pricing.

How long does it take to deliver?

Due to airline regulations, gas cannons cannot be shipped by air. This is not to say they are dangerous, as they have about as much compressed air as a child's bicycle tire!
We use a two-day surface freight service from either Auckland or Christchurch.
However this is not quite like a courier and delivery time may be one day, and occasionally three days.
If at all possible, please give us a business address to deliver the product. We prefer not to deliver products to homes if there is no one at home. Note neither we nor courier companies will take any responsibility for deliveries where there is no one to receive it.

Phones:

09-302 2911

Wgtn Agent 04-499 2226

03-982 3473