Cakes or rockets: choosing for your space
Why a 30-shot cake and a box of rockets suit very different terraces, streets and grounds, and how to combine them.
Setting up a sky-shot cake: base, level and distance
A flat base, a straight cake and a clear sky above it: the five-minute setup that makes a cake fire the way it should.
Most problems with sky-shot cakes have nothing to do with the cake. They come from the way it is set down. A cake that tips over after the first few shots sends the rest sideways, and that is the one thing a family show must avoid. Five minutes of setup prevents it.
Choose a hard, level surface: a cement floor, a flat terrace slab or packed earth. Avoid sand, grass and anything soft. Place a flat board, a paver stone or a square of plywood about 50 cm across under the cake, and check it with a glass of water or a phone level. If the floor slopes, wedge the board until it sits flat.
Next, steady the cake. For a 60-shot and above, place two bricks against each side so it cannot shift as it fires. Keep the fuse facing the direction the lighter will approach from, and away from the audience. Look straight up: there should be no trees, cables, sunshades or thatched roofs above. Our show plan marks this spot for you.
Finally, the distance. Everyone except the person lighting stands back at least 15 m for a 12 or 30-shot, and 25 m or more for a 60-shot and above. The person lighting uses a long agarbatti, lights at arm’s length, walks away without looking back and does not return to the cake until it has been quiet for 15 minutes. Wear cotton clothes and closed footwear, and keep a bucket of water and one of sand nearby before the first cake is lit.
