>>12228842If you are just interested in pyrotechnics there are great ressources online.
I recommend you look at nighthawkinlights black powder tutorials and attempt a few BP fountains, cremoras and salutes to get a feel for how things work. Then make some nitrocellulose and seal it in a PAPER (no shrapnel) container. The results will surprise you and you'll have a core understanding of how nitration works for all chemicals but in a relatively safe manner.
Later on you could graduate to making flash powders (never ever make more than a gram. Ever. If you need more add it some distance away from the mixing location and do not move it.) or you can try making silver acetylde, lead azide, ETN and RDX. But these are really not toys and really not for the amateur.
Stuff to avoid entirely: peroxides (TATP, HMTD, dirty flash (KMnO4 flash), pressure bombs (chlorine + a random chemical in a pop bottle), and Armstrong's mixture (phosphorus and chlorate. Above have resulted in many deaths of amateurs and experts alike from their lack of predictable safety.
