11 replies to this topic

[pyromaniac]

hey does ne1 know where to get nichrome wire coz i cant find it ne where. ive tried maplins and local hobby stores but i cant find it. ne websites or otherwise would be appriecated (i cant spell )

[adamw]

An old toaster or www.wires.co.uk (Scentific Wire Company)

[Gor]

Dont want to hog this forum with my mad sculptures, but I made a piece called 'electric chair' by wrapping a load of nichrome round an old wooden chair and plugging it into the mains.... Nice.... Have been meaning to do one at a big scale...Got my wire from 'Kilns and Furnaces Ltd' and have got loads left, all diameters but probably too thick for you if you want it for electric fuses.

Be wary of asbestos if taking (very) old pieces of electric heating kit to pieces.

I also have a spare dictionary.

[Edited on 30-6-2003 by Gor]

[phildunford]

A division of the scientific wire company at

www.wires.co.uk

Lists about every kind of wire you can think of - including bare nichome.

I've used them before and although a bit expensive they are very good...

[pyromaniac]

wots nichrome wire under. is it nickel chrome or nickel or wateva?

[adamw]

Nichrome = Nickel Chrome! Come on, use that brain!!

[pyromaniac]

that wot??? wuld 0.081mm be alright for e-matches

[adamw]

You want it thin enough to get hot enough, but not too thin so it pops before the composition has chance to get burning. Get several grades and experiment.

[phildunford]

Before you go to expense of buying nichrome it's worth doing a bit of experimenting. If you take a single strand from a stranded cable (sort of thing you connect up your hi-fi speakers with) that can work fine. Thickness about 38 swg (not sure in millimeters) - about the thickness of a human hair. Depends on the voltage and current available from your firing system and the length/thickness of your firing cable. My big system uses an 18volt 5 amp transformer and this fires most matches.

I've also seen (but not tried) matches made from a teased-out strand of iron wire from 'steel wool' as used for cleaning. This would have the advantage of having a higher resistance than copper wire.

It's important to have a good prime that takes fire easyly, because the wire can pop pretty quick... Black powder with a ntrocellulose lacquer works fine for me

[Steve]

The stuff using wire wool is not good as it rusts in the KNO3 quickly and soon doesn't work. I use a thin strand of 400 mesh stainless steel wire cloth. Works a charm are rarely burns out.

Steve

[pyromaniac]

I currently use steel wool but it gets frustratin wen it keeps snappin wen ur makin e-matches

[adamw]

Just think, if you stick at it and become pros, you'll be using e-matches like they grow on trees. Dont feel so frustrated, its how an awful lot of pros started out.