61 replies to this topic

[Pyromaster2003]

ok, i dont recall any post refering to black match fuse, so im just going to ask about it now. for the 2-3 years iv been doing pyro i always made black match fuse using chlorate BP instead of normal BP. you know why?because for some reason that im trying to work out, my normal black powder burns extermely quick in a flash almost, but as soon as i mix 20 parts of it with 1 part dextrin and add the water, it all goes wrong. the fuse burns OK when i make it but no where near like it should. it burns with those little green/white bobbles of slag dripping down it rather like green mix. i use homemade dextrin 1-20 with BP and then add cold water and mix. then dip the cotton string in it until its all submerged then pull it through a 1/8" hole to make it all equaly coated. let her dry for 3 days and it turn out to be crap.infact i will get a video capture of some burning and link to it from this thread.

so, has anyone experienced the same problem as me with black match fuse?and if so how did you over come this. i also tried simply using BP on its own with water without dextrin, the same thing happend:mad:

[bernie]

Black match will only burn so fast. If three or four strands of black match are slipped inside a paper tube things change dramatically and the more correct term quickmatch is used.

Try twisting two or three strands of thin black match together as they come out of your slurry and through the little hole and then when you put it up on the drying frame dust it lightly with some good meal.

[Pyromaster2003]

yes, i do make quickmatch as its more reliable when burning and i have used 3 pieces of cotton string and pulled them through the hole aswel, the resulting fuse isnt much better. i just seen Matt's black match fuse burning on his videos and it seems perfect. mine burns slow and stops and creates those little molting liquid balls.

[phildunford]

I've developed a gadget for making black match that works quite well. Keep an eye on my web site and pictures will be up in the next couple of days I hope.

I use cotton string and soak it in conc potassium nitrate before I coat it in the slurry. My theory is that it makes the slurry stick and absorb easier and should a bit of powder fall off the string will still burn anyway.

Could it be that the potassium nitrate is recrystalising from the water?? I use 50% water 50% meths which dries quicker and maybe stops this happening - just a thought...

[Pyromaster2003]

ok i will do. yes thats what i was thinking, that the KNO3 maybe recrystalizing, infaact im almost certian thats what it is, i just wanted to see if anyone else could come up with that. i will try mixing mine with 50%meths aswel then.(will acetone,petrol work instead of meths?)Cheers, Chris

[BigG]

Pyromaster ? you are using too much water. The Potassium Nitrate dissolve into the water and your Black match does not have enough potassium when it dries up.

You need to add very little, just to make it into a thick paste. If you place the slurry in a bowl and shake the bowl to one side, and the ripple goes back to the other side ? you got too much water.

BigG

[Pyromaster2003]

ahh, thanks for the tip, im sure il find it very useful. does anyone else use any kind of solvent then or what?who does the same procedure as me but get lovely burning black match? thanks, Chris

[Edited on 30-7-2003 by Pyromaster2003]

[BigG]

I used the procedure you use. My black fuse burns very cleanly at about a rate of inch / 2 sec.

BigG

[Pyromaster2003]

is there a way you could take a picture or video?Cheers, Chris

[leniol]

Acetone, petrol & meths aren't interchangable with one another - they all have very different properties. Any DIY store will sell meths cheaply though! When I make my match, I soak the string/ cord in a saturated solution of KNO3 then freeze it to encourage rapid crystalisation. The excess water can then be squeezed out as soon as you remove the cord from the freezer & you don't loose to much of the pot. nitrate as it doesn't have time to redissolve

[Pyromaster2003]

ok, cheers, mite give it ago when i get back from ma hols.

[Pyromaster2003]

is corn starch just normal table sugar?iff not, where the hell can corn starch be found?cant find it anywhere.

[mrpyromx]

corn starch can be bought at supermarkets in the baking stuff, as far as i know all over the world.here you can buy a it in like a small cerial box style box for i think a couple bucks.

[phildunford]

Corn starch is sold in UK as cornflour.

You use it for thickening gravy etc!

All supermarkets sell it, probably in the 'home baking' section...

[Pyromaster2003]

yes, i looked in the baking sections but couldnt find any in safeways or Morissons:).maybe i wasnt looking hard enough and for the wrong thing.il have another look tomorow.

P.S. just thought id let you all know the pain im in...i was chopping the willow wood up for my second batch of charcoal when i missed the wood with the newly sharpend axe and sliced into my thumb.when i looked i thought i half severed it off coz of all the blood, but turns out it only when 1/4 in(which is fu**ing bad enough since the axe was old a pretty rusted and dirty. anyway, just sitting hear with a bandage tightly wrapped round it letting you all know im in pain:)

P.S. 2 . iv found a realy good way of turning my charcoal into a fine powder realy easy(i was asking how to before).i now simply empty all the charcoal from the tin it was baked in, into my mill(when cool) and run it for an hour or so:)