6 replies to this topic

[novacat14]

While playing paint ball with some of my friend we came across the conversation of how it was such a pain in the butt to light a smoke b**bs while playing. THis got me to thinking, someone mentioned that we should get smoke grenades, but i thought since i can and do make the smoke b**bs for our games that i could modify them. I began to think of strike anywhere matches. I want to find out the chemical composition of the stike anywhere tips, so i could use this to make a "strike anywhere" smoke b**bs. This would make lighting them much easier. Especially if you have ever played paint ball, the last thing you want is to be distracted.

I know the chemical would be very friction sensitive so i am not too sure it would be safe to attemp to make some, but the thought is cool.

[Rhodri]

Hmmmm....good idea but quite dangerous too.

What you are talking about involves dangerously sensitive mixtures - often phosphorus sesquasulphide and a chlorate - although there are many others.

The risk, and skills needed, to make these type of mixtures are really outside the scope of the 'home pyro'. I think the message here is leave well alone.....

Not meaning to be a killjoy.....you may be able to 'canabolise' safety matches and their associated paper striker in some way. With a little imagination and testing this could be achieved.

Much, safer than manufacturing friction sensitive mixtures.

[paul]

It is not difficult to find out these compositions, but they use - as Rhodri allready said - dangerous chemicals. These friction sensitive mixtures are nasty to work with. The product you end with would be unsafe and dangerous and perhaps not reproducable, so your home-made grenades could ignite very easily......

In my opinion you should follow Rhodris tip and use anywhere strike matches for your smokes. I myself prefer to normal matches. Just take a striking surface of a match box with you, and you?re fine....

[alany]

I'd make them somewhat like a match cracker, so they need the striking surface. You can use normal matches to supply the striking surface and the match composition.

You can also get pull-string ignitors commercially which are designed to ignite visco. I think firefox sells them actually. You can fasion your own from a box of matches with a bit of thought, but I won't supply the details here because it can be used as an impact ignitor too.

[novacat14]

after some further research i do agree with all of you, it is too much trouble and too dangerous. Oh well was a interesting idea though.

thanks guys

[parabolic]

if your using the simple sugar/Kno3 mix to make the smoke grenades, could you not just chop 4 matches about 1/4" from the tips and then stick them in the mixture close together as if it were one match head (to make a better ignition), just before it sets rock hard?, then coat the match heads in a layer of clear nail varnish to make the match heads water proof , ?

[chim-chim]

I've considered salvaging the pull string charges out of confetti poppers and mounting them in a small spolette of delay to ignite mine. Same Idea as ordering from Firefox I suppose but less wait and hassle.