usapyro Posted June 20, 2017 Posted June 20, 2017 (edited) I was inspired by the vertical blackmatch setup of another member on here. I modified his design and created this prototype. The problem with my old machine is that the black powder slurry mostly only coats the outside of the threads. This one combines 12 threads together in a V going into a pen cap tip glued into a upside down vitamin bottle. This fills the center of the bundle of threads with black powder slurry. Fingers crossed on how well this works. Best case scenario... It makes fuse with enough powder in the core I can coat it with NC Laq to make it water resistant!Need to drill some holes in the bottle to help align the threads better as they feed in... Old blackmatch made with my old machine, vs the size of the new stuff. (Not dried yet.) Same thread count. 12 Threads, and it's that much bigger! Core feels like it's full of slurry when working with the stuff wet. :D Squeeze the wet fuse, and slurry squirts out between the threads! Looking good! Another good sign is that the new blackmatch eats through my batch of slurry like crazy... Since you read this far, here is a Tip! Make sure your thread is pure cotton thread if you have any problems. Poly thread or cotton with poly makes crappy Blackmatch. Edited June 20, 2017 by usapyro
usapyro Posted June 20, 2017 Author Posted June 20, 2017 (edited) Here is a quick diagram of the optimal design... I may make this someday. But, the prototype works fine. This will allow you to use a EXTREMELY thick BP slurry. One that barely flows at all. What's so special about this? It allows you to make blackmatch with a solid core which allows you to coat your fuse and make it water resistant or even waterproof! Great homemade fuse for launching rockets in wet weather and etc. I would build it with a pen tip glued into a funnel. Edited June 20, 2017 by usapyro
Mumbles Posted June 20, 2017 Posted June 20, 2017 I'm not sure what sort of binder would work, but if you really have an interest in water-resistant match, have you thought about using a non-aqueous binder? Maybe something like phenolic resin or PVB?
usapyro Posted June 20, 2017 Author Posted June 20, 2017 (edited) I'm not sure what sort of binder would work, but if you really have an interest in water-resistant match, have you thought about using a non-aqueous binder? Maybe something like phenolic resin or PVB? Hmmm... That is a great idea Mumbles! But, a wood glue like Titebond 2 is water resistant. Maybe that will work good enough. This first test batch is with +2.5% SGRS. Will put up a video of my blackmatch burning this weekend. Old stuff, and new stuff. Update: I just put in a slightly smaller pen tip for the next batch. It's not fully dry yet, but I can tell the blackmatch came out a little bigger than necessary. Edited June 20, 2017 by usapyro
MeowMix Posted June 20, 2017 Posted June 20, 2017 Do you twist them together or hang them to dry as a bunch of strands in parallel?
usapyro Posted June 20, 2017 Author Posted June 20, 2017 Do you twist them together or hang them to dry as a bunch of strands in parallel? Don't twist them! You will just cause all the slurry to squeeze out from inside the threads. I just hang them to dry besides each other. I am making a rotary drying rack soon so I can just wind up the fuse around a frame and dry it like others do.
usapyro Posted June 20, 2017 Author Posted June 20, 2017 (edited) Couple video frames. Old Blackmatch.(Very zoomed in, this first fuse is half the size.) New Blackmatch. (Not fully dried yet)Note: The sparks are caused by a few percent of -200 mesh Magnalium. Edited June 20, 2017 by usapyro
usapyro Posted June 24, 2017 Author Posted June 24, 2017 Here is the video of the Fuse! https://youtu.be/06iTK6vrEMk
paddy Posted June 25, 2017 Posted June 25, 2017 i use a plastic mayo quart jar with numerous wood dowels,so twine is pulled thru slurry.. i attached jar to a board and added a small fan motor on it ..the motor shaft has a offset weight on it,and vibrates quite well.i pull slowly so the vibrating slurry really coats well.. its not hard to make,i dont have any problems anymore..if you cant figure it out,give me a shout and i would be happy to help..... paddy
usapyro Posted June 25, 2017 Author Posted June 25, 2017 i use a plastic mayo quart jar with numerous wood dowels,so twine is pulled thru slurry.. i attached jar to a board and added a small fan motor on it ..the motor shaft has a offset weight on it,and vibrates quite well.i pull slowly so the vibrating slurry really coats well.. its not hard to make,i dont have any problems anymore..if you cant figure it out,give me a shout and i would be happy to help..... paddy I'm making Fuse Blackmatch, not Quickmatch Blackmatch.
NeighborJ Posted June 26, 2017 Posted June 26, 2017 USA I've just tried a 10'section in a similar solid core match rig. My goals are different so I used a modified version of slow fuse comp bound with Phenolic resin. I used 8 pieces of 12 strand cotton twine to form the outer sheath, it worked well. The core is solid, it dried in an hour, and it burns around 4 seconds per inch. It still needs coated with tar and fireproofed with paper but I think this could work nicely for my DIY time fuse experiments. Thanks Jason By the way, I may try to bind with NC in order to speed up the burn rate.
usapyro Posted July 13, 2017 Author Posted July 13, 2017 USA I've just tried a 10'section in a similar solid core match rig. My goals are different so I used a modified version of slow fuse comp bound with Phenolic resin. I used 8 pieces of 12 strand cotton twine to form the outer sheath, it worked well. The core is solid, it dried in an hour, and it burns around 4 seconds per inch. It still needs coated with tar and fireproofed with paper but I think this could work nicely for my DIY time fuse experiments. Thanks Jason By the way, I may try to bind with NC in order to speed up the burn rate. I am thinking of granulating BP with NC as a binder from now on... Lots of binder = Rock hard riced BP with plenty of power? We shall see!
NeighborJ Posted July 13, 2017 Posted July 13, 2017 There is no reason why you couldn't use NC bound BP grains. The glitter stars I tried last week were hard as stone, I am thinking about thinning the laquer to 5% NC or even less. I will stick with traditional binders for BP just because I use it for rockets and spollete among other things. The NC binder allowed me to use the cheaper flake AL and much less binder than what is called for, the combination of savings more than offsets the extra cost of the NC.
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