Flying fish fuse - going whoosh instead of flying

[Smokelvr]

have some inexpensive 3/8 consumer whistle bottle rockets that have basically the label over wrapped on the top, and some crackles over the core as the header

thought I'd make it more interesting, by dumping most of the crackles, putting some finer BP to level of the microstars, then flying fish fuse.

 

I created a tight bundle about 7.5" long, and cut to about 1", it was pretty tight, ran a wrap of masking tape just in case.

 

The crackles lit, I had a pretty red fireball with some debris, er... 'fish' and plenty of cinders.

 

I cut another piece off, that's bundled tight with a 1/4" tape band, put a small to it... that completely failed (I just shoved it in, didn't run across the powder/cut face)

finally, lit a corner, and in the words of my kids, that was a pretty fireball

I think I'm having a technique problem

Edited December 24, 2020 by Smokelvr

[SharkWhisperer]

If your fish are all solidly taped together, then they will not "fly". Cut em taped together if you want but stuff them in your header region separate from one another--density probably doesn't matter so long as they all ignite. Nose it (cover) with a glued piece of tissue paper if storing, Don't sail it with a tape/rubber band holding your fish together--they need to leave the roost alone. Crackle is hot enough to ignite fish unless it blows a chunk of taped-together fish segments out before consistent ignition of all fuse ends. BP might be gentler and still plenty hot enough. Or you could dip fuse ignition ends in an NC/BP slurry for more assured ignition (add a bit of small Al if it suits your fancy--heats it up a bit more pronto). Never needed to angle-cut fish to get it to light. Would never consider keeping fish fuse taped together (if I'm reading your technique correctly--sorry if I'm not) unless I wanted a single heavy blob of multi-fuse burning as a chunk instead of scattering wildly across the sky. Taping FF fuse is only needed (or used) to align your strands as a convenience when cutting many fuse segments--but it is not as a construction technique. Your FF need to be physically free of one another to fly like crazy little pyro fishies!

 

You'll sort it out.

[robbo]

Roll a long wad of fish fuse tightly in dry paper. Cut bundles to length, prime the bundle on one end with enough prime to glue them together. Let dry, gently remove the paper. They will detach from each other when they get lit. "Falling Leaves" are done this way.

[SharkWhisperer]

Roll a long wad of fish fuse tightly in dry paper. Cut bundles to length, prime the bundle on one end with enough prime to glue them together. Let dry, gently remove the paper. They will detach from each other when they get lit. "Falling Leaves" are done this way.

Interesting idea, but I've never found the need to go to such effort to get FF (or Flying Leaf) lit, dispersed, and burning the way they should. Just cut'em and stuff'em. The Chicom falliing leaf fuse around these days is a let-down and doesn't resemble anything much different from pieces of colored visco falling just like any regular medium-speed visco would if lit midair and dropped. Anybody else notice this? Maybe it's my bad luck but I got the same results from two different vendors' fuse (prolly arrived on the same boat from the same factory).

 

FF, however, can give a great show with their haphazard self-propelled buzzing about in different colors--seems to me to be a perc-based color comp for the fuel. And the more you stuff, the bigger the "swarm". Fun stuff.

 

Even 1.4 Jumping Jacks, though much larger diameter, might give a decent effect if enough were lit up at lower altitudes (mine heights, for example). Haven't tried that yet, but should because I have a bunch laying about getting old. Paper fuses might need "assistance" though to guarantee ignition. A tiny dollop of NC/BP slurry perhaps.

[Smokelvr]

Well, redid it tonight, actually had to go back and remember to remove the tape band, the FFF was over some left over 'salvaged' consumer festival ball stars, with just two wraps of copier paper glued on to extend the header for the fuse and a piece of masking tape to folded end down.

Went off nicely, and most importantly, quietly (was on a BP not whistling bottle rocket) only part that I wasn't so happy about was it flew towards the river so I couldn't retrieve the casing, I just like to know what it looks like afterwards.

[Smokelvr]

 

Even 1.4 Jumping Jacks, though much larger diameter, might give a decent effect if enough were lit up at lower altitudes (mine heights, for example). Haven't tried that yet, but should because I have a bunch laying about getting old. Paper fuses might need "assistance" though to guarantee ignition. A tiny dollop of NC/BP slurry perhaps.

Yeah... been thinking a toothpick of dissolved smokeless (quick and easy way to make an equivalent NC lacquer) touched to fine BP or meal... because while I like them, and they have an interesting ready made effect

for the 2 seconds they burn vs. the weight of a 1.5" tube that's 70-80% clay... stars are more economical, fish provide more payload