Pull Ignition

[Kilo_G]

So I figured I'd be really nice and show everyone here how to properly, cheaply and EASILY make a pull ignition device for visco fuse.

 

Before I start I can not take complete credit for this. I have taken the basic procedure from a military technical manual and modified it slightly.

 

So here goes....

 

Here are all the materials you will need to make a pull ignitor:

 

http://www.apcforum.net/files/pull1.jpg

 

Don't see any chemicals huh? That's cause you don't need em. Nope, all you need is 10 fingers, duct tape (I didn't have any duct tape so I used straping tape, you should use duct tape, it works best), visco fuse, a BOOK of matches, scissors and a knife (an awl is optional, you will see why at the end).

 

You can only make one pull ignitor per book of matches.

 

The first thing you need to do is take a pointed knife and carefully remove the staple holding the two rows of matches inside. Once you remove the staple you should have 2 rows of 10 matches and the jacket of the match book. Do not disguard mutilate or in any way destroy the match jacket.

 

Now take one of the rows of matches and cut the row (parallel with the matches) so you have 5 matches. If your visco is a little thicker or thinner you may need to cut it so you have 4 matches or 6 matches.

 

Take your visco fuse and put it on the 5 matches so that the cut end of the fuse is at the same level as the matchheads. Now securely duct tape the fuse to the matches, going tightly around the fuse and matches once:

 

http://www.apcforum.net/files/pull2.jpg

http://www.apcforum.net/files/pull3.jpg

 

Whatever you do make sure you DO NOT put duct tape over the match heads. Also you will notice the tape will go below the botton of the match book by about a 1/4", it's ok and infact good as you will learn later on.

 

Now, take your match/tape/fuse assembly and roll the matches around the fuse so the fuse is in the center of all the matches, like this:

 

http://www.apcforum.net/files/pull4.jpg

 

Then tape it in place, making sure to no tape over the match heads and have the same 1/4" hang over of tape as before, like this:

 

http://www.apcforum.net/files/pull5.jpg

 

Now, take the match jacket and wrap it around the match fuse assembly so that the striker surface on the match book jacket is on the inside, use 3 small pieces of tape to hold it in place:

 

http://www.apcforum.net/files/pull6.jpg

 

Three things you need to make sure you do:

 

1) The striker should be on the match stem side of the assembly, i.e. below the match head.

 

2) When you wrap the jacket around the matche/fuse assembly make the bottom of the jacket level with the tape that hangs past the bottom of the matches 1/4".

 

3) DO NOT make any part of the jacket tighter than where the match heads/fuse are, this can make the device fail.

 

Now, on the end of the jacket where there is no fuse/match start flatening that part of the jacket until you come to the match heads. Fold the flatened part in half and then neatly duct tape over the entire jacket, it should look like this:

 

http://www.apcforum.net/files/pull7.jpg

 

You are now done and it is useable. Simply gently pull on the fuse side so you can grab the 1/4" excess hangover of the tape (also grabbing the fuse at the same time too):

 

http://www.apcforum.net/files/pull8.jpg

 

Grip the folded over and taped over tab at the other end and pull apart quickly and firmly. All that is happening (if it isn't obvious) is that the striker is sliding over the match heads, they instantly ignite which also almost instantly ignites the visco. Again this should all have been done with duct tape, not strapping tape, not electrical tape or scotch tape, USE DUCT TAPE OR IT MIGHT NOT WORK.

 

The following are some modifications...

 

If you pierce through the folded over taped over tab with an awl or other similar sharp pointed tool you can put a key ring in so you have a more sure grip:

 

http://www.apcforum.net/files/pull9.jpg

 

It is possible to make these highly water/moisture resistant lightly applying hot candle wax inside the 1/4" hangover of tape and pulling up the jacket assembly as in picture 9 and applying hot candle wax to that area.

 

 

THAT'S PULL IGNITION

[justanotherpyro]

Nice. There are a lot of things this system can be used for, and if its reliable then its a great find.

[Kilo_G]

Quite reliable. Make one, only takes about 5 minutes. In the past I have made quite a few of them, was always just too lazy to post it.

[Pretty green flame]

hmm.....Kilo, ever thought of pasting a friction sensitive comp on one of your 1/4" tubes. Chlorate + Antimony sulfide should be good probobly. Anyway paste some of the stuff on the the walls of your tube and so long as the comp is wet insert a length of visco bended in a V form in the tube. When you pull, the visco should scratch the comp and ignite it which should ignite the visco. Just my thoughts

[Kilo_G]

Not only is that not safe, it's not as cheap as a book of matches and a little duct tape. I don't know about anyone else but I'm not a fan of making friction sensitive compounds.

 

Mine looks a little shoddy in the pictures. When I used to make a lot of them I made them look quite professional, they look A LOT better when made with duct tape (duct tape not only makes these perform at their highest reliability but is also a lot easier to work with than strapping tape, which is why mine looks a little shoddy).

[TheSidewinder]

Cheap and simple, but functional. Nice little pull ignitor there, Kilo. I'll have to add that to my notebook.

 

M

[somebody]

PFG, friction igniters also work without any sulfide, just KClO3/fuel.

About a year back I used it a lot for smokebombs, I tried KClO3/sucrose and slowed down KClO3/Sodium benzoate, both binded with NC.

Works great, even when wet, haven't tried coating a fuse with it yet, might do some tests with it again.

 

ps: You need an red P striker surface with it.

[Kilo_G]

So then why go through that trouble? Good luck with Red P in America.

 

Specifically this form of pull ignition is not only easy and cheap (and extremely safe) but anyone, ANYWHERE in the world, can easily obtain the materials and make it, so long as you have or can get visco fuse.

 

(don't take this as me being offensive, I guess specifically I'm showing this way of pull ignition and not any other because all the others are basically 100% obvious and not nearly as safe)

[somebody]

Your match book/box has an red P striker surface..

 

I personally think a strikehead is safer, since it doesn't contain any sulfer to sentisize it, an matchhead does.

And there is nothing you can accidently do to ignite it(pulling off the strick surface), just keep it awaf from a strike surface untill needed.

Only problem is that it might not be possible to use it to coat on visco, haven't tried it yet and delay has to be perfected.

I found a pic of some old smokebombs with strike ignition.

 

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a181/som...niter-smoke.jpg

 

edit:

Linked, pic is pretty big.

[TheSidewinder]

Hmm... I have 100 grams of Red P I've hoarded. Its use in pyro is nil these days, but friction ignition recipes all seem to call for it.

 

Even so, your idea of using the strikers and kitchen matches is probably a LOT safer...

 

M

[Pretty green flame]

Your match book/box has an red P striker surface..

 

I personally think a strikehead is safer, since it doesn't contain any sulfer to sentisize it, an matchhead does.

And there is nothing you can accidently do to ignite it(pulling off the strick surface), just keep it awaf from a strike surface untill needed.

Only problem is that it might not be possible to use it to coat on visco, haven't tried it yet and delay has to be perfected.

I found a pic of some old smokebombs with strike ignition.

 

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a181/som...niter-smoke.jpg

 

edit:

Linked, pic is pretty big.

Your smoke bombs remind of of our Europena firecrackers, they have a striker cap which you pull on a normal matchbox igniter surface to get it going. They are pretty safe as far as spontaneus ignition goes. Don't know the exact composition but it's yellow and sometimes red.

[asilentbob]

Neato, im definatly going to have to try this!

[d4j0n]

About that 1/4" tube with the folded visco...would a folded piece of visco really make enough friction?

[dragonman586]

Hey somebody do you know of andy decent comps for the strikeheads? I remember there being on alan yates page but you needed the chemical paper thingy on a book of matches to strike it on (I think).

[d4j0n]

Do the matches set fire to the duct tape or is that part relatively fire safe?

[Kilo_G]

The duct tape doesn't usually burn wildly. It may get a small flame or smolder though. If what you're asking is can you hold the duct tape while the fuse/matches are burning inside my answer to you would be NO.

[d4j0n]

Nah, thats not my question. My question was can I make somethin usable and portable for our airsoft games in the concrete areas. Figured the answer out after burning my fingers on the first try. Here's the second:

 

http://www.freepgs.com/d4j0n/pyro/smoke/smokenade.jpg

crappy nozzle...just bought 5 pounds of plain additive free kitty litter for a dollar at the dollar store and haven't milled it yet.

 

Paraffin smoke, some staple work so the fuse and matches (reduced match count cause the flame envelope is too big...not needed for my tiny fuse) burns somewhat perpendicular to the tube. Just the system I needed for my application, thanks Kilo.

[waxman]

I've used what GreenFlame suggested- KClO3/Sb2S3 and NC. 50-50, add NC until syrupy, dip the visco in it. Strike on any matchbook striker. For safe packing, add a short piece of paper straw over it so there's no chance of it striking accidentally.

[JrayJ]

Really nice... saw this applied to smoke bombs in a video once