Quickmatch

[Bonny]

I can't seem to find the answer for this anywhere. forgive me if it's here somewhere. I've always seen aerial shells etc...done with quickmatch that is neatly folded (for transport maybe??). Is this the same basic blackmatch in a tube that has been flattened and folded? If so I guess it still burns nice and fast after being unfolded?

[cplmac]

There are basically two types of commercial quickmatch, the ribbon type and the multi-strand. They both burn VERY fast folded or unfolded. I prefer the multi-strand because it can be used for so many different things much more easily than ribbon match. Ribbon match is the quickmatch that is essentially one flat piece inside, multi-strand has five independant strands of blackmatch. I use these strings in place of visco since my supply ran low. I wouldn't want to live off the difference in speed between the two. I think my rolls of multi-strand are precocious.

[Mumbles]

If going to be folded, I suggest using at least 2 strands. I suggest using 2 to 3 strands in homemade QM anyway just for reliability. The gases shoot down so fast, a tiny bit of breakage of the powder around the bends won't make any noticable difference. I personally try not to make sharp bends in my quickmatch, but I have see some that has had this done, and burns just fine. I rather make looping bends, about 8-12" long just so I don't accidentally slam one in the lid of the trunk during transport. It helps keep things orderly in the ready box as well.

[Bonny]

Thanks for the info. I'll be sure to carefully bend it then rather than tight folds, as my main concern was if it would still perform after being bent, as powder does break off the blackmatch.The QM I will be using will be homemade. I made some blackmatch with thinner string, so I should be able to put 2 or 3 strands in 1/4" matchpipe.

[pudidotdk]

Unlike bare match, it doesn't matter whether if the quickmatch has been bent. It works just fine, but if lit while being bent, it will sometimes act as those clapper-snapper-pop... things, depending on what type of quickmatch! (those crackers folded, exploding several times, can't remember the name)

[Frozentech]

Thanks for the info. I'll be sure to carefully bend it then rather than tight folds, as my main concern was if it would still perform after being bent, as powder does break off the blackmatch.The QM I will be using will be homemade. I made some blackmatch with thinner string, so I should be able to put 2 or 3 strands in 1/4" matchpipe.

I've not had any failure on QM even when bent 180 in a tight crimp. I've seen video taken with a high speed camera of QM burning, and the flame front blows down the tube like a rocket exhaust, easily jumping any small section of crumbled powder. If the match is made with good quality BP, well integrated into the string you shouldn't have any problem. Commercial finale strings sometimes come with plastic zip ties crimping the QM into a tight "Z" shape between shells, which does add a delay, about 1-2 seconds, between shots. ( I personally hate that, and cut them off )

 

I agree with Mumbles about using 2 or three strands of match in the tube. The gap between two pieces of match actually adds it's own "quickmatch effect". Try comparing the burn rate of a stick of your BM, to the burn rate of two sticks that lie side by side together. I learned that by surprise when testing spolettes !

 

 

Cplmac - I got a roll of some 100% cotton wick, kind of like a thin flat shoelace, used for making candles I guess, that I want to try making the ribbon type BM with. One of these days...

[oskarchem]

Well actually, my BM acted as quickmach some time ago, I used some blackmatch as fuse for my shell, (I have slow burning BP) and when I light the BM and put the shell in the mortar, it burned practically instantaniously, and well I was like 3m away when it went off...

[Mumbles]

They will happen when you don't think ahead. I really do hope you placed the shell in the mortar before lighting the black match, and not in the order you have it written.

[oskarchem]

Yes, Yes sorry, I wrote it in the wrong order. I placed the shel in the mortar beforehand.

[cplmac]

Any exposed BM fuse burning downwards is likely to seem like it's flashing over, actually up burning ones can burn faster than normal too. Dross + Gravity makes it burn faster and heat causes it to burn faster upwards. BM burns steady laterally but changes speed with direction.

[Bonny]

I tested a pc of QM using 2 strands. After being folded up tight and then unfolded it still burned with a good thump. I'm quite happy as the BP used to make the blackmatch was mixed heavy on the dextrin (United Nuclear (?) recipe for coating rice hulls).

[Bonny]

My next question is how best to attach quickmatch sections together. I still need to fire my 8 waterfall tubes. Should I attach a leader to centre then tie each QM to that or work from one end to the other?

[Pretty green flame]

I've recieved some commercial QM and I couldn't resist takin a short piece apart. Now everything seems normal but the thin strands of BM inside are VERY durable. Also, seeing how the chinese make this stuff (the WET black match strands are enclosed in the tube) I suspect that some superior binder is used, one that dries realtively fast (atleast the surface must be dry when it goes into the casing) and makes the final product somewhat flexible. I'm thinking along the lines of Arabic gum but i'm not sure. Can anyone shed some light on the subject?

 

My ordinary black match made with dextrin simply crumbles when bent and some of the powder flakes off. The commercial stuff just brakes with a silent snap but the powder stays on. I'd like to replicate this.

[Mumbles]

I wouldn't think gum arabic would remain very flexible. In my experience, it dries like a rock. Extremly hard. Could be though.

 

For flexibility, I'd use SGRS or use the addition of CMC or guar gum. Just a little bit goes a long way. It makes the slurry much more viscous which keeps the BP suspended, as well as giving some resilience to the finished match.

 

I’d personally probably attach the QM directly to the waterfalls just for less work. It’s a big enough PIA to get the cross match from a shell into the QM pipe, much less a few dozen “leaders”. There have been accounts of the quickmatch burning so violently that it tears itself off the lances/waterfalls. I don’t know if one method over another would prevent this. However you do it, connect it securely.

 

To connect pieces, you’ll want to bear about an inch of bare match off the end, and cut a V shaped notch in the pipe you wish to insert into. My notches tend to look a bit more like trapezoids. Slide the bare match in, and secure with tape. For connecting lengths together, bare the match again, and insert it in the end of the next pipe, and tape over the junction.

[qwezxc12]

I've also seen recommendations for adding a small % of paper pulp to the BP slurry. The method described was to take some paper, soak it, then blend it with enough water to make a pourable mixture. 5-10% of this suspension gets added to the BP slurry. The cellulose fibers are supposed to add some support and help prevent flaking of the BP during flexing of the match. The method described also used ~1/2% CMC gum as a binder, in addition to 2-3% dextrin.

 

I have not done this personally, so YMMV.

[Arthur]

Amateur black match usually has powder on the outside of the string. Pro blackmatch has powder through the string(s) But whichever, the flame front moves along the loose paper tube very rapidly almost instantaneously!

 

For a waterfall my choice would be a single length of quickmatch alongside the support string, nick the pipe by each case and add a branch of QM by poking some exposed BM into the main QM line. Then take the short flying QM end into the waterfall casing, checking for needing prime. Carefull use of gummed paper tape to hold the fuse togerher.

 

If this is to be electrically fired you may want to put an igniter in each end for reliability.

[oskarchem]

My BM is always very relyable because I soak the cotton string in the BP slurry, thus making the fibers absorbe all the goodies, and then make sure there is as little BP on the outside. But to get back to subject, to make my QM I just take some masking tape lay the blackmatch on it then cover t with some more masking tape, put it ono my shells, and fold it so that I don't have like 20" fuse clotting up my workshop.

[Mumbles]

One of these days I'll get around to taking some pictures of my expedited water proof quickmatch method.