Bombettes (Question)

[Mumbles]

The scissors thing is just one of those things I see and it makes me cringe a little bit. I've seen plenty of people do it without incident. I've been told it is the shearing action, or friction generated between a bit of comp and the blades. This would have little to do with the type of metal. Assuming it is just BP, it's probably no big deal. Some of the quickmatch and flying fish fuse I would probably be more careful around as they likely contain metals or oxidizers other than nitrate.

 

To each their own. Like I said, it makes me cringe a little bit, but I've also never heard of first hand accounts of it causing issues. Safety aside, I like the cleaner cuts that the anvil cutters give. With lesser quality fuse, I've seen scissors crush the powder core and have some of it fall out. You seem to have no problems with ignition though.

[Col]

Well done! Thanks to your vid I learned some extra stuff about bombettes. I could not quite get my head around on how to get the visco in the clay plug, but now I understand the principle.

 

And I like that little tool you use. Did you made it yourself? It looks like wood to me.

 

Thanks for sharing......

 

Fred,

 

Here are a few pics of my bombette tooling for inspiration. They are very easy to make and similar to Arte`s.

 

Left to right:: Case extender for pressing the tail comp, Tail Comp Ram, Clay Bulkhead/ Visco Ram and the Base on the far right, which has 4 different lengths of 28mm dowel so i can vary the tail comp thickness in 1/4" increments. Theres a small hole drilled in the dowels so the visco is a fairly firm fit.

The rams both have a 4mm hole bored right through the middle. The 3mm od drinking straws fit into the holes and serve to guide the 2.2mm visco centrally into the rammer just before pressing the clay bulkhead or the tail comp.

http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx341/colinspyro/bombettes/one.jpg

 

Pressing visco into the clay bulkhead. Withdraw the drinking straw very slowly by rotating it as you compact the clay slightly using hand pressure only. Too fast and you risk pulling the visco out along with it

Once the straw is out , and the clay has a grip on the visco you can compact the bulkhead using a press or hammer.

http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx341/colinspyro/bombettes/three.jpg

 

http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx341/colinspyro/bombettes/six.jpg

 

The tail comps are pressed in the same way, using a drinking straw guide along with the case extender.

http://i770.photobucket.com/albums/xx341/colinspyro/bombettes/bombetteswithpressedtail.jpg

[dagabu]

Thanks for posting your tooling, the straw idea is great!

 

-dag

[FrankRizzo]

track it's played from my computer.. sorry about that

 

No worries. It's a remix of Schiller - Let me love you, but I'm not sure which one...excellent track

[Arte valdo]

I see anvil cutters have only one blade, so that's why it safer then scissors.. Now I know.. Col you tools are the same as my was thirst but I have to upgrade because more easily work when you can regulated fuse.. But you can work very fast..in few hour you can made couple hundreds of bombettes.. I'd like them because you can easily test star, or made pyros very fast.. of course the brake is iregular but.. it doesn't mater..

 

FrankRizzo track is Schiller - let me love you (mit kim sanders) [4music.lt]

[fredhappy]

@ col: I like the wooden homemade tooling a lot. I ve only used these gambon plastic bombettes so far, but was not very pleased withthe results I got with them. Although they do work, they are made of plastic and I like cardboard ones a lot better. Interesting to know that you can crank out a couple of hundreds in mere hours....I like mass producing stuff...

[guntoteninfadel]

Having technical issues please bare with me. What about wire cutters? That is what I have been using ever since I pulled a dag with some fish fuse. Oh boy that was exciting. Not sure if my scissors are ss or not

 

The scissors thing is just one of those things I see and it makes me cringe a little bit. I've seen plenty of people do it without incident. I've been told it is the shearing action, or friction generated between a bit of comp and the blades. This would have little to do with the type of metal. Assuming it is just BP, it's probably no big deal. Some of the quickmatch and flying fish fuse I would probably be more careful around as they likely contain metals or oxidizers other than nitrate.

 

To each their own. Like I said, it makes me cringe a little bit, but I've also never heard of first hand accounts of it causing issues. Safety aside, I like the cleaner cuts that the anvil cutters give. With lesser quality fuse, I've seen scissors crush the powder core and have some of it fall out. You seem to have no problems with ignition though.

Edited September 15, 2011 by guntoteninfadel

[dagabu]

It happened to me years ago when cutting red flying fish fuse that as part of a kit. It came from a roll of 10' and I used stainless steel telephone scissors (very sharp) and about half way through the roll I lit the piece I was cutting and it flew off. I posted this here somewhere years ago, I just cant find it now.

 

I was only burnt a tiny bit and I did not start a fire of the rest of the fuse but I can and does happen.

 

I only use anvil type cutters and am a little OCD about them now.

 

-dag

[Mumbles]

I've used wire cutters before. They may not be unsafe, but they sure do crush the fuse considerably if they are not kept extremely sharp. I like the anvil cutters because there is always a sharp blade.

[stckmndn]

Edit: Never mind. My question was answered. Edited September 16, 2011 by stckmndn

[athlon]

Hi this is it how I made bombettes.

 

 

Thanks for the tutorial. Have been looking for something like this.

 

A few bombettes ready for stars: