Torch

[Mardec]

Hey everybody

 

I tried a couple of torches today to light fuses in a handy fired show.

 

Before I used a blowtorch (portable) but that was quite dangerous since mine doesn't have a constant flame when moving.

 

The torch I tried today was meal press into a 3/8 " id tube that was 30 cm long. 10 cm was filled with bentonite and the other 30 cm was filled with Meal.

 

I burned great with a 30 (10") cm flame but burned out to quick, 10 seconds. Enough to light 1 fuse..

 

So has anyone experience with something like this? Any suggestion on wich composition I will have to use?

 

C6 would probably choke up the tube and therefor the chance of blowing up in my hand..

 

I am going to try green mix with briquette C.

[rocket]

How about you make the tube thin so as the comp burns the tube is burnt away with it, this would solve you problem of the tube exploding.

 

With the BP you could try making a high charcoal BP that would make it burn slow but still maybe not slow enough or it may just have trouble burning.

[Chris]

Hmm... Most lighting torches I have used have contained a bengal fire comp of some kind. The biggest problem with them is that burnt comp clogs the tube and the flame becomes very small. I'd too suggest making the tube very thin so that it burns as the comp burns. Depending on the comp, you might not need to press or ram the comp into the tube. You can try wetting the comp a litle and then stuff it wet inside the tube. It will take some time to dry though.

[itwasntme]

How about a MAPP/propane/butane torch to light the fuses with? If it has a piezo trigger, then it would be very safe to put down as the flame isn't constant. IT would light the fuse immediatly. If not, why not use a road flare? They burn slowly and a beautifal red.

[Mumbles]

Yeah, we've always used a blowtorch with piezo lighter, or road flares. If you are intent on making your own, look up some flare comps. Most comps will burn far too fast. You also want more of just a flame than something with sparks, as adding charcoal to BP would do. It could potentially light the fuse before you're ready, or light multiple fuses.

[Frozentech]

So has anyone experience with something like this? Any suggestion on wich composition I will have to use?

We always use commercial road flares in 15-30 minute formulations for handfiring commercial shows. They are reliable in all weather, and won't blow up. Also, as opposed to using a propane or MAPP torch, they give off plenty of light to make sure you are hitting the fuse correctly.

 

At the conclusion of the shell, the crew tosses the flares in the air, a little ceremony of our own.

[cplmac]

How about a MAPP/propane/butane torch to light the fuses with? If it has a piezo trigger, then it would be very safe to put down as the flame isn't constant. IT would light the fuse immediatly. If not, why not use a road flare? They burn slowly and a beautifal red.

These are the only things I have ever used for hand fire shows. Road flares are good because they burn for at least 10 minutes and you can see where everyone in the discharge sight is. The piazo trigger gas torch is my favorite though.

[psymon]

Personally use a collibri jet lighter. The flame is available when you want it, never goes out even in high winds. Only problem is that it doesn't give off much light so finding fuses can be difficult if you dont have a torch with you.

Another small downside is the element can get crap in it and needs regular cleaning. apart from that it works fine and never have any problems lighting things with it.

[Mardec]

I think I found it

 

I had some weed remover here that is 60 % NaClO3 with 40 % NaCl (or something in this manner).

 

I took 14 grams of this with 6 grams of plain suger and did it a similar tube. That NaClO3 is very grainy, soms pieces 3 mm some air flowt.

I just mixed it like this and rammed it with hand in the tube.

 

It burned for 3 minuted or so, not allway showing a flame because the lager cristals blocked it I think.

 

I am gonna grind some of this up (not with the suger together) and try again.

 

Very beautifull yellow flame btw

 

I will post my findings.

 

The reason why I use these tubes is because I otherwise throw them away, and I don't like to throw away useble materials.

 

And I am gonna try a Ba(NO3)2 Mg parlon flare mix to.

[fizeau]

Mardec, I don´t want to sound like a know-all, but please take care with this weed removers. In my youth (we really were young and kind of ingeneous) we

filled such 70/30 mixes of ungrinded weed removers (75% NaClO3 and 25%NaCl) with sugar in ½-1" papertubes and lighted them as squibs without nozzle. Really, a

pretty yellow flame, we liked them up to the day when one of our devices exploded heavily. We never found the reason for that reaction. But we found out that in a papertube with nozzle this comp explodes almost immediatly. The

mixture has generally a tendency to explode, most kids used it for pipe ......

At last the weed remover was removed itself - from the market that is, and well done was that. There were to many fatal accidents. So, please be careful.

[Mardec]

Hm yes Fizeau, Thx for caring

 

I know this comp is somewhat uncatholic but in 3/8" paper tubes it isn't very likely to do damage, still I will take this into account.

 

I think you used to much sugar (C residue) or the NaCl clogged up the nozzle. I don't use a nozzle since I don't need so much pressure.

 

Btw Fizeau? Are you French? I am Belgian and I here rather interesting reports about NaClO3 100% begin sold there as weed remover.

In 5 kilo drums. Well the border is 200 km away so I am not going to check it out right now, but it pulled my interest.

[fizeau]

You´re right, the melted residues may have been the cause for clogging up the nozzle, and under pressure the burn rate of those uncatholic (I like this term!) NaClO3 mixtures goes up rapidly.

Btw I´m not french, I´m from Germany, fizeau is only my nickname. I live 100km from the french border and so I´m

interessted in five kilo drums, too and will soon go to France

looking for it. I will keep you posted...

[Boomer]

If you can still get the chlorate weed killer, don't add sugar. There's a much better comp for slow burning flares/torches, and just as easy:

 

A mix of 60% NaClO3 + 40% flour, wetted with *hot* water to make it bread-dough-like. Use little water, you don't want porridge. Roll strands and dry, or wrap around thin wood so it won't break. Or wrap a layer of paper towel around the 'sausage' to keep it together if it cracks. They burn slowly but bright yellow, and cannot explode since there's no confinement whatsoever (towel burns away).

 

You can get the chloride out of the weed killer by dissolving in boilling water until saturated, then cooling to near freezing and filtering. NaCl is hardly more soluble when hot, while NaClO3 is *much* more soluble. The crystals you filter out are 95+% of the latter.

 

Note: The pure stuff is also more dangerous, the table salt is added to tame it. Also, this is *not* a rocket fuel because it shrinks on drying, leaving CATO-causing cracks, and it probably has a devilish pressure exponent.

Might give cheap yellow 'practice'-stars for the beginner, just roll out and cut.

[fizeau]

Thanks, I changed my weed killers with KOH to KClO3 in the past, but your way to get the 95% pure NaClO3 out of it is very simple.

I don´t know this before.

Oh, and I have a little paperbag with old flour in my kitchen...

I´ll try it tonight...

[Mumbles]

Yeah, converting NaClO3 to KClO3 with KOH would work like shit. You'll never get the sodium out, and it will be quite basic and never dry due to the hydroxide contamination. I highly suggest getting some KCl, or throwing that NaOH/KOH/KClO3 demon spawn cocktail away.

[shadopyro]

Could give a very slow flash comp a try, as in like Ba(NO3)2, course spherical Al, and sulphur? Binded with alcohol and binder.

Though lighting anything i must say that a turboflame lighter does wonders.

[fizeau]

yeah mumbles, you´re right. My method to make KClO3 is crap. It was just

a makeshift, years ago we weren´t able to even get KCl in our country. And despite many crystallize processes I couldn´t eliminate the yellow of

the sodium... With this method one can eliminate the lye residues so that the

product seems to be clean and is not hygroscopic. But when I read your posting

I did the litmus paper test with my old chemicals and that did not show any

good, totally basic - I couldn´t believe it. And I wouldn´t

recommend my method to anyone. Sorry for posting it. Nowadays my KClO3 is no

longer descended from a weed remover, I buy it now.