Learning to make blackmatch - the right way...

[dan999ification]

The link says the same, i dont doubt You And i expect one should obviously read the packet before you just go adding things to bp, I haven't found a pack that isn't cmc yet.

Iirc nighthawkinlight was using liquid laundry starch for his bm.

 

Dan.

Edited May 23, 2013 by dan999ification

[ollie1016]

Is it best to use a yarn or a cotton string? Any opinions?

[pyrojig]

Both are perfect, as long as they are 100% cotton. It will only make a diff in the final size of the black match.

[ollie1016]

Both are perfect, as long as they are 100% cotton. It will only make a diff in the final size of the black match.

 

Thanks

[Oinikis]

you said you had white spots. what sort of bm machine you are using? for me, i use no binder, but ballmilled BP. no problems. my machine makes so even black match, that i hang it, spiral 3 cm wide paper towel strip soaked in KNO3 solution, twist (removes air pockets, makes it even.), roll around a round object, let it dry, and i get a fuse, that never fails me. so that shows the quality of the blackmatch. i wet my bp with water with some KNO3 for the string, also less finely-milled KNO3 dissolves. no binder, but ballmilled, as i said. i use it everywhere, making visco type fuses, quickmatches, priming spoletes and crossmatching time fuses. no problems. it important that the string goes trought alot of slurry. here is my design o' machine:

 

http://imgur.com/az5EipS

 

there is 2 key things here. the wire complex is detachable, so i can detach, and get the string trought the loops easily (the tops one removes the excess, but leaves fair amount of it.) the second thing is that string goes trought the narrow neck twice, so even with a small aount of slurry, string makes quite a bit f distance trought the slurry.

 

I'm using blue funnel, but other colored funnels should also work.

Edited May 24, 2013 by Oinikis

[leedrill]

 

 

I'm using blue funnel, but other colored funnels should also work.

 

i hope that was a joke {sorry if its not but what }

[AdmiralDonSnider]

I´m having a hard time looking for untwisted cotton string. It seems almost impossible to find. The mecerized single strand crochet product is not good either, does not pick up the slurry that well due to the surface. But all good cotton twines are twisted from multiple strands. Any sources/hints (e.g. other uses for it, helping me to find a shop)?

 

The twisted is not nice to work with, it curls itself the whole day, but several people here seem to have had a degree of success. How do you do it? What about drill machine un-spinning? Can you give me some details? I assume the string does stay attached to the drill machine while the coating is done.

 

Any last but not least: binder choice? In this thread dex and CMC are held in high esteem, but what about gum arabic?

 

Thanks for the help!

[oldspark]

Many people have reported the mecerized string as working fine, dont know all the details of the way they did it though. Edited July 15, 2013 by oldspark

[patsroom]

There are so many ways to make black match, but it all starts with a good black powder, whether store bought or home made it does not matter. When I make black match my mix is 98.5% black powder to 1.5% dex. wetted with 75% water 25% alcohol. The 100% cotton string is 1/16th of an inch thick. I use so little black match a year that I only make about 45 feet at a time, not much but it does do the job for me.

For quick match I have for years used just one strand of black match in my 1/4th inch tube and it worked just fine, a good pop then side spitting the tube and lighting all of the effects connected.

As for the device I use for making the black match, it is just a old medicine bottle with three holes drilled into the lid. One hole is for the string to enter the exit hole is the die hole, drilled to 1/8th inch straight across from the other. Both are located next to the lip of the lid. And there in the center is a large hole for stirring when needed.

I feed the string though the entrance hold then it goes to the jig hold down hole, once done I then put though the exit hole and tie the string to a simple frame to wind the match onto.

If for some reason there is a white area on the black match string I just back it up and then stir the mix alittle and continue on my way.

I can if needed do this as a one man operation coating and winding the match on to a frame as I go.............Pat

BM.bmp

[MrW]

This is my basic BM maker. Milled BP, +3%Dex +2% Wallpaper paste, mixed with warm water to a thick batter consistency. Feed string into one side of ziplock bag and I use a small Ali funnel to size the slurry on the string. Pour slurry into bag.Tie off one end of the string and walk/draw string thru while working the the bag with the other hand.

[gun410]

Try: PEACHES & CREME CONES 14 OZ WHITE IMHO, it is the best yarn to make black match from, it absorbs the slurry like mad and is 100% cotton.-dag

That's what I use

[gun410]

Is it best to use a yarn or a cotton string? Any opinions?

I use peaches and cream 100% cotton that's works the best for me