Electric igniters

[h0lx]

OK, I was making me some igniters and thought, Hey! why not take pictures and make a tutorial.

 

You will require:

Wire

Resistance wire(thin steel(My choice), nichrome etc.)

Igniter mix to dip in(optional)

 

OK so cut 2 equal lenghts of wire and strip both ends of them, also cut a lenght of your resistance wire, the length of it depends on it's resistance and usage, mine is adjusted so it will ignite from a drill accu with 50m of cable):

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/1752/p1281025am8.jpg

 

Separate one end of the wire into 2 and twist a bit of the resistance wire around the 2 separations in a number 8 drawing motion(2-3 turns should do):

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/3364/p1281026id4.jpg

 

Now gently twist it up:

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/4396/p1281027rz9.jpg

 

Do the same with the other wire:

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/4392/p1281028gk3.jpg

 

Now gently twist the resistance wire downwards around the other wire and make sure it doesen't touch itself, then twist the 2 wires around eachother to make it hold together:

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/5963/p1281029fm5.jpg

 

(optional)Now make a slurry of 8 parts meal powder, 1 part coarse charcoal, 1 part dextrin, enough water and a drop of alcohol to break the surface tensity and dip the igniter in it:

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/5161/p1281030ul5.jpg

 

Let dry and enjoy. The BP coat is not nessesary, but will make the ignition more reliable(and a bit delayed).

[rocket]

The only problem I have found when coating the E-match with BP slurry is that the steel wire rusts and renders the E-match useless. I just hot glue a bit of black match under the steel wire.

Other than that great tutorial.

[delta_echo]

The only problem I have found when coating the E-match with BP slurry is that the steel wire rusts and renders the E-match useless. I just hot glue a bit of black match under the steel wire.

Other than that great tutorial.

This is easily fixed by binding with NC lacquer. I've had e-matches I made this way for five years and have yet to have a failure due to storage/oxidation.

[leosedf]

Where do you get your steel wire?

I can only find thiker one's.

 

Regards

[ewest]

Nichrome wire can be bought at several of the pyro suppliers out there.

 

Another option is to get some very fine steel wool and pull pieces of wire out of that. I've never personally tried that way, but it should work.

[h0lx]

this one was lying in the basement among with a variety of wire reels, but I used to buy thin fastening cable and use one strand of it. Just find anything steel and thin in a hardware store.

[fight fire with fire]

or do what i do and use strands of a wire from a mesh screen.

[DeAdFX]

Just to get an idea of reliability will this work with Green mix(unmilled bp)

[h0lx]

Was this a question? If so, yes it would probably work. It will work with most of the easily ignited compatible powders.

[crazyboy25]

Another option is to get some very fine steel wool and pull pieces of wire out of that. I've never personally tried that way, but it should work.

unfortunatly that doesnt work very well nichrome has special properties that cause it to increase resistance as electricity passes through it so it acts like a lightbulb filamint. a stard of steel wool doesn't change resistance so it gets hot then burns very fast making the only effective way to use steel wool to get a whole handfull of it.

[Chris]

Steel wool actually works very well when left uncoated. The problem is that steel wool rusts very fast when the match is coated with a BP/water slurry. As suggested, NC laquer might solve this problem. NiCr is my favourite, but steel wool works when using lower voltage. Steel wool e-matches burn out fast, however, theys seem to work regardless.

[jlmemt]

I tried various types of steel wool fibers. The large ones are more predictable and produce more heat. The smaller ones burn and seperate too fast to be dependable. The larger the strand the more power it takes to get the needed heat. I found it to be too unpredictable for my taste. The thicker strands end to have a delay to fire. It is probably fine for a few devices one at a time, but I would not recommend it for a quick fire series where you want all to fire.

 

I did not go into extensive testing with these. I determined I would not be satisfied and gave it up.

 

I am going to attempt to overcome the diffaculties of nichrome next.

 

 

Jason

[mfstraydog1]

a good way to protect the wire from oxidation is to dip it a few times in a laquer before adding any comp. it works well. i have don this on x-mas lights.

 

everything goes up in smoke

Mike