nwpyro Posted June 1, 2014 Posted June 1, 2014 (edited) Can anyone test this and tell me your results? I'm out of KClO3 at the moment... I found this revision to the old KNMO4/Silicone fuse. Powder KClO3 and Cane Sugar as fine as possible before mixing! To make fuses by hand... Coat some gloves in charcoal and roll out pieces on a board covered in charcoal... Or use flour. W/e. Ethyl Acetate is required to make lots of fuse via extrusion. ---Silicone Fuse---53 - KClO321 - Cane Sugar (Confectioners Sugar)26 - SiliconeNote: Use transparent aquarium/window silicone. Do not use heat resistant silicone!If composition isn't moldable enough, add more silicone.Tip: To make composition extrudable with a caulk gun or syringe, add ethyl acetate tosoften as much as needed. Ethyl Acetate can be be purchased online or synthesized.Coating Fuse: Make Silicone Lacquer (Silicone + Ethyl Acetate). Add Ethyl Acetate until lacquer is of desired thickness. Soak fuse, then hang it by one end in the air. Edit: A more optimal formula for increased heat would be more like... ---Hot Silicone Fuse---53 - KClO315 - Cane Sugar6 - Dark Aluminum26 - Silicone Now that I think about it more... Over oxidized flash with 35-40% Silicone caulk added might work... Not sure it will burn. Hmmm... Edited June 1, 2014 by nwpyro
BurritoBandito Posted June 1, 2014 Posted June 1, 2014 Why not just make some blackmatch? It's cheaper, easier, and safer.
nwpyro Posted June 1, 2014 Author Posted June 1, 2014 (edited) I have looked around, and the only place I can find natural unwaxed 100% cotton yarn of sizes 1.5mm to 2mm is by getting it shipped out of Latvia... https://www.etsy.com/listing/123441698/15-mm-cotton-yarn-1-spool-100-yards Would hemp twine work? Edited June 1, 2014 by nwpyro
nwpyro Posted June 1, 2014 Author Posted June 1, 2014 Never mind, I have another process I am going to try. I call it "Wet Visco". I am going to take six spools of thread, mount them on a board, pull them through a slurry and combine them into a single strand. As for how I will do that, I am just slightly modifying this technique here... http://www.pyrouniverse.com/fusemaking/blackmatch.htm 1
BurritoBandito Posted June 1, 2014 Posted June 1, 2014 Hemp twine may work. I've never tried it, but I suspect that any string which burns with an ember instead of melting would work. Provided you can incorporate the BP slurry into it well enough.
spitfire Posted June 1, 2014 Posted June 1, 2014 The silicone fuse is funny to make, and even burns when wet. Only disadvantage i found was the fragile string. It breaks so easily, it has no real practical purpose. Unless you can solve that problem? BTW, use acid-free silicone!!
nater Posted June 1, 2014 Posted June 1, 2014 Some people tout the mercerized crochet thread which can be found in any crafts store. I've just used thin wound cotton twine that is easily available, but recently purchased from parallel wound cotton thread for match making as part of a group buy.
nwpyro Posted June 2, 2014 Author Posted June 2, 2014 The silicone fuse is funny to make, and even burns when wet. Only disadvantage i found was the fragile string. It breaks so easily, it has no real practical purpose. Unless you can solve that problem? BTW, use acid-free silicone!! Try adding on a layer or two of Silicone Lacquer or two and it should be fine.
taiwanluthiers Posted June 2, 2014 Posted June 2, 2014 Would it be safer but just as effective to replace potassium chlorate with perchlorate? Obviously the formula needs to be revised and the fuel possibly changed, because potassium perchlorate has different oxygen content than chlorate (according to Lancaster/Shimzhu)
BurritoBandito Posted June 2, 2014 Posted June 2, 2014 Personally I just don't see the point in making this fuse. It sounds unreliable at best due to the fragility of it. Blackmatch is cheap, easy and it gets the job done. Unless I am missing something I don't see the benefit of making these silicone fuses.
nwpyro Posted June 2, 2014 Author Posted June 2, 2014 Would it be safer but just as effective to replace potassium chlorate with perchlorate? Obviously the formula needs to be revised and the fuel possibly changed, because potassium perchlorate has different oxygen content than chlorate (according to Lancaster/Shimzhu) Perchlorate won't burn well enough for this fuse to burn. The higher reactivity of Chlorate is required.
nwpyro Posted June 2, 2014 Author Posted June 2, 2014 (edited) Personally I just don't see the point in making this fuse. It sounds unreliable at best due to the fragility of it. Blackmatch is cheap, easy and it gets the job done. Unless I am missing something I don't see the benefit of making these silicone fuses. Blackmatch doesn't get the job done when it's misty or rainy out. However, I am working on a rig that will make blackmatch that is multi-strand, twisted, and NC Lacquer coatable. Edited June 2, 2014 by nwpyro
Mumbles Posted June 2, 2014 Posted June 2, 2014 It seems to me that you're more dead set on making this useless fuse, and are just ignoring the reasonable and practical advice you're getting instead of actually learning anything or getting a real solution that will work. Perchlorate is actually more oxidizing and reactive than chlorate by the way. Your "wet visco" is what most people just call blackmatch. Some people do use single twisted strands of cotton, but the more industrially useful and also traditional method is to use several strands together coated with BP slurry. If you want a single strand, I'd suggest looking for cooking/butchers twine. It's sold in almost every grocery and hardware store. Instead of trying to invent new products or methods, perhaps you should try reading a little bit and learning what's already out there. Blackmatch works fine in misty environments as well.
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