How to make homemade igniters.

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Inerax

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I was at a local launch and someone flying had some homemade igniters.

he said he striped wires, dipped them into a chemical mixed with epoxy.

what are the chemicals that he used?

Any help on making my own igniters woud be great.

Thanks all.
 
best way to go about it is to go to Quickburst.net and buy his mixture. You can also buy igniter kits from him that contain shooter wire (the yellow wire) and nichrome (the small wire that gets hot and ignites the pyrogen). Safer and more reliable than making your own pyrogen :)
 
best way to go about it is to go to Quickburst.net and buy his mixture. You can also buy igniter kits from him that contain shooter wire (the yellow wire) and nichrome (the small wire that gets hot and ignites the pyrogen). Safer and more reliable than making your own pyrogen :)

You're right. It's not safe to make your own. If you have some decent experience with handling explosive mixtures, then making your own really isn't that hard. I've done it but I have a lot of experience behind me. Pyrogen recipes aren't too hard to find.
 
Start with a kit. making your own pyrogens should be avoided unless you have experience.
 
They dont use gunpowder either.

Just because "THEY" don't use gunpowder doesn't mean there aren't other reliable options. Guys, let's not get into a pissing match here. There a 1001 recipes for baking a cake. I'm sure there are a great many ways to make a pyrogen. Not everybody uses the same recipe. I'm sure that mine requires the need for caution when making it. but it's reliable.
 
Just because "THEY" don't use gunpowder doesn't mean there aren't other reliable options. Guys, let's not get into a pissing match here. There a 1001 recipes for baking a cake. I'm sure there are a great many ways to make a pyrogen. Not everybody uses the same recipe. I'm sure that mine requires the need for caution when making it. but it's reliable.

I'm not. I was just pointing out to you that gunpowder isn't used in pyrogen. Making igniters is the same as making propellant. Find someone who does it, watch them, learn and then do it yourself. If you handle the ingredients with the respect they deserve, you will be ok.
 
I'm not. I was just pointing out to you that gunpowder isn't used in pyrogen. Making igniters is the same as making propellant. Find someone who does it, watch them, learn and then do it yourself. If you handle the ingredients with the respect they deserve, you will be ok.

tbone, I'm not going to argue with you about this. Gunpowder may not be used in some cases but people that make their own igniters can and will. I can even make my own propellants. I've been doing it for longer than you have been alive. So please, don't preach to the choir.
 
tbone, I'm not going to argue with you about this. Gunpowder may not be used in some cases but people that make their own igniters can and will. I can even make my own propellants. I've been doing it for longer than you have been alive. So please, don't preach to the choir.


What are you talking about? You stated that it was not safe to make igniters as they use explosive mixtures. Then that gunpowder was in them and it is dangerous. I just simply said that igniters don't have to have gunpowder in them, and that it is safe if you choose to take the proper care. I compared it to making propellant, which i also do. It doesn't matter that you claim to have been making motors longer than i have been alive. You talk like you don't really know much about it. Later
 
Most igniters I have seen do not contain black powder. I have seen a couple of recipes, but I avoid them. Magnesium-based igniters burn hotter and longer.
 
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I started with a dip kit - Magnalite from Rocketflite. Others are out there too, but I never tried them. Other posters recommended some of them.

I then followed some recipes I found online, then tried modifications (changing the binder for example), and still trying to get it just right. Learning from a local is the best method. IMO.

Like making propellant, I wouldn't do this to 'save money.' I burned quite a few testing. I've thrown out entire batches, etc. Balancing effectiveness, reliability, not having the crumble, not having the 'pop' instead of light, etc are all issues.

Make sure to cover the nichrome wire completely. Any crack after drying that exposes the nichrome will make a failure very likely. The nichrome often burns through here with nothing to light.

The other fun part is making them small enough to fit in the smaller nozzles.
 
I will add that formulae have different degrees of sensitivity. Learn the proper methods of handling. Heat, static, shock, etc can ignite the stuff (depends on the formula).

Mix small batches - don't try to save it. Don't use it if it dries out completely. Avoid glass containers (shrapnel). Don't mix dry chemicals.
 
I make my own and have for years. I read an artical in High Power Mag about enhancing the igniters used in HP rocketry. The author used Thermalite crushed and glued using thickened airplane dope. His photos show burning bits of Thermalite shooting out of the flameball.

When it started to get hard to obtain Thermalite I looked for a substitute. I found a bunch of old wire-cored 4th of July sparklers. Started dipping igniters in crushed sparkler. Just a small amount would make a glowing orb of whatever color sparkler I used with blue seemingly the hottest, not that it mattered. I then came up with an even cheaper igniter. When yardsaleing one weekend I found a spool of Army surplus field phone wire. Got some 36 gauge NiChrome wire off of eBay and stripping 3/8ths of an inch of wire then put 6 winds of wire on. Super Glue the wire then dipped in sparkler. Mostly just 1 dip, sometimes two. As solder doesn't stick to the wire I can't solder the NiChrome but that doesn't seem to matter. I check the continuity after I'm done with a batch and have never had a failure.

I'll have to shoot some photos later to show what I have.
 
Black Powder / Gunpowder are basically the same. 2 variations in the chemical mixture are, Potassium Nitrate, charcoal/carbon and sulfur. The 2nd variation is without the sulfur.

Estes C Class rocket engines are made with Potassium Nitrate, Charcoal, Sulfur & Dextrin (the binder)

Estes igniter pyrogen is made with Potassium Nitrate, Carbon, Corn Starch & Hide Glue. The reference for the igniter info can be found here
https://www.drra.nl/documenten/estes/MSDS-Estes Igniter.pdf

Both are of a black powder/gunpowder nature.

Now granted, not all pyrogens are created the same but Estes industries does use black powder/gunpowder. My recipe is a bit complicated as I melt ping pong balls in acetone for a polymer. Pyrodex gunpowder and aluminum powder are incorporated until I have the consistency of Elmer's glue. This particular recipe is designed for high power motors but could be used in smaller motors. Class Dismissed.
 
Why do you need to make your own? I only see making you own igniters if you make own engines.........
 
[POW]Eagle159;272379 said:
Why do you need to make your own? I only see making you own igniters if you make own engines.........

I would suppose Inerax might be on a quest for knowledge or just curious. The only reason I learned to make them was a friend who made his did it for a reason and showed me. Having witnessed so many commercial igniter failures for high powered motors at the big launches, he learned to make them with a higher % rate of working properly. They were the bridge wire type. People often relied on him at these launches to have some on hand and he sold them for 1 dollar apiece. I have a whole bag that he made and nary a one of them has failed so far. Apparently there are a lot of the commercial igniters that aren't very reliable. The only reason I wanted to learn was because I dabbled in sugar motors for a good while.
 
[POW]Eagle159;272379 said:
Why do you need to make your own?

Well I have a couple of old Econojets but no igniters, and our local club no longer has a vendor that comes to our launches to sell motors and igniters, so I would probably have to make my own igniters in order to use these motors.
 
Well I have a couple of old Econojets but no igniters, and our local club no longer has a vendor that comes to our launches to sell motors and igniters, so I would probably have to make my own igniters in order to use these motors.

You could check these out. The little 'uns will probably work for you:

https://www.wildmanrocketry.com/ShowProducts.aspx?Class=846&Sub=847

I used one of the little 'uns to light an F40 AT reload after the copperhead failed, worked like a charm.
 
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Be careful...

Source: Link

match_vs_ignitor.jpg
 
This is WRONG! Electric matches are regulated. Also, your picture shows an estes igniter. I attached an electric match close up. Your other picture is an electric match as well.

Click the link he linked to. The link links to a post that shows that the source was an ATF agent. So in a way, your post sort of makes the point about what is and what isn't and how wonderful government agencies are. :bang:

N
 
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