Ground testing my ejection charges last night once more before this Saturday's launch. By calculations, I need 1.5g for drogue and 0.6g for nosecone main. Drogue worked well. Broke the two shear pins and tossed out the laundry about 6' away. When testing the main, I heard the e-match pop and then just a sizzle. On inspection, I see the 0.6g FFFFg BP did get consumed, but no detonation; just deflagration.
Does this mean I didn't contain the BP tightly enough? Until now, I've typically wrapped an e-match with the BP in a foil pack and then wrapped that with duct tape to make a ball. With only 0.6g of BP, it might not have enough oomf to detonate vigorously or such a small amount was not tightly enough wrapped?
I have access to buckets of free 1.5ml eppendorf tubes. I might remake the charges as cannisters in those tubes and ram cotton in to tightly contain the whole thing before taping it shut. I might get more consistent results that way.
Does this mean I didn't contain the BP tightly enough? Until now, I've typically wrapped an e-match with the BP in a foil pack and then wrapped that with duct tape to make a ball. With only 0.6g of BP, it might not have enough oomf to detonate vigorously or such a small amount was not tightly enough wrapped?
I have access to buckets of free 1.5ml eppendorf tubes. I might remake the charges as cannisters in those tubes and ram cotton in to tightly contain the whole thing before taping it shut. I might get more consistent results that way.