There was a "split the tails" remedy for the " crapperheads" that seemed to work but I went on to my own igniters I researched online until maybe the info was pulled. Easy enough to get chems in the olden days too. I think the modern igniters are fine too but what if one has a failure? That was my impetus to make my own and I was pretty good at it too. The mixes were easy and worked too to get APCP and BP for that matter to ignite. No, it didn't entail "boron" but magnesium might be harder to find in the right form now for an igniter mix.
Just use the igniter provided with the motor or "buy" what the maker recommends. Yeah, they are pricey but unless one wants to spend a "chitload" of time safe learning mixing of igniter mixtures, making, dipping and drying. Don't bother. Soldering Nichrome wire to copper? B.S. I had just as good results just using a Radio Shack wire wrapper for the Nichrome to copper wire WITHOUT soldering!
Yeah, I'd solder only if I was doing a cluster APCP launch but I never built a rocket to go there. (Have to use silver solder to be good with nichrome to copper bond mind you.) I could have done it if I went there as I had a heck'va a lot hot instant on igniters for 12 volts. Soldered for awhile just for practice but wire wrapped when I found out it wasn't needed. The pyrogen is the key and one might still be able to find that online if they look.
I always put the the powders to the liquids sequentially when I mixed them. Didn't light myself up but the more experienced chem types can correct me if I'm wrong here.
I made for the smaller APCP and BP motors along with the "long-necked" lead wire igniters for "M" and larger. The pyrogen is the key here.
