Thanks to -- I forget! Igniters hacked!

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You can purchase BP on line no problems.
I get my GOEX Black powder for my flintlock rifle from Powder Inc.
I always keep about 5-10 lbs at home.
I will need to try this hack on my igniters.
 
Correct, firecrackers contain flash powder. By law the amount is 50 mg (weight of 1/10 of an extra-strength Tylenol tablet) or less so it's not like it will blow off a finger. If I were using it as "enhancement" I'd try dipping the head of the starter into NC lacquer or Duco cement, diluted to the consistency of pancake syrup or a little thinner, then into the powder.

Any thoughts on using finely ground "sparkler" material, either independently or as a "supplement" to BP, Pyrodex, or Hodgdon Triple Seven / 777 ?

Dave F.
 
"Since I started dipping igniters in Testors Silver paint I have not had a failure."

Your silver pain probably contains very finely divided Aluminum powder. This is probably a good improvement over Corn Starch.

QB
 
Dissolved Ping Pong balls are commonly believed to be Nitro Cellulose. This is not usually the case. Most Ping Pong Balls are made from celluloid plastic. If you mix in a good accelerant (say 40 to 60% KNO3) you will come up with something that behaves similar to Nitro Cellulose Lacquer. That way your pyrogen contains both a Fuel and an accelerant. Add the Hot wire from the ESTES igniter ad you have a winning combination.

Of course there are easier options.
Now for a short commercial break …………...
See: www.QuickBurst.net any of the pyrogen kits will work great as an ESTES Igniter enhancement. I personally would recommend the H-3 Compound. With a bottle of that you can enhance many hundreds of ESTES igniters. Keep the sealed H-3 Compound jar in a Mason Jar to extend freshness, or add a shot of acetone monthly. If it dries out cover the H-3 with acetone and it will be useable the next day.

QuickBurst
 
Dissolved Ping Pong balls are commonly believed to be Nitro Cellulose. This is not usually the case. Most Ping Pong Balls are made from celluloid plastic. If you mix in a good accelerant (say 40 to 60% KNO3) you will come up with something that behaves similar to Nitro Cellulose Lacquer. That way your pyrogen contains both a Fuel and an accelerant. Add the Hot wire from the ESTES igniter ad you have a winning combination.

Of course there are easier options.
Now for a short commercial break …………...
See: www.QuickBurst.net any of the pyrogen kits will work great as an ESTES Igniter enhancement. I personally would recommend the H-3 Compound. With a bottle of that you can enhance many hundreds of ESTES igniters. Keep the sealed H-3 Compound jar in a Mason Jar to extend freshness, or add a shot of acetone monthly. If it dries out cover the H-3 with acetone and it will be useable the next day.

QuickBurst
 
Any thoughts on using finely ground "sparkler" material, either independently or as a "supplement" to BP, Pyrodex, or Hodgdon Triple Seven / 777 ?

Dave F.

USING it should be fine, but GRINDING it would make me very, very nervous, as with almost any pyrotechnic mixture. Most such mixtures are friction sensitive to a greater or lesser degree.
 
Dissolved Ping Pong balls are commonly believed to be Nitro Cellulose. This is not usually the case. Most Ping Pong Balls are made from celluloid plastic. If you mix in a good accelerant (say 40 to 60% KNO3) you will come up with something that behaves similar to Nitro Cellulose Lacquer. That way your pyrogen contains both a Fuel and an accelerant. Add the Hot wire from the ESTES igniter ad you have a winning combination.

Of course there are easier options.
Now for a short commercial break …………...
See: www.QuickBurst.net any of the pyrogen kits will work great as an ESTES Igniter enhancement. I personally would recommend the H-3 Compound. With a bottle of that you can enhance many hundreds of ESTES igniters. Keep the sealed H-3 Compound jar in a Mason Jar to extend freshness, or add a shot of acetone monthly. If it dries out cover the H-3 with acetone and it will be useable the next day.

QuickBurst
 
USING it should be fine, but GRINDING it would make me very, very nervous, as with almost any pyrotechnic mixture. Most such mixtures are friction sensitive to a greater or lesser degree.

I was thinking about moistening it, either with denatured alcohol, acetone, or distilled water, and then using a mortar & pestle to finely grind it, in very small quantities.
 
Any thoughts on using finely ground "sparkler" material, either independently or as a "supplement" to BP, Pyrodex, or Hodgdon Triple Seven / 777 ?

Dave F.

I would not attempt to grind them up. You might get an unexpected flash and that would be bad. A better option is to stop by a fireworks store and pickup a bag of the M80/M100's that have the plastic end caps. Pop the end cap off and you have enough powder from one of those things to do 50 igniters. Best part is you still have the rest of the bag of M80's to blow stuff up with :)

https://fireworks.com/products/ground-non-aerial/firecrackers/jumbo-silver-salute-cracker-1-box
 
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I would not attempt to grind them up. You might get an unexpected flash and that would be bad. A better option is to stop by a fireworks store and pickup a bag of the M80/M100's that have the plastic end caps. Pop the end cap off and you have enough powder from one of those things to do 50 igniters. Best part is you still have the rest of the bag of M80's to blow stuff up with :)

https://fireworks.com/products/ground-non-aerial/firecrackers/jumbo-silver-salute-cracker-1-box
M80s are illegal in many states.
 
Real M80s are illegal, period. Federal law since the 1960s, I think.

FWIW the contents of firecrackers labeled M-90, M-1000, etc. are the same as what's in the little inch-and-a-half firecrackers...and they're still limited to 50 mg of flash powder each (though there may be other inert ingredients in there, I dunno). If an "M1000" has a louder bang than an ordinary firecracker, it's likely from stronger confinement. (Or the manufacturer may be pushing their luck by putting more flash powder in each one.)

One could get a few grams of BP by opening up a BP motor and removing the clay nozzle and the delay charge. Wetting the chunk of BP should result in a usable paste.
 
I opened up a 1/2A 10 0 got the powder out of it, crushed and ground it into a powder.

Dip the estes igniter in some Fabri-Tac then dip it in the powder. Let it dry and did a second dip.

Flares up very nicely! Should work perfect for LP A to maybe F ?
 
After a little research, I found the "specs" for the flash powder charge for various devices . . . For "historical" reference.

M80 DATA and INFO

M-80: 5 grams
M-160: 10 grams
Quarter Stick: 30-35 grams
Half Stick: 60-70 grams
Full Stick: 120-140 grams
 
You can buy it anywhere they sell supplies for muzzle-loading weapons. Many gun stores do not carry it. Call ahead.

When you buy it, you sign a book for the government. Legally you are supposed to submit a LEUP to the ATF, and buy a specialized lockbox to store it in.

The government (local, state, federal) needs probable cause to look into your personal business. Get the LEUP, or make sure you don't give them probable cause.

I am not a lawyer and no one should ever listen to me.
Sarcasm on:
If you walk into the gun shop with a coonskin hat and fringed buckskin jacket and trousers they won't ask any questions.
Sarcasm off.
 
After a little research, I found the "specs" for the flash powder charge for various devices . . . For "historical" reference.

M80 DATA and INFO

M-80: 5 grams
M-160: 10 grams
Quarter Stick: 30-35 grams
Half Stick: 60-70 grams
Full Stick: 120-140 grams

From what I remember of the fireworks I used to buy in Tijuana as a kid, this sounds about right. The bigger ones were definitely bigger, not the same thing more tightly confined.
 
Those are the FAKE "M-80's" . . . This is a REAL M-80 :


No, that is also a fake M80, That is a pyro pop, REAL M80's have the fuse coming out of one end not the side. The fuze in the side weakens the casing and therefore are not as powerful.
 
Dissolved Ping Pong balls are commonly believed to be Nitro Cellulose. This is not usually the case. Most Ping Pong Balls are made from celluloid plastic. If you mix in a good accelerant (say 40 to 60% KNO3) you will come up with something that behaves similar to Nitro Cellulose Lacquer. That way your pyrogen contains both a Fuel and an accelerant. Add the Hot wire from the ESTES igniter ad you have a winning combination.

Of course there are easier options.
Now for a short commercial break …………...
See: www.QuickBurst.net any of the pyrogen kits will work great as an ESTES Igniter enhancement. I personally would recommend the H-3 Compound. With a bottle of that you can enhance many hundreds of ESTES igniters. Keep the sealed H-3 Compound jar in a Mason Jar to extend freshness, or add a shot of acetone monthly. If it dries out cover the H-3 with acetone and it will be useable the next day.

QuickBurst

You can't use a Mason jar, the solvent will attack the seal. (I know this from direct experience.) The best containers are 100% polyethylene. The left one I got from hobby lobby, it had a squirt top replaced lid with one from an epoxy bottle. The middle one is igniter dip in a plactic film can, does not seal that well and dries out have to keep wetting it. The pill bottle is the best, it stays sealed a long time, It is my MEK supply for cleaning paint brushes...

BTW: Does anyone else have problems with this site bouncing all over when typing...the over abundance of ads is very annoying, causing the screen to jump to the bottom in mid sentence...


bottles.jpg
 
You can purchase BP on line no problems.
I get my GOEX Black powder for my flintlock rifle from Powder Inc.
I always keep about 5-10 lbs at home.
I will need to try this hack on my igniters.

Norton Internet Security reports Powder, Inc. as a malicious site. I would steer clear....
 
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