After 2+ decades, retirement has allowed me the time to get back into rocketry. Boxes of tubes, parts, kits. 20+ year old motors (hey, I get to fly OOP motors!). And in digging thru the shelf, I discovered a box from "Firestar Electric Match" postmarked Feb 1997. Nearly 25 years old.
I was pleased to discover that the entire igniter kit was in great condition. The wax-sealed glass bottles that Jerry Dyben used had kept everything in perfect condition, and upon mixing the pyrogen found it had the perfect viscosity. And I had lots of wires I had purchased. Dipped 10x FS-12, 15x FS-18, 14x FS-24, 5x FS-36, plus I had 8x old FS-18 with crumbling pyrogen that I was able to flake off and re-dip. The result looks just as I remember it and I have little doubt that these will be incredible igniters , just as they were 25 years ago.
My only mistake was NOT wearing a respirator while doing this. There was a LOT of toluene evaporating and I'm still coughing after finishing the project. Hopefully that is temporary.
I was pleased to discover that the entire igniter kit was in great condition. The wax-sealed glass bottles that Jerry Dyben used had kept everything in perfect condition, and upon mixing the pyrogen found it had the perfect viscosity. And I had lots of wires I had purchased. Dipped 10x FS-12, 15x FS-18, 14x FS-24, 5x FS-36, plus I had 8x old FS-18 with crumbling pyrogen that I was able to flake off and re-dip. The result looks just as I remember it and I have little doubt that these will be incredible igniters , just as they were 25 years ago.
My only mistake was NOT wearing a respirator while doing this. There was a LOT of toluene evaporating and I'm still coughing after finishing the project. Hopefully that is temporary.
