igniter from scratch

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cheddacheese

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Hi I'm new here to rocket forums and actually quite new to rocketry as well. I've been building 3/4" by 3 1/2" rockets using KNO3 and sucrose fuel. I'm still perfecting my rockets but I'm having a hard time igniting them as winter in Michigan (yes I'm a damn yank!) is windy. So my solution was to make an igniter. I tried the christmas light igniter but they were too time consuming so I came up with the idea of using a disposible camera capacitor to ignite some black powder. This failed. Today I made some nitrocellulous out of acetone and ping pong balls. I mixed it pretty heavily with graphite powder hoping to have a conductive pyrogen but this also failed to ignite with both the camera discharge system and a 9v bridgewire system. I need help! I'm at a loss here..any suggestions would be much appreciated. Btw id rather not buy any kits, I like to diy stuff.
 
We don't really discuss experimental rocket engines here because of liability reasons. Try some Estes engines. They're real safe.
 
You should also check out the fireworks websites, like 'Skylighter'
They have a lot of info for DIY-type blackpowder motors and electrical igniters

Sorry, you wouldn't know this as a newbie here on TRF, but the website operators/owners/moderators have always set a policy of not posting the gory details of chemistry and pyro formulations. Hey, it's their choice to make.

We hope you will come back for more rocketry info, though-
 
Actually, we do have a place for discussing such things as making your own igniters. Information on how to get access can be found here.

-Kevin
 
rocketry planet has an EX forum...you might check over there
https://www.rocketryplanet.com/forums/

Thanks for the info! I'm planning on building a rocket to place my engines in so ill tread through the forums a bit. I think during my research I got confused and came here instead of rocketry planet. I remembered reading something about a conductive pyrogen but it must have been on their site. Ah oh well I guess ill just stick with visco fuse and a torch for the time being. Its a shame that the mods discourage talking about the chemistry behind this stuff as home chemistry is facinating! I once made chlorine gas on my kitchen counter by mistake :) who knew electrolysis of salt water could be dangerous?
 
Thanks for the info! I'm planning on building a rocket to place my engines in so ill tread through the forums a bit. I think during my research I got confused and came here instead of rocketry planet. I remembered reading something about a conductive pyrogen but it must have been on their site. Ah oh well I guess ill just stick with visco fuse and a torch for the time being. Its a shame that the mods discourage talking about the chemistry behind this stuff as home chemistry is facinating! I once made chlorine gas on my kitchen counter by mistake :) who knew electrolysis of salt water could be dangerous?

your motors are probably small enough to use a single strand of copper wire, (from speaker wire) into your nozzle up to the propellant, use a little bp, and a 12volt battery.
This Is how i ignite my estes motors, i just use a single piece of wire to get hot enough.(without any bp)
 
Its a shame that the mods discourage talking about the chemistry behind this stuff as home chemistry is facinating!

It is fascinating, but it's a different end of the hobby than model rocketry, which is why in the past the mods discourage the open discussion. There are lots of places that are more focused on what we would consider experimental or amature rocketry.

troj said:
Actually, we do have a place for discussing such things as making your own igniters. Information on how to get access can be found here.

And folks who are starting out by making sugar motors on their own probably don't meet the entry requirements.

kj
 
And folks who are starting out by making sugar motors on their own probably don't meet the entry requirements.

kj

I would say, personally.. I have found more stuff on sugar motors on the net, in great detail, I would never look to a forum for my answers on that issue in a forum. Most of the information on the web, has contact informantion and invite you to ask them questions. Get your information from someone who has experience than from someone who has a textbook opinion.(not to say you cant find both on a forum, but, generally people with both have thier own websites.

However, a good point to discussing chemistry, and joining a club that participates in Research Motors, AN AP KN whatever floats your boat, you can sponge up some valuable information. There are a lot of things that people share openly, and can give you that experience -and or- opinion.

Joining TRA and participating in research motors is a benefit to the researcher hands down. Theres always a place to launch rockets where you motors can get bigger and bigger. And lots of guys that have been there done that.. and boom..
 
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