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Best way for homemade E-Match

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SMUGangsta

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Hi guys, my nichrome arrived today, so hopefully i can knock up a firing panel before November the 5th, but what is the easiest way to make a homemade e-match, or more to the point is there a specific way to wrap it?

this is my first test, but i think im using too much nichrome, as it uses a continental style car fuse as a former (has nice little bumps that keep the wire seperate, but take about 5 seconds to ignite so i need a bit less, any ideas on household stuff i can use as a former?

YouTube - Test Electric Match

Thanks
 
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If you want a simple, easy to assemble and reliable E-match then add Lamp Black to your mixture as this will make it conduct. If you use this method then you will need a capacitive discharge system to ignite it.

Even simpler way, break the glass of a Christmas tree light and dip it in a black powder slurry.

For more info check out a pyro legend.

Mike.
 
where do I get black powder? I can make it buts its sometimes unreliable
 
where do I get black powder? I can make it buts its sometimes unreliable

Buy fireworks (bangers are good), and extract the black powder from them.

Back in the early 70's we made a home made flash bomb for the re-launch of a club we used to help run - mixed magnesium powder with gunpowder from bangers, ran a piece of 5A fuse wire through it, and simply connected mains across the fuse wire :p

I made an audio tape up, starting with the theme from, "2001 A Space Odessy", the part where it builds up - then spliced in the explosion off "Dark Side Of The Moon", recorded with the VU meters bouncing off the end stops.

We assembled the 'bomb' on top of one of the speakers, played the tape and triggered it to coincide with the explosion.

Only the main DJ and myself were aware of this, I was stood the opposite side of the room, facing away, eyes closed, hands over my eyes -and everything went bright red :p

The silly things you do when young!.
 
Sound excellent - and bangers are easy to get at the moment :D

This is mk2 - Much quicker and more reliable ematches, still using the fuse former, but wired differently and so far 100% reliable - got my son to fire them, hopefully I will have a BIG RED MUSHROOM switch for him to press on the 5th, lets him get much more involved as he loves fireworks.

YouTube - Leccy Match Mk2

PS. would love to get a syncronised shing going - about 5 mins or so with music and fireworks.
 
Why bother with Nichrome in the first place? Just wrap match heads in magnet wire, if you want something more directed/intense dip the whole thing in super glue or thin epoxy and after it's cured nick the coating in the direction you're trying to aim the heat at.
 
magnet wire???

is that like transformer wire?

thanks
 
Magnet wire, just a generic fine wire that has a basic enamel insulation coating. I picked up a generic pack at radio shack that has 22 26 and 30 gauge wire spools. Just do simple tests, like three different matchheads wraped in one three and five turns of wire. I'd try a 12 volt supply and use heavy duty wire going up to the match. See what happens, if it doesn't go off fast enough with even one turn of wire try a higher voltage.
 
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