50AE Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 (edited) I already did this for a tribal dance show for a dear friend of mine. It had to think in a hurry, so I used commercial e-matches and a bit of smokeless powder around the wicks. Then I built the smallest remote control I could to fire 7 cues. The results - see at 1:50 There will be a second time for me to do this soon, but I would like an improvement. A less "sparky" effect but more of a just natural flame. Its not only about better safety, but of a more natural effect. I always tell her to protect her eyes and lean her head back, she always does, mixing it nicely with the dance. I have the idea of pre-coating the wicks with NC solution instead of pouring it in a powder state. Then I need e-matches without sparky burning heads. Maybe customly made e-matched coated with NC only around the wire. The commercial e-match heads dissolve in acetone. Or I could search and buy for some bare heads. Any ideas? Edited February 10, 2015 by 50AE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 I think the effect is good. I'd be wary about changing the structure of an ematch, it's usually hard to make them fire if they are not complete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patsroom Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 You can try using a Christmas tree light bulb the kind use for making e-matches. Remove all of the outer glass of the bulb, leaving just the round ball of glass holding the two wires. First I doped the element of the bulb and after it dried I took a small square of tissue paper and struck it to the element with clear finger nail polish. I understand that finger nail polish has a high level of NC in it so NC could be used as the dupe that you would coat the element and the tissue paper with. What this produce for me was a flame that was about the size of a match for about two or three secounds. I hope this helps...............Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pyrojig Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 Maybe keeping the commercial matches but covering them in a way that reduces the visual effect and some sound dampening . Maybe in a tube or even embedded in a candle . Making your own matches may prove to be fine, but can be unpredictable , and even more explosive than some commercial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mabuse00 Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 I'm having a similar problem. I got some Nicrome and tried to make some extra strong igniters to ensure KNSB rockets to light very fast. Problem is they dont just burn, but explode, throwing a good fraction of their thermite coating away. The problem usually is that the bridge is about in the middle of the pyrogen. Now is the match is fired, the flamefront is first encapsuled in the "drop" of pyrogen. The drop pops open violently and parts of it fly around burning. Watch this and look at 4:00https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwWMKJ_OjXE Check out that goGetter in the background - must be the tip...? I havent solved the problem, but my idea is to construct a match where the bridge only touches the pyrogen, or is somehow glued to it's surface. So that the pyrogen is lit at one side only, burning from that end to the other . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
50AE Posted February 11, 2015 Author Share Posted February 11, 2015 I'm i'm thinking of buying my commercial electric matches.I'll then coat them in Nc solution and build a thickness to taste. Although there could be a problem. From experience nc tends to smolder when lit from small temperature flame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 The bang from an igniter is the inside comp splitting the NC head and throwing it out, so more NC may mean more bang and more sparkly bits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taiwanluthiers Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 What if instead of a candle, build what is essentially a butane lighter that looks like a candle. Then you could make it so that it can turn on at the flick of a switch... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlaMtnBkr Posted February 12, 2015 Share Posted February 12, 2015 At a club shoot a couple hundred sky lanterns were lit simultaneously. They use a wax impregnated piece of cardboard I believe and are basically a candle. I never did ask how it was done but I will try to find out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparx88 Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 (edited) I thought what you had happen in the vid was great. It was real, i would'nt change it up so much that it becomes obviously simulated. Leave it real like you had it imop. If anything just reduce the pyrogen until you have a more close encounters freindly snap on moment. Other than that, it was great. Edited February 13, 2015 by Sparx88 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 SO FAR the commercial igniter has proved the most reliable method of remote ignition and it has a low enough firing energy for small hidden units to fire them. MOST alternatives I've seen use use more current and are less reliable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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