38 replies to this topic

[AussieBombTech]

Hi there, I need to get some Visco fuse, Im sick of making black match as its fairly unreliable. The only problem is, I cant find the bloody stuff. Does anyone know how I can get it in Australia without signing away my rights to the cops? Cheers ATP

[Merlin]

Properly made black match is very reliable and very fast when enclosed-like ultra fast fuse. For homade visco -unravel the string pull it through you bp slurry then twist it back together with a power drill let it dry and then pull through nitrocellulose laquer. Done.

[AussieBombTech]

Ok, will this achieve the same spinning effect when Visco is shaped into a “c” shape?

[Merlin]

You don't have to use a drill it can be done manually but the drill makes it easier. Tie off say 50 foot strand on one end and doing the drill to unravel 4 or 8 strand cotton string. Pull the strands together through the book slurry then while wet with slurry twist back into original string. The idea is to get the book on the inside and outside of the cotton string. Just pulling the unwound string through the slurry will only cost the outside resulting in much less reliable fuse. you could use thin ply cotton and pulled say 4-6 pieces through and then twist to avoid unraveling.
Once you twist the bp soaked strands you have very reliable fuse. Let dry and pull through nitrocellulose lacquer to water proof

[AussieBombTech]

So if I get 6ply cotton, tie a loop knot and attach that to a hook on my fence, undo the plys and attach the ends to a drill, pull them through a bucket of BP slurry then wind them up when they are wet and maintain the pull strength and cost them in nc lacquer it will work?

[Crazy Swede]

Ok, will this achieve the same spinning effect when Visco is shaped into a “c” shape?

No, only fuses with some outer cover to inhibit surface propagation will do that and only dipping them in some lacquer will not give this effect.

[Merlin]

If you don't want fuse to take fire from the side why not tape or wrap with foil? What is the purpose of bending fuse into a c shape?

[Arthur]

Quick Match certainly is NOT unreliable! The Spanish, Maltese, Italians use it for huge displays, and the Chinese use it on almost everything that they make to pass fire quickly and reliably. Your QM may be poo but that's because your process makes poo fuse, work on perfecting it

[Merlin]

Quick Match certainly is NOT unreliable! The Spanish, Maltese, Italians use it for huge displays, and the Chinese use it on almost everything that they make to pass fire quickly and reliably. Your QM may be poo but that's because your process makes poo fuse, work on perfecting it

Arther, the Australian pyro can't get visco so I was explaining how to make good stuff thinking he just needed fuse for cross matching etc. But he wants to bend it to a C shape and does not want it to take fire side to side. I have made a little hook in visco to keep it in a bp rocket but I can't figure what a C shape would be used for and the concern for it taking fire from the side? Of course I have only made shells and rockets.

Historically you know we were friends- Arther and Merlin!

[OldMarine]

Maybe it's a timing issue and the loop is needed to get a delay. I think I'd try to track down Twignberry if I was in Australia and get one of his kit visco machines.

[AussieBombTech]

Maybe it's a timing issue and the loop is needed to get a delay. I think I'd try to track down Twignberry if I was in Australia and get one of his kit visco machines.

Do you know where he is located? Might look into that

[AussieBombTech]

Regarding the “c” shape is for ground spinners. My family loves those but I simply can’t do it with black match. My QM is fine and works all the time but black match on its own struggles. Sometimes it even jumps a few inches ahead which is no good as I’ve nearly had 2g mgal,kmno4 flash go off in my hand. When I make shells I wrap it in foil. This gives mixed results, some work well but some barely leave the mortar before exploding which is no fun and some simply burn out. I always all 10% 200# alu atomised to my mix, maybe that’s a problem?

[AussieBombTech]

No, only fuses with some outer cover to inhibit surface propagation will do that and only dipping them in some lacquer will not give this effect.

So If I run that through a mini Visco machine and wrap it with thread with it work? I can’t get the actual Visco machine to work so I use it to make 12ply cotton string for black match

[PhoenixRising]

If you don't want flash going off in your hand then don't hold it in your hand.

[AussieBombTech]

If you don't want flash going off in your hand then don't hold it in your hand.

You know, sometime you have to pick the cracker up and toss it because of the wind! This was the case with that. Generally I set them down and light but sometimes I cant

[Mumbles]

That's a bullshit excuse for bad safety practices.  #1 Don't make permanganate flash in the first place. #2 If it's too windy, don't light anything off.  Problem solved.  

[AussieBombTech]

That's a bullshit excuse for bad safety practices.  #1 Don't make permanganate flash in the first place. #2 If it's too windy, don't light anything off.  Problem solved.

Fair enough, permanganate flash is really not as bad as many think. I’m not saying “it’s never happened so it won’t” but seriously. A small 1 gram amount is fairly safe, although saying flash itself is safe is wrong. Secondly the weather conditions down here are stupid. It’s rainy one min then sunny the next then 10 mins later is freezing cold. This particular day was about 4 years ago when I was getting into flash. It was a nice day no clouds, no wind. When we get to the park we are overcome by wind and stormy weather. My cousin was only with me for one more day and he really wanted to see it go off, so against my better judgment I lit it. It was a great bang but too close for comfort. My safety is always my number one priority. I’m more experienced now and know better. It wasn’t an excuse either, merely just saying.

[AussieBombTech]

Maybe it's a timing issue and the loop is needed to get a delay. I think I'd try to track down Twignberry if I was in Australia and get one of his kit visco machines.

Is he a member of this forum?

[Merlin]

Definitely. Look him up in the members icon and send a pm. He may not answer tonight as it's after 12am here. He is near me in Tennessee

[AussieBombTech]

Definitely. Look him up in the members icon and send a pm. He may not answer tonight as it's after 12am here. He is near me in Tennessee

Ok, do you know the pricing? I’m going to make black match now and see how that turns out