Making Black Match

[DragonsKing]

I have just made my first back of black match. I am waiting to see how it performs and i was wondering something. If i made the regular slurry mix with a little bit of alcohol if it would improve the drying time. Logic says that it will but here in lies my question. What percentage of alcohol would be good to add to that mixture. I have a spray bottle with a 75%water 25% alcohol and i was wondering what might happen if i made the same mixture with liquid starch. 75% starch 25% alcohol. Would this still work the same? Thanks Guys I will be sure to post a video of my black match and of the device i use to make it once it is fully completed. Its about 90% done now but i want to improve some things first.

[NightHawkInLight]

Adding a little alcohol won't hurt anything, but black match is very fast drying anyway. It will usually be dry in 20 minutes in the sun.

[DragonsKing]

do you think that the percentages i mentioned would be fine? i am just trying to figure out different methods of making it. Maybe even improving on it. And you will notice when i post my pitures of my Black Match making device that it is the same as you, just about.

[xetap]

do you think that the percentages i mentioned would be fine? i am just trying to figure out different methods of making it. Maybe even improving on it.

Why not do a study of your own? That way you will have the exact data from empirical evidence. Remember to hold some back w/o anything except water, to use as a control or standard to compare the others to.

 

Besides the liquid starch you might try other binders as well, to see if the results are any better or different.

 

Good luck.

[jwitt]

Yeah, it's possible that different binders would give different burn characteristics, flexibility, and soak into the string differently.

 

For a good experiment, I'd recommend making a couple batches for practice first- work the kinks out of the process.

 

You're making me feel like a lazy bastard, I gotta step it up!

[DragonsKing]

I am currently undergoing an extensive test of 3 different liquid compositions. I will post my results of the test here as soon as they are finished. I am taking pretty detailed notes as well.

[DragonsKing]

Well these are my results.. After a number of test, i have finally chosen one method. I am going to use 75% Starch and 25% alcohol. The burn rate i have for the bit that i have made is 21.60 seconds per foot or 1.8 seconds per inch. Is this an "OK" quality? I have also attached a picture of my black match "maker"

 

Black Match Making Results

Using 100% Cotton 4 Ply String

String Test

In this test I have taken a 12” length of cotton string and soaked it for about 1 minute in the solution and removed the excess liquid from the string. String is hung vertically without contact with any other surface in direct sunlight. Drying time is in reference to being dry to the core.

75% Starch-25% Alcohol

After adding the Alcohol to the Starch there is a slight reaction that occurs within the starch. Small to large “clumps” of a goo like substance builds up. My conclusion is the extra additive labeled on the bottle as an ironing agent and a fragrance. I simply strained out this mess and was left with about 70% of the mixture that I originally made. Drying time is about 10 minutes. When held horizontal, stays stiff with a slight “bow” to the string. No BP at this time.

Dextrin with 75% Water 25% Alcohol

I added enough Dextrin to the solution to completely saturate it but as to no leave any un-dissolved Dextrin within the solution. I noticed a few small white-ish “clumps” within the mixture that wouldn’t dissolve. My conclusion is an impurity within my Dextrin. Drying time is about 10 minutes. When held horizontal, stays very stiff with little to no “bow” to the string at all. No BP at this time.

 

100% Sta-Flo Liquid Starch

I just poured a little of the Sta-Flo into a container and thoroughly saturated the string in this mixture. Drying time is about 40 minutes. When held horizontal, string is moderately stiff, not as much so as the Dextrin and has very little “bow” in the string. No BP at this time.

 

Results

The 75% Water 25% Alcohol Dextrin clearly yields the best result. This solution holds the best drying time and also yields the stiffest string. Although this is what I believe my choice will be, I am going to continue onwards with my test using all only 2. The 75% Starch 25% Water has an increased drying time and is a lot better than the 40 min drying time for just Starch although the string is not as stiff. Using just the Starch, the string is quite stiff but it has the draw back of a long drying time. THIS IS WITH NO BP!

 

Burning Test

75% Starch-25% Water BP Mix

21.60 Seconds per foot

1.8 seconds per inch

75% Water 25% Alcohol Dextrin BP Mix

Well, sadly to say, this time my attempts at making Black Match with this solution has failed. The solution doesn’t seem to want to bind to the string as well as the other. I will make further tests but seeing as I have done 3 already with this solution to the same affect, I have chosen my preferred method.

[Arthur]

My finding is that BM is best made in reasonable size batches when the weather is really hot and breezy enough to dry it well. Still it isn't properly dry for a day or two, but I've probably made 50 to 100 metres. I get two pieces of old pallet wood nailed as a cross with a nail in the four ends and wind the match on that then hang it to dry for a week in the shed!

 

Handled gently this lasts well and does for all tasks that don't use commercial QM.

 

I use 75 15 10 meal with 6-8% dextrin added made into a soup with water.

 

For timing I'd rather use visco or time fuse, for QM leaders I use several (3 - 6) strands of BM in a pipe or in gummed paper tape. Small shells need small string so that they don't jam in the tubes.