Blackmatch

[Nessalco]

In another thread, Dagabu stated

 

If you make BP slurry for black match, you know that the KNO3 drops out when cooled.

 

 

This had always bothered me, and I think made my blackmatch less efficient. This year I tried a different technique, with excellent success.

 

For making a 250g batch of slurry:

- Mix 12.5g of dextrin (4%) and 2.5g CMC (1%) in 8 ounces of water, in a small saucepan.

- Bring to a boil, stir until all dextrin is dissolved.

- Pour into your slurry mixing bowl, cover with saran wrap, and place in the refrigerator.

- When the bowl and mixture are completely cold, remove from fridge and add 250g mill dust. Mix well and proceed.

 

I've used this approach with both the 'pummel a hank of string' method and the 'pull-through' method. Works perfectly, and I get little to no recrystallization of KNO3 on the surface of the match. In neither case did the slurry even get up to room temperature before I finished the run.

 

Kevin

Edited August 12, 2014 by Nessalco

[Mumbles]

Have you noticed any difference in performance?

[Nessalco]

Not really, Mum, but I don't have any of my 'old' stuff left to make a direct comparison.

 

Kevin

[Oinikis]

Well, when I make BM, I just take meal powder, and make slurry using not water, but KNO3 solution. Then, much less KNO3 from meal can dissolve, and then recrystallize out. That excess KNO3 crystallizes inside the string, which then oxidizes the string, making burn of the match more energetic, thus having higher reliability rate. The match is high quality and burns very well. I need high quality match, because I make like several meters of BM, fix both ends, so it's horizontal, and wrap strip of paper towel around, who has been soaked in the KNO3 solution. then twist and dry, and it makes pretty good fuse, which never failed me. However, only good match does the trick in this application, and if I wet the match with water (without additional KNO3) then it doesn't work. I use the same match for QM, and only 2 strands always does the trick. If I want BM to be stronger, I add dextrin to the KNO3 solution.

Edited August 22, 2014 by Oinikis

[pyrojig]

I have made hundreds of feet if not more using simple methods. I had a tub ( container about 2L volume) with a lid that had a 1/8 hole drilled in it. My mix was just dextrinated bp with water, 100% 4-strand cotton string. It was about a tad larger than 1/16 dia. The slurry was made to about a thick syrup consistency and then the string was loosely tossed in the bucket and massed into the slurry with a dowel. I then fed the end of the string through the hole and pulled the match out draping it over a drying stand. I never had issues with kno3 crystallizing out ,or match that wasnt kickass fast. I always use at least 2 strands for reliability .Then rolled pipe out of masking paper spiral wrap method, and pleated down flat to hold its shape. .