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Offline carmy53

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Fuse behavior?
« on: July 15, 2011, 02:59:09 PM »
I'm new to black powder and just received some fuse I ordered online. I placed a 3" piece in an ashtray and lit it so I could time the burn. The fuse scooted around the ashtray and then started to fly around the room like a rocket! A little scary watching that burning fuse fly around! Is this normal fuse behavior?
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Offline gunsonwheels

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Re: Fuse behavior?
« Reply #1 on: July 15, 2011, 03:04:42 PM »
Yes... Please go outside and try to restrain the fuse's movement (put a rock or something on it).  All are pretty active with some are more active than others.  I have fuse speeds from 4 sec/ft up to 30 sec/ft.... the faster ones are more active than the slower ones.
 
GOW 
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Offline dittles

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Re: Fuse behavior?
« Reply #2 on: July 15, 2011, 03:14:10 PM »
 They will do that!  ;)  That's why it best to anchor it and not to light it inside. I to am a green horn at this and I have to say it is an addiction. Have fun and be safe!

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Offline dittles

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Re: Fuse behavior?
« Reply #3 on: July 15, 2011, 03:15:57 PM »
 Sorry gunsonwheels, you beat me to it.
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Offline moose53

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Re: Fuse behavior?
« Reply #4 on: July 15, 2011, 04:00:57 PM »
Keep in mind that on rare occasions the fuse will flash and burn almost instantly . I had a 3in piece of red varnished fuse flash on me shooting my mortar . There was almost no time between lighting and firing , good thing I was practicing safe procedures or it would have been bad. That is why the guy lighting his bowling ball cannon from the muzzle is crazy , its just a matter of time.
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Offline gunsonwheels

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Re: Fuse behavior?
« Reply #5 on: July 15, 2011, 04:03:14 PM »
I'd like to start a poll but don't know how...
 
How many on the board first lit a piece of fuse indoors and then were startled if not down right scared of burning the house down, by the furocity of the little sucker...  :)   :D   ;D
 
The whole reason I own different rates is I shoot varying wall thicknesses and don't want too much time from ignition to explosion.  The BB cannon guy must be trying to save time or money by clipping that fuse so it requires lighting inside the bore.  I'd use a 4 sec per foot artillery fuse and just let it hang out, get in a safe location (does that exist with that thing?)and then light it.  Yeh it is probably just a matter of time...  :( 
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Offline carmy53

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Re: Fuse behavior?
« Reply #6 on: July 15, 2011, 04:12:42 PM »
Thanks for the info guys. I thought I was doing the smart thing by timing the fuse burn but I guess it wasn't so smart to do it indoors. By the way, my 3" fuse burned in about 3 seconds but I can't be too sure about the time because I was freaking out while chasing a burning rocket around my kitchen.
 
 
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Offline Cat Whisperer

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Re: Fuse behavior?
« Reply #7 on: July 15, 2011, 05:16:24 PM »
When I made my first mortar (1974-75) it finally came time to shoot it - JULY 4th 1975 - within a few miles of the bridge between Lexington and Concord - on THE 200th anniversary of the first shot heard 'round the world.

I had powder but couldn't find fuse anywhere!  What to do?  Make it.  Mixed a slurry of water and powder and soaked paper in it - let it dry. 

Testing was ok - it sputtered a bit but burned at a controlled rate.

Next day we took it out and fired it on THE 4h.

OOOOOPS.  The paper had dried out a bit more - instant ignition!  GOOD thing that I was wearing ear protection!

 ;)
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Offline keith44

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Re: Fuse behavior?
« Reply #8 on: July 15, 2011, 05:41:23 PM »
funny  ;D  :o and a little scarey.  I learned about fuses with firecrackers.  As they age they get really fast.
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Offline armorer77

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Re: Fuse behavior?
« Reply #9 on: July 15, 2011, 06:43:34 PM »
When I was 15 I couldn't buy fuse so I made some . String , glue &  powder . Let it dry and cover in tape . The smokeless was OK then I tried BP My fuse exploded .  ;D 
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Offline RocklockI

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Re: Fuse behavior?
« Reply #10 on: July 15, 2011, 07:31:53 PM »
Yes any good green cannon in the smaller size will fly around , and if I did it in my house .....yes I suppose it would be scary .
 
I have some fireworks that are nothing more than a fuse with a small bullet shaped piece of plastic on one end ....They spin around in a circle untill the fuse is gone .
 
Gary
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Offline KABAR2

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Re: Fuse behavior?
« Reply #11 on: July 16, 2011, 03:00:05 PM »
You think fuse is scary?  remember those little black cylinders called snakes? Well I have been collecting military items since I was the wee age of 5 years old..... at 15 a WWII Navy vet gave me 5 grains of cannon powder...... they were the same size and shape as the snakes..... I had them in a plastic pill box in a draw..... well my younger brother as brothers will do got into my stuff and thinking they were snakes applied open flame in the form of a stick match to one....... thankfully no major harm done a just little singed but it kept him from getting into my stuff for a while......  Thankfully he never found my Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator...  ::)

and to answer did I ever light fuse just to see what it did... no. 
One more story.... a fellow I know gave me some Civil war friction primers.... he said they work..... he put one in his vice in the basement and gave a yank..... he said it was loud!
So hopefully we won't need a thread on weather friction primers act that way when not in a vent..........  ;D
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