Tips for Linstock users

[Will Bison]

Lots of cold and snow today so indoor projects are under way.

First order of business was to make up some slow match. I picked up some cotton cord and of course it's filled with glass fibers. After I stripped the outer braided cotton back a bit I tied the glass core to a fixed object. By running my hands down the full distance of the rope, I was able to peel the outer cotton off in a few minutes. Now I put all the rope in a container with one part potassium nitrate (PN) and nine parts water/alcohol and let it soak. The alcohol acts as a wetting agent and soaks in better. You can get the PN at Farm and Ranch supply in 50 lb bags for about US$27.00, it's fertilizer grade. Or you can get the exact same stuff as stump remover in one lb bottles at Home Depot/Lowes. If it's called stump remover it's worth about 20 times as much?
Go figure. So if you need stump remover, go buy fertilizer instead.

After the rope soaks about 24 hrs it goes in my fish smoker to dry out. Once dry I cut it to a managable length and it's done.

Some of you may have noticed that slow match won't always give instant ignition in BP. After you prime the vent with BP, sprinkle a few grains of smokeless ball powder on top of the BP. I use ball powder only because it's a bit more wind resistant. I have two small plastic bottles, one red and one yellow (mustard and catsup). One holds BP and the other smokeless for priming.

Have fun.

Bill

[Artilleryman]

If you haven't used a linstock before, here is another tip.  Roll the lit end of the slow match into the primed vent from the muzzle end of the cannon.   The vent recoils away from your linstock and slow match.   That way you won't set the rest of your slow match on fire as the cannon recoils and the flame from the vent passes under your slow match on your linstock if you roll it in from the breech end of the cannon.  You don't have to worry about this on mortars.

[Double D]

Good tip, Norm, I'll bet rolling from the muzzle also helps keeps vent gases from setting your arm on fire like it might if rolling from the breech...

[Squire Robin]

I've changed over to Sugar of Lead, aka lead acetate for my match cord, it burns slightly faster but doesn't form that hard black ash you get with nitrate and it doesn't nearly go out if you dip it in powder and require lots of blowing to make ready again :-D

Here's a comparisson...