Fuse muse...

[Victor3]

 I don't quite know why, but actually lighting a fuse has always been much more fun for me than watching someone else light it. Was that way when I was ten years old and is still the same now with my hair going gray.

 Must be in the genes - My nine year old boy doesn't even care to hold a sparkler on the 4th of July unless he can light it himself. My wife is just slightly less enthusiastic about lighting stuff off (Okay, she could care less). I rekun it must be a guy thing. My buddies and I still demand to take turns when the cannons come out.

 What do you guys usually use to light your cannon fuses? I've been using a long disposable Scripto wind-resistant BBQ type lighter lately. I've had enough of blistered fingers from using various cigarette lighters...

[Evil Dog]

Somewhere in the stickies there are several posts concerning a make-it-yourself linstock.... doesn't cost much at all and definitely saves the fingers.

[Double D]

Up in the References post you wil find a link to making a linstock.

In safe loads and cannon plans you will find instruction on making quils.   

At the SAMCC club the Range master walks the line and fires all the guns with the linstock.  By the way priming is with fine grained fast burning smokeless powder poured down the vent.

[Will Bison]

My own preference is to use a linstock. I like to be up close when the piece discharges. But yes, I do like to light the fuse too.

[lance]

   I admit it, when having just a fun day out shooting, well, i kinda like them BBQ lighters........but i also have linstocks, light them with a BBQ lighter too

[Double D]

When I return to America, land of the free and home of the brave...I am going to convert all my guns to quill and use a linstock.  More control over when the gun goes off.  How  many times have we sat here and watched video's of 10 seconds of burning fuse  to see one second of BOOM and FLASH.  What's convinced me the most is this video.

http://www.fototime.com/0974A271A002EFA/conv.wmv

I used fuse to fire those guns. Both times the dogs ran from my wife  on the left to me on the right.  Now I was standing behind the guns so the dogs ran behind the guns.  But there is just to much time that the gun is hot that things can go wrong.

Besides with a linstock you can get right up there and feel the gun go off!!!

[Artilleryman]

What I look for in ignition systems, traditional system and instant ignition.  I do not like any lag time to much can happen down range.  I once had two kids on a motor bike (who were trespassing) ride in front of my half scale Napoleon.  They paid no attention to our efforts to wave them off.  Back then I was using firecracker fuse which takes forever.  Fortunately we hadn't started the ignition process.  Since then I have used linstock & quills, friction primers, or 22 blanks for ignition.

[Victor3]

 I've used linstock and friction primers. One of my cannons uses a 209. I still have a soft spot for fuse when safety permits though. Something about the anticipation of watching and waiting for it going off I guess.

 Next time I go out I'm going to see how well an Estes model rocket igniter setup works.

[GGaskill]

Next time I go out I'm going to see how well an Estes model rocket igniter setup works.

I have used these and other electrical ignition systems and they are reliable and will fire the charge with less than a second of delay.  However, they are not instantaneous like a primer ignition.  But they certainly are quick enough that you have control of when the gun fires versus having a lit fuse that you can't stop.

The primary problem with Estes ignitors is the leads are kind of short for large gun use and you have to slip a piece of insulation over one lead so they don't short out by touching the barrel.

[Rickk]

Usually Linstock and quickmatch for me.

Sometimes the quickmatch is BP saturated cotton string, sometimes it is a tube of scotch tape with 4F stuck to it. Either type gets inserted into 3/16 inch paper straws.

I do break down and use 1/8 inch fuse at times when I want to stand back and watch it go off from a better vantage point. I Still use linstock to light it though.

[Cat Whisperer]

I just use that little green fuse and matches - and have the burns to prove it!

[copdoc]

Thanks for starting this.  I was just looking at the NSSA site with the mortar for sale.  I have noticed that the reenactors use friction caps instead of quill and linstock to fire the mortars.  I did not think this is the original way of firing and and old manual I once read warned of this to avoid the friction cap being propelled into your own troops.  I have seen the modern safety plates but have never seen or read of an original.  Does anyone know the reason they fire with caps. 

[Double D]

I'll stick my neck out here ands say its a safety thing, no open flames/embers.

[Artilleryman]

Some of the N-SSA mortar crews use quills and linstock.  Most seem to be using friction primers.  It may be because it can sometimes be difficult to get a quill on a mortar to light.  It may be because a lanyard allows you to be farther from the muzzle of the mortar.  It may be because we get rained on so much.  I would opt for a quill and linstock when using a light weight mortar, but I prefer a friction primer on heavy mortars.  If they didn't use a vent shield orginnally they were probably smart enough to not stand directly behind the mortar.  We use a vent shield more for the protection of spectators than anything else.

[copdoc]

Thanks to both
I makes sense not to have open flame around BP and friction primers are more reliable.  Does anyone know if friction primers were used in mortars, especially Coehorns in the CW era?  I thought the shields must be a modern addition.  I had never seen or heard of any period ones.

[lance]

Thanks to both
I makes sense not to have open flame around BP and friction primers are more reliable.  Does anyone know if friction primers were used in mortars, especially Coehorns in the CW era?  I thought the shields must be a modern addition.  I had never seen or heard of any period ones.

Doc, this will probably start an argument, but you asked. friction primers were used in coehorns during the Civil War. BUT, they were mainly used by the Union Troops.Due to shortages, the South felt that what primers were made or gotten by other means, should go to the cannon guys. Confederate mortar crews used them some, but mainly quills........... Soldiers on both sides of the war might have rigged a vent shield of some sort, but the original manuals bascially said to "look out for that vent"......... i've read enough accounts about injuries from the vent to think that shields weren't plentiful or ever used at all.

[Max Caliber]

Friction primers were in general use by the U.S. Army prior to The Civil War to fire field cannon and mortars. There is no mention of a linstock in the U.S. Ordnance Manual of 1862 or the Confederate Manual of 1863, which was a reprint of the U.S. manual with the exception of the addition of those things unique to The Confederate service.The linstock socket, which was mounted near the rear of the right cheek piece, is also omitted from the list of hardware for field gun carriages. Linstocks probably still saw lots of service during the war under emergency situations.

Max