Author Topic: Slow-match experiments (Read 1598 times)

Santa Dave · « **on:** March 28, 2006, 11:26:24 AM »

I decided to "mess around" with making my own Slow-match because I have Terminal Boredom and here is what went on.
I found some very pure potassium nitrate and then started looking for rope. (Not easy: MOST makers now put a synthetic core, which drips burning dross {Really upsetting barefoot pirates & firemen!} and stinks like ---!) So my first slow match is made from 3/8" twisted hemp rope (Probably much more accurate historically)
I soaked it for ten minutes and piled it on my smoker grill to dry , It was too stiff to lay out neatly.
After it was dry I put it in the dryer to soften it some (On air only)
It burns slow,About 8 minutes an inch. forms a nice cone shaped ember. Does not unlay, Does NOT smell like pot as I remember. (Darn, I'm burnin' hemp again!)

It was really quite easy!
Now I gotta build either a match-case (Like a grenadier) or a linstock (or both)
I now have a source for pure 100% woven solid core cotton rope, but this works so well---
Dave
Wear RED on Fridays to show support for our troops! EVEN if you don't support the war!

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #1 on:** March 28, 2006, 12:09:07 PM »

Cool stuff - always good to have several alternative methods.

Evil Dog · « **Reply #2 on:** March 28, 2006, 12:09:49 PM »

What is your source for 100% cotton rope?

watmoc · « **Reply #3 on:** March 28, 2006, 12:16:11 PM »

I use tiki torch wicks from OSH. They work fine just as they are.

Santa Dave · « **Reply #4 on:** March 28, 2006, 12:25:33 PM »

Look for "Weep rope" it's used in masonry to allow water to drain from blind spaces.
BUT CHECK FIRST not all weep rope is 100% cotton, (Some ordinances require all coton so you can still find it.)
Of course hemp is traditional! (one of the reasons for the Revolutionary war was the quartering of solders in unwilling citizen's homes . and they were known for stealing bed ropes to make slowmatch out of!)
Dave

Rickk · « **Reply #5 on:** March 28, 2006, 12:51:32 PM »

You can pull the core out of a 1/4 inch piece that is 5 foot long in about 5 minutes. A longer piece would scare me.... try it once and you will know why I say that.

ACE hardware stores in my area carry 5/32 inch 100% COTTON.. not quite as intense as 1/4 inch, but easy to deal with. That is the same diameter that Dixie Gun Woks is selling pre-nitrated.

The magicians supply place listed on the supplies thread is probably worth checking out.

Double D · « **Reply #6 on:** March 28, 2006, 08:14:45 PM »

Quote from: Santa Dave

So my first slow match is made from 3/8" twisted hemp rope (Probably much more accurate historically)

Hemp or sisal called hemp?

If its real hemp, where do you find it?

If it's real hemp will I have any problem on Monday when I go in to work and they hand me this little cup and say fill it? :oops:

Santa Dave · « **Reply #7 on:** March 28, 2006, 08:25:32 PM »

Real hemp,(according to my ROPE dealer! :grin: :grin: )
According to what I hear the rope is made from the male stems. people smoke the female leaves & buds. the test is for the THC which is only in the female .
Besides how long since YOU have been tested?
Dave

GGaskill · « **Reply #8 on:** March 28, 2006, 08:25:37 PM »

So how much nitrate do you put in how much water?

Santa Dave · « **Reply #9 on:** March 28, 2006, 08:30:10 PM »

Not much, I used about a tablespoon in 3 cups (as I was testing, I used a quart glass jar, warm water, and soaked for 10 minutes.) If you use more or soak longer the rope burns faster,sputters and acts like a fuse in general (NOT good)
Dave

Double D · « **Reply #10 on:** March 28, 2006, 09:28:10 PM »

Do you have a link for the rope dealer.

Santa Dave · « **Reply #11 on:** March 30, 2006, 10:41:38 AM »

On a trip with a friend driving he stopped at a very large aviary supply place. they had white 100% cotton twisted rope(For parrot toys) IN LARGE SIZES 1/2" being the smallest . so if someone wants to mess with big rope there it is. The Hawiian Cheiftan uses 3/4 inch slowmatch for their cannons, I hear. I bought 6 feet of 5/8".
Dave

pyro_tek · « **Reply #12 on:** March 30, 2006, 11:34:12 AM »

I found 100% cotton rope at a fabric store. I picked up a length of 1/4 inch diameter but as I recall they had a couple other sizes. It's used for the pipeing on the edges of pillows and furniture.
FYI, p_t

CAV Trooper · « **Reply #13 on:** April 01, 2006, 05:52:58 PM »

Look in the "Where to find Blackpowder Cannons and shooting supplies" under "Slowmatch". Good resources there.

Rickk · « **Reply #14 on:** April 02, 2006, 03:01:52 AM »

Magician's Supply appears to be running low on 1/4 inch rope. I got the last of their standard 1/4 inch 100% cotton on order.

They are also sending me some that for some reason has some of the cotton core strands removed. I'll try it as soon as it comes in.

Santa Dave · « **Reply #15 on:** April 02, 2006, 12:15:54 PM »

We magic types aways remove the core so the rope is soft & compliant (limp) NOT what you want for slow match
Dave

Rickk · « **Reply #16 on:** April 06, 2006, 01:06:52 PM »

using identical soaking procedures, the cotton cored "magician supply" rope burned about an inch in 4 minutes. The version they have in stock with no cotton core at all burns about 1 inch in 3 minutes.

I agree with Santa Dave, the core-less rope is limper.

Using the same drying procedure, it also does not dry any where near as uniformly as the cored rope.

For what it is worth, I have been adding food coloring to the potassium nitrate solution. When the rope is colored, it is obvious that it has been treated. Also, the uniformness of the coloring is a good way to tell how good the drying technique is working... if it is splotchy in color, it is probably going to be splotchy in saltpeter as well.

I can't complain about the price of the coreless stuff... I think he maybe gave me 500 feet for the price of 50 feet of cored rope. I will find some other magical use for it, but as slowmatch it isn't the first choice.

So, if you are ordering rope from Magician's Supply and can wait, hold out untill he gets some more cotton cored rope.

slide-flipper · « **Reply #17 on:** April 11, 2006, 08:09:14 AM »

Howdy!,
Just a lurker here (for now...) maybe when I get back to the US, I'll pick up one of these "big boys toys". Now, I don't know what some of this stuff is... what is "slow match"? Why make it? What do you use it for?

Thanks,
Slide-flipper

Santa Dave · « **Reply #18 on:** April 11, 2006, 09:22:07 AM »

SF:
slow match is basically a treated chunk of rope, which is used as a source of ignition for cannon and muskets. it must burn slow enough that is does not consume itself too soon, it must not go out on it's own, and it must make a firm ember so the gasses coming out of the touchhole don't extinguish it.
Why do we make it? because some people are always tryin' to do it better!
Dave

Double D · « **Reply #19 on:** April 11, 2006, 09:35:46 AM »

Side flipper,

Welcome to the board. I see Santa Dave got you your answer.

Part of the fun of shooting cannons is learning how they did it the old way and seeing if you can make it work.

Some times we do and sometime we don't. But we keep trying. That's the fun of it.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #20 on:** April 11, 2006, 11:59:59 AM »

Quote from: slide-flipper

Howdy!,
Just a lurker here (for now...) maybe when I get back to the US, I'll pick up one of these "big boys toys". Now, I don't know what some of this stuff is... what is "slow match"? Why make it? What do you use it for?

Thanks,
Slide-flipper

WELCOME!

So where in the world are you?

We'd love to see pictures of what y'all shoot, or hear of your plans to get a fix for your habbit!

slide-flipper · « **Reply #21 on:** April 12, 2006, 06:49:31 AM »

I wonder that myself sometimes... and I'm sure my wife wonders where my mind is too... actually, I'm stationed in Germany now. Right now, I'm just trying to figure out the laws for owning a bow over here. Guns are quite complicated to own here. I'm guessing that a cannon would be dang near impossible, though I might be able to buy a small scale one or two just to have until I can get back to US. Don't even know the laws about keeping BP over here.

slide-flipper

Rickk · « **Reply #22 on:** April 20, 2006, 04:38:17 PM »

I don't know why, but ...

I was having problems getting the rope to be coated uniformly. Food colring in the solution was a good indicator of how unifirm the KNO3 probably was when it dried. There were light spots and even bare spots by the time it dried. I was dring it on the part of the kitchen sink that you (or whoever that person is) would put the clean dishes to dry.

I had been soaking the rope in a 1 gallon ziplock bag. For some reason, instead of laying down a coil of rope (coiling seemed to be best) on the sink, I layed it down in the ziplock bag (which was only about 25% full and laying on it's side. This time it came out really uniform.

I am thinking that on the sink the stuff just kept draining. Sitting on a self-made depression on the partially full zip-lock bag maybe stopped it from continually draining. I guess if it pools a bit in the bag, and has no where to run off to, the pool stops the cotton from continually wicking itself empty.