Author Topic: Slow match (Read 1172 times)

Double D · « **on:** October 19, 2008, 03:23:30 PM »

I found a source for 1/2 inch white cotton rope so it's time to buy some potassium nitrate. Anybody have a current good source? Saw 10 lbs on Ebay for $14.

and7barton · « **Reply #1 on:** October 20, 2008, 12:41:15 AM »

Yes - Ebay !

Terry C. · « **Reply #2 on:** October 20, 2008, 01:06:18 AM »

Half-inch rope?

Why so big?

I use 1/4" and it swells some after treatment. Probably closer to 5/16" now.

1/2" is going to come out around 5/8".

If there are significant advantages to larger diameter rope, I may try some myself. But then I will have to make a different linstock.

Double D · « **Reply #3 on:** October 20, 2008, 04:30:29 AM »

Why of course Terry, there is a good and valid reason for the 1/2 inch rope. A very important one. They had it on the shelf. They didn't have 1/4 and I asked.

I have found a source for it:

Knot and Rope-Cotton rope

I though about buying 300 feet of 1/4 inch...anybody up for a group buy! Oh I hate group buys.

thelionspaw · « **Reply #4 on:** October 20, 2008, 08:32:39 AM »

Here is my 7' linstock with the 14" blade and 1/4" cotton sash cord . I boil the cord in Salt Peter. Why do I need Salt Peter, you might ask? Hee,hee,hee! No; I'm and old guy and don't need it.

I had a nasty bull I named "Bodacious". Mean? You bet! He caught me dismounted in the pasture once and came at me but my horse whirled around and kicked him in his slats before he could tag me. I kept him because he was an anxious breeder. The S.O.B. tore through 2 strands of "weed-burner" with 2 strands of 4 point barb and then rocketed through two sides of sheep fence. He disappeared for 2 weeks. Well I knew he couldn't stay away from the cows too long and I had all of my dairy neighbours watching for him. Sure enough, down off the mountain and through the woods he had come. Took me another 3 days to rope him.

After that, He got salt peter every week to make him more pleasant. S.O.B.!

Richard "The Vengeful"

Cannoneer · « **Reply #5 on:** October 20, 2008, 09:59:19 AM »

Quote from: thelionspaw on October 20, 2008, 08:32:39 AM

Here is my 7' linstock with the 14" blade and 1/4" cotton sash cord . I boil the cord in Salt Peter. Why do I need Salt Peter, you might ask? Hee,hee,hee! No; I'm and old guy and don't need it.

I had a nasty bull I named "Bodacious". Mean? You bet! He caught me dismounted in the pasture once and came at me but my horse whirled around and kicked him in his slats before he could tag me. I kept him because he was an anxious breeder. The S.O.B. tore through 2 strands of "weed-burner" with 2 strands of 4 point barb and then rocketed through two sides of sheep fence. He disappeared for 2 weeks. Well I knew he couldn't stay away from the cows too long and I had all of my dairy neighbours watching for him. Sure enough, down off the mountain and through the woods he had come. Took me another 3 days to rope him.

After that, He got salt peter every week to make him more pleasant. S.O.B.!

Richard "The Vengeful"

I just pray that one of the saints of PETA do not witness this vicious anecdote. BTW, that's an excellent lontstok, the nicest one I've seen on this board.

Rickk · « **Reply #6 on:** October 21, 2008, 07:03:56 AM »

Skylighter carries KNO3, but 10 pounds for $14 with a reasonable shipping charge is going to be hard to beat. 10 pounds will make you a lot of slowmatch.

1/2 inch will light a stubborn fuse much quicker than 1/4 inch. I hate it when I just stand there waiting for something to happen and the fuse just laughs at the slowmatch.

A trick I learned to make cannon fuse light much more easily is to "glue" some exposed 4F powder to the end of the fuse. The "glue" I use is "nitrocellous laquor", which can be either purchased from one of the pyro dealers or made youself by disolving some single based smokeless powder in acetone to the point of saturation. Dip an end of the fuse into the "glue" and then dip it into some 4f. It will dry in about a minute and takes fire quite easily.

Smokin Joe · « **Reply #7 on:** October 21, 2008, 08:12:57 AM »

Just for info:

spectracide stump remover (Walmart)

is 100% Potassium Nitrate

Double D · « **Reply #8 on:** October 21, 2008, 12:50:55 PM »

Turns out my cotton rope is 3/8.

I am going to order 300 feet of 1/4 inch cotton rope, 1800 16 inch paper straws and 10 lbs of saltpetre. I'm 60 years old, will this be enogh for me to reach 90?

thelionspaw · « **Reply #9 on:** October 21, 2008, 01:24:56 PM »

Yup! 90 plus 3 more reincarnations.

dan610324 · « **Reply #10 on:** October 21, 2008, 01:33:13 PM »

make it an doubble batch
or what will you use after your 90th birthday ??

Rickk · « **Reply #11 on:** October 23, 2008, 02:01:32 PM »

once you get the paper straws, you can play with the 1/8" cotton stringed quickmatch or the virtually instantanous 4F on scotch tape.

Both have their uses

Rick

Terry C. · « **Reply #12 on:** October 23, 2008, 03:55:47 PM »

Re: Nitrocellulose lacquer, would a double-based propellant work?

I just checked and I have no single based smokeless powder.

I have plenty of acetone.

Rickk · « **Reply #13 on:** October 25, 2008, 06:21:27 AM »

Nope, it wants to be single based.

Double based powders have Nitroglycerine in them as well as Nitrocellulouse. You only want the Nitrocellulouse, and don't want the Nitroglycerine. Oddly enough, ping pong balls used to be made of 100% Nitrocellulouse. Sadly

, I think they are some less flammable plastic material now.

Here is some powder info with some single/double base info in it: http://www.darkcanyon.net/powderinformation.html . Someplace I saw a better chart online, but I can't find it at the moment.

Note that most (not all) IMR powder is single base, so if you have some IMR, check them against the list first.

Terry C. · « **Reply #14 on:** October 25, 2008, 08:06:45 AM »

All I have is some Alliant (formerly Hercules) powder and it's all double-based. Getting smokeless around here is almost as hard as getting black. No one stocks it, or wants to order it because of the HazMat fee. I bought what I have at one of our increasingly infrequent local gun shows.

The ping-pong ball formula was going to be my next option. I found the recipe, but it doesn't say anything about the material of the ping-pong balls.

I bought a half-dozen p-p balls at Wal-Mart this morning, I already have a can of acetone.

I also bought a jar of baby food (I needed the jar). Diced apples in white grape juice, yum!

(I'm going to have to develop a taste for baby food sooner or later.)

The balls I bought are extremely thin and resilient, I don't know of any plastics that can replicate this action. They also don't feel like plastic.

I'm going to try the p-p/acetone formula. If it works, great! If not, I'm only out a couple of bucks for the p-p balls.

Besides, I already ate the baby food...

Terry C. · « **Reply #15 on:** October 25, 2008, 08:27:39 AM »

I did some research and modern ping-pong balls are made of celluloid, which is about 75% nitrocellulose. It's safer than pure nitrocellulose but still "subject to detonation."

I cut a thin strip from one of the balls and torched it. It burned quickly, not violent but fast and complete.

No melted residue like plastic would leave, just a very tiny bit of white ash that disappeared when I rubbed it.

I think this is going to work. I'll report back on my progress when I have some finished lacquer to work with.

Edited to add: If I needed further confirmation that these ping-pong balls are celluloid, it came in the form of stinky fingers. The other primary ingredient in celluloid is camphor. After chopping up three balls, my fingers smell like VapoRub!

I've hijacked this topic long enough, sorry! I'm going to move this discussion to a thread of its own.

Nasty Jack · « **Reply #16 on:** October 25, 2008, 09:29:44 AM »

Salt peter -- you should do some research on the sexual suppression end of this stuff. A thorough Google search of some reliable, authoritative sources holds that this whole salt peter thing is a myth.

-- And it's not really something you should be feeding your bulls.

thelionspaw · « **Reply #17 on:** October 25, 2008, 11:29:27 AM »

Oddly enough, it works on bulls for some reason or other. A pinch is all they need. It's the old-time rural remedy to put a lid on the temperment and not necessarily the urge. The only caveat is, "DON'T LET THE BULL GET CAUGHT IN THE RAIN" or the ENTIRE bull will go rigid. The part that I know is urban legend, is that it is added to inmate and GI rations. But that's enough "bull"

. Back to artillery info.

rc

Cannoneer · « **Reply #18 on:** October 25, 2008, 01:23:18 PM »

HOLY COW!

Double D · « **Reply #19 on:** October 25, 2008, 01:42:36 PM »

Another Brand of stump remover that has Potassium nitrate is Green Light Sales. I have a pound of this stuff on order.

I tried to buy 10 lbs of potassium nitratre from Ebay and got this message back from the seller.

Quote

Hi, I have recently run into legal issues and I will not be able to ship your item, I am sorry for the inconvenience, please do not leave negative feedback, your payment will be refund within moments.

I am sorry for the problem,