How to make a fuse for fireworks. Wicks and fuses. Processes in the wick
Despite the abundance of electrical appliances, candles are still popular, and if you want to make a candle with your own hands, then you need to know how to make a candle wick. Candles add a special mood during the holidays, they can create a special atmosphere during a romantic dinner, and candles can also come in handy during a power outage, from which no one is immune. You can buy a candle in a store, or you can try to make it yourself - of any shape and size, with different decorative elements or flavored. But before you start making a candle, you need to make a wick.
The wick is a kind of capillary through which the molten candle mass enters the combustion zone. Each type of candle has its own wick. The texture and thickness of the wick may depend on the thickness of the candle, its material, coloring, its filling with decorative particles and much more. For example, there are candles in which only the middle burns out, while the walls remain intact, and for them their own types of wicks are used.
For each candle, the wick is selected by trial and error, and sometimes you need to try several options. It should be remembered that a wick that is too thin will constantly go out, and a thick wick will smoke and the candle will melt too much.
Usually the wick is woven from cotton threads. They can be twisted, braided and even crocheted, optimal view weaving is selected based on the characteristics of the candle. If the candle is made of wax, then thick, loose threads are used as the wick and they are not woven tightly, but for other candles, on the contrary, thin threads and tight weaving are used to avoid soot. This is due to the viscosity of the molten candle mass: more viscous wax requires wide capillaries, and lighter paraffin, stearin and various fats need thinner capillaries, otherwise, due to an excess of flammable material, the candle will become very smoky.
Typically, wicks are impregnated with solutions containing sodium nitrate, namely:
- 30 gr. slaked lime, 8.5 g. sodium nitrate and 550 ml. water;
- 5 gr. ammonium chloride, 5 g. sodium nitrate, 10 g. borax and 5 gr. calcium chloride is dissolved in 500 ml of water.
- 1 gr. ammonium chloride, 1 g. sodium nitrate and 700 ml of water;
Do homemade wicks and as follows: dissolve 2 tablespoons table salt and 4 tablespoons of borax in one and a half liters of warm water and dip a cotton thread or twine of the required thickness into the solution for 15 minutes. The soaked wick is hung and kept for 5 days to dry completely. Then a paperclip is attached to the wick and dipped into the melted wax 3-4 times until completely covered. After this, the wick is also hung until completely dry. Prepared wicks should be stored wrapped in newspaper.
Pyrotechnics, both large and small, have long been an integral part of almost any holiday. Moreover, we are talking not only about fireworks, but also about sparklers, firecrackers and firecrackers.
The key to safety when using pyrotechnics is, first of all, strict adherence to the operating instructions. However, there are situations when it is necessary to improvise in order for the holiday to really be a success. For example, a purchased firecracker has a too short wick, and it is dangerous to use, but you really want to. Then there is a solution: make a wick for firecrackers with your own hands.
There are several ways to do this. The difference between them lies mainly in the choice of flammable substance.
Therefore, each method has its own characteristics:
- You can use insulation from wires or a pen refill that has run out of ink as a cord. We fill the wire with sulfur removed from match heads and crushed into powder. Tamp the filling thoroughly with a needle or toothpick. Be careful as friction may cause accidental fire. The denser the sulfur is packed, the longer the wick will burn.
- To avoid crushing the sulfur heads, you can simply break them off carefully and place them in a row on tape. Then roll the tape into a tube so that the sulfur is inside. The more heads, the longer the cord.
- An ordinary thin rope can be soaked in a solution of saltpeter, which can be purchased at a gardening store (this good fertilizer). The saltpeter will need to be dissolved in water until well saturated, and then the cord will need to be lowered there for several hours.
- A flammable composition can be made from potassium permanganate and super glue. These two components must be combined and mixed well. At first, the mixture will turn out to be liquid, but over time it will thicken to the state of plasticine. Roll the resulting substance into a thin sausage. Here's the wick for you.
- In summer, poplar fluff is suitable for making wicks. Collect it, remember it well and wrap it in a paper tube.
How to make a firecracker without a wick
You can make not only the wick yourself, but also the firecracker itself. There can be several filling options: sulfur from matches, saltpeter mixtures, and much more. If you understand chemistry, you can easily select suitable composition. The body is also made from scrap materials. It is possible to make it from cardboard, foil, small plastic jars... It all depends on what effect you are hoping for.
Making firecrackers without a wick is difficult, but possible. True, it’s not very clear why the wick is stopping you... And there are much more ways to do it as it should be than the other way around. But there are still such options.
Our faithful friends, matches, will come to our aid. We clean the sulfur from them; usually one whole box is enough. Then we carefully grind it into powder and pour it onto a piece of foil approximately 10x10 cm in size. Next, we cut out the side part of the box - phosphorus cherry. We clear it of any remaining paper. Cut into two or three parts and add to sulfur powder. We wrap the foil to create a small square with a flammable core inside. Ready! To make a firecracker detonate, you just need to hit it with a hammer.
Another way is to use napkins, electrical tape, caps and small pebbles to make. First you will need to delaminate the napkin. Cut the resulting thin part into eight equal squares. Grind the contents of the pistons in the center of a cut-out piece of napkin, and place pebbles on top. Wrap the resulting mixture so that the shape of the firecracker resembles a small onion. To seal, wrap the tail of the onion with electrical tape. To detonate, throw your invention against a wall or forcefully throw it onto the asphalt.
And yet, we will include in our list of recipes one on how to make a firecracker with a wick and gunpowder. Take a piece of thick cardboard and roll it into a cylinder. Choose the parameters of the piece yourself; it will serve as a body for the future firecracker; accordingly, it should not be very large.
On one side we make a plug. It can be made from plasticine or the same cardboard. If you prefer the second option, coat it well with glue so that the plug remains in place at the right time. Next we make gunpowder. It can be made from potassium nitrate, coal and sulfur. The following proportions must be observed: six parts of saltpeter, one part of coal and the same amount of sulfur. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. The quantity depends on the size of the case. We pour our gunpowder inside the case and begin making the wick. You can use any method, but we still recommend the option with a pen rod and sulfur from matches.
The length of the wick should be such that you have time to move to a safe distance. We are preparing a plug for the other side of the case. We insert it and make a hole in it that matches the diameter of the wick. If it turns out to be larger, we additionally wrap the wick with paper so that it is tightly secured in the firecracker cap and the structure itself is airtight. The firecracker is ready.
Where can I buy a firecracker wick?
If you are not eager to make firecrackers or its components yourself, then you have a direct route to a pyrotechnics store. There, experienced sellers will tell you which wick would be better suited for your product. Typically, wicks and strings (for professional fireworks) are sold in skeins, meaning either mass use for big celebrations, or cut off as much as you need.
In order not to make a mistake with the choice of wick, decide for yourself how many firecrackers will be used, and how far you will have time to move away from the moment of arson. If in doubt, it is better to ask a professional for advice. Let him give you comprehensive recommendations on exactly how many centimeters of wick you need to purchase. If you don’t want to leave home in search of the right product, online stores also have plenty to choose from. There is always a manager or administrator at your service who will give you equally detailed information about quantity, quality and cost.
If you want to blow something up without getting injured, you need to ensure that the pyrotechnic charge can detonate safely. The most in the usual way This is done by making a wick that can be ignited at a safe distance. Below you will see a couple of methods for making a wick.
How to make a kickford cord
For insulating wires, empty paste from an ordinary pen or a soda straw is perfect. Fill the shell with crushed (be careful, they may detonate while crushing) match heads. If you want, you can replace them with gunpowder or another similar mixture. If you light such a cord, the wind will not extinguish it, but if it is well insulated, you can use it under water. The more you compress the filling, the longer the fuse will burn.
In order to optimize the process, if you use match heads, the sulfur may not be scraped off, but the match heads may be broken off immediately, since there is no more than 10 sulfur on one match, and the main ingredients are Berthollet salt and phosphorus (KSIOZ). Lay them out in a row, then wrap it all with tape. However, some craftsmen manage to remove wax with one graceful movement of their fingers.
How to make a jute wick
An ordinary jute rope will do, which must first be soaked in potassium or sodium nitrate dissolved in water.
How to make a stopin
For this type of wick, the same jute rope is suitable, or better yet, if you take an old cotton rope. Repeat the already familiar procedure of soaking in a solution of potassium or sodium nitrate and dry thoroughly. Then mix organic glue and gunpowder pulp to a viscous, thick consistency. Stopin is a cotton rope that is pulled through this mixture and soaked in saltpeter.
Hunting matches - wick
Why isn't this a wick? One match can burn for about 20 seconds without going out even in bad weather. Just make sure that the charge does not detonate before the required time due to sparks flying in all directions.
The candles are over 2 thousand years old. The first mention of the device dates back to the 1st millennium BC. In ancient China and Japan, wax was extracted from sumac seeds. This is a shrub that bears fruit in the 5th year of life. Plants younger age They were not suitable for creating wax, because they did not yet produce seeds.
By the beginning of our era, candles based on animal fat were invented. They dipped the wick into it, covering it layer by layer. The wick itself was made from tow, cotton, timothy or milkweed stems. You can still make a candle yourself. How? More on this later.
Making a candle wick
To make a candle at home, you should start with the wick. They buy natural cotton thread for it. A striking example of this is “floss”. This embroidery material is available in any sewing store. For a candle with a diameter of 2-7 centimeters, about 15 single threads are required. For a product with a diameter of 10 centimeters, 24 threads are taken, and for a souvenir with a width of more than 10 centimeters, 30 threads are woven.
But, the diameter of a candle is not always an indicator of the thickness of the wick. There are models that burn through only partially. Such products only partially consist of flammable materials. The core burns out, leaving an untouched outline. The calculation of the power of the wick is made taking into account the paraffin, helium, or wax part. Wax does not require tight twisting of the wick threads, but paraffin and gel samples require tight twisting.
The wicks are crocheted, braided, or simply twisted. All options are valid. In order not to waste extra time, they even use ready-made parts from household candles. To make a candle with your own hands, you can soak the threads in advance, or you can do it at the same time as pouring.
Determining the shape of the candle and installing the wick
In the matter of form, the author’s imagination plays a decisive role. Any container made of plastic, metal, or ceramic will suit it. Paraffin is poured into table cups, teapots, metal tubes, boxes, and yogurt cups. If there is a paper label, it is removed. During the process, the cellulose may catch fire.
It is most convenient to work with plastic containers. They are recommended for beginners. In the day plastic container easy to make a hole. A wick is inserted into it. The threads are tied in a knot on the outside of the glass. It will negate the flow of stearin or paraffin through the hole. The hole is made with a thick needle.
Place a toothpick, wire, or any crossbar on the top of the glass. The second end of the wick is tied to it. Thus, its position is fixed. The threads should stand straight in the middle of the container. Otherwise, the candle will burn and melt unevenly.
Coloring a candle
How to make a candle color? Simple and affordable way– wax crayons for children. They are easily mixed with the lamp material, unlike gouache and watercolor. These dyes are created on a water-soluble base.
It is impossible to distribute them evenly in paraffin. Illuminating elements are required exclusively on a fat-soluble basis. Interestingly, lipsticks are one of these. Therefore, some craftsmen use old, unnecessary lip samples when making candles.
Among children's candle crayons, soft samples are ideal. Specialized stores and creative salons also sell tableted dyes. The granules are specially created for those who think how to make candles with your own hands. Tablets have a much wider range of colors and shades than wax crayons. True, store-bought supplements are more expensive.
Pouring a candle
Typically used to melt wax tin cans. They are washed well and flattened a little. A trench is formed, from which the paraffin then flows in a thin stream into the mold for pouring. A canned container is convenient, but, in principle, any container except glass will do.
In addition to a container for melting paraffin shavings, you will need a saucepan. Water is poured into it and brought to a boil. A jar of paraffin is placed in the seething solution. The scraps of unnecessary candles should be approximately the same in quality.
The molten material is poured into a pre-selected mold with a wick installed. First, the bottom is filled. If you pour everything at once, a lot of wax will flow out through the hole in the bottom. When pouring in layers, the “escaped” material is collected and again sent for remelting. This is the answer to the question how to make a candle at home with minimal costs.
After pouring, the candle cools down and hardens when room temperature. Placing it in the refrigerator can cause the material to harden unevenly.
If the candle comes out a little rough, place it under hot water for a few seconds. This way the contour is leveled and melted. But sometimes roughness is the author’s idea. Deciding how to make your own candle, many craftsmen deliberately choose forms with a ribbed surface.
The most convenient way is to fill it upside down. That is, the head of the candle ultimately becomes the wick tied at the bottom of the container. The top of the fill becomes the base of the product. In this case, you do not have to separately fill the recess next to the wick at the top of the bowl. It almost always forms during the process of settling and hardening of the wax.
In addition to standard ones, scented candles are also poured. In this case, odorous mixtures and ethers are added to the melted material. They are thoroughly mixed with paraffin before forming the product. Regular coffee beans, cloves, or cinnamon from your home kitchen are suitable as a flavoring. Dried slices of lemons, oranges, and limes are also placed in paraffin.
When making a variety of pyrotechnic devices, you cannot do without a good fuse! A low-quality wick can not only go out without ensuring the device (bomb, firecracker, etc.) works, but also burn out faster than planned, jeopardizing safety! Therefore, making a wick with your own hands should be approached with complete seriousness and responsibility.
An ideal wick has a stable and uniform combustion; there are no lumbagoes or spontaneous extinction. It is highly desirable that the wick be easy to manufacture, but reliable and provide the required water resistance.
All wicks made at home can be roughly divided according to reliability into two main groups: unreliable and reliable. Let's take a closer look at these groups.
Unreliable wicks
Everything here is clear right from the name. These wicks are as easy to make as they are unreliable. The main representatives of this group are sulfur strip and saltpeter paper.
Sulfur strip
The sulfur strip is made from match heads. Cut a piece of paper one and a half to two centimeters wide. Then carefully separate the match heads in the amount of two boxes. It is important to ensure that the sulfur does not crumble or fall off the match. And, one by one, we lay them out in a row on the prepared paper. At the end, where the sulfur strip will contact the pyrotechnic device, you need to put more match heads. We cover the top with the same strip of paper and seal it on both sides with narrow stationery tape.
The disadvantage of the sulfur strip is that the tape melts when burned and can block the spread of fire. Experiments have shown that this happens in approximately 3 cases out of 10. 70% reliability... decide for yourself whether to use the sulfur strip or not, but for now we classify it as an unreliable wick.
Saltpeter paper
Perhaps one of the most simple options wicks. Here we will not dwell on it in detail, because a separate article on our website is devoted to its description: Saltpeter paper. For now, let us point out the main disadvantage of saltpeter paper - it is very hygroscopic, in other words, it strongly absorbs moisture from the surrounding air, so it is very important, firstly, to store saltpeter paper correctly, and secondly, to use it only in dry weather. A saltpeter cord is made in a similar way. Take a saturated solution of potassium or sodium nitrate and soak the cord in it for about 10 seconds. Then it is dried and stored in the same way as saltpeter paper, but it has its own advantages: it bends easily and is almost unlimited in length, unlike paper.
Reliable wicks
The most suitable wicks for homemade pyrotechnics. All of them are almost equally good; which one to choose depends on the situation. Let's see how to make a reliable fuse.
Hunting or camping matches
Special matches differ from ordinary ones by having a larger head and are coated with a special flammable material that prevents the match from going out along its entire length. Such a match burns with constant speed, does not go out, combustion time is about 20 seconds. Perfect as a short but reliable wick.
Incendiary fuse
The incendiary cord is made from a piece of clothesline of the required length. You will also need some black powder. Let's prepare a slurry from it by gradually adding water to the gunpowder and grinding the resulting mixture. You should get a mixture with the consistency of medium fat sour cream. The rope is carefully coated with this paste and dried away from open sources of fire.
This fuse burns very stably, but quickly, so you should make wicks at least half a meter long.
Incendiary pipe
The Lighting Pipe is the best wick because it can perform its task in all weather conditions and even underwater! The design of the ignition tube is also quite simple. It is any small diameter tube into which black powder is stuffed. As a straw, you can use a cocktail straw, one end of which is sealed with a drop of glue. The gunpowder should be packed fairly tightly, piece by piece and tamping down each load. Such a wick has a stable combustion and is almost independent of external conditions. Experiments have shown that 20 centimeters of an incendiary tube burns out in about a minute, i.e. tube length can be easily varied right time slowdown
