Super Simple Fireworks Electronic Ignition System


This works very well for a firework ignition system and does away with nichrome and/or bridge wire. It's easy. I first cut a 4 ft. length of Skylighter's shooting wire. Strip about 1/8 inch of insulation, squeeze the exposed copper conductors together and release-this should create a gap of about 1/64 inch. Then strip the insulation from the other end of the wires and attach to the positive and negative poles of the fence charger. Flip the switch and you should get a nice blue spark between the tips of the exposed wires, sufficient to knock you on your keester if you hold the bare part. Disconnect from the charger. Then drip enough of the wet "Dark Flash" composition (Potassium Chlorate, NC lacquer Antimony Trisulfide - see note below) to fill in the gap between the exposed copper conductors (where the blue spark occurred). Allow drying for a few minutes and then dip in the NC lacquer and coat with Meal D (or fine) black powder. Dry for an hour or so and coat with the NC lacquer a second time to bind everything together. Attach the igniter to a longer wire (I've used up to 250 ft. of Army surplus wire) and insert the business end into whatever it is you want to launch. Connect back to the fence charger, apply power or flip the switch and the firework ignition system will light a fuse or lift charge.

[Gilliam's note: Don't mix the Dark Flash composition until you have thoroughly read the instructions. Else you may blow yourself to smithereens. See the article "How To Make Electric Matches Using Skylighter's Electric Match Heads" for the critical details on mixing the Dark Flash composition]

--Thanks to Maj. Lewis J. Edwards (USAF, Ret.)

Materials Needed
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