making slowmatch....

[Jim Walls]

Howdy!

Ok, I thought I made slowmatch - turns out I didn't. I soaked the cotton cord in Stump Out on the idea that there was sodium nitrate in there, turns out there isn't.

Apprently salt peter is no longer being sold over the counter but I can get in on Amazon / eBay...

Do I go that route or is there a better way?

Or do I find a dung heap and go about making my own like they did back in the day? :stir:

 

[aapch1]

Well I use bucked flax for my match.

It holds an ember, and is much cheaper than buying saltpeter.
This link should help

http://www.musketeer.ch/blackpowder/lunte.html

 

[Jim Walls]

Bucked flax, eh? I've never heard of it! Something to Google!

Thanks! :hatsoff:

 

[aapch1]

No problems. Check out Ulrich bretschers page. He explains how to do the whole thing
:stir: :v

 

[Matt85]

No problems. Check out Ulrich bretschers page. He explains how to do the whole thing
:stir: :v

now that was a good read!

ill be stashing that website for when i finally get my matchlock.

thanks
-matt

 

[aapch1]

:haha: really its no problem. Ulrich is an interesting guy. His sight is just awesome. I became obsessed with handgonnes about a year ago, and ever since then, I've been an Encyclopedia of slow match information

I happen to know several guys who make and sell slow match as well

If yous like to know, pm me.:^

 

[Canute Rex]

There is one (and only one that I have found) brand of stump killer that has potassium nitrate in it. In fact, it is 98% saltpeter. I have a bottle around somewhere. I remember getting it on Amazon in a plastic one-pound bottle with a spout. I think the brand name was Green Light. You can also get straight saltpeter online (amazon), but for some stupid reason it is easier to ship the 98% stump killer.

Anyway, the simple way of making match is to order up some braided hemp from RW Rope in Massachusetts. It's about 1/2" in diameter. It has to be braided because the twisted stuff just splays out.

Line a big stainless pot with a defunct t-shirt. Fill it with wood ashes and then with boiling water. Let it sit for 15 minutes and *wearing rubber gloves* gather up the t-shirt and squeeze out the liquor. You now have 5-10% potash solution. Dispose of the ashes, dump in a coil of hemp, and simmer for a few hours, till the liquor is brown. Discard the liquor, make more and repeat. Rinse match in vinegar to neutralize, and then water. Dry thoroughly.

It will glow well like this, but I put a few tablespoons of stump killer in a few cups of water and soak the match in that for a day. Then I dry it flat on a cookie sheet. If you hang dry it the saltpeter concentrates in the low spots. Be sparing with the saltpeter or the match will spit sparks and you will suffer the embarrassment of premature discharge.

The big point is to get the lignin out so ashes won't get in between the ember and the priming. Then keep it dry. I store mine in an extremely authentic ziploc bag with silica gel packets.

 

[Musketeer]

I store mine in an extremely authentic ziploc bag with silica gel packets.

I've heard ziploc bags were very rare and expensive in Medieval Europe, so only nobles could afford them. :hmm: :haha: :grin:

I buy my KNO3 on ebay and then mix it with water in a 16oz soda bottle. I then put a long piece of cord (anything from 1/4-3/8" braided cotton) in and let it sit for several hours and then pull it out and lay it outside on the brick patio (summer) or just out on the tile floor of my workroom (winter) to dry. Don't hang the match over anything to dry or the KNO3 will tend to migrate with the water towards the ends of the match.

These guys offer solid cotton braided up to 5/16". Your braided hardware store rope will have a synth (nylon) core. I've used this too, and it works reasonably well once the core has been pulled out, but it's not as good as solid stuff. :hatsoff:

 

[Jim Walls]

Excellent!

Thank y'all very much for the info! Very educational! :hatsoff:

 

[Canute Rex]

My ziploc bag has been handed down for generations. It was once owned by the original Canute, my 23rd great grandfather. He kept moon pies in it when he went to the beach. :youcrazy:

But really, keep that match dry, dry, bone dry for good ignition.

 

[vetarms]

Easy Matchcord:

Step 1: Acquire a length of 100% Cotton braided cord. Cut a length of about 6 feet.

Step 2: Place two tablespoons of 2F or 3F Blackpowder in a small ziplock sandwich or freezer bag.

Step 3: Fill the bag 1/2 full of water. (Tap water is ok.) Seal the bag and shake up the contents until the powder dissolves in the water. The water should be dark black.

Step 4: Place the length of cotton cord in the ziplock bag with the blackened water and allow it to sit for several hours. If the water does not completely cover the cord, you may turn the bag periodically so that all of the cord becomes saturated.

Step 5: Remove the cord from the bag and lay it on a flat surface to dry. Do NOT hang the cord as the water will drain toward the ends.

Step 6: Place additional cord into the bag if producing more than one piece. Several matchcords can be made from one bag of solution.

Step 7: Once the cord is thoroughly dry, ignite one end to test it and observe the rate of burn. The cord should smolder with a bright orange tip which is very hard to extinguish.

Use care in handling and using your matchcord and alway be sure it is fully extinguished before storing.

Happy Shooting.

 

[Teleoceras]

Catoctin Jim:

Howdy!

Ok, I thought I made slowmatch - turns out I didn't. I soaked the cotton cord in Stump Out on the idea that there was sodium nitrate in there, turns out there isn't.

Apprently salt peter is no longer being sold over the counter but I can get in on Amazon / eBay...

Do I go that route or is there a better way?

Or do I find a dung heap and go about making my own like they did back in the day? :stir:

Here is a video showing how I make my slowmatch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrlCdMJOc-Y

Slowmatch Forever!
Teleoceras

 

[Musketeer]

That reminds me, I forgot to mention the quantity of KNO3 I use. In the 16oz bottle I use 3 tablespoons. I also have an old 20oz Gatorade bottle in which I use 4 tablespoons. :thumbsup:

Humorous vid, Teleo. How many times did you set the smoke alarm off before you decided to stop burning slowmatch in the house? :haha:

 

[Canute Rex]

I don't want to be contentious here, but bucking the match is important. If you don't get rid of the lignin in the rope you get ash. The ash gets in between the glowing coal and the priming powder and can cause misfires. Back in the day a lot of match was just bucked hemp cord, minus any saltpeter. Sometimes they put in lead acetate, but I'm not promoting that.

Your mileage may vary.

 

[Jim Walls]

Thank you, Bro!

BTW - Anybody who plays Shadowrun is a-ok in my book. :grin:

 

[Jim Walls]

I am not discounting your advise, my good man.

Safety first! :v

 

[Jim Walls]

Interesting!

Ok - question: when the blackpowder dries will it wear out of the match (handling,jostling and such...) or will it be imbued in the cord like potassium nitrate?

Your method does sound like the easy one! :hatsoff:

 

[vetarms]

I've never had any trouble with the saltpeter wearing out of the match under normal handling conditions. It seems pretty well soaked into the cord. With that said, I've not played jump-rope with any either. I should pull out a piece and really rough it up in order to see what happens.

 

[vetarms]

Forgot to add that essentially what one is doing by making match from the blackpowder is obtaining the potassium nitrate (saltpeter) from the gunpowder. (Gunpowder = Saltpeter/charcoal/sulfur).

 

[Canute Rex]

Black powder is a mechanical mixture, not a chemical compound. That means that the saltpeter is free to dissolve in water. Sulfur and charcoal would both suspend in the water but not dissolve. Mixing black powder in water should give you a fairly pure potassium nitrate solution. A slightly expensive solution compared to Green Light stump killer, but good in a pinch.