Source for slow match?

[Millermpls]

Just received my first matchlock. MVT sent a piece of clothes line. Very thin and flimsy, does not seem suitable...

Dumb question - your favorite source for a match? Or is it just a thick piece of rope? Thanks for helping out a new guy.

 

[krolick]

Clothesline, pure cotton of about 21/64ths,soaked in a potassium nitrate and water mixture. What they sent you is probably cotton mop line - it works but is flimsy. See my previous post for the match cord mixture. Good luck shooting your new matchlock - they're lots of fun. G.S.

 

[Musketeer]

Take a look HERE . Max diameter is 5/16". There was a place online where I found larger diameter solid cotton, but I lost my old favorites when my last computer crashed. The 5/16" ought to do for most locks, though. :thumbsup:

 

[Jasseji]

solid braided Linen works best but the keyword here is SOLID = not some strings with an external layer of braid but all braided, otherwise it comes apart quite quickly

As for the mixture, 1-2 tablespoons of Potassium Nitrate into a 1-liter jar of distilled water or a 50/50 water/urine mix (to add amonium) - best is horse or goat urine as per historical sources but human works as well (according to some sources Ginger boys have best )

And this is honestly not a joke

Leave it in the mixture for a few hours, press a few times against it to remove any air bubbles and soak it completely then leave for drying on a FLAT surface turning sometimes so it dries evenly. Direct sunlight has worse effects so best to keep in the shade but with good air circulation.

DO NOT HANG to dry - it will screw up the mixture in the rope and you will have more Potassium Nitrate in one point than the other.

 

[Jumpshot]

http://www.turkeyfootllc.com/Hemproducts.html

http://unitednuclear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=87&products_id=179

http://www.metamuseum.com/us/slowmatch/index.cfm

 

[Wes/Tex]

- best is horse or goat urine as per historical sources but human works as well (according to some sources Ginger boys have best )

And this is honestly not a joke

Absolutely not a joke. I used to have a copy of an ancient English recipe for making gun powder that made a comment about the best urine "Commeth fromme a younge woman who knoweth not yett ye mann"! Good luck finding a virgin willing to play along with your original style match development! :thumbsup: :rotf:

 

[Millermpls]

Thanks to all for the sources and advice. I may have prematurely gotten a head start on the urine supply after reading WesTex's post :blah:

 

[Wes/Tex]

Thanks to all for the sources and advice. I may have prematurely gotten a head start on the urine supply after reading WesTex's post :blah:

This most may get real silly! :wink: :rotf:

 

[Jasseji]

got a daughter still untouched ?

 

[robinghewitt]

The best urine for making saltpetre crystals to grow is from men who drink wine and strong beers. This girly virgin water sounds a bit limp in comparison.

 

[Alden]

Brave Sir Robin clearly missing the point...

 

[Canute Rex]

R&W Rope has braided hemp about 12mm (~1/2") in diameter. I boil/soak this twice for a few hours in wood ash liquor (then a vinegar rinse) and then soak it overnight in dilute potassium nitrate solution. Dry it flat on a cookie tray or else all the nitrate goes to the low hanging ends.

The boiling in wood ash (or lye) is more important than the nitrate, because it leaches the lignin out of the rope. The lignin won't burn and will make a lot of ash, getting in between the glowing coal and the priming powder.

 

[robinghewitt]

If you want to avoid the hard coal, substitute Lead Acetate for the saltpetre. Works like a charm, burns without the fizz, whispy yellow ash, doesn't light gunpowder any better than the ordinary stuff :idunno:

 

[Canute Rex]

Squire, haven't you heard the old arquebusier's saying, "He who acetates is lost"?

But yes, I have read an article that touts lead acetate as a non-sparking alternative to saltpeter. The writer even did a simulated inhalation test with a filter to see how much lead the shooter would inhale in a long shooting session. The amount was essentially nonexistent.

Even without any further treatment, bucked match burns very well. The chemicals just give you a little edge in damp weather.

 

[Alden]

"Fizzing" cord, including "popping crystals" on the surface, is usually caused by improper (supersaturated) solution and/or poor drying. If you see dust on the surface of the cord it was done incorrectly and though useable must be wiped clean with a damp cloth and used with a little more caution...

 

[Musketeer]

"Fizzing" cord, including "popping crystals" on the surface, is usually caused by improper (supersaturated) solution and/or poor drying. If you see dust on the surface of the cord it was done incorrectly and though useable must be wiped clean with a damp cloth and used with a little more caution...

I always thought the "pop and fizz" were just part of match cord. I'll have to dilute my mixture (less KNO3) next time I make some and see if it improves. Thanks for the info. :thumbsup: