PDA

View Full Version : Can taping fuse affect burn rate both ways - faster and slower?



upNdown
05-04-2018, 11:09 AM
I've read that taping fuse can make it burn faster. But I'm pretty sure I witnessed it have the opposite effect last year.
What I saw last year was this - me and my buddy fused up a few big boards together, and then we each fused our own separate small board individually, for a little competition. His didn't go well - the timing was all off; presumably his fuse burned too slow. I know he taped the crap out of his fuse on that board - he probably had every inch of fuse taped very tightly down to the plywood with duct tape.
Before you suggest that it was just some bad fuse, let me add that we used the same fuse on all the bigger boards and the timing was great - just about flawless. But there wasn't as much taping on those bigger boards.

Here's my hypothesis (based mostly on guesswork) - is it possible that if you tape down fuse loosely, leaving a small pocket of air around the fuse, you'll create a sort on a quickmatch effect, speeding up that fuse? And is it also possible that if you tape the fuse down very tightly, leaving virtually no air, it will slow down the burn rate of the fuse?

PYRODAN
05-04-2018, 12:24 PM
The fuse does not need air as the black powder contains an oxidizer that provides its own oxygen for combustion. Enclosing the fuse will speed up the burn rate for the section that is tapped. You can defiantly choke off a fuse with a very tight zip tie, however i don't think you can tape it tight enough to slow it down. However I could be wrong.

upNdown
05-04-2018, 01:00 PM
I plan to test my hypothesis. Maybe Sunday.

pitts
05-05-2018, 10:43 AM
I have used electrical tape for the last 5-6 years with no issues

Kenny East
05-05-2018, 12:16 PM
Sorry for the poor quality, and the dog was trying to prevent me from lighting it... It's 2 strands 23 sec/foot uncoated visco, in one wrap of Kraft paper with some poly tape over it.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ht1uky69pJM