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joewad
06-27-2020, 04:42 PM
Straight copy and paste from email. Apparently there is a speed issue regarding quick fuse (1/4 sec/ft) sold at cannonfuse.com.

Dear CannonFuse Customer,

It has recently come to our attention that there is a possible issue with the burn rate of the FE-134 Quick Fuse (1/4 sec/ft). Of the thousands of orders for this item, we have only had a handful of reports about inconsistent or inaccurate burn times, but our first priority is to ensure our customers are well-informed and that their fireworks show isn't compromised by this problem.

The reports we have received indicate that random packages of this fuse are burning at varying speeds, up to 12 sec/ft. While we believe this is an isolated issue, we strongly suggest that you test each roll of FE-134 Quick Fuse you have purchased prior to fusing your show (if you haven't already). This can be done by cutting about 1 foot of the fuse from the roll, taping/stapling it to a piece of wood (DO NOT hold it in your hand!), and lighting it (it's helpful to have a friend start a timer as soon as the fuse is lit).

HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?!

All fireworks fuse produced in China essentially comes from the same main factory. The only rational explanation that we can come to is that one of the components that was mixed in the Quick Fuse composition was likely contaminated. However, this is not to say that every single roll of this fuse has been affected. In 2019 alone, over 1.2 million feet of Quick Fuse was manufactured and imported to vendors in the US. We've spoken to other vendors, and they too have received a handful of customer reports regarding this issue. The speed of the fuse we receive is tested not only by the factory in China, but also by our importer and in-house by us, but there is no way for us to test every single roll. To try to determine which rolls are problematic would be similar to finding a needle in a haystack.

SO, WHAT NOW?

Issues like these, though usually isolated and on a small scale, are why we always suggest that customers test every roll of fuse before using it to approximate the burn rate and know the exact speed being worked with.

The unfortunate news is that this problem has come to our attention too late in the season for us to be able to send out replacements in time for the 4th. That being said, if you do test and find that some or all of the FE-134 Quick Fuse you received is not consistent, there are solutions!

Double Fuse
Using two fuses together rather than just one can ensure that if one does not perform as intended, there is a backup and the show will go on.
Alternative Fuse
If you have any other "fast" fuse, you can modify your display accordingly to accommodate a different burn speed.
If you test your FE-134 Quick Fuse and find that it is inaccurate, please send us an e-mail (sales@cannonfuse.com)! We want to do what we can to make it right.

We understand news like this is less than ideal. This is not a situation that we were looking forward to dealing with, either! But we have a responsibility to inform you of the (possible) problem now, rather than letting you find out if or when the finale of your show falls flat. We're confident that together we can overcome this obstacle, and please don't hesitate to contact us if you need help!

Sincerely,

CannonFuse.com

upNdown
06-27-2020, 06:24 PM
I appreciate the heads up.
I'm sure these are just generic instructions, but it cracks me up. One does not need a timer to determine if the fuse is burning at 1/4 second per foot.

Maksim
06-28-2020, 02:56 AM
Yikes... good reminder to go test it... a 1/4 second per foot fuse burning at 12 seconds per foot.... yeah.... quite a change. hehe Fortunately I still have some from last year but will surely be testing all of them.

Rick_In_Tampa
06-28-2020, 06:12 AM
I bought 10 packs a few years ago. Still using that up. Thankfully. Hopefully all the crap product gets identified and removed from circulation before next year.

@upNdown - Yeah, I laughed at that part too. If you need a timer to tell the difference between 12 sec ft. and 1/4 sec ft. then you probably shouldn't be playing with fireworks in the first place.