Here's how to make a simple form of a slow burning fuse from materials around the house.
WARNING: Ignition of an incendiary or explosive material may not be legal in your area, so check local laws before attempting. Use of this video content is at your own risk.
I made these fuses out of 100% cotton yarn, soaked in a solution of KNO3 (potassium nitrate) and white table sugar.
Mix together a composition of 36 grams KNO3, and 24 grams of white table sugar and shake them together to make sure they are well mixed.
Next, boil 1/3 cup of water and stir in the composition until it's completely dissolved.
Measure out about 12 feet of 100% cotton yarn, and soak it in the solution, and at any point now the yarn can be removed and strung out on a cookie sheet in a zigzag pattern.
Preheat your oven to 300ºF and bake for 20 minutes.
Then let cool for 5-10 minutes.
At this point, the yarn should be very stiff and can be cut down into different lengths for different projects.
I used these fuses in a batch of smoke flares seen in a different project. You can see that project video here.
Testing the fuses, I was happy to see they had a steady burn rate of about 3 seconds per inch. Every batch is a little different, so it's a good idea to test a piece to get a feel for how it burns, before actually using it for a specific purpose.
I've found a fun use for these fuse cords is in making a cheap batch of make-shift sparklers for me and my kids.
Hundreds can be made for just a couple of dollars, and they burn and sparkle brilliantly at night.
If you liked this project, perhaps you'll like some of my others. Check them out at thekingofrandom.com.
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