Igniters

[DaShooster]

I have a question, it may sound stupid to some of you and to you I apologize. Anyway I was wondering what the best type of igniter for a cannon is. I have heard about many different ones. Colman lantern igniters, BBQ igniters, Stun Guns. Do any of you know which of these works best and for that matter what fuel is best?

Thanks!

DaShooster

\m/ (>_<) \m/

[hi]

I prefer a flint ignition over a bbq, but a bbq can be made into a handle with 1'' pvc. Stun guns are the best, but they are high voltage. bbq work fine, its just a matter of what i like. The best fuel for a combustion is propane or mapp gas. Dont use oxygen, it tends to explode and turns a spud gun into a bomb, unless it has a metal chamber that is 1/2 inch thick.

[ArticWolf]

The best thing I think is the stun gun. It take's little work to get it to work but if money is the problem or if there illegal where you live then a bbq igniter would be the best and like Hi said you can make it into a handle out of 1" pvc so you won't get shocked. I am going for the stun gun no matter how illegal they are here, once they are taken out of the case (and put into a small project box) then it is a different story. Hope that helped a little

[Scope]

In my opinion heres the order from best to worst

Homemade
Stun gun
BBQ
Flint
Lighter
Alot of friction

[subterranean]

Dashooter, you are obviously new,and welcome to the forum, but for someone like you just buy a bbq ignitor. They are the simplest ignition method. They are also easy to get and cheap. If you know where you can get a stun gun then go with that, but for your first cannon its not worth bustin your butt to find one.


scope- wow i hope no one is using the old "hole in the chamber, then hold a lighter to it" method.

[DaShooster]

Thanks for your help but now I have another question. sorry. What is the best way to make a spark with the bbq. I have seen the two leads attached to screws that are then stuck into the combustion chamber. Any Ideas?

Thanks again for putting up with me! (^_^)

DaShooster

[pyrogeek]

You can screw two bolts through one of the fittings (where the PVC is twice as thick as usual, if you drill and tap it), and have the spark be there, or run wires down into the chamber and glue in studs screwed into a peice of PVC like how I made the mounts for the spark strips in my latest cannon. This requires softening an old peice of pipe though, and forming it to the inner diameter of the chamber you are using.


I love stun guns for ignition. My first gun used a grill ignitor, and since using stun guns, I will not go back. They work a hell of a lot better, are cooler, and give you an excuse to do things like use tungsten electrodes. I kid you not, the electrodes in this latest gun are peices of welding tungsten. This should never need readjusting or replacing. The only problem is that tungstens are kinda pricy if you buy them. But, I only used like 2 tungstens for the 8 contacts (quad ignition).

[willarddaniels]

That is the best way, generally. You creat one spark gap between the two screws/electrodes. Connect the srews to wires coming off the leads of the bbq igniter. I think you've got it. If you are doubting yourself or you need some visuals, cruise through the Combustion Cannon Showcase.

I prefer to use the Stun Gun. It works well with multiple gaps and with spark plugs in your metal cannons. Plus, it is more impressive to the onlookers.

[Scope]

scope- wow i hope no one is using the old "hole in the chamber, then hold a lighter to it" method.

Haha yea i was talking about the lighter sparkers... the little suckers... but i have made a few super ghetto tennis ball guns with that kind of ignition!!

[DaShooster]

So the screws will work with a grill igniter to? My parents won't let me buy a stun gun so I'm stuck with a bbq igniter .

DaShooster

[willarddaniels]

^^^Yes, the screws will work with a bbq igniter

[hi]

yes, stun guns are the best. I managed to stun myself yesterday with a 500,000 volt stun gun while working on my hybrid. That thing hurts like hell!!!!! It was only for maybe a mili-second, but i felt it through my entire body! just be careful if you do use a stun gun....

and to answer your question, yes, screws will work with a bbq igniter

[lukemc]

i wouldnt be too sad about the stun gun they all ignite the same stuff at very very very close to the same rate. mostly i have found that people use ignitors to fit the gun. example: you want a trigger like mechanism dont use a lanturn sparker use a stun gun of bbq ignitor