SpudFiles

Solid state switch I changed into machanic button and instead of 555 timer I used 2 transistors. It's cheaper in this way. And another reason is that it is realy hard to get such things like ic's in my town so I designed something different...

Hotwired wrote: Heck I've made one and there's no simpler way of doing it.

The simplest is simply an igniter coil as used on antique gas engines. A battery, coil, and switch. Doesn't get much simpler.


http://www.rustyiron.com/engines/ltcoil/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_tension_coil

Hotwired wrote:You can't make anything more simple and cheap than those gas ignition things.

They're a battery -> oscillator -> capacitor -> solid state switch -> HV coil.

Heck I've made one and there's no simpler way of doing it.

battery -> relay -> cap -> ignition coil
Don't need a solid state switch since a suitable switch is built into the relay. Don't need an oscillator since it is a capability of the relay.

edit: oops didn't look at the 2nd page. Tech said the same thing.

The specifics were:

RICHARDakaCHUCK wrote:I'm really interested in cheap, simple and compact ignitor research.

So yes, I see your beer can sized automotive ignition coil based ignition and I raise you two rapid sparking homemade CDI systems that can fit inside that beer can*




*depending on the size of can, maybe more.

RICHARDakaCHUCK wrote:I'm really interested in cheap, simple and compact ignitor research.

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Cheap, simple, and compact.

Unless you had another aim in mind? Like convenience, flexibility, or the "coolness" factor of doing your own electronics.

I have nothing aginst these pjezoelectric ignitors, excep their lifetime. They will die ater few thousand ignitions... My aim is to make simple, cheap, powerful and compact ignitor which will last forever. And i mean MAKE not buy. I want something which I could make from scrap materials or buy components in ANY shop for minimal price...

Hence, the convenience of not having to replace an igniter (even after literally thousands of shots) and the "coolness" factor of making it yourself.

I've made my own ignition circuits from scrap before, but in terms of practicality I very often go with ready-made solutions (piezoelectric igniters, electronic heater/grill igniters, etc.).

Mark, do you have any good advices how to wind HV transformer? I need small but powerfull one...

No, I've never really wound one. The circuit above was planned around a small ATV (CDI) ignition coil.

I mounted everything in air, just using few wires and made smaller HV transformer. I also improoved my circuit by changing few values and adding one extra cap (C4) so now the circuit works from 3v so you can use two AA bateries in series to feed it.
It ain't as small as I wanted, but it can run from a small 3,7V battery, gives hot white sparks and is quite enough for a spud gun. And I think it is quite smal to fit in spud gun's handlegip... I also had ideas to make everything using SMD's but it won't be so cheap then...
As I got sick and am short of free time because of my studies I won't make tutorial how to make such ignitor, but there are nothing too complex about it so here are few links:
HV transformer winding tutorial:
First transformer can be an audio transformer...
If you have both transformers just get few electronic parts and conect everything like shown in the schematic.
If anybody has any more questions e-mail me: 6stygos.ricardas@gmail.com

I know this is a very old thread but, what about 2 nails in the chamber with the ends just under 1 cm apart. Then a small strand from steel wool in between them. On the outside there would be a toggle switch hooked up to a 9 volt. You would have to replace the steel wool but it would be easy.

Potato Demon wrote:I know this is a very old thread but, what about 2 nails in the chamber with the ends just under 1 cm apart. Then a small strand from steel wool in between them. On the outside there would be a toggle switch hooked up to a 9 volt. You would have to replace the steel wool but it would be easy.

It should work. You can do a simple test, with an aerosol and a mixture of butane or propane and air, in stoichiometric relation, at atmospheric pressure. The aerosol that is the combustion chamber must have an exit orifice. The only thing that is uncomfortable to work with because you must install the filament every time you want to shoot.
I use these, and they work very well.

Well I guess I could use nichrome wire that way it lasts longer.

Potato Demon wrote:Well I guess I could use nichrome wire that way it lasts longer.

Yes, the ni-cr wire will surely last longer. You have to know if you are going to reach to light the mixture. Question of proving and drawing conclusions
The sparks of cigarette lighters also work very well, and they are free! :bounce:
Here is a video of what interests you. It's in "Jack's Bible" on your YouTube channel.
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That looks pretty cool! (Well hot actually :p ) i noticed a bit of a delay between the wire heating up and the combustion though. I guess it was heating up.