FIREWORK FUSING AND CONNECTIONS
SAFETY FUSE
Also called "Visco" or "cannon" fuse, safety fuse consists of a black powder-soaked thread that’s been wrapped in layers of twine and coated in nitrocellulose lacquer to make it waterproof. It comes in 3 colours (green, red, and a red-white-blue combination) and burns at about 2.5 seconds per inch (not the other way around). This is the type of fuse used in all consumer fireworks, but it usually lacks the waterproof coating. safety fuse is primarily used to create delays, which can be as simple as adding a piece of it to another fuse just to give someone a longer time to get away after lighting it. It can also serve as a delay between the ignition of multiple fireworks.
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Advantages: Very reliable - can burn in rain, under soil, submersed in water and with layers of tape wrapped around it. Connecting safety fuse to other types of fuse is simple, easy and reliable as it burns slowly and gives off a lot of sparks which can ignite all other types of fuse without a problem. |
Disadvantages: Difficult ignite unless the black powder core is exposed. Due to the slow burn rate it is not suited for lighting fireworks separated by a long distance. top
Safety Fuse To Safety Fuse
This method is most commonly used for connecting cakes or shells to one fuse. A good rule of thumb is simply to place the two fuses side by side and overlap them by at least an inch, then attach them with either electrical tape, duct tape, or zip ties. Masking tape does not work well unless it's dry and warm so is not reccommended As the burning front of the first fuse comes into contact with the second fuse, the intense heat burns through the nitrocellulose/thread coating of the second fuse and ignites its core. Even before this occurs, sparks from the first fuse usually ignite the black powder core of the exposed end of the second fuse. For increased reliability, use a knife to cut the receiving fuse at a 45 degree angle to expose more of its core. It also doesn't hurt to wrap the connection in a bit of tape to help concentrate the fire. When connecting pieces of (secondary) safety fuse (from a cake, for instance) to a long, continuous piece of (primary) safety fuse, bend the last inch of the secondary fuse at such an angle so as to allow it to lie next to the primary fuse, with it's end pointing in the direction that the fire will be coming from. Attach it with tape or zip ties. top |
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Safety Fuse To Quick Match
| This is another simple connection to make, since all that must be done is ensure that sparks from the safety fuse come into contact with the black match core of the quick match. This is as simple as inserting a piece of safety fuse about 1-2 inches into the paper casing of the quick match, twisting the paper around the safety fuse, then fastening it in place with duct tape or a zip tie. Be sure that there is actually black match inside of the quick match pipe - it is occasionally recessed several inches into the pipe, resulting in the safety fuse failing to transfer the fire. top |  |
Safety Fuse To Sticky Match
This method is often used for attaching a safety fuse leader to a sticky matched set piece in order to allow time to get away. Overlap the safety fuse to sticky match by about an inch, centring the safety fuse over the sticky match's powder core, then fold the sticky edges down around the safety fuse. Since safety fuse gives off a lot of sparks in all directions, it's a good idea to cover the first few inches of sticky match with tape or foil to prevent premature ignition. top |
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