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e-firing mortars/canister shells

Fulliautomatix

Fulliautomatix

Member
Joined
May 2019
Messages
14
What's the best way to use an initiator on a consumer shell?

I've dissected a few shells by pulling off the outer wrapper and found that the factory fuse just runs between the tube and cardboard disk that holds the lift charge in place. (not poked through the tube) I can lift the fuse out and replace it with the initiator (with or without the shroud), tape the disk back into place and drop the shell in the tube. Pretty labor intensive if you wanted to do a lot rack of shells, not to mention the number of initiators used.

Despite the number of initiators used (you gotta do what ya gotta do), has anyone ever just poked through the outer wrapper and cardboard disk and stick the initiator in and taped over it?
 
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Safest/easiest/quickest? Cut the visco down a bit and use a port like this: Electric Match - MJG Technologies
You can time the pre-fire time and get a good estimate to use. Unless you are planning a tightly scripted show/pyromusical.

I have never used the method you mentioned on consumer shells, only cakes. I would leave the shroud in place even with the claim that initiators are safer than e-match.
 
Hmmnm... I guess that would mean the port would be underneath the shell in the tube. Not sure if that would impact any lift performance. I'm not scripting anything, I'd just like to get the full benefit of instant ignition that the MJG initiators offer. Also just want to hear what other folks are doing. I'll probably continue using a traditional very fast visco fuse chaining rows together and use the initiator to start off the row.
 
I meant to just trim the visco and keep the port above the shell in the mortar tube. Personally, I do the same thing you do by chaining a row to fast fuse with zip ties / paper uhaul tape.
 
If what you're after is nearly instantaneous ignition of the shell you can pull out the old fuse and replace it with some sort of ultra fast fuse like the gray paper fuse. Connect your Ignitor using the port MHPyro suggested and that should take the delay from a few seconds to a few tenths of a second.
 
might not be the best thing out there but i remove the visco and replace it with grey fuse. just place little paper tape over it to make sure it does not fall out when dropping it in the tube.

out 45 only 3 did not fire.
 
Just remove the fuse, poke a hole where the fuse had run in, insert your ematch (with shroud still in place), and tape over to hold it in place and keep any lift from falling out accidentally.

As you stated, the fuse typically runs under the canister casing and above the disk holding the lift charge in place, but if you're smooth the poke will "stretch" the paper enough to put the match in without tearing it. Ball shells, the fuse is poked through the side of the "lift cup". Of course you have the fake ball shells which are just a little canister shell and are run like the bigger canisters are. Hope this makes sense.

Takes seconds to do once you've done a few hundred (thousands probably over the years lol). Takes longer to unpackage the shells than it does to match them.
 
If you're not scripting the shells, it's not really worth the extra time and labor to individually match each shell. Just chain fuse them with whatever fuse speed you'd like to achieve your desired spacing. I will only match shells that I want very precise placement in a pyromusical (usually Nishiki Kamuro effects). Shells that can be a bit softer in timing I'll fuse up in fans of 3 or 5 and use very fast fuse fired by an ematch.
 
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