Using
Aerocon HotHead Electric Matches
|
The
following steps illustrate how to make electric matches from Aerocon
HotHead matchheads |
| #1
Fixture for holding the match head - a wooden clothes
pin. Note the upper clothes pin has been slightly modified, this allows
you more soldering area on the match head. |
 |
| #2
Twenty modified clothes pins glued to a small piece
of hardboard - 10 on each side. You can see four match heads
placed between the jaws of the top left four clothes pins. This setup
allows you to speed the loading and soldering step to follow. |
 |
#3 Cut
twin lead shooter's wire to desired length - often you can save and
reuse wire from a show or launch
Cut
shooter's wire 3' to 6' long, but any length is fine. |
|
| #4 On
one end of the shooter's wire, strip/bare 1/4" of the wire - the
wire strippers shown here allow you to strip 3 to 4 twin leads at one
time, then trim all 6-8 wires to 1/4" with scissors. |
 |
| #5 Place
a match head chip between the jaws of all 10 clothes pin jig. Note that
the pointed end is in the clothes pin jaw. |
 |
#6 Sandwich
one match head chip with the bared wire of one of the lead wires -
try to keep the wire centered on the chip for a neater job. Then solder
the 1/4" bared wire to the top side of the match head chip -
use 60/40 Tin/Lead rosin/flux cored solder and a 25 watt pencil iron.
Place the iron tip onto the wire to heat ( a second or two)
then apply the solder - once it flows onto the wire and chip remove
the iron tip. Repeat until all 10 match head chips have been
soldered (top side only).
Then
carefully turn the fixture over and solder the bottom side wire to
the chip. |
 |
| #7
Dip the match head into your favorite pyrogen formula
and allow to dry. With your order of matchheads we will supply
a pyrogen formula we have been using with good success. |
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#8
Strip/bare the opposite end of the electric match approximately
1" and test continuity of each - then twist the bare wires together
to shunt.
|
|
| #9
Test fire a few with a battery to assure all is well. |
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; "Hothead ematch heads")
