Ignition
Fuses
Sparklers: These can be used as fuses, and have their advantages as well as disadvantages. They are cheap and easy to come by, and they give a nice long burn time which gives you a chance to get away from your device. They are quite reliable, but not extrememly reliable. They can go out for a wide variety of reasons. As well, falling sparks are a problem. There is the danger of a falling spark igniting your composition prematurely. To alleviate this problem, the sparklers can be wrapped in foil or something.
Visco Fuse: This is the most reliable type of fuse ignition that I have. Consistent burn rate, safe, and burns under almost any condition. The back of the package has a little warning that says, "Caution: It is not possible to put out the fuse once it is started". So that about says it all right there. It burns at 30 + or - 5 seconds per foot. That give you plenty of time. I got mine in, believe it or not, Canada! It was bought at a gunshop. Wasn't too cheap, but not overly expensive. It came out to $.80 Canadian per foot. Thanx again to my amazing friend who got it for me. And if you can't buy it..... well there's always pulling it out of fireworks.
Electrical
Electrical Ignition: A simple electrical igniter can be made from nichrome, steel wool, and some other metals, two wires, and a 9 volt (or other) battery. To best explain how do this, let's name the ends of our wires. On one side we have 2 "End 1s" and the other side will be the "End 2s". Attach some of the metal of your choice between the "End 1s". This will be the part that heats up and should be inserted into the composition. On the other side we have just two bare wires - our "End 2s". Just hook these ends to the battery and the metal will heat up. The electricity flowing through experiences resistance, heat is created, the metal heats up, and your composition is ignited. Simple as that. How well it works depends on your setup and choice of materials. Variations include placing NC laquer or some other substance on the end to ensure ignition. The picture on the right is of an estes igniter which uses nichrome and some NC laquer on the end.
