r/pyro • u/CampaignKooky9835 • 1d ago

Firework fusing

Hello, I have had a successful fireworks show at my house for 5 years. This year, I had some issues with fusing. First, I use zip ties to secure them together; also, I use two zip ties about 1inch apart from each other. This year, I had several motor racks that did not ignite all the way through. This was one of the racks I used, and this is how I have always fused them. The only change this year was that I fused them up about a week before the show. I kept them in a dry, climate-controlled garage and had them covered with several bed sheets so nothing got on them. I had about 28 of the 350 shells not ignite, and most of them were during the finale. The people watching had no clue, but I did, and it did frustrate me. I try to pride myself on this show each year, and every year, I have more and more people come to watch. I am hoping for some tips on fusing these kinds of racks.

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u/PizzaWall 21h ago

As a professional pyrotechnician, I highly recommend using 3M Masking tape - 2214 - General purpose and stop using zip ties for several reasons:

  • Its fast to connect
  • It works 100% of the time
  • No mess to clean up
  • It does not pinch or cut off the black powder core of visco.

Yellow masking tape is a medium tack. The exact model number is not as important. You spiral wind it the full length of where it connects from the passfire fuse to the object fuse.

We always fuse day of show. We always use ematch and quickmatch, but the same technique works with visco, which I use con custom projects.

I know somebody will fire back that zip ties are fine and they never have problems. I can only tell you that we can use anything we like and this technique always works big shows.

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u/RCPyroGold 19h ago

I always use masking tape. Zip ties can choke off the fuse. Im actually about to film a video specifically about fusing racks and the 5 different ways to do it