13 replies to this topic

[Stuart]

Has anybody ever tried making flash tape? What sort of speed should it burn? I can upload a video of some I once made to my web space if anybody wants to see it. my avatar is also a frame of the video

Stuart

[lord_dranack]

Forgive my ignorance, but what is flash tape?
Is it like sticky match with flash powder?

[PanMaster]

is it tape soaked in nitric acid for an hour?

[Stuart]

I have seen Dan Williams site and yes, it is the same as sticky tape. It has Black Powder down the middle of the tape. The ones I have seen when setting up fireworks displays are just like a reel of tape but have BP down the middle. I have uploaded teh video to my site.


Stuart

Edited by Stuart, 22 November 2003 - 06:02 PM.

[Matt]

Im sure it would ring more bells if you called it sticky match. Flash tape actually uses flash. I have used sticky match for shell leaders every now and then.

-Matt

[Mortartube]

Please refer to it as it's rightful name of tapematch, invented in England by John Wraige of Solar Pyrotechnics in 1986 and copyrighted in that year, before the Americans "adapted it" for their own uses. I feel that tapematch deserves the recognition it deserves as a British product. Just my tuppence worth. Thanks for your patience.

[Mortartube]

BTW, I forgot to mention that a version of tapematch containing titanium as well as the BP was available for a while and produced a nice white sparky effect on lancework etc, but no one seemed to want to buy it in any quantity so it's no longer available. Putting flashpowder onto sticky tape is probably not a good idea. Try peeling some Sellotape from the reel in a completely dark room and watch the sparks, admittedly the sparks are not very bright and you have to pull the tape relatively quickly, but they are there.

[Stuart]

Ok, tapematch it is then. Has anybody seen the video I put up, is it meant to burn that speed or faster?

Stuart

[adamw]

When I was working on James Bond - Die Another Day we produced a variety of tapematch using BP, magnesium and double-base smokeless powder. It was used by Jinx (Berry) to cut through an access port to gain access to the ice dome. Some pictures below:

[PanMaster]

Yeah, and I made the guns.

[adamw]

Oh, did you sir, or do I sense some sarcasm here?

I also produced the rockets for the Bond car in the ice-flat chase scene, the cutting effect for the laser in the same movie, worked on other films such as Tomb Raider, and ones that havent even been released yet, such as Troy (Brad Pitt) and the film version of Thunderbirds. You may have also seen my work on BBC2's SAS series with Eddie Stone, programmes on ITV, Channel 4 and satellite channels.

I say this all modestly too.

Mr Honcho, do we have a problem case here?

[Richard H]

Panmaster, Adam W is telling the truth, I s**t you not.

Adam has worked on some cool movies as well as lots of smaller projects, eg SAS - Are you tough enough for the beeb, as well as 'Jungle run' on ITV to name a few.

[adamw]

Well I wouldnt say a kids TV show was on par with 007, but it is one of my recent endeavours.

[lord_dranack]

That must be the ultimate job for a pyro to have!