Dan wrote:
An unexpectedly fast burning fuse can toast one's fingers while
testing. If you want to see a test of relative burn rates between
smokeless and black powders burn a spoonful of each. Use a blowtorch to
ignite the black powder. It will burn fast enough to extinguish the torch.

It was also a commentary on some of the other clever moves I have seen
and done. I have a series of photographs of one fool using his buttocks
to launch an oversize bottle rocket. The last picture shows a
significant amount of charring.

Dan, U.S. Air Force, retired

I for most of my home spun fireworks, I didn't roll the fuse in black
powder only soaked them in a 50/50 black power/water solution then hung
them up up to dry. This made for some very slow fuses. I put a 24"
fuse on one of my first homemade devices and I waited several minutes
for it to go off. Watching it through binoculars was like watching
paint dry until the end. ;o)

For the rocket motors, I had to roll the motor end in black powder
before drying to get reliable ignition. I only rolled one test fuse for
the full length. It was too damn fast for my tastes. I like to be able
to get back aways before things go boom. I guess I'm just enough
fearful to keep from blowing my self up...

If I ever play with model rockets again, I'll use the electric igniters
that come with the engines. There was a certain level of simplicity
using a welding rod and fuse to do the launch when I was a kid...

Tony