Learn how to make electric matches (also known as squibs or igniters) using small pieces of circuit board, nichrome wire and solder.

Materials Needed

An electric match is a small device essentially consisting of a couple of wires attached to a small explosive composition that goes pop when you apply a current to the wires. The explosive power is not too much greater than a toy cap, but more than enough to ignite just about any firework device. They are designed to be used one time and than thrown away.

Several years ago, my friend Phil Martinez announced that he was going to start making electric matches commercially. He now gets orders for more electric matches than he can sanely cope with and it just keeps getting worse! His particular claim to fame is an electric match that generates a hotter flame than other electric matches do. He sent me this note along with a box of circuit-board looking strips:

"I have a quantity of copper-clad strips that I used when I first started experimenting with electric matches. I have approx. 600 pieces each measuring .4" x 4.5". What I used to do is spiral wrap the nichrome wire around the strips and then apply stainless steel soldering flux to one side and solder using the flank of the soldering iron tip. I would then flip the strip over and do [solder] the other side. This was followed by a flux-neutralizing bath of sodium bicarbonate in water. The electric match chips can then be cut with a pair of scissors from the strip. All of the strips have a routed edge so that the finished product will have the nichrome wire spanning an unsoldered step on the tip of the chip (for better contact with the pyrotechnic composition). There are 2 varieties of foundation board: approximately 200 pieces of a flexible board that is no longer available, and the rest using the conventional woven glass laminate material. The following flux works on nichrome wire:

"Oatey all-purpose Liquid Soldering Flux", Part #30106

Possibly available from:

Oatey Co.
4700 West 160th Street
Cleveland, OH 44135
(216) 267-7100

You may be able to find it at Ace Hardware stores, Home Depot, Lowe's, or a plumbing supply store. It contains hydrochloric acid, ammonium chloride, and zinc chloride and as such requires neutralizing in sodium bicarbonate/water solution and a thorough wash in clean water afterwards! It's packaged in 4 oz. squeeze bottles and cost about $5.00/bottle or less. Let me know if you have any further questions."

So, in case all this escapes you, what you do is take small pieces of copper clad circuit board. We nabbed a roll of the same nichrome wire Phil uses to make his electric matches. You just diagonally wrap the little foundation board strips with the nichrome wire, coat the boards with solder, and then snip off little bits to make your electric match heads. Solder a piece of our shooting wire onto the back end of the electric match head, one lead on each side. Finally, you dip the nichrome wire end of each electric match head into your electric match composition(s) layers, let dry, and you have a really cheap electric match. Such electric matches can cost as little as 5-10¢ each, vs. $0.75 and up for the store-bought variety.

Unfortunately the electric match foundation boards are no longer available from Skylighter. However if, after reading the above, you find you are either disinclined to make your own electric match heads or are truly one of life's solder-challenged relicts, you may want to consider buying electric match heads ready made. There are no bridge wires to solder; they are already soldered in place. Just solder your lead wires on and follow the easy directions for making electric match composition and coating the electric match heads with it.

To learn more about electric matches and electric ignition read these:

"Make Electric Matches With Skylighter Electric Match Heads"
"Homemade Electric Firing System"

Learn more about Electric Firing