Topband: CADWELLS

[Bill Wichers]

Check if you can scratch some of the starter compound off of the inside of the cap from the weld metal container. I've found the older the stuff gets, the more the starter gets caked onto the cap. I've always been able to scrape off enough to get it going. The starter compound is white, the weld metal itself is more of a grey color. 

If that doesn't work, try using some magnesium strip. The weld metal works like thermite, and magnesium will burn hot enough to start a reaction in thermite so I'm betting it will also work for cadweld shots. 

If all else fails, a broken light bulb (probably safest to use a 12 volt automotive bulb!) will probably work. Set things up so that the filament is touching the top of the weld metal. USE A FUSE inline with the light bulb. When you power up the bulb, the filament will burn for an instant and then finish with a small arc. That will probably get the reaction going in the weld metal. I used to do this to set off pyrotechnic shots in the theater when I ran out of squibs. 

-Bill

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 16, 2015, at 6:58 PM, "Mike Greenway" <K4PI at BELLSOUTH.NET> wrote:

> I some have old style Cadwell that require lighting off with a torch.  I have had them for many years and apparently the chemical mixture has gotten too old to fire off as I tried one today and just no reaction. Has anyone run into this before?  Don’t guess there anything easily mixed up to replace the thermo compound.  73 Mike K4PI
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