My brother and I built a spud canoon this past week, but we're having trouble finding a reliable means of igniting the fuel. We're using common aerosol hairspray as the propellent, but we can't seem to find a good way to spark it inside the chamber.

 

We started out using a flint lantern lighter, but that only worked a few times before it was so coated with hairspray and other crap that it wouldn't spark anymore. I just tried using a BBQ lighter, but it only worked one or two times.

 

I'm looking for a CHEAP and RELIABLE way to spark in a low-oxygen environment. Any ideas?

You could get a piezoelectric lighter from something like a gas fireplace. Those should produce a spark even when wet, because all that is there to get wet is two wires. Just press the red button, and BANG!

 

 

EDIT: Which reminds me of the famous last words, "I wonder what this button does?"

I bought a grill ignition button, but I had problems implementing it. At first, I wired it to two screws which were millimeters apart inside the chamber. It worked a few times, but it wasn't really consistent. I'm looking for something maybe battery powered that will work every time.

What type of screws were these? They might not have been very conductive.

 

One thing you could do is just wire up a 9-volt battery to a switch, and have two wires go into the camber next to each other.

The thing is, I believe a piezoelectric igniter uses much higher voltages (but at low current) then that, so it may not work unless the spark gap is tiny.

I thought about the 9volt thing, but it wasn't enough. Some people have hooked up their tazer guns to bolts going into the cannon [several thousand volts], but I don't have that kind of money to waste.

Ever tried a model rocket igniter? I bet one of those would work well.

How bulky are you willing to get with this? And have you considered using butane as the fuel? They sell it in convenient little cans for recharging lighters.

The propellant in hairspray is butane!

I thought about the 9volt thing, but it wasn't enough. Some people have hooked up their tazer guns to bolts going into the cannon [several thousand volts'], but I don't have that kind of money to waste.

 

Automobile ignition coil

I'm trying to stay <$10 on the ignition

Ever tried a model rocket igniter? I bet one of those would work well.

 

I may try that, but they're expensive :/

OMG Really? Vinyl Acetate Crotonic Acid Neodecanate Copolymer - Hairspray fixative yhat would be fouling the igniter.

If you can find an old TV you can use a flyback transformer. An automobile ignition coil would work too.

CHEAP PARTS

CHEAP PARTS

link isn't working for me. Part name?

Ignition coil for 89 Ford ranger, 2wd, 4cyl 2.3l fi, distributor type ignition. $14.95

why not use a toy Cap gun? )