A good place to find BBQ igniters

boilingleadbath · Tue Dec 06, 2005 5:20 pm

It's nicklel <i>chromium.</i>
As to using a hot element as an ignition scource; it should work - I'v had it happen when I was drying out isopropanol-soaked epson salts in the oven. I reccomend connecting the nichrome wire to copper, aluminum, or brass bolts - these are good conductors and won't get hot.

toza · Thu Jan 05, 2006 9:46 pm

i cant get my spark to jump but i dont think a hairdryer is the answer this is how a blowdryer works:it has four main parts:a heating element, a fan, a switch and a fan motor. a hairdryer produces an instant blast of hot air, yet it is light enough to hold in one hand so the air can be directed. iut contains a very long coil of thin wire that develops great heat a jet of air blown by a fan behind the heating element carries away the heat. if the air flow is obstrocted and the air becomes to hot a thermostat cuts off the power.
so in other words when you try to use it in a potato gun the thermostat will cut the hairdryers power off when you fire the potato gun. if you do it more than 5 times the hairdryer is stuffed.
so dont bother doing it

nicholai · Fri Jan 06, 2006 6:27 pm

cant get your gap to spark? make sure BOTH of the leads on the end of the BBQ clicker are insulated SEPERATE from one another, it is all too common that a bbq clicker is powerfull enough to jump the gap between both leads. Sometimes it might nip ya in the hand. I reccomend making your gap(s) equal to or less than 1/4 inch

Technician · Sat Jan 07, 2006 10:54 am

We found an old sideburner for a gas grill that used a 1.5 volt ignitor. We tore the electronics out of the origianl enclosure to use for a launcher project underway. This is the nice spark that it produces on a mini-spark-strip.

<img src="http://www.pineridge7.com/MJE/images/ml4.jpg">
<img src="http://www.pineridge7.com/MJE/images/ml12.jpg">