How to Make a Switchboard for Fireworks
Large fireworks shows involve hundreds of launches, all controlled with a sophisticated switchboard. If you are planning a miniature show and do not want to invest in professional equipment, you can make a low-tech nail board that serves the same function. This nail board creates a simple series of electrical circuits that are completed one-by-one, launching your fireworks in any order you want.
Things You'll Need
- 2-by-4 inch board
- Saw
- Steel roofing nails
- Hammer
- Fireworks
- Model rocket igniters -- available at most hobby shops
- Super glue
- Electrical wire
- Wire cutters
- Wire stripper
- 12-volt battery
Instructions
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1
Cut a piece of 2-by-4 board with a saw. It should be 4 inches long, plus an additional 2 inches for each firework you want to ignite. For example, three fireworks requires a 10-inch board.
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2
Hammer steel roofing nails into the surface of the board every 2 inches. Only drive the nails in as far as required for them to stay in place.
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3
Set up the fireworks in a line, a safe distance away from the firing location.
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4
Glue an electrical model rocket igniter to the end of each fuse, with a drop of super glue.
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5
Cut two wires for each firework, long enough to reach the nail board with a wire cutter. Strip 1 inch of insulation from one end of each wire with a wire stripper, then strip 3 inches off the other end of each wire.
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6
Twist the 1-inch end of each wire around a terminal on the igniter. Each firework will now have two wires extending from it.
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7
Collect one wire for each firework into a bundle.
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8
Wrap the 3-inch end of each wire in the bundle around the first nail.
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9
Wrap the ends of the remaining wires around the other nail, one wire per nail, in the order you want the fireworks to launch.
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10
Cut two 3-foot pieces of wire, and strip the ends.
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Connect the wires to the terminals on a 12-volt battery.
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12
Wrap one of the wires around the first nail on the board, adding it to the cluster.
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13
Wrap the other battery wire around a loose nail.
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1
Tips & Warnings
To use the nail board, touch the loose nail to each firework nail. As each electrical circuit is completed, the igniter will light the fuse and launch that firework.
References
- Photo Credit Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
