A visco fuse is a higher-quality

fuse Fuse or FUSE may refer to: Devices * Fuse (electrical), a device used in electrical systems to protect against excessive current ** Fuse (automotive), a class of fuses for vehicles * Fuse (hydraulic), a device used in hydraulic systems to protec ...

used for consumer

fireworks Fireworks are Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large numbe ...

. It is most commonly colored green, red, or pink and is found as a twisted, coated strand. It is also used to create delays in the firing of multiple

firework display Fireworks are Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large numbe ...

s for safety.

Description

Visco is a 3/32 - 1/8 inch (2–3 mm)-diameter cord with a

black powder Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, charcoal (which is mostly carbon), and potassium nitrate, potassium ni ...

core. There are three external layers to visco fuse. First, a layer of string is wound around the core, then a second, less tight, layer of string is wound in the opposite direction to prevent unraveling. The last layer is a low-nitrate

nitrocellulose Nitrocellulose (also known as cellulose nitrate, flash paper, flash cotton, guncotton, pyroxylin and flash string, depending on form) is a highly flammable compound formed by nitrating cellulose through exposure to a mixture of nitric acid and ...

lacquer Lacquer is a type of hard and usually shiny coating or finish applied to materials such as wood or metal. It is most often made from resin extracted from trees and waxes and has been in use since antiquity. Asian lacquerware, which may be c ...

that keeps the fuse from falling apart. The last layer helps to make the visco fuse water resistant and to prevent moisture from degrading the black powder core. Unlike

dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern German ...

safety fuse The safety fuse is a type of fuse (explosive), fuse invented and patented by English inventor William Bickford (1774–1834), William Bickford in 1831. Originally it consisted of a "tube" of gunpowder surrounded by a waterproofed varnished jute "r ...

, visco fuse burns with a visible external flame. After ignition, most visco fuses can burn underwater.

Variants

* Cannon fuse is a visco fuse that is most often thicker, steadier burning, and often extra coated to be more waterproof. Most cannon fuses of high quality can burn while under water. Cannon fuse is normally red or green in color. * Flying fish fuse is a modified type of visco-type fuse used in

. The composition in the core is a metallic spark composition or another effect instead of/as well as black powder. Flying fish can thus perform as a main effect instead of just an initiator. For example, simply lighting a short piece of flying fish on the ground makes it fly through the air, seeming to swim in random directions while emitting sparks and noise. An aerial shell loaded with many such pieces results in myriad fragments sparking and whizzing high in the air as a substitute for standard pyrotechnic stars. * Igniter Cord is a

commercial Commercial may refer to: * (adjective for) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and services ** (adjective for) trade, the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information or money * a dose of advertising ...

grade of visco fuse that is designed to ignite multiple safety fuses. Like visco, igniter cord burns with an external, visible flame. It is often heavily lacquered for water resistance, and sometimes has an inner wire core for mechanical strength.

References

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Description

Variants

References

See also