I would like to do a remote start of several localized fires. The fires are in old coffee cans. Anyways, I was thinking of attatching some A sized model rocket engines to the can then wiring them to a switch. The power would come from 2 marine batteries (12VDC supply that is used in boats). Has anyone ever done anything like this before?

O yeah, in the cans is kerosine. I know the can and kerosine part works well, I was more wondering about the other stuff. For any pyrotechincs peole out there is there a better solution?

If you are going to use the model rocket igniter anyway, why even use the rocket motors? A CAN of kerosene isn't the easiest thing to light though, I'm not even sure if a rocket motor would do it. If you have some sort of wicking item in there though it'd just take a bare flame to get it going. Gas would be easier though ;-)

I'm aware of the difficulties in lighting the kerosine. This how its been done for the last trillian years (ok maybe not that long, but a long time). Anyways, I don't think just the fuse of the engine would work. But the sparks/flame that fire out I think would do the trick. We typically use canvas as a wick, but even then it still can be tricky to light.

rocket engines will light kerosine on fire. be careful though, the can also knock the can of kerosine over and start a grass fire on a sod farm. ahhh....good times from high school.

The simplest way, and a way that I used back in high school on something for the Science Olympiad competition called "Mission Possible" was to tape the rocket igniter to a simple wooden matchstick so that the tip of the rocket igniter was touching the red part of the match so that when you apply 9V or 12V the igniter sets off the match giving you a nice easy time-delay flame.

hey, I've had a bit of experience in this, only b/c i worked at a boy scout camp for 7 weeks where we used 3 D engines that had been placed into a piece of wood that had 3 corresponding holes to hold these engines. This was used for OA fires, anyway, we coved the log cabin like wood above it with straight gasoline, even when only two went off, this worked rather effectively and went up altogether faster than you'd need.

If you take the rocket engine route, make sure you just get the booster type engines (they have a red printed label). They just have propellant. You don't need the ejection charge from ordinary engines and it could be dangerous.

Still don't understand why you would want to use a rocket engine for any reason at all.

Because a rocket engine acts like a blow torch, it can be ignited with off the shelf remote ignition systems (i.e. the device that you can purchase at Wally-World).

Also it seems as if they wish to ignite kerosene in a coffee can. In this form kerosene is a little pissy to ignite, thus the blow torch effect should be able to reach kerosene’s flash point.


Kerosene has a flash point of 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Gasoline has a flash point of -40 degrees. This means that at 110 degrees or higher kerosene gives off flammable vapors and can ignite. However, gasoline requires a temperature of only -40 degrees to vaporize to cause an explosion or fire.

and now you know, and knowing is half the battle

knowledge is power

Exactly, except if I do this I won't be using an off the shelf iginition system. Those typically are designed to light 1 engine off AAAs. I will probably use a 12V marine battery. And custom switches that could be hidden in the ground and stepped on to ignite. But it would essentially work the same just no safety switch, not bright yellow, and no light bulb.

stupid question but if it only takes a few AAA battery then you are using 12v marine battery(times 2 none the less)???? just wondering... im intrigued as to what sort of cluster-fucked-wild-badger-trap you are designing...

Exactly...actually it only takes a 6V lantern battery or even a 9v battery to set the igniters off. 12V actually burns the filament out in the igniter so fast that you don't get a flame most the time.