Cake poking questions (2023)

[MontanaMike]

Seems like every year things are a bit different.

I've noticed on several cakes I've pre-poked (so far) that I don't seem to feel the lift charge if I poke right above or next to the fuse. Should I poke another hole lower, or just stick a piece of fast fuse in the hole and attach the regular fuse to it as a backup?

This seems to be happening on a lot of mid-size cakes. Seems like it used to only happen on NOABs mostly.

[barehm]

Interesting. I haven't started poking anything this year, so don't have any data to compare if this year is different. I generally am uncomfortable when I can't feel powder, so I would try again. I am a big fan of poking 'next to' rather than higher (or lower).

What I've always wanted to do is find a ~6mm USB camera that I can stuff into a hole that I poke to look around. Probably not going to happen this year, but if anyone has gotten frustrated enough to use a boroscope, would be interested to hear your experience!

[jdels]

I had one this year, Sound of Color, that you could not feel the tell tale crunch. Managed to look in the poke hole with a flashlight and there was a plug above the 'light fuse hole' with what I assume was a ball shell fuse coming through. So basically just a short dead space for the fuse to run. I stuffed a half dozen short pieces of fast fuse in the space then taped about an inch and a half of ten second fuse to the initiator and sent it in as normal. Can't imagine that wont be enough but will find out soon enough.

[Walt]

I've got a few NOABS with no crunch. Thinking I may just go ahead and match to the fuses and accept the delays. Stuffing a bunch of fast fuse in under the ball shell seems like it could possibly lead to a false lift? Basically the fast fuse acting as an undersized lift charge and getting the shell out of the tube before the shell is lit. Maybe I'm over thinking it but just seems like a risk.

[barehm]

I've got a few NOABS with no crunch. Thinking I may just go ahead and match to the fuses and accept the delays. Stuffing a bunch of fast fuse in under the ball shell seems like it could possibly lead to a false lift? Basically the fast fuse acting as an undersized lift charge and getting the shell out of the tube before the shell is lit. Maybe I'm over thinking it but just seems like a risk.

I don't think there's any likely risk of that being an issue.

[Birdman]

I don't bother trying to instant fire/time NOABs. I only use them as filler where timing doesn't matter. If timing was a concern I would use 1.4 pro shells. But that's me.

[BMoore]

I only poke when instant timing is important. Otherwise, I match a piece of quickmatch slipped over the visco. No sense in stressing over whether a technique will work when it’s not even necessary.