SpudFiles

Hey i just made a combustion cannon and umkay... I use hairspray but after like 4 shots it will stop sparking... actually it has stopped sparking fully. I cleaned the nails witha metal brush and i sharpened them. I wiped them clean but still no spark, well it will spark every ONCE and a while but yeah. its a new grill ignitor and all. The thing will still shock you if you hold the nails but wont spark often at all. The nails are close enough im sure of that and the wires are connected fully. I have no damn clue what is going on and i am getting really damn pissed off... so will someone please help me out here and tell me whats goin on? Thank you for your help

sounds to me like the gap between the nail is to large

No its not i have checked... i made them 1 mm and they still wouldnt spark

1. Spark wires are shorting somewhere. Make sure they're well insulated, and try to keep them from touching eachother wherever possible.
2. Wires aren't contacting electrodes very well. Try soldering the wires to the electrodes.
3. Electrodes aren't conducting very well - try steel screws (not nails).
4. Spark gap is too big. A spark gap just big enough to fit a quarter in works perfectly for me.
5. Hairspray is gumming up the electrodes. Try propane or starter fluid (use a half second or less spray of starter flud, you barly need any).

Try that.

Peace,
Pete Zaria.