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The Jolt egg timer detonator is pyrotechnic detonator that will give you a Jolt of fun. It is a very eggciting project that will make you egg cream your pants.

Bad puns aside though, the egg timer detonator is a great project for many reasons:

Its cheap: The materials will cost somewhere between 0 and 20 dollars.

Its simple: I designed it so that almost any analog egg timer should work, and construction should take less then an hour.

Its useful: Ever need a 0-60 minute delay on a pyrotechnic mixture. I didn't think so.

Its inconspicuous:

TSA Agent #1- "Hey why does that can of soda have an egg timer on top of it?"

TSA Agent #2- "So people know how long it will stay carbonated after opening ... duh."

TSA Agent #1- "Then why is it duct taped to the wing of that plane?"

TSA Agent #2- "Haven't you ever seen the Twilight Zone. Messing with William Shatner is thirsty business."

TSA Agent #1- "Ohh, interesting. Hey, is that little old lady over there clipping her nails?"

TSA Agent #2- "It would appear as though you are right." ::whips out shotgun:: "DIE TERRORIST SCUM!!!"

Just in case you need more convincing though, here is a video.

Step 1: Materials

Odds are you have most of the materials for this project already.

Metal can - I used a Jolt can because I liked the design. Any metal can about the same diameter of the egg timer should work.

Egg timer - The only requirement for the egg timer is that it is set by rotating. One part should stay stationary as the other part is rotated to set the time.

Syringe Tips - Can be found in ink cartridge refill kits.

Wire - Cheap speaker wire from radio shack works fine.

Capacitor Charger - Oh Snap! I just slightly validated that project.

Step 2: Prepping the Egg Timer

The directions for this step will vary for different types of egg timers. I tried to make the instructions as specific as possible while still keeping them general enough to apply to different egg timer designs.

The goal of this step is to separate the egg timer into two separate parts - the stationary part and the rotating part. The stationary part will then be cut down to a size appropriate for attaching to the can.

The pictures are more descriptive then any directions I could ever write. Look at them if you're not sure what to do.

Step 3: Prepping the Can

Like the egg timer step, this step will be general to try and encompass any different type of can designs.

1. Rinse the can out. A clean can is a happy can.

2. Cut the can to a size that will fit the egg timer.

3. Find a way to attach the stationary part of the egg timer to the can. I cut holes in the can just below the rim, and put the stationary part of the egg timer in there.

4. (If you are using this for smoke bomb) Put some holes in the can for the smoke to escape.

Step 4: Wiring the Egg Timer

The goal of this step is to create two pairs of contact points on the egg timer. One pair will be on the rotating part of the egg timer wired to the syringe tips, and the other pair will be on the stationary part wired to some steel wool. Once the timer is set the capacitor will be plugged into the syringe tips, and when the time reaches zero the two pairs of contact points will be touching each other completing the circuit. This will dump the entire charge of the capacitor through the steel wool, igniting it and any pyrotechnic mixture in the can.

(follow the photos, they are each worth one thousand words of instruction)

1. Cut down the plastic tops of the syringe tips, so that when the capacitor is inserted the leads will be touching the metal.

2. Drill two holes around the "0" on the egg timer. The holes should have the same diameter of the syringe tips, and spaced apart the same distance as the leads on the capacitor.

3. Use hot glue to attach the syringe tips to the egg timer.

4. Use some heat shrink tubing and more hot glue, to attach short lengths of wire to the bottom of the syringe tips.

5. Use some hot glue to attach a pair of wires to the stationary part of the egg timer.

6. Strip the ends of the 4 pieces of wire, and bend them so that when the timer reaches zero the 2 pairs of contact points will touch each other. (The last picture)

Test it:

1. Put a small piece of fine steel wool between the two wires coming off of the stationary part of the egg timer.

2. Set the egg timer.

3. Insert a charged capacitor into the syringe tips.

4. Rotate the egg timer to zero. The results should be similar to what happens in the video.

Step 5: Loading the Can

For demonstration purposes I used smoke powder. The smoke powder was just a standard 50:50 mixture of potassium nitrate (stump remover) and sugar ground together in my makeshift mortar and pestle.

Put a piece of paper or coffee filter inside the can to prevent the powder from spilling out the holes on the side.

Pour a bit more then half the mixture in the can. Attach the stationary part of the egg timer to the can, and place the steel wool and wires into the mixture. Pour the rest of your pyrotechnic mixture on top of the steel wool. Attach the rotating part of the egg timer on top of the stationary part, and you're done.

Step 6: Setting

Place the can where you plan on detonating it. Rotate the timer to the amount of time needed.

****Only insert the capacitor after the time has been set****

Insert the capacitor.

The egg timer detonator is now armed.

When the timer reaches zero the contact points will touch each other, igniting the steel wool, and igniting whatever pyrotechnic mixture is in the can.