Fireworks.org – The World’s Fireworks Community › Forums › Pyro Technology › What’s the best way to wire up a finale rack without using expensive pre-made modules?
- AuthorPosts
Been doing backyard shows for a few years now and I’m finally at the point where I wanna build a proper finale rack. But man, those pre-made modules from Cobra and Firefly are expensive. Like $200+ for something I could probably rig myself with basic supplies.
I’ve seen some DIY setups with gang boxes and quick-match but honestly I’m not super confident about the wiring. Anyone got tips for a cheap but safe finale rack build? What’s the minimum you need vs what’s nice-to-have?
Specifically wondering about:
– What gauge wire works best for quick-match ignition?
– Is it safe to daisy chain cakes or should everything be independent channels?
– Any good resources for wiring diagrams?Not tryna cut corners on safety obvs, just don’t wanna pay premium for a box with a few switches and some wire lol.
I built my own finale rack last year for about $60 in parts. Grabbed a 6-gang box from Home Depot, some 14-gauge wire, and a few heavy duty toggle switches. Ran quick-match between the cakes and used e-match for ignition. Works fine for backyard shows. The key is making sure your connections are solid — I crimp AND solder everything because a loose connection mid-show is gonna kill the whole finale. Cobra’s stuff is nice and all but honestly unless you’re doing pro-level shows the DIY route works just as well. Just test everything before show day.
Steve’s got the right idea with the DIY build. I’d also recommend checking out the Fireworks Guide section on the site — there’s a solid writeup on e-match wiring and safety best practices that goes deeper than what we can cover in a forum post. One thing I’d add: make sure whatever switches you use are rated for at least 10A continuous. I’ve seen guys use little toggle switches from an electronics kit and they weld shut mid-show. Other than that, gang box + quick-match + e-match is the way to go for backyard finales.
- AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.