In the past I've fired my half scale Napoleon only via fuse... a 4" piece burning more or less 10 seconds. Good on a tightly controled range situation, but once the fuse is lit there is really no practical way to stop the firing sequence.
So, considered electric ignition using model rocket motor igniters... that lead to quite a discussion in a separate thread on this board. Problem is that my local hobby shop they are 5 bucks for a half dozen of them... that just adds to the expense of shooting although it does work very well for controlling exactly when the cannon is going to fire.
The next option is friction primers initiated via pulling a lanyard. One of the board members generously offered to send me a sample or two so that I could give them a try. Once again, a great way to control exactly when the cannon will fire, not sure at this point what they would cost though.
Than there is the percussion device used with musket caps... undoubtedly a great way to initiate firing but really not what I am looking for. Musket caps are relatively inexpensive though.
Decided I could just fill the fuse hole full of FFFFg and fire with a linstock. Then I remembered a device I saw some Civil War folk using probably 15 years ago. They would pour some FFFFg out on a piece of paper and pick it up with 1/2" wide scotch tape. A length of the FFFFg coated scotch tape would then be rolled lengthwise and inserted into a piece of brass tubing. After the foil wrapped powder charge had been punctured by a brass gimlet, the brass tubing was inserted into the fuse hole and fired via a linstock.
As Kelly Bundy once said on "Married With Children"....... Urethra.... I have found it !!!! That local hobby shop had a piece of 5/32" OD brass tubing 3 feet long for under 4 bucks.... enough for 14 pieces of tubing 2 1/2" long, the length required to reach the center of the bore. Used an awl to slightly flare one end of the tubing so that it would not go completely through the fuse hole. When held in a pair of pliers and set off, it sounds rather like a cap pistol. Will be a couple of weeks before I can get out to the range for actual live fire, but so far this seems as though it will be the way to go.