Alternatives to Willow

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MCgunner

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I've been thinkin' on this charcoal thing. Now, I can run up the river and find willow, probably cut some when I'm fishing. But, I was wondering if other soft woods would work? How about china berry trees? Those things are a danged PITA. I have one I ain't managed to kill in 20 years, LOL. Now, if I could make use of it, Hmmmmmm........ Any other PITA trees work? Huisache, perhaps?

When I finally get some sieve screens ebayed, I'll worry about it I suppose. I'm going to order the chemicals at first before I start trying to char wood and such.
 
I've read that charcoal from willow is the "best charcoal" to use in making black powder. I bet that other wood is satisfactory, maybe not as good as willow. From my perspective as a knifemaker who uses charcoal to forge blades, I find charcoal made from soft woods tends to "spark" more while burning. Since willow is a soft wood maybe the sparking phenomenon gives that charcoal better ignition characteristics. Of course this is all pure speculation since I have never made my own blackpowder, but I hope it helps you.:)
 
I don't know Texas woods well enough to say a thing...

I have read of alder, spruces, and pines working charred. I might guess cotton wood (aspens) would work charred too.
 
There is a bit of "art" in making soft-wood charcoal for powder milling. Willow is best only if charred by the "low temperature" method. Properly done it leaves a small percentage of natural creosote in the charcoal. You can do this with Chinaberry, Cypress, Alder, White pine, even cottonwood if you are carefull. This is the secret of high quality homemade black powder.
 
What are dowel rods made from? That would be an easy source.
I'm thinkin' they're some type of cedar, but not sure.
 
Stick with willow even if you have to order it. The charcoal is the main ingrediant. if you use the wrong or poor quality charcoal. Your black powder will go "poooof" instead of "PUF". what im talking about. is when ever i finished a batch i would take a teaspoon and put it on the cement. Then do the same thing with Goex. When you lit the goex. instantly you would get a "PUF". on bad batches it would light and burn slow. some would go pooooof it was really hard to get mine to go "PUF" just like goex. the key ingrediant is having good chemicals
 
I'm going to order the chemicals at first, I guess. That'll give me a baseline. I can't buy BP anywhere close, would have to order it. I have a 35 year old can of Goex out in the shop that I'm not sure will burn at all, LOL. It's gone through many humid summers without AC.

I'm going to TRY china berry and maybe even mesquite since that site says it's suitable even though it's a hardwood. I'll try Huisache, too. Hell, don't hurt to try when you're experimenting. I'll make small batches and do the burn tests on it.

Thanks for the help! That site is going to be helpful, too, as I learn to make the stuff. I'll have to dig up an old paint can or something do make a charring container with and I've still got to procure some sieves before I get started on this. Found sieves on Ebay, seem to run about 40 bucks a pop in the auctions. I figure to make FFF.
 
MCgunner - Unused paint cans from Home Depot or Lowes are what I used for a retort several years ago. Worked great!

I used dead, debarked limbs from a silver maple for charcoal, and the resulting ball milled BP powder was wicked fast. I never corned the powder, as I was more interested in just making it work.

Felt good when it finally did. :evil:
 
Potassium nitrate is also known as STUMP REMOVER and ought not be $10/pound. Maybe 2-3 bucks a pound at your garden supply center.
 
Woods

Alder and Balsa are as good as willow.....but I stick with Willow.
Willow is actually a hard wood although it's low density and soft....I think the classification has to do with whether it has sap or pitch.
I think Balsa is a hard wood too as well as Alder. I do use pine, if I'm making BP rockets or fireworks, since it has a nice color and trail on the rocket.
For hot fast powder, I don't think you can beat willow and quality chems.
 
Willow is actually a hard wood although it's low density and soft....I think the classification has to do with whether it has sap or pitch.
Click to expand...

Hmm, learn something new all the time. I never knew that.

Well, I'll have to take the boat down Hog bayou and look for Willow, I guess, when the time comes. I'll just buy the charcoal for my serious attempts at gun quality powder. The wood charring thing is just for my own knowledge and experience. I think I'll stop short of saving my urine. ROFL And, well, sulfur is hard to find unless you live near a volcano. If things got tight on the chemicals, though, I could buy the Yi Yield sulfur and stump killer and go willow hunting.

I used to live near an old salt dome sulfur operation, was pure yellow sulfur cake all over the ground out there. The gubment made 'em clean it up, though. It went dry a long time ago, out of production.
 
I use Kingsford Cowboy Charcoal, pure lump charcoal, in my forge. I am going to try it in gun powder. I keep about 5 or 6 bags around at any giving time. It also the only thing I use in my grill.
 
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