Good morning
@Big Bore 44 and good folks here on the forum. I was only relating what a friend and I had done in the past because the OP,
@gun'sRgood, asked about methods of creating sized granules.
The chemical mixture [it is only a mixture and not a solution or other because the 3 ingredients never blend together they only mix together] was pressed into a "puck". I did not go by anyone's definition of a specific pressure to form the "puck" but only by my definition of
"Good Enough".
My "puck" is shaped like a Hockey "puck", looked like a Hockey "puck", but it is not a Hockey "puck"; it was a "puck" none-the-less. A Hockey puck is made of hard synthetic rubber. It does not ring nor does it resemble ceramic. Ceramic is made from clay or a clay-like material. It is fired in a furnace to make it what it is. Please do not fire a puck shaped object made from potassium nitrate, Sulfur and carbon.
Also, I stated that my "puck", once dried to
my definition of dry, was corned (rubbed against the screen to grind) through a screen. It was not pressed through a screen. My method worked for me and more importantly, when shot and compared to Commercial manufactured black powder, it was mostly equal to the commercial black powder in power and burned more cleanly with less residue.
There are many ways to make black Gun powder. Not all work like we might want them to. One can mix the ingredients dry and still have a reaction. Using quality chemicals makes a for better result than using less than lab grade materials. I have also made usable Gun powder using the "GRANNY" method. Make your Potassium nitrate by filtering water through the soil from under the chicken coop (or out house) through hay in a cradle. Evaporate the niter water in the sun and repeat until one has a pure crystalline state of potassium nitrate. Then take your pocket knife and scratch or collect RED iron oxide (red rust) off of your rusted farm equipment (mind that it is red iron oxide only). Acquire a cup of purified sugar from your cane in the field through the evaporation and purifying method. Now mix the 3 ingredients dry (properly measured ratios). Add a proper amount of water to the dry mixture and stir to a consistent color and texture. Place the "putty" on a cookie sheet and let dry in the sun. When still somewhat pliable, cut into squares with your kitchen knife. Place back in the sun to dry more. When the squares are dried "Good Enough" in the sun, Corn the squares against a piece of fly screen into granules. Separate the fines from the other granules. Place a measured amount of granules in the barrel of your gun, load a patched ball and place the fines in your flash pan. Go out in the back yard and shoot a squirrel for supper. Technically this is a RED Gun Powder but it was "GOOD ENOUGH" for Granny and is good enough for me.
DISCLAIMER:
If you do not know what you are doing attempting to make gunpowder , Black or Red, stay away from it!!!! It can hurt your feelings if not properly handled !!!
Good living through Chemistry,
Danaidh
