Making blackpowder.

[scrat]

We need to keep this thread handy maybe put it in the stickies. OH GARY

i have all my ingredients ready to mix. this afternoon im going to spend some time making a small batch of BP the old way. So wish me luck

 

[SIGP2101]

When you guys mixing ingredients, how do you measure them individually. By weight or by volume?

 

[scrat]

grams scale. by weight

 

[Redd Flynt]

I've always used metric weight. Office Depot has some good postal scales that are digital and work well.

 

[scrat]

Redd how much are them scales they have

 

[scalper]

You can measure by volume if you do your homework.

It may be obvious to you all, but you only need to measure by weight the first time. Once you know the correct volumes that make up these weights, you can then use volume. Assuming your supplies are relatively consistent, this should work well. Then you can treat it as a recipe (1 cup of this, 2 tablespoons of that, etc.)

Sort of the idea I took away from those little Lee's powder scoops that eliminate the need for a reloading scale. I've used this approach in reloading for years with great success and fewer headaches.

The key is to be careful and double check the weight of your predetermined volumes. It also might be wise to double check the weight when you are using a new supply of raw materials (for instance, the charcoal may not be as finely ground making the volume a bit larger for the same amount of weight).

Sorry, if I am stating the obvious, but thought it might be important to mention since we are talking scales.

 

[scrat]

you know what thats a good idea. as soon as i perfect what im doing i will use the lee dippers to figure out how much

 

[JCT]

It's worth weighing and being accurate with powder.
Check ebay for an Ohaus scout or adventurer. I found a used Adventurer model that sold new for $580, I paid $55!! Great lab scale with 2000 gram capacity. I even use it to weigh smokeless when reloading.

 

[scrat]

ya im using an electric that i use for reloading now. but it sure would be good to be able to use a dipper. i guess your right though you need to be very accurate.

 

[Rachen]

I always leave out the sulfur, and add a little more charcoal. It helps burn cleaner, and with less smoke.

 

[zxcvbob]

I always leave out the sulfur, and add a little more charcoal. It helps burn cleaner, and with less smoke.

But you're missing out on that wonderful "ate too many egg sandwiches" smell!

 

[scrat]

Well my first three batches were all duds.

1st batch after all said and done i put a 1/2 teaspoon on a brick and lit it. It kinda went pooof.
2nd batch same thing but this one went poooooof.
3rd batch same thing but this one went pooof.

then i put about 1/2 teaspon of goex 3f on the brick and lit it. POF. really quick with a quick round cloud.

So ya back to the drawing board. Only fun i had with mine was putting it in an envelope and throwing it in the bbq. made a nice flash pooof.

 

[scrat]

i doubt this would be able to shoot through a gun. it burns but slow burning.

1st batch formula was 93 grains kno3, 16 grains charcoal, 12 grains sulfur
2nd batch was 100 grains Kno3, 18 grains charcoal, 16 grains sulfur.
3rd test an experiment i used 100 grains kno3, 14 grains charcoal, 12 grains sulfur, 10 grains sugar.

yep i am doing very small batches. im trying to perfect my skills before going bigger.

 

[zxcvbob]

My first batch was like that -- turns out it was still too damp when I tested it. I put it in a very warm place for a couple of days to dry (on top of a heat duct in the basement); it actually changed color from black to dark gray. When I tested it again it worked great.

 

[scrat]

really. interesting. i have a small amount of batch 1 and 2 left. i guess i will wait a few days and try it again. the sugar i would not recomend. it leaves a white residue all over. i read and heard it does but did not know how much. Well it does. i really dont think it improved anything either. i have been using rubbing alcohal to mix not water. Next i want to try the same procedure but with acetone. Need to see if there is a big difference or not.

 

[Redd Flynt]

Hey Scrat;

The scale I bought is a Pelouze model SP5 2.2 kg. I've had it for several years now and don't recollect the price. I'm sure they have gone up in price but it was a heck of a lot cheaper than a digital powder scale.

Redd

 

[Redd Flynt]

Scalper;

I made some dippers (3 each) from PVC pipe and cut them just shy of the proper weight and then top off with the scale. The charcoal is a bit difficult due to the way it settles and or has some small chunks. The Nitrate and Sulphur (if I use Sulphur) work quite well.

Redd

 

[scrat]

Hey can some of you guys check my formulas. i know this is small scale but i am just feeling the waters and doing small batches. this is what i used.

1st batch formula was 93 grains kno3, 16 grains charcoal, 12 grains sulfur
2nd batch was 100 grains Kno3, 18 grains charcoal, 16 grains sulfur.

 

[zxcvbob]

The following in grains to test, and grams to do a usable small batch (and ounces for a very big batch ):

100 KNO3
20 charcoal
13.3 to 14.6 sulfur

 

[scrat]

Cool thank you thank you thank you.

i guess i know what batch number 4 is going to be.

 

[Pulp]

I was kinda forced into the following, since I had a major malfunction in the charcoal making process. I ended up with 41 grains of charcoal, which is 15% of 275 grains of KNO3 and then 27.5 grains of S.
Scrat, I'd think you'd want 100, 15 and 10. That would be the 75-15-10 ratio. Don't quote me, but it sounds like you used a bit too much charcoal and S for the amount of KNO3.

 

[zxcvbob]

Pulp, your doing the math wrong. 41 grains of charcoal shoulda given you 205 grains potassium nitrate and 28 grains of S to give you a 15:75:10 ratio.

 

[scalper]

Redd - I like the 'scoops made from PVC' idea. You guys are all so original in your thinking. That is why I enjoy reading this thread so much.

Scrat - so on your testing, are you using the cheese grater to make the granules of BP? How dry is your wadd of BP clay getting before you use the cheese grater? Are you sure your final powder is dry enough?

 

[scrat]

Well i think that may be some of the problem but not all of it. yesterday was 90 degrees here. So i left it out in my back porch until the afternoon. it was grated down. i used a cheese grader. then i chopped it up some more as it looked more like 2f than 3f. So im pretty sure it was dry. Im going to try out the remaining of the 2 batches i have left tomorrow. That will be 3 days. As far as how dry it was when i grated it. i would say not that dry as if you pushed your finger in it wet spot would come out. i Put down a coffe filter and put the powder on top of it. Found that the coffee filter will quickly absorb the moisture. it just seemed like a huge difference between goex and mine. the goex burnt fast very fast. Just a big pof. mine was more of a poooof. you could not count to 1 with 1/2 a teaspoon of goex. mine you could count to 2 almost 3

 

[JCT]

Scrat, I think that's about as good as it gets with a mortar and pestle. A properly charged ball mill really makes a huge difference. A chunk of my powder out of the mill displaces all the air around it. It's extremely fast and hot BP. Noticeably faster than even GOEX.