Home made charcoal tests

[redbullzuiper]

I tested some home made charcoals, because I needed a better lift charge. Before I allways used Pine, but it wans't satisfying.

 

They all contain 1% of dextrin. They are all ball milled for 5 hours. After that, granulated using 25/75 Alcohol/Water solution.

I granulated them using a 10 mesh screen.

 

The charcoals tested:

1. Birch (White birch)

2. Poplar (Silver poplar or White poplar)

3. Willow (Local willow, no black willow)

4. White Ash

 

Unfortunately I can't find any Black willow near by in my country (Netherlands). Perhaps they grow somewhere here near the river banks, but have too wait until spring. So they are easier to recognize.

 

Test data for dummy shell (3").

 

Dummy shell weight was 120 gram.

I used a paper coffee cup as lift cup.

 

Grams of lift powder needed to reach a good height:

Birch - was too slow to get a good altitude.

Poplar - 20 gram

Willow - 8 gram

White Ash - 5 gram

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au7b5yWWVA8

[Boophoenix]

Seems like a lot a variable between the first two and the second two. This might sound funny, but a comparison of the pine could hold value too.

 

Although that is a fairly useful test for you don’t write the top two off just yet. Granulating has inherent variables in it when comparing. I’m not saying you did anything wrong, but granulating to a tight enough consistency is fairly complex.

 

A true comparison really should be done by pressing and corning the powders. if pressed properly it removes some of the inconsistencies. All test should be preformed more than once too and averaged. I like the idea of at least three tests to compare.

 

Take one of the slower and make a different batch milling for the same time and same method and see if you find a variable. Wouldn’t hurt to do the same with either of the faster ones as well. It would be an interesting test I’m guessing.

[redbullzuiper]

Well, although you are right. It was just a test for myself to get the best charcoal and method. There are already much tests like you described.

 

This test was just personal. The way I mill and make my black powder, and which charcoal will come out as fastest. That was the goal.

 

Just a side note:

Poplar is a very good wood for charcaol. But the one I tested (silver poplar) is not as fast as other common poplars. But that was the only poplar I had lying around.

[Boophoenix]

That’s one thing I was wondering from your results if there may have been a variable in the poplar test.

 

I wouldn’t personally trust my granulating skills to find an answer to eliminate a source material without multiple tests from atleast two separate batches.

 

Still interesting tests and suspect you enjoyed them. One of the biggest secrets to BP can be found in the charcoal somewhere.

[Mumbles]

How did you go about doing the tests? Did you add progressively more BP lift until you got a suitable height?

[redbullzuiper]

Yes, I added more if needed.

[NeighborJ]

I kinda like your idea of adjusting the amount of lift to achieve a certain height for powder testing. It would make a more obvious and usable chart of the various powders. Traditionally, a constant amount of powder is weighed out and the flight is timed. That method left me guessing as to how much lift would be required for different batches.

 

How did you determine they achieved a constant height? Flight time?

[redbullzuiper]

 

 

How did you determine they achieved a constant height? Flight time?

 

Yes, I recorded it with my camera. I started the timer when it flew out, and stopped it when I heard a plop.

[Boophoenix]

Yes, I added more if needed.

 

Nice, that covers the multiple attempts per batch fairly well.

[RichardH08]

I agree - that's a nice way of measuring a powder's performance.

 

I'm not particularly surprised about the large differences in the required amounts of BP made with different charcoals. About 18 months ago I ran tests on a lot of different charcoals. I was firing a small dart with fixed amounts of powder, so my results are not directly comparable to redbullzuiper's, but I found the very best charcoal outperformed the very worst (admittedly, it was very bad!) by a factor of more than 25.

[redbullzuiper]

More data will follow later this year. Will do the exact same tests as above. But then with much more woods.

 

I will do more video footage. Also from the mortar, fly time etc. So the tests are much more complete.

 

The weather is currently shitty here. So can't cook now .. and neither shoot fireworks.