3 replies to this topic

[johnnypyro]

Hello from the UK!

 

Thanks to all the contributors to this forum, past and present, for the goldmine of information.

 

I am making BP for lift and burst sifting each component of a 75:15:10 composition with 100 mesh. I do this three times, mixing in a closed plastic box between sifting. I add 2.5% dextrin, 25/75 isopropyl alcohol/water and grate through 10 mesh. Once dry I separate what passes10 mesh but not 20 mesh (4FA equivalent?) as my BP. The charcoal I use is good quality willow.

 

The result is good, but not very hot.

 

I'm curious to know if there is anything more I can do to improve this BP, or is the next step a ball mill?

 

 

[Arthur]

The best powder is always good ingredients, well milled, pressed and corned then size graded for different purposes. Short the process get poor powder. If there was a better way people would use it.

[Arthur]

Go to Royal Gun Powder Mills at Waltham Abbey, See how powder was made when it was a military and mining necessity. Look on their WWW for the books they publish.

[Uarbor]

I would say it's time to move on to a ball mill. I started off with a rock tumbler then I ended up getting a spare set of jars for the rock tumbler then I built a set up where I can turn all four jars at once but basically it's still a rock tumbler. Skylighter has an excellent tutorial on how to optimize a rock tumbler to the correct speed for Milling. Here is what my powder looks like after 3 hours in the Tumbler. The charcoal is Willow, weeping willow to be specific.

Edited by Uarbor, 22 June 2022 - 08:03 AM.