Ramming BP to make pucks for corning (how to? without a press)

[dan999ification]

Pirotecnia, if you just have a scale, it's easy to calculate the density. The volume for a cylinder is: 3.14*radius*radius*height. Then just weight it and divide the mass with the volume.

 

 

i do it a noobier way by weighing the powder going in and then measuring up after it is pressed, if you dont have the tools..improvise i use a shifting spanner as a poor mans micrometer to get dia and height, if the powder going in is constant the height tells the density

i think : radius x radius x pi x height gives volume in cc 1 cc is 1 ml and 1 g [ maths not my strong point]

though im sure its hard enough using the bottle jack you dont want to go too hard as not to slow it down.

 

dan.

[pyrojig]

Mike, do you use two repair couplings over the top of each other where you're pressing, or is it two next to each other to reinforce the entire thing?

@dag

 

I think it is the latter of the two. You can use one to reinforce the high pressure point. I think that it is all that is needed unless your after larger pucks .

Edited March 29, 2012 by pyrojig

[Mumbles]

MikeB clarified that it is indeed two next to each other. Upon reading Dan Williams' page more carefully, he makes that clear even though the image only shows the one. It'd be cheap insurance to use both even if only the one is needed. If I were to ever make one I think I would try to use 2.5" PVC and possibly normal split 3" PVC as the reinforcing sleeve. It would make sense to have the tool pull double duty as both a comet press and puck press.

[allrocketspsl]

I want to corn my BP and i dont have a press. So, im thinking to ram it by hands, putting the meal into an HDPE pipe and press it with a wood piece and a mallet.

It works fine?

 

Give me your opinions and some tutorial if someone have done this before.

 

Thanks!

 

go to a hardware store buy some 3" pvc,also a coupler that puts two pieces of the 3" together.Buy or should say invest in a small jar of bondo.Ream out the coupler so the pipe slides into all the way. Easily done on a drill presses with a reamer for wood.Take the 3" pvc pipe drill holes in the side all the way through randomly up three inches on the pipe.Take some oil like vegetable oil smear inside of the pipe now load that portion with bondo making sure there are no airpockets .Fill up say three inches the pipe making sure it ozzes out of the holes you drilled.Let it stand on plastic wrap on a level surface like glass.Let it dry,you now have a rammer to press bp into your coupling you have reamed out so all you need is a press.If you like I can make one for you for not much money.Always wiling to help a fellow pyro

[Bcorso85]

Hey pirotehnia.

I recently set out on the same quest. I took a mold ring from a kitchen see (ring cutters for pastry dough) and found the same size spray paint cap. And I simply pressed several times with my body weight leaning down into a 100 gram puck. Its still drying so ill let you know how i make out. I hope this helps.

[dan999ification]

Hey pirotehnia.

I recently set out on the same quest. I took a mold ring from a kitchen see (ring cutters for pastry dough) and found the same size spray paint cap. And I simply pressed several times with my body weight leaning down into a 100 gram puck. Its still drying so ill let you know how i make out. I hope this helps.

 

you could probably get more density granulating it through a screen, how did the plastic hold up? it must be too wet if you can press it with body weight mine would still be powder if i did that,you dont have to dry it, i use 2% water 2% dextrin just to bind it but have used no water and dex with similar results, the key is pressing hard.

the bigger you go the more force you need, for body pressing bp pucks the smaller the better[ if its possible at all], fountians have been body pressed up to 1.5" but they dont need the density of bp pucks to function as intended.

 

dan.