Black Powder Thread #1

[Mumbles]

If you don't have a press, there arn't any alternatives. I used a 1" piece of PVC, with a coupler on the bottom to reinforce. My press was a 6ton car jack in the window sill of the basement. It is pretty much a whole in the concrete wall, so the concrete acts as good reinforcement. Body pressure was enough press to 1.4 density, which is definatly an improvement. I suppose just compacting it, and breaking up from there would be some help.

 

My research: http://www.freepgs.com/mumble/BP.html

 

As far as my views. I think it just allows everything to become more incorporated, thus burns faster. Also, when you break it up, the granules have sharper corners, and a rougher surface, so it would take fire easier, and have a higher surface area to burn. Taking fire easier could increase burn rate from a faster rate of ignition for the total mass of BP.

[millhouse]

Hello,its my second post on new APC When i corn my BP i see much better results when using it for Bursts and simillar stuff. I have a 2ton hydraulic jack,and it works really good. Speaking about those gass amounts, i noticed that 5gr of corned BP gives the same WOOOF as 10gr. of non granulated BP. So it really looks like that you have much more gass at the same volume,which means that you can make a better burst or lift in same volume....

[Pyrohawk]

I don't own a press. I press my lift with a vice. All I do is cut a length of 1.5" PVC and make two wooden discs to fit in each side and then get a dowel rod. Fill the tube up with powder, put the second wood disk in then put it in the vice with the dowel rod pressing against one disc (the other seated firmly against the vice).

Then just use some muscle and press it as hard as possible, then when I can't turn it anymore with hands I tap the handle with a hammer about 1/2 revolution...... In about half an hour I tighten it up again because it tends to ease up. Pop it out in a few hours and let it dry.

 

al93535 let me on to this method and it seems to make excellent lift.....not sure exact density. al93535 might know....

[dragonman586]

I read somewhere that the corning process forces some fo th KNO3 to recrystalize in the porous charcoal. And thats how it makes BP faster. Is there any thruth to this?

[mr.pyro]

Pyrohawk, why dont you try and measure the volume of the pipe and see how much you need to press it to 1.7g/cc. It shouldnt be all that hard to do.

 

I just used to use a 3" piece of ABS in my piece of shit wood press and press to 1.7g/cc in like 4 or 5 pucks seperated by cut soda cans.

[d4j0n]

What is your opinion on "activated charcoal"? Currently, that's all I can find that is buyable online (excluding skylighter and the larger 21-id-needing companies). Is it better or worse than say...powdering my own mesquite lump charcoal?

[Mumbles]

You can always make your own charcoal you know.

[Zeppelin]

I belive he is asking th differance of activated charcoal and reguar charcoal, but im pretty drunk and bored so i donno.

[d4j0n]

Yea that's what I mean. I'm just too lazy to make my own charcoal due to lack of good wood and tools at the moment thats all. I just need to know the difference between

 

-mixed hardwood

-lump mesquite

-"activated"

[al93535]

Too lazy to make charcoal huh?

 

Use the mixed hardwood lump charcoal. Activated charcoal is shit.

[Douchermann]

Activiated charcoal is pure carbon I bleive. Its also conductive IIRC

[Mumbles]

It's getting closer to pure carbon, but it's not pure carbon. This wouldn't make it conductive. It isn't quite to the point of graphitic, which is what is required for it to be conductive..

[kwstag]

As PGF was saying, about BP burning like a rocket.. Yeah, I remember a long time ago that would always happen.. Then I found out why, heh. The funny noob days

[Douchermann]

I know it wouldn't make it conductive just because its pure carbon, I just had this strange thought that it was because my friend has a can of it at his house (its used as a filter medium, his dad used to be a fish breeder/dealer) and I swear it said something about it being conductive. Maybe it was just brand specific, or maybe I just don't remember correctly.

[chappers]

Activated charcoal doesn't make good fuel as it contains virtually none of the volotile compounds found in regular charcoal.

[chappers]

not sure if this should be in black powder or tooling(feel free to move it)

 

Just finished my ball miller got it running perfectly at 92rpm which is spot on for my 4" jar and 1/2" media

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y259/chappers2341/ballmiller.jpg

 

Motor is from an old key cutting machine, it doesn't say it's continuously rated but I left it running all night without any problems. Rollers are from a n old printer and obviously the sprockets and chain are from an old bike, apart from the two sets of bearings it cost me nothing.

 

The only thing that i think I have done differently to most is I have made my jar from a length of 4" pipe and used expanding test bungs as end caps

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y259/chappers2341/milljar.jpg

 

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y259/chappers2341/bung.jpg

 

 

They are watertight so should be fine and the beauty is they can be positioned anywhere inside the pipe allowing you to create as large or small jar as you want, depending on how much powder you wish to make.

 

I am just in the process of covering the inner endplates in latex compound as I don't think the metal is necessarily non- sparking

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

[AcidBurn]

Too lazy to make charcoal huh?

 

Use the mixed hardwood lump charcoal. Activated charcoal is shit.

I've use activated charcoal once and BP I've made was very good (I used formula 75:15:10 KNO3:C:S). But now i'm making my own charcoal and i'm using formula 60:20:20 KNO3:C:S

[kwstag]

Who else here does not use the 75:15:10 ratios?

[Pretty green flame]

Who else here does not use the 75:15:10 ratios?

I don't use it because i think that formula is crap for the the type of charcoal i use. It works fine for willow i agree and it makes really hot BP with it.

 

The formulas i use are higher in charcoal content and lower in KNO3 but the % of sulfur is more or less the same.

[psymon]

I use weeping willow charcoal that I cook myself and the formula for lift powder of 74 Kno3 14 Carbon and 12 Sulphur.

[TheSidewinder]

The only time I *DON'T* use 75-15-10 is if I'm mixing rocket fuel. Then I use: 70-20-10, 65-25-10, or 60-30-10 dependant on what size rocket I'm pressing. And I'm using plain old airfloat, though I mill the mixtures anywhere from 24-72 hours. Makes a good powder for my needs.

 

M

 

 

P.S. damn nice ball mill there, Chappers. I especially like those end plugs you have. Excellent way to let you customize the batch size. If that was your idea and you're so inclined, you ought to make and sell just the "drum and plugs" portion, cutting the PVC to order for the user's particular mill....

[justanotherpyro]

I was going to use the same thing for end caps. I only had one lying around in the shed though, and I can't find them anywhere I look to get some for my 4" barrel.

[joe609]

I am going to try pressing some black powder pucks on my press, i was just wondering they say to add a 50/50 solution of water and alcahol to it and as i do not have pure alcahol would methylated spirits work, or are there any other alternatives? thanks

[chappers]

cheers sidewinder. was something I thought up my self, was in the builders merchants looking for screw on endcaps and realised I had messed up and worked my gearing out for a 4" tube and the end caps would increase it to a 5" tube and right next to the screw on caps were those babies.

Couldn't be any simpler its just 4" soil pipe and 2 4" test bungs.

Just anotherpyro you should be able to find them at most builders or plumbers merchants, just ask for a 4" expanding test bung.

 

As I said previously probably best to coat the inner plate with latex compound ( the stuff from craft shops used to make moulds)as I don't think the metal is non-sparking.

 

The test bungs are available for 2-6" pipe

[Mephistos Minion]

Hmm, 6" eh? perhaps I shall re think using 8" HDPE pipe (6" is easier to find anyway). I am making my new mill when the holidays come around (3 weeks) and am trying to decide on a barrel.