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Thread: My homemade black powder

  1. #1661
    Boolit Master
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    Fly
    Mostly the idiots among us older guys are long gone - along with some of the ones who just were careless - them thats left remember very clearly the times they got careless and have learnt from it - thats the key - learn the lesson - pass it on by all means. I have no quarrel with guys like w5 saying be careful particularly if they were there when something happened - but there are a mob of armchair experts never done it, never seen it done, and want to tell us we fools because we messing with something dangerous. From my angle making the stuff is no more or less dangerous than handling the same quantity of already made powder - certainly no place for careless or foolish but really how much more dangerous than refuelling a lawn mower from a gallon can?

  2. #1662
    Boolit Master
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    I agree! I was not trying to get on w5, if I came off like that. But your spot on. Thanks Joe.

    Fly

  3. #1663
    Boolit Master
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    Looking for some feedback ....... Fly and maybe Bob?
    I ground and screened 3kg of pucks today - too much fine stuff for my liking but ? Just looking for a compare with you guys - how much of each grade would you expect from your process??
    I am pretty aggressive when I shake the screens and have calibrated things maybe a bit different (use what you have is part of my motto)
    So any held on a 12 mesh goes back for regrind
    Pass 12 mesh - held on 16 mesh - my Fg .............691 grams
    Pass 16 mesh - held on 20 mesh - my FFg............502 grams
    Pass 20 mesh - held on 40 mesh - my FFFG .........884 grams
    Pass 40 mesh - held on 100mesh- my FFFFg ........447 grams
    Pass 100 mesh is mill dust ...............................425 grams
    I made a stand for my ceramic coffee grinder so I dont have to hold it while I turn the crank - breaking up those 3/8th thick pucks small enough to grind was a pain so I will be making them much thinner from here on (Fly sez - I told ya so!) (can post a pic of that grinder stand tomorrow if you want to see) --- the F, FF, FFF, are in about the right proportions for what we shoot - I might end up re milling some of the FFFF as we only have two flinters to use prime in - this is meal I had ground last winter and its 2% dextrin - was going to screen grain it all - I think that Dex is part of the problem here ?? - thanks for your help .
    Joe

  4. #1664
    Boolit Buddy
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    I use 3fff, 2ff, and cannon grind. After screening I wind up with approximately 25%cannon, 15% 2ff, 35% 3ff, with the remaining 25% float to be re-pucked. Of course it does vary a bit, but this is about average. I do know that the longer I mill it the lower the float percentage is.
    I am the one your mom warned you about!

  5. #1665
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    Hotfxr -- thanks for the reply - I dont shoot cannon so I regrind that - I have an 8 mesh screen and I reckon at least a quarter would go 8 to 12 mesh (cannon grade) - I just keep regrinding that coarse stuff till it disappears into the other grades. Looking at your numbers I am not doing so bad - expect a bit of improvement yet.

  6. #1666
    Boolit Buddy
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    If only I had the patience, but I don't. If I let the mix tumble for 18-20 hours to get it really, really fine, leave it under compression for a couple of hours, then let the pucks dry out wrapped in paper for a few weeks, then grind them down in two steps first using a grinder set for very coarse, then through a grinder set fine, I can reduce the float to less than 15%. Plus it increases the weight per volume and makes it a lot faster when shooting. Since I am not hunting or competition shooting and spend most of my time shooting the cannon for fun, it's not worth all the extra time involved. When you are using 2 to 3 ounces per shot, volume is more important than quality. Keep going with your fine tuning, I have a couple of friends that swear their float content is less than 10%.
    I am the one your mom warned you about!

  7. #1667
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    Hotfxr
    If I was shooting cannon and muzzleloaders only - I wouldnt be doin any of this - I am just as short on patience as you (or more) - specially for cannon I would be just screen graining it - That process is way faster - and much less work - and at cannon grade your fines % would be low too - it lacks some in density - and a little in velocity but not very much - maybe 10% slower (if that) - I reckon part of the secret to tumblin is to have all your components dead dry - if it clumps in the mill there is still some moisture in it - I grind my charcoal straight away when I make it and store it in airtight containers, re dry the KNO3 and Sulphur right before I make a batch - just use a little fan heater for that

  8. #1668
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    For the most part I only use the 3F since my best accuracy has come from that. Even the 2F goes back in the grinder. I end up with probably 40% 4F which passes the 30 mesh screen. So what you are getting sounds pretty good. I just re-wet the float and press it again. I'm not very patient so I don't mill my meal near that long. My powder is used mainly for hunting and shoots well under minute of deer at 100yd.
    I have tried my powder for competition for grins and giggles and I thought that it did pretty well at 300yrd put fell way short at 500yd. I stay with Old Eynsford for mid range and long range competition.

    Bob
    GUNFIRE! The sound of Freedom!

  9. #1669
    Boolit Buddy
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    I might add that I continue to go through all the steps mainly to to retain continuity in my process. I find that in this hobby as well as many others, when I start skipping steps for expediency I tend to become a bit on the lax side and that's when I make mistakes and I don't really want a repeat of the mid shop mushroom cloud incident any time soon. Also I do use the 3fff quite a bit and share it when I shoot with my semi local muzzleloader group. My name in that group is "Powdermaker" and I do have somewhat of a reputation to uphold. They can't believe that not only do I make my own, but it is faster that Goex to boot. This is Kalifornia and most of the sheeple that live here can't even imagine that it is legal to make your own powder.
    I am the one your mom warned you about!

  10. #1670
    Boolit Master
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    That's funny! People here in Okla, are a little red nek for sure. But even here they think I,m a little crazy also.

    Fly

  11. #1671
    Boolit Master
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    Well I finally made it through the entire 84 pages of this thread, wow, lots of info and ideas which have got me thinking about trying to make my own.
    Here are my questions, would it be possible to use a plastic 1 lb smokeless powder jar for a ball mill? I made a tumbler for reloading out of a 5 gallon plastic pail which is way too big for milling black powder but a 1 lb plastic jar would sit in the big tumbler nicely and should do the job just fine, any problems with using it?
    I don't have a source of Willow, just dug out the last one in the yard but have a lot of Red Cedar limbs in the shop for other projects and would like to use it for charcoal if possible.
    Would 90% sulfur work, I read that it should but should I adjust the weight up to compensate for the 10% of bentonite or just go with 75%, 13% C, 12% S.
    My first batch, if I get round to it, will be small in the 200 gram range and pressed through a screen while damp. I have enough junk in the shop so I can start pressing pucks later one I get used to it.
    Thanks
    Ed

  12. #1672
    Boolit Master
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    Ya I think the jar might work. The 90% sulfur would most likely work also being it only makes up
    for 10% of the mix. But sulfur is cheap from Hobby Chemicals. But stick with the 75% KNO-3 15% coal & 10% sulfur.

    Fly

  13. #1673
    Boolit Master
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    I'm staying away from ordering supplies off the web, my better half is still mad about my last front stuffer purchase and would send me to the dog house if she caught wind of me making home made black powder. I'll keep with the 10% sulfur recipe, why reinvent the wheel.

  14. #1674
    Boolit Master wills's Avatar
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    Quick & Easy Black Powder Ball Mill

    http://www.skylighter.com/fireworks/.../ball-mill.asp
    Have mercy.
    A haw, haw, haw, haw, a haw.
    A haw, haw, haw

  15. #1675
    Boolit Master
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    Wills, Skylighter is the biggest rip off on the net. If you look at that ball mill he has listed for $150 it
    is the same one that Harbor freight sells for $40. No one in pyro fireworks buys from him. He prays
    on the new people coming in to that Hobby. Ole Harry is a snake oil sales man, believe me on that.

    Fly

  16. #1676
    Boolit Bub
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    Here are my questions, would it be possible to use a plastic 1 lb smokeless powder jar for a ball mill?

    Fly is right on this, it is what I use to make smaller batches.
    Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

  17. #1677
    Boolit Grand Master Nobade's Avatar
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    You would need to put lifting paddles in the container or everything would just slide around on the bottom. Otherwise it ought to work, if you can get enough traction on the outside to spin it when it's half full of lead or brass balls.

    Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

  18. #1678
    Boolit Grand Master Nobade's Avatar
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    Probably wouldn't last very long though.

    Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

  19. #1679
    Boolit Master
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    Ya it would not be the best, but it would work ok. Going cheap will get you started, but for a little more your there & better powder.
    I,m for saving a buck as everyone is. But the ole saying is true. " If it is worth doing, do it right". Guys we are not talking
    tons of money. What you save in cost of making your own will soon pay for your out lay in your cost of getting started.$20 store
    bought to under $5 home made? Geeezzz no rocket science involved. Plus the fun of shooting powder you made yourself.

    JMOHOP Fly "Spot on my ole friend Nobade "

  20. #1680
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eddie2002 View Post
    Well I finally made it through the entire 84 pages of this thread, wow, lots of info and ideas which have got me thinking about trying to make my own.
    Here are my questions, would it be possible to use a plastic 1 lb smokeless powder jar for a ball mill? I made a tumbler for reloading out of a 5 gallon plastic pail which is way too big for milling black powder but a 1 lb plastic jar would sit in the big tumbler nicely and should do the job just fine, any problems with using it?
    I don't have a source of Willow, just dug out the last one in the yard but have a lot of Red Cedar limbs in the shop for other projects and would like to use it for charcoal if possible.
    Would 90% sulfur work, I read that it should but should I adjust the weight up to compensate for the 10% of bentonite or just go with 75%, 13% C, 12% S.
    My first batch, if I get round to it, will be small in the 200 gram range and pressed through a screen while damp. I have enough junk in the shop so I can start pressing pucks later one I get used to it.
    Thanks
    Ed
    Eddie I made my mill jar from a piece of 6inch pvc pipe - glued an end cap for a base and an adapter from 6inch to 4inch with a cap, I turned a piece of willow to plug the 4inch cap end so its flush on the inside other wise I got stuff accumulating in there that didnt grind properly - getting enough round ball to half fill the jar was some work - it takes one kilo of meal per fill
    - sulphur - lots of stories about sulphur - I dont want to add dirt to my shooting powder in any quantity so for me that 90% stuff is out! Buy flowers of sulphur in the garden supply or a farm store - or yellow dusting sulphur - yellow sulphur should be 99%+ pure elemental sulphur.......there was a story around a while back dissing garden sulphur because its highly acid ------B S ---"acidic sulphur" --- just a story - it said need the sulphur used in rubbermaking - well that is plain yellow sulphur - Elemental sulphur is .....Elemental sulphur - 99.9% pure, it might come coarse like a piece of rock, or grainy like sand, or ground fine as flowers of sulphur, but its all sulphur.
    The ag people add bentonite to sulphur - they tell us it makes a better fungicide - maybe - or maybe they do that because they then have a "product" - with a brand name they can patent/copyright and "sell" to farmers ?????
    (Elemental Sulphur is used for acidifying alkaline soil but that is result of the chemical reaction in the soil and is a whole different story - adding water to the mix generates sulphuric acid that is then neutralised by the alkaline soil and soil pH drops - thats all got nuthin to do with gunpowder)

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