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Thread: Here is the write-up "My homemade black powder"

  1. #41
    Boolit Master

    firefly1957's Avatar
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    I was wondering if anyone would spot it, I used to work with a crazy guy named Julio every time he would come near me I would say "hey Julio just what were you and Paul doing in the school yard" he always left which was a good thing.
    When I think back on all the **** I learned in high school it's a wonder I can think at all ! And then my lack of education hasn't hurt me none I can read the writing on the wall.

  2. #42
    Boolit Master
    Freightman's Avatar
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    Well I did it! I made some BP as the instructions except I took the charcoal out of my wood burning stove when I cleaned it out. It has been bad since I finished the powder so couldn't get to the range to test to see if it was going to fire in my 45/70. It cleared a little but not much so I took and put 10gr of BP in a case and put two 3/8 vegie wads down on top of them and went to the back yard and fire it. It fired and even hit the fence with the wadds so it goes off fine. Will try to test with a load next week or so but I am happy and it cost very little. Ordered three # of KNO3 and three # of Sulfur for $15 including shipping $1.30 for rubbing alcohol and the charcoal was free and there is enough to make 9.5# + BP.
    Frank G.

  3. #43
    Boolit Grand Master







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    Problem is Firefly most of the writing on the wall today is Gang related graffete.
    1Shirt!
    "Common Sense Is An Uncommon Virtue" Ben Franklin

    "Ve got too soon old and too late smart" Pa.Dutch Saying

  4. #44
    Boolit Buddy hatcreek's Avatar
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    I've been making black powder for years, my recipe is 75grams kno3, 15 grams willow charcoal, and 10 grams sulfur, I ball mill all three for 4 to 6 hours, i use stale urine to make like a biscuit dough, I sift it through a screen, and let it dry for a good 24 hours, stale urine oxidizes the powder then alcohol or water, I know it sounds gross but the difference is quite noticeable.

  5. #45
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by hatcreek View Post
    I've been making black powder for years, my recipe is 75grams kno3, 15 grams willow charcoal, and 10 grams sulfur, I ball mill all three for 4 to 6 hours, i use stale urine to make like a biscuit dough, I sift it through a screen, and let it dry for a good 24 hours, stale urine oxidizes the powder then alcohol or water, I know it sounds gross but the difference is quite noticeable.
    I will have to try the urine next time I didn't ball mill it but got decant speed and accuracy from my 45/70
    Frank G.

  6. #46
    Boolit Buddy
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    Have to ask... stale urine? Just how does one make urine stale? Are we talking urine that has been allowed to sit in an open pan in the sun? Or are we talking stall urine... Like a horse stall? I have heard of making saltpeter from urine. Just asking

  7. #47
    Boolit Buddy

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    FYI
    Bonide brand stump out doesn't contain potassium nitrate instead it is made of sodium pyrosulfite. It's sold as stump remover but if you get that brand no dice for bp. Spectracide's brand, as already mentioned, is potassium nitrate, the stuff you want.

  8. #48
    Boolit Mold
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    Guys I'm new here and new to cast bullets, but definitely not new to BP. I make my own (for pyro) and you can definitely make better than you can buy. Don't believe me? I don't care, I'm not trying to sell you anything.

    The wet method listed here is called the "CIA Method" as this was a method in CIA field manuals for "field expedient black powder". It's so-so and a hell of a lot of mess.

    Anyway, I'm sure many of you have rock tumblers for case cleaning? Filling halfway with grinding media (lead bullets would work great) and then "loading" with enough 75:15:10 to fill in all the spaces (so not you have a "solid" half-full jar) will be a proper load. Mill overnight. Granulate in one of many ways and you have some mighty-fine BP. Here's a tutorial by my friend Ned with no milling - a LOT cleaner than that CIA method:

    http://www.skylighter.com/skylighter...e.asp?Item=115

    He also lists some pretty good granulation and separation tips.

    Good charcoal (graphite, aquarium charcoal and some other replacements listed here are no good) and VERY FINE grains are the key.

    So, nice to meet you all and I'm looking forward to learning from you!

  9. #49
    Boolit Master Bert2368's Avatar
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    Hi- Lee Bussy???? Bert from Hollywood Pyrotechnics here.

    These guys are very good at getting chunks of Lead alloy to go where they want, when they want. I do chime in now and then when someone starts re-activating primers with match heads, using steel tools on live mixtures or some such...
    "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away."

  10. #50
    Boolit Buddy
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    I have 2 questions:

    1 - Charcoal made from oak - good, bad?

    2 - Is this stuff suitable?
    http://www.lowes.com/pd_188825-1321-...fur&facetInfo=

    Here's the MSDS sheet on the stuff:
    http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...smXXuQ&cad=rja

    Thanks.
    7.62NATO - because shooting something twice with 5.56NATO is just plain silly.

  11. #51
    Boolit Master Lead Fred's Avatar
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    Thats just plain cool
    I have sworn on the altar of GOD eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.
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  12. #52
    Boolit Master
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    I went to Harbor Freight and they had there tumblers on sale for $29.89 so I got one and cast 100 round balls and put my mix of 150g KNO3/ 30g willow charcoal/ 20g Sulfur/ and 15g Dextrin, and tumbled it for 12 hours overnight and it made excellent black powder. I added 1/2c water and 1/2 c alcohol and corned it, the grains were great and loaded great. Will get to the range later this week and chronograph some loads.
    Frank G.

  13. #53
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by daschnoz View Post
    I have 2 questions:

    1 - Charcoal made from oak - good, bad?

    2 - Is this stuff suitable?
    http://www.lowes.com/pd_188825-1321-...fur&facetInfo=

    Here's the MSDS sheet on the stuff:
    http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...smXXuQ&cad=rja

    Thanks.
    Here is a link for willow charcoal enough to make several 100 pounds of powder
    http://www.customcharcoal.com/willow-lump-charcoal.html
    Frank G.

  14. #54
    Boolit Buddy
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    Good work freightman, nice to see you are still at it!

  15. #55
    Boolit Master GrizzLeeBear's Avatar
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    Has anyone made any black powder without the sulfur?

    After reading this thread, I did some surfing. I have read several places that you can make it without the sulfur. From what I read, the main purpose of the sulfer is to lower the ignition temperature. Without the sulfur, it does lower the energy of the burn a little, but not much. But it also reduces the amount of smoke and sulfur smell. Of course this powder would not work well in a flintlock, but it would be ok in a percussion gun or shotgun shells where you are using modern primers.

  16. #56
    Boolit Buddy
    daschnoz's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Freightman View Post
    Here is a link for willow charcoal enough to make several 100 pounds of powder
    http://www.customcharcoal.com/willow-lump-charcoal.html
    Once I get the chunks smashed down to a small enough size to fit, would a pepper mill grind the charcoal to a fine enough powder to use?
    7.62NATO - because shooting something twice with 5.56NATO is just plain silly.

  17. #57
    Longwood
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    Quote Originally Posted by daschnoz View Post
    Once I get the chunks smashed down to a small enough size to fit, would a pepper mill grind the charcoal to a fine enough powder to use?
    A lot of people use a small hand food grinder like your Grama used.
    That is what I have and it is pretty surprising how fast it did a pound of charcoal dust.
    It was also pretty surprising how much charcoal it took to make one pound of dust.
    Not to mention how much wood it took to make the small amount of charcoal.
    All I could stuff in a popcorn tin from Walmart.

  18. #58
    Longwood
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    Watched pot

    I know a watched pot never boils but I am wondering if I could make charcoal in a stainless steel stock pot with the new glass lids they all seem to come with these days.
    I would like to watch the wood do it's thing.

  19. #59
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by Longwood View Post
    A lot of people use a small hand food grinder like your Grama used.
    That is what I have and it is pretty surprising how fast it did a pound of charcoal dust.
    It was also pretty surprising how much charcoal it took to make one pound of dust.
    Not to mention how much wood it took to make the small amount of charcoal.
    All I could stuff in a popcorn tin from Walmart.
    Food grinder - pic (so I know what to look for)?
    7.62NATO - because shooting something twice with 5.56NATO is just plain silly.

  20. #60
    Longwood
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    Ball milling

    I finally got back to making some blackpowder.
    I toasted, ground up, then milled enough charcoal to get a pound of powdered. I had some green Cottonwood and Fig so that is what I used.
    I bought ten pounds of sulfur over the net for $30 delivered, and also bought a couple of pounds of stump remover at Lowe's.
    I took advantage of Harbor Freights sale and purchased one of the single drum tumblers Saturday.
    I got five spare belts with it so I guess they have caught on to how bad the belts are.
    So yesterday, I put a half pound of KNO3 in the tumbler and filled it half full with a bunch of balls I cast from Linotype.
    As I was machining some parts for 45-70 dies, I ran the mill.
    Everything looked great when I opened the drum when I was done with the machine work which took about two hours.
    As I was loading up my arms with everything, the lid on the drum (the one I had not put the knob back onto) pulled out of the drum as I picked it up.
    Well DUH!
    Use two hands whenever you pick them up.. Especially if they are half full of lead.
    I salvaged some of the product and looked at it under 500 timesof magnification.
    All I can say is,,, Things are looking good. If everything goes as planned, I should have a pound of black powder very soon.
    I believe I can mill it pretty fast from the looks of how fine the powdered KNO3 came out.

    PS,,,
    How flammable is KN03?
    Can I pick some up with a Dust Buster?

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check