Black powder screens

[NC Terry]

First of all, I’m new, thanks for letting me join cast boolits.

Those of you who make your own black powder what screen size do you use for 2fg and 3fg? I’m buying ingredients and equipment for making some black powder. I’m starting with a skylighter kit and I have a ball mill, I’m just a little unclear about screens. All help is appreciated.

Thank you

[almar]

20-30 and 50 or 20 30 and 60 if you prefer a finer 3fg.

You crush the pucks, grind them and filter it through the 20 mesh on to the 30 mesh to obtain 2f, you then screen the powder that fell through over the 50 or 60 mesh to obtain 3fg, what stayed on the 30mesh is my 2fg. This is for corning powder from crushed pucks. Others may have different values.

[trapper9260]

I am glad this was ask I was wondering about this and now . Seen this . thanks .

[NC Terry]

Thank you

1) kitchen vegetable strainer is 12 mesh anything that wont pass is cannon or regrind
2) normal insect window screen is 16 mesh - 12 to 16 mesh = Fg
3) finer kitchen strainer or splatter screen is 22-24 mesh - 16 to 24 mesh = FFg
4) found a piece of stainless ag strainer gauze @ 40 mesh - 24 to 40 mesh = FFFg
5) haberdashery shop has sheer nylon screen material that is 100mesh 40 to 100mesh = FFFFg
anything passes 100 is reprocessed

this works for me
there are several caveats # mesh size is only half the story - wire thickness make substantial difference at the same mesh spacing
# how hard do you shake it? mine is till no more drops through - commercial dont do that
# what grade do you need most of ??
I found enough variability in commercial graded powder (brand x to brand y) to easily justify my system

[NC Terry]

Thank you

[Boz330]

I got my screens from McMaster Carr, they have about any combination you could ask for. I found that my 3F shot better than any other size so anything else just gets reground or re-pressed. The fines make great pan powder.

Bob