My homemade black powder

[Avenger442]

I used a arbor press to press my pucks Fly, seemed to work good

I pressed mine with a 2 ton arbor press. It seems to work fine for mine too. Put a pipe extension on the arm and really lean on it for about three minutes. When pucks dry the are hard as a rock.

[BlackPowderBen]

3 minutes? I compressed it as hard as I could, then took the puck out. I was able to break the puck with my hand the next day. I need to put pressure on for a longer time it sounds like.

[Avenger442]

My pucks were dry when I broke them, about three weeks later. You probably would not have to wait three weeks for them to dry depending on conditions. If I lived in Arizona probably would be a week or so. I would imagine that my pucks at one day would have crumbled pretty easy since they would have been still damp from the spray of water used when I compressed them.

Are you using something to extend the handle of the press so you can exert more pressure?

[BlackPowderBen]

Are you using something to extend the handle of the press so you can exert more pressure?

I haven't. Fly told me to do that as well. I only broke up one puck because my grain mill was grinding the pucks into dust, so I had to order the ceramic coffee bean grinder. The rest of the pucks have been in the garage for about 2 weeks now.

[Nobade]

Definitely give them time to dry or use a dehydrator. I like to make multiple batches so that the pucks can dry for several months before I grind them up. As long as you make enough it's no problem to let them sit. Just like making wine - if you make a batch every week eventually you can drink a batch a week after it has aged!

-Nobade

[Texantothecore]

I use about 4 feet of standard black gas line. I think it is 1 inch outside diameter and fits the press perfectly. It makes it very easy to pump the press to 5,000 psi. Cheap too at Lowes.

[BlackPowderBen]

Hey thanks I'll do that!

[Dave M]

Boy is this thread getting long! We are gonna have to make a compressed version. Lots of good info.
Anyhow, do we have a list of screen sizes from 1f to 4f that would be required somewhere? I've seen it before but can't find it.

[Dbtk44]

I've been following this thread for a while, and again...thank you all for sharing your knowledge and experiences here! I wish I had something meaningful to add, but at the moment I'm gearing up to make my own BP according to all the info here.

2 questions..

1. I'm sure it's been posted here a few times, but does anyone have a source for known good Willow charcoal? Or Possibly someone on this thread might be willing to sell a lb or two? I haven't a clue where I could get willow branches to make it, here in the Mohave desert.

2. Has anyone tried avoiding the corning process, and just compressed the damp meal into something like the Pyrodex pellets, or possibly cylindrical little plugs to fit a Colt/Remington .44 chamber? Seems like this would work well for set charges in a pistol, once one works up a suitable load/size of course. But then I don't even know if this will work. And, does anyone foresee a big issue giving this a try?

Thank you in advance for any and all information!

[Fly]

Starting out I would make up some cedar charcoal using a paint can retort. Get
some cedar chips & paint can at Lowels or Home Depot. Then I would start out
by using screened powder. Then later progress to corned. JMOHOP.

Fly

[Dbtk44]

Starting out I would make up some cedar charcoal using a paint can retort. Get
some cedar chips & paint can at Lowels or Home Depot. Then I would start out
by using screened powder. Then later progress to corned. JMOHOP.

Fly

Thank you for the reply Fly! I'll check out the cedar.

And the puzzle...JMOHOP. I'll ponder the acronym today at work and see if I can figure it out.

[Fly]

Screen powder recipe is in the above thread. Any questions just ask. There is NO dumb question. We all started the same way.
Fly

[Avenger442]

Guess what I just found that I had forgotten about. A red cedar log about five feet long and about ten inches in diameter. All of it's bark already stripped. I remembered when I found it behind a bunch of scrap that I had saved it for one of my previous hobbies carving. Now it's fuel for the cannon (pun intended). And the scrap for the fire to heat it.

I haven't even loaded a gun with my home made yet and already have enough willow charcoal to last me for a while. Now enough cedar. Only thing not found is tree of heaven.

Having a lot of fun with this. I may have to follow Fly into the fireworks.

[Fly]

My Lord I never knew the cartridge Black powder Guys on this same site knew nothing
about making there own BP. Some do but some here should educate those guys. They still
think black powder will blow them up by looking cross eyed at it.

Not me I been there did that trying to get it excepted & did to a point. It is your turn now.

Fly

[Atlast357]

Thats the way it is Fly, there are always critics that pass on their lack of knowledge and some folks
just accept it, no question.
I'm amazed also, but ......we go on.

[Dbtk44]

My Lord I never knew the cartridge Black powder Guys on this same site knew nothing
about making there own BP. Some do but some here should educate those guys. They still
think black powder will blow them up by looking cross eyed at it.

Not me I been there did that trying to get it excepted & did to a point. It is your turn now.

Fly

It can get pretty humorous sometimes. Now, I've been shooting flint and percussion for about 29 years, just for a frame of reference....and I was lucky enough to be taught by an old timer who grew up using bp. I had to laugh out loud when I came across a conversation not too long back, where a gentleman was inquiring about making powder measures from used brass, i.e. .45 acp. .357, .44, etc. ....and it was followed by "You'll BLOW your gun up!!" and " Better get a proper measure, you might blow your finger off when your barrel explodes!".

This was from self proclaimed "black powder shooters". Gotta wonder sometimes...

[wicket]

I feel kinda bad for the "you'll shoot your eye out" types, seems like they must live out their lives trapped in a little box constructed from their own fears. In fairness though, there are folks who will mix up a five gallon bucket of powder ingredients, toss in a shovel full of gravel, and mill it using a paddle bit. Even though Fly dresses funny and sings worse than a scalded hound, he knows powder and has done more than anybody else i can think of to spread the word on how to make high quality powder safely and sensibly.

[Sharpsman]

"Forgive them Father....for they know not what they do!"

[Fly]

My another wise Coonass as myself!

Fly

[Avenger442]

Looks like making black powder is safer than driving on the freeway in downtown Birmingham.
My observation is that if you are careful and don't mix up a five gallon bucket while smoking a cigarette you won't have a problem. Use good old common sense. Think about what you are doing while you are doing it. Kind of like not texting while driving.