Making your own black powder

[RyanJames170]

What dose a guy need in the way of tools to make there own black powder?
What types of woods are good to use?
Where do you guys source the potassium nitrate and sulfur?

[LAGS]

If you check out the thread on making your own powder.
All your questions can be answered.
All 356 pages have plenty of info and show who is making their own powder

[farmerjim]

KNO3 can be bought in 50 lb bags at farm supply stores. They also sell 50 pound bags of sulfur.

[HamGunner]

My suggestion is to pick an evening and just start skimming through the "Homemade Black Powder" STICKY thread and take notes as you go. Not all the information in the early part of the thread is as good as some especially in the later pages, as many of the methods, tools, and certainly types of woods used and methods to make the charcoal, got improved from the earlier, "years" actually.

I think one can cover a lot of pages in a short period of time by simply scanning through and picking out the ripe fruit as you go. Might take a couple or three sessions, but it will certainly be well worth the effort. One just can not quickly explain all the needed info to make GOOD Black Powder. And if one wants to make their own, they might as well make some good stuff while they are at it. There is not just one way and method to get there as everyone has different needs and available tools.

After doing your research on the old thread and you still have questions, just jump on to the thread (which is still quite active) and ask away. A good bit of knowledge can be found from those that made up the thread. No, actually, a very huge amount of knowledge can be found there as it was the sharing of knowledge that helped make it such a great thread.

[LAGS]

I totally agree HamGunner.
That thread, even though it is repetive from time to time , is well worth it to look at for info.
I had been making powder for so many years before there was even Computers.
But info from that thread has very much improved my powder and the way I make it , or find stuff to make it

[MrWolf]

Start from the most recent posts and go back in time. They have been very generous in the information offered.

[Tasbay]

To make powder I use: A tin to bake the charcoal & a pole with bucket to break it up. A sieve for the Charcoal and sulphur. A homemade ball mill to mill the Charcoal & Sulphur together. A pot and spoon to boil the Kno3 and mix in the milled Charcoal & sulphur. 2 mesh screens one course and one reasonably fine. Something to lay the screened powder out on to dry and containers to store the powder. Thats it all up probably $30 invested in equipment. As I shoot front stuffers I don`t bother with the pucks and breaking up to F sizes.