My homemade black powder

[HamGunner]

I have a 3" puck die and I use enough delrin plastic spacers to give me 5 pucks from a full load of meal and they average about 1/8" thick. Much easier to grind.

[FrankJD]

After breaking up the pucks I did I see even more why for thinner pucks. One of my pucks at .415" thick. Hard to break up - I think 3/16", or even 1/8" pucks would work better and be easier to grind in my Amazon coffee grinder.

Which coffee grinder you using, Ken?

[KenH]

Which coffee grinder you using, Ken?

I'm currently using this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VWN5B31

I'm looking at this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BD7T4PM4

The one I have the grinding cone is only 3/4" to 7/8" diameter while the last I linked to has a 1.4" diameter grinding burr. Seems like that would do a better job with larger chunks of BP? I'm not sure about the grinding range with the 6 settings. The one I'm using has a nut so it's an infinite range from really coarse to pretty fine.

Getting the pucks broken up and ground without creating too many fines is the hardest part of the BP process - or for me anyway.

[LAGS]

I just break up my pucks with a pair of wire cutters.
You don't have to take a lot of time to get the pieces small enough to fit in that smaller style coffee grinder that I use.

[FrankJD]

I'm currently using this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VWN5B31

I'm looking at this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BD7T4PM4

The one I have the grinding cone is only 3/4" to 7/8" diameter while the last I linked to has a 1.4" diameter grinding burr. Seems like that would do a better job with larger chunks of BP? I'm not sure about the grinding range with the 6 settings. The one I'm using has a nut so it's an infinite range from really coarse to pretty fine.

Getting the pucks broken up and ground without creating too many fines is the hardest part of the BP process - or for me anyway.

Thanx, Ken. I've got a large grain grinder, like Jake uses - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D24DR5OLtds&t=443s

[KenH]

Thanx, Ken. I've got a large grain grinder, like Jake uses - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D24DR5OLtds&t=443s

Now that is the grinder that's needed. I'd been looking at the manual meat grinders, but that grain mill is by far the best idea. Even with it being iron I suspect it's safe aplenty by going slow and 1 puck at a time. $40..... Hmmm, I might have to order one of those.

[FrankJD]

Now that is the grinder that's needed. I'd been looking at the manual meat grinders, but that grain mill is by far the best idea. Even with it being iron I suspect it's safe aplenty by going slow and 1 puck at a time. $40..... Hmmm, I might have to order one of those.

$31+tax - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BK58NZ5Z...s_B09QYCBCK8_0

[Pioneer]

$31+tax - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BK58NZ5Z...s_B09QYCBCK8_0

It's the grinder I been using. Does a good job. Just don't set it to tight.

[KenH]

$31+tax - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BK58NZ5Z...s_B09QYCBCK8_0

It's now ordered - thanks.

That will do a nice job of grinding my KNO3 that's in BB size pellets.

[indian joe]

After breaking up the pucks I did I see even more why for thinner pucks. One of my pucks at .415" thick. Hard to break up - I think 3/16", or even 1/8" pucks would work better and be easier to grind in my Amazon coffee grinder.

I think thats a mistake most of us made at the start - I did for sure anyway - 3/8 to 1/2inch, man were they hard work in that little coffee grinder!

[mmb617]

I have a 3" puck die and I use enough delrin plastic spacers to give me 5 pucks from a full load of meal and they average about 1/8" thick. Much easier to grind.

Exactly the same here. I did what most of us probably do and started out making pucks that were too thick and really hard to break up. Now the 5 pucks at a time in the 3 inch die is perfect.

Earlier in this thread I read about using a grain mill to break up the pucks so I got one and that was well worth the price, as it makes getting chunks that are the right size for grinding a one step process.

I also started out using a hand grinder that wasn't really great, then found this little electric one that I really like. It has a lot of adjustment range and keeps my fines percentage below 20% which I think is as good as it's ever going to get.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095WWM5JX...x=ceramic+burr

Looking through my records I see I've made 23 lbs of powder since I started this project a year and a half ago. I've made several changes over that time and am now at the point that I'm satisfied with the product I'm getting with the processes I'm currently using.

Since I like crunching numbers and creating spreadsheets I tried to get an estimate of how much powder I needed to make to break even on my equipment investment which was north of $600. The figure I came up with was 24 lbs, so I'm just about to go into the black on this project.

It's not solely about the money as I enjoy making the powder but it is nice to be able to produce it cheaply. I bought the potassium nitrate and sulfur in bulk last year before inflation went wild and got the cedar I use for free. By my calculations each lb of powder I make costs me $1.89 which is good, but knowing I'm not at the mercy of "supply chain issues" is even better.

This thread has been an immense help and I still check in daily even though I now think I know what I'm doing.

[armouredtrooper]

I'm pretty new to this site, I've been producing my own BP for a while now, I need to add a binder to the mixture and ordered a binder from esty the other day. I use a ball mill with 50 cal lead balls to mix the three ingredients together and run the mill for 24 hours, mix the powder with rubbing alcohol to clay, and strain it through a screen. The only item that I find now is that I need a binder to add to the ball mill for the last hour of milling. I watched Hoffman productions on YouTube and followed that gent's recipe. I'm still in the testing stages and of course, I only make 1/4 lb at a time. Both my wife, stepson, son-in-law and I are muzzleloader shooters, we love the old ways. Our big issue is finding that BP up here in communist Canukastan. If you can find it, the cost is usually an arm or a leg for a one-pound jar. We have resorted to using Triple 7 in a pinch. We're all shooting percussion, so we don't have the headaches of attempting to run 4f triple 7 in the pan.

[Pioneer]

I'm pretty new to this site, I've been producing my own BP for a while now, I need to add a binder to the mixture and ordered a binder from esty the other day. I use a ball mill with 50 cal lead balls to mix the three ingredients together and run the mill for 24 hours, mix the powder with rubbing alcohol to clay, and strain it through a screen. The only item that I find now is that I need a binder to add to the ball mill for the last hour of milling. I watched Hoffman productions on YouTube and followed that gent's recipe. I'm still in the testing stages and of course, I only make 1/4 lb at a time. Both my wife, stepson, son-in-law and I are muzzleloader shooters, we love the old ways. Our big issue is finding that BP up here in communist Canukastan. If you can find it, the cost is usually an arm or a leg for a one-pound jar. We have resorted to using Triple 7 in a pinch. We're all shooting percussion, so we don't have the headaches of attempting to run 4f triple 7 in the pan.

Get a box of corn starch and cook it in the oven on a cookie sheet at about 400 degrees for 3 or 4 hours until golden brown. Stir it some while roasting. Makes dextrin, and it works good as a binder. And it's cheap.

[HWooldridge]

I'm pretty new to this site, I've been producing my own BP for a while now, I need to add a binder to the mixture and ordered a binder from esty the other day. I use a ball mill with 50 cal lead balls to mix the three ingredients together and run the mill for 24 hours, mix the powder with rubbing alcohol to clay, and strain it through a screen. The only item that I find now is that I need a binder to add to the ball mill for the last hour of milling. I watched Hoffman productions on YouTube and followed that gent's recipe. I'm still in the testing stages and of course, I only make 1/4 lb at a time. Both my wife, stepson, son-in-law and I are muzzleloader shooters, we love the old ways. Our big issue is finding that BP up here in communist Canukastan. If you can find it, the cost is usually an arm or a leg for a one-pound jar. We have resorted to using Triple 7 in a pinch. We're all shooting percussion, so we don't have the headaches of attempting to run 4f triple 7 in the pan.

May I ask what type of wood you are using for charcoal?

[DoubleBuck]

armouredtrouper;
The corn starch dextrin Pioneer mentions is good binder. And the price is very affordable. Most people report about 2% of your meal seems to work.
Also, a few people are reporting Glutinous Rice Starch also is really good. Again, 2% should work and not adversely affect burn speed.
The alcohol is quick drying, but may be contributing to soft grains, in your powder. This has been discussed several times, here. You may try distilled water and see if your grain strength is improved. It will take longer to dry, but may help and it will be much more friendly to the dextrin, or rice starch. I do not know if either of them do well with alcohol. But they both work with water, quite well.
Good luck with your powder!

[Vettepilot]

Yeah, I don't think Dextrin nor MGRS (rice starch) will activate with pure alcohol. Improper chemistry.

I LOVE how well the rice starch works, and it's cheap too! Actually, it works really well at 1.5% too; that's what I use.

So, in a bind, you could use your BP to thicken your gravy, right??

;~)

[KenH]

OK, I got the https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BK58NZ5Z? grinder ordered - and thanks for the cheaper link.

IT WORKS!!! Much easier to grind with than the coffee grinder I'd ordered from early links. I mixed up a 100 gram batch yesterday, let it roll mill overnight for around 17 hrs of grinding. Pressed into pucks today and ran thru grinder. Looks like I got around 80 grams of graded F & FFg powder from the 100 gram batch. Only a few grams of fines. First pass thru it was around 50 grams of graded powder with 40 or so grams of fines. Pressed into 2 pucks and ran them thru the grinder.

I am VERY pleased with the grinder, and the aluminum.... what do you call the forms used to make the pucks? I pressed them in my 16 ton hydraulic forging press. As such I only hold pressure on each puck for only a minute or so with 2 or 3 presses. I just hate to hear that bypass valve noise when it releases for 2500 psi.

Again, thanks to this whole group for sharing the knowledge.

[HWooldridge]

OK, I got the https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BK58NZ5Z? grinder ordered - and thanks for the cheaper link.

IT WORKS!!! Much easier to grind with than the coffee grinder I'd ordered from early links. I mixed up a 100 gram batch yesterday, let it roll mill overnight for around 17 hrs of grinding. Pressed into pucks today and ran thru grinder. Looks like I got around 80 grams of graded F & FFg powder from the 100 gram batch. Only a few grams of fines. First pass thru it was around 50 grams of graded powder with 40 or so grams of fines. Pressed into 2 pucks and ran them thru the grinder.

I am VERY pleased with the grinder, and the aluminum.... what do you call the forms used to make the pucks? I pressed them in my 16 ton hydraulic forging press. As such I only hold pressure on each puck for only a minute or so with 2 or 3 presses. I just hate to hear that bypass valve noise when it releases for 2500 psi.

Again, thanks to this whole group for sharing the knowledge.

Good news! Glad you are happy with the results.

I just bought one of these grinders from a local guy who was going to make 'shine from ground grain. He never got around to the still business and sold it to me for fifty bucks - unused in the box.

I put mine on a loose setting to yield a very coarse size then use a small manual coffee grinder with ceramic burrs to finish. Cuts way down on the dust. I did not weigh the last batch but it was about 70/30 based on visual comparison between the sifted piles.

[FrankJD]

Are most of you folks air floating each of the ingredients before ball milling, or just going straight to ball milling?

[LAGS]

I Air Float all of my materials and store them that way.
But before I mix my next batch , I tumble each by themselves just to make sure there is no clumping from humidity. Even though I live in a no humidity state.
The three chemicals are then milled together.
Often I do the charcoal and sulfur first.
Then add the Kno3.
I don't know if it makes any difference.
But I do it mostly for just a safety factor.
The meal is way less flammable untill you mix in the Kno3.
Plus having the mix of two chemicals first should tend to make a more even mix with the third chemical.