My homemade black powder

[Vettepilot]

Well LAGS, this is even more fun, and your grand-daughters would surely love it. Very easy to do, and spectacular...

https://www.skylighter.com/blogs/how...emora-fireball

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nlw9KQuRCRo

Great fun!

Vettepilot

[LAGS]

Thank you VP.
I like the electrically detonated ones.
It will help me keep them at a safe distance.

[mmb617]

No, instead I would just shoot up the test batch(es) as is, and move on from there.

Vettepilot

That's what I did when I had a batch that was noticeably slow (experimenting with charcoal). It fired reliably but every shot was a hangfire. I'd pull the trigger and a half second later the shot would go off.
I used it all up anyways. I told myself it would be a good way to teach myself to stay on target without flinching.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

It is very cold and dry where I am. Does this substantially increase the risk of ball milling BP? I have a smaller double rubber drum tumbler and plan to use some hardcast 44 boolits for media. My ingredients are already ground very fine. I am guessing the batches will be small due to the drum size.

[LAGS]

I think I might try using Coffee Creamer for my charcoal in a batch of BP.
In the links you sent me , they also did the fireballs with Air Fly Charcoal.
Hay, it is worth a shot.

[Vettepilot]

@LAGS

Here, this with e-matches: https://www.amazon.com/Remote-Contro...1064279&sr=8-7

Vettepilot

[DoubleBuck]

It is very cold and dry where I am. Does this substantially increase the risk of ball milling BP? I have a smaller double rubber drum tumbler and plan to use some hardcast 44 boolits for media. My ingredients are already ground very fine. I am guessing the batches will be small due to the drum size.

Charlie;
What risk is it you're concerned about? For milling, the dryer, the better and cold should not matter, unless powder is damp, and might freeze clump in your mill; though I've never experienced cold making a difference. Your media and ingredients (if pure), should do just fine.
If your drums are about half full of media, and you put about 1/4 powder and leave 1/4 open space, you should be good to go. If you want more powder in the jar, you can use a little less media, but you may quickly reach the point of having to mill longer, to get proper results. Hope that was helpful to you. Good luck, and post your results!
Speaking of cold, 36 hours ago, it was 66° here. Right now, it's 13° with about a 12 mph wind and 90% humidity. I had a brass monkey, but I noticed he has changed his gender on me, against his will. ha

[DoubleBuck]

A little birdie brought me some killer brown Black Willow charcoal, kiln cooked right and ready to mix. I've been crunching numbers and am making six batches, to see what difference they make in my rifled musket. Each should give me a good five shot string.
I'm starting with 75-15-10, to compare with my other tests, heads up.
Batch 2 is milling now, and it is AlMar's 76-14-10, to see what it does in a longer barrel.
Batch 3 will be 76-15-9.
Batch 4 will be 76-16-8.
Batch 5 will be 75-16-9.
Batch 6 will be 78-14-8. This was supposedly the best sporting powder in the world around 1890, from England. I want to see what it does, just because. They (Waltham Abbey) also made 75-17-8. I'm figuring they ran enough wood, they knew the adjustments to make, to the charcoal, to get the most out of it.
I should have enough left over charcoal to make further tests, if one of these shows promise.
I'm going to shoot for a density of about 1.55, just because it's less than 1.6 and more than 1.5. My densities have been above 1.6 for several of my tests, the last being 1.72.
Hopefully, I can keep this hoard of variables in the recipes and nowhere else. It may be a few days before it warms up enough for some relaxed testing, but I'll share my results. I am very much ready to get this party started.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Charlie;
What risk is it you're concerned about? For milling, the dryer, the better and cold should not matter, unless powder is damp, and might freeze clump in your mill; though I've never experienced cold making a difference. Your media and ingredients (if pure), should do just fine.
If your drums are about half full of media, and you put about 1/4 powder and leave 1/4 open space, you should be good to go. If you want more powder in the jar, you can use a little less media, but you may quickly reach the point of having to mill longer, to get proper results. Hope that was helpful to you. Good luck, and post your results!
Speaking of cold, 36 hours ago, it was 66° here. Right now, it's 13° with about a 12 mph wind and 90% humidity. I had a brass monkey, but I noticed he has changed his gender on me, against his will. ha

Just the static electricity.

[almar]

A little birdie brought me some killer brown Black Willow charcoal, kiln cooked right and ready to mix. I've been crunching numbers and am making six batches, to see what difference they make in my rifled musket. Each should give me a good five shot string.
I'm starting with 75-15-10, to compare with my other tests, heads up.
Batch 2 is milling now, and it is AlMar's 76-14-10, to see what it does in a longer barrel.
Batch 3 will be 76-15-9.
Batch 4 will be 76-16-8.
Batch 5 will be 75-16-9.
Batch 6 will be 78-14-8. This was supposedly the best sporting powder in the world around 1890, from England. I want to see what it does, just because. They (Waltham Abbey) also made 75-17-8. I'm figuring they ran enough wood, they knew the adjustments to make, to the charcoal, to get the most out of it.
I should have enough left over charcoal to make further tests, if one of these shows promise.
I'm going to shoot for a density of about 1.55, just because it's less than 1.6 and more than 1.5. My densities have been above 1.6 for several of my tests, the last being 1.72.
Hopefully, I can keep this hoard of variables in the recipes and nowhere else. It may be a few days before it warms up enough for some relaxed testing, but I'll share my results. I am very much ready to get this party started.

Great news DB, are your pucks a light grey color? How long does it take under pressure to get to 1.6 density?

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Better fireball than Cremora. Ball mill original formula (Napthalene )moth balls to a powder. I think this was the original special effects recipe.

[Vettepilot]

Better fireball than Cremora. Ball mill original formula (Napthalene )moth balls to a powder. I think this was the original special effects recipe.

Details? Reference?

Thanks!

Vettepilot

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Details? Reference?

Thanks!

Vettepilot

Cannot remember, but I do recall that they incorporated a bit of napthalene into the BP lift. Napthalene is available in powder form.

[DoubleBuck]

Great news DB, are your pucks a light grey color? How long does it take under pressure to get to 1.6 density?

Almar;
Why yes, yes they are! This is some amazing stuff, thus far. The first puck (20 grams) was the original 75-15-10 batch to make the heads up comparison. I had marks on my die and took a gamble, and the first puck came out 1.37 density. So, I made what I thought was a good mark and pressed the second puck (both in about one minute, I might add) and it came out 1.87!!! haha. So, on the third one, I said, ok, go somewhere in the middle of that, right? Well, the third puck came out 1.556. I said that's close enough.
I have the next batch about ready to go, but first decided to try something I have never tried before. The first puck as I said was too light, and I decided to see if I could repress it and get it back. By the way, it's density was measured damp (3/10ths gram on 20). It came out of the second pressing cracked, but a great 1.456.
The first batch I want to do like I have on my other tests, to keep it heads up. But this second batch that was too dense was your 76-14-10 and I want that to be right as I can get it, and so I am making another batch of that. Don't know what I can do with 1.87 density powder, but maybe make little bitty tiny grains and shoot it, right?
Your dog gone charcoal is bad to the bone, to work with, AlMar. I can't wait to see how it does. I have not tested one grunion of it. Not for ash, or anything. I'm gonna just throw some numbers that sounded good to me and record what happens and throw some lead!
I'm just using my same HF double drum tumbler, but just one jar at a time, with only 20 grams of product, and three pounds of balls. haha. I think it's overkill, but the first batch went 5 hours, and was checked a couple of times. The second one went 8 hours.
Your charcoal made the puck pressing deal a whole new world. I think 1.7 which has been hard to get is no longer a chore, at all. And one minute is really all it needs. What you said about the light grey color is true and I didn't have the problem, but I can see where any water at all would make a dark spot. I'll keep ya posted on how it goes. Stay tuned!

[almar]

Sounds perfect. I would bust up that 1.87 and mill about an hour. Being consistent with the density comes with practice. Hopefully it will give good results!

[SeaMonkey]

I do believe a whole lot of us are stayin' tuned!

This is what we just love to see. Discovering the "tricks" to making the most effective and all around best powder.

The books and articles are helpful but there really is no substitute for doin' it and tryin' different things to see results.

I suspect that some of us, like myself, just aren't able at the moment because of temporary situation to do any testing at all.

We truly owe a great debt of gratitude to those of you who are able and who press onward!!

[DoubleBuck]

AlMar;
OK, so maybe so I do have a problem, but think I may also know the solution. The first two pucks I made, when I broke them up, basically reverted to powder. No grain structure at all, to speak of. I'm thinking more than 50% fines before they see a screen. Did I press them too dry? I looked and saw zero moisture on the backing plate, or die. And, after thinking about it, my press, die and powder were all subject to a still 20° F. They both acted like other pucks I've pressed too dry, but they looked good and sounded good, until I went to break them up after drying. The first was the light density that I had repressed. I figured maybe it fractured it from repressing, but for giggles I did the 1.81 density puck and it did the same thing. It was harder to grind, but a bunch turned to dust even though the grinder was set very loose. Should I mill them and add dab more moisture and try again, or have you had that problem? I can recover some usable, but I don't trust the grains to hold up, much at all.
If my math is right, and the powder before adding moisture was as dry as I think it was; 3/10ths gram of water on 20 grams of powder is only 1.5% moisture. I'm thinking it was too dry, or it froze dry. ha. I've read somewhere it is preferable to be 3%-4% moisture.

[almar]

Yeah that happened to me as well when i didnt add enough moisture or went for a too low demsity. It dosent take much but make sure its very well incorporated by passing the moistened powder through a screen. Aim for 1.6 density

[DoubleBuck]

Just the static electricity.

If your mill jars are rubber, and your media is non sparking, which copper and lead you said, I would think you are good to go. You could ground the frame of your machine, and that should do it, I would think, but I'm no electrician, either. I would ere on side of caution, though. Maybe someone else can give you more solid info.

[DoubleBuck]

Thanks Almar. That's what I'm aiming for. And, why I was confused when the 1.81 puck dusted out. I was pretty sure it was a lack of moisture. I was cautious on the water, because last night, when I was weighing the batches, it was 13° and 90% humidity and today when pressing, it was 20° and 85% humidity. But, when I added water, I didn't think the powder reacted the way I was used to it doing. I'll retool and see what happens. Thanks.