Make your own black powder posted in the lounge, maybe I'll get more answers here

[silvercorvette]

Does anyone make their own black powder?


The topic of diffrent brands came up in the lounge a few days ago, but I have been thinking about making my own for a few years

http://www.unitednuclear.com/mills.htm

It seems pretty easy

this guy is using a regular grinder, I don't think it is safe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewAcYZyWU3E
I am thinking of placing an order but want some opinions

http://www.skylighter.com/

http://www.wfvisser.dds.nl/EN/bp_making_EN.html

Has anyone here made their own?

 

[silvercorvette]

Does anyone make their own black powder?


The topic of diffrent brands came up in the lounge a few days ago, but I have been thinking about making my own for a few years

http://www.unitednuclear.com/mills.htm

It seems pretty easy

this guy is using a regular grinder, I don't think it is safe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewAcYZyWU3E
I am thinking of placing an order but want some opinions

http://www.skylighter.com/

http://www.wfvisser.dds.nl/EN/bp_making_EN.html

Has anyone here made their own?

 

[canoe on the yukon]

As I'm sure you're aware,black powder is made up of (by weight)75 parts saltpeter,15 parts charcoal and 10 parts sulfur.The process is not complicated and there are several sources which give slightly different methods.

Not meaning to alarm you but there is a risk involved unless great caution is exercised.Black powder is indeed explosive where smokeless powder is not.

I know how to make primers and having that knowledge gives me a sense of security even though I will probably never need to do it.I use that as an example because it's precisely the way I feel about making black powder.

Black powder is available,relatively cheap and generally of excellent quality.With that considered,is it worth the risk?

 

[silvercorvette]

I guess it is for the same satisfaction I get from making my own ammo. I was thinking of making small 1/2 pound batches and running the mill outside in back of the house

 

[Andy Griffith]

I bought a book on it when the scare about reclassifying black powder for shipping purposes happened a while back...

I'll send you the book if you would like...give some history and pictures from the old DuPont facility where they use to make it. I was surprised by their use of bathtubs filled with water all over the facility for safety...even until the time they closed the plant!

To sum up the book though,

A. Yes, you can make your own black powder, and it is legal federally.

B. It is extremely dangerous, and only very small batches should be made with appropriate equipment and environment. A primer on fireworks safety is recommended by the book that tells about all the static electricity reduction methods.

C. It takes many "trial" recipes (wasted time and materials) to make anything that is going to function as well as Goex does. Mixing the mixture well and getting everything coated is the real problem. It is a lot of work, and then if you didn't peer into your crystal ball quite right...the stuff will just fizzle and is about worthless as a propellant.

There was a chapter on when to make it according to an equation that took into account the phases of the moon, the winter solstice, position of Mercury and the mating season of aardvarks. However, it was above my pay grade.

In all seriousness, if you would like to borrow the book, I will drop it in the mail to you so you may see if you have the place to do it. It is fascinating reading indeed and if I had the time, I'd try it.

 

[OKFC05]

Originally posted by silvercorvette:
I guess it is for the same satisfaction I get from making my own ammo. I was thinking of making small 1/2 pound batches and running the mill outside in back of the house

Suggest you read the history of black powder. Why?
Well, any lucky idiot willing to risk blowing himself up can grind up the proper mix and make the sorry crap like the early versions of black powder.
Only after "corning" and coatings were perfected did blackpowder like you can buy now become available.

Unless you can duplicate the required physical processes with good quality control, the result will be erratic and dangerous.

 

[Jellybean]

As usual I'm on the other side of the fence. As a former member of the PGII I say go for it. Go to the book section of Skylighter and look for some books on black powder mills and manufacture techniques.

Is it dangerous? You bet! But so is jumping out of an airplane, shooting a firearm and driving to work. I agree with you, there is noting like building your hobby from scratch.

 

[silvercorvette]

I think I am going to read the book Andy Griffith offerd to lend me and make up my mind. I have been thinking about this for 5 or 10 years so there is no rush to start right now

 

[Dale53]

I raced motorcycles for ten years. I have raced cars. I have set up and used explosives (military). I have reloaded and used 60mm and 81 mm mortars (actually reloaded the ignition shotshells). I have disposed of bushels of increments from mortars (that can get exciting

). I have backpacked alone in the wilderness for long periods. I was in the infantry (SFC with a primary MOS in Heavy Weapons). I have kayaked in class three & four
rivers in the winter time (snow on the ground and had to break ice to get in the river).

However, I draw the line at making black powder. Every major powder mill that I am aware of (AND the BEST fireworks manufacturers) have had fatal accidents. Now, when the experts have problems from time to time, what business do I have trying this with little or no knowledge? None, I tell you, NONE!

But that's just me...

Dale53

 

[okie john]

As people have pointed out, black powder is an explosive that benefits greatly from the centuries of know-how that we've accumulated since Brother Berthold Schwartz became the first European to figure out how to make gunpowder.

Schwartz is often depicted during his last moment on Earth, which occurred as a batch went up in his face.

He probably never knew what hit him, but I bet the monk running the monastery where he did his research was PISSED.


Okie John

 

[Paul5388]

Do a Google search for Goex plant explosions and the frequency of the events may change your mind about trying to make BP.

We used to make a crude BP about 50 years ago, but we restricted it to a simple mixing of the ingredients, which worked quite well with a length of cannon fuse. Of course, you could still buy real Cherry Bombs back then.

 

[canoe on the yukon]

I just had a flashback.Happens a lot at my age.I can recall reading about the great precautions that were taken among kegged powder supplies such as being very deliberate and choosy about clothing choices in order to avoid static electricity.Slippers made of (I believe silk)were required for the same reason.

These were people who had regular contact with black powder and understood the level of respect it warrants.

I've used a lot of black powder over the years but none of my own making.

 

[2152hq]

Knowing how to make some and actually doing it is where I draw the line now!. Too many close calls for me to try that or alot of other things anymore.
But there are those that still do and seem to do OK. Plenty of info around, books, internet, etc.

There was a site that showed some industrious dude making it in 50 LBS batches

but I can't find the link,,still looking.
Maybe he slipped up too. He was most proud of the fact that it was only costing him about $2.00/lb or less for his brew.

Even if you make it in what seems to be reletively small 1/2lb or even smaller batches, that is still a quantity that can kill you or take a building apart.
Just be careful,,

 

[Rule3]

Never ceases to amaze me what people put on U tube. That guy is insane. There are so many chances of a spark or static spark in that video. They he sticks his hand in the mixture with a lighter.

At least we we were young and crazy we used a fuse

 

[Gatofeo]

Why stop at black powder?
Why not grow your own anthrax? Why not make your own chemical weapons?
Sheesh!
As has been pointed out, even the most advanced and safety-conscious black powder manufacturing plants go up now and then.
It's just part and parcel of making the stuff, it seems.
Making black powder is dangerous. Period. You can still order it through Graf and other suppliers. That beats losing your fingers, eyes or life because you wanted to make your own.
Leave powder-making to the professionals. Let them take all the risks. It's just not worth making your own.

 

[tdan]

Why stop at black powder?
Why not grow your own anthrax? Why not make your own chemical weapons?
Sheesh!
As has been pointed out, even the most advanced and safety-conscious black powder manufacturing plants go up now and then.
It's just part and parcel of making the stuff, it seems.
Making black powder is dangerous. Period. You can still order it through Graf and other suppliers. That beats losing your fingers, eyes or life because you wanted to make your own.
Leave powder-making to the professionals. Let them take all the risks. It's just not worth making your own

+ infinity...........I'm just sitting on the sidelines eating popcorn waiting for these alchemists to divulge their recipe for making gold out of egg yolks and such.....lol!

 

[canoe on the yukon]

tdan,

Can you imagine what a dozen eggs would sell for after that?

 

[Wyatt Earp]

Here you go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs8sgFlviYM

 

[canoe on the yukon]

I can't remember his name off the top of my head but the fellow who developed Pyrodex was killed in a factory explosion.Pyrodex is not even an explosive and has always been called the safe alternative to black powder.

 

[Gatofeo]

Originally posted by canoe on the yukon:
I can't remember his name off the top of my head but the fellow who developed Pyrodex was killed in a factory explosion.Pyrodex is not even an explosive and has always been called the safe alternative to black powder.

Dan Pawlak, creator of Pyrodex, died in 1977 when the plant at Issaquah, Washington exploded. Issaquah is just east of Seattle.
No doubt about it, making black powder is dangerous, even with modern manufacturing techniques. That's why there are so few plants making it today.
I'm unsure if any black powder is made in the U.S. today. Last I heard, there was a plant in Mexico making it for U.S. consumers.
Black powder is not only manufactured for firearms.
The U.S. military still uses it for naval guns, training cartridges (the 60mm and 120mm training rounds contain 20 or 12-gauge black powder blanks, respectively), signalling or line-throwing rounds and so on.
Archaeologists and paleontologists, when they want to blast a rock loose without shattering the rock or something beside it, have been known to call upon experts who use black powder as an explosive.
Though nearing 1,000 years in age, it remains useful in the 21st century.
But one thing remains unchanged: It's still dangerous to manufacture. Just when you think you have it figured out, the sulfurous demon in it reaches out and grabs ya!