Author Topic: Making black powder (Read 1175 times)

murdock · « **on:** March 05, 2010, 08:51:38 AM »

I have read the post on More Smoke from powder, and I know a better way to make charcoal. I have made powder from home made charcoal, ag sulfur, and 99.9% kno3 from ebay. Using the 75-15-10 formula, since I only shoot blanks it worked fine. My cost is about $1.60, I think I can beat that if I can buy ag grade kno3, and not pay hazzard fees. Does anybody know of a fertilizer that has only kno3, say scotts brand or so. I have heard that somebody makes this for tomatoes, but we don"t grow them commercialy here. No one here knows what I am talking about. Thanks Murdock

kitchawan kid · « **Reply #1 on:** March 05, 2010, 09:07:25 AM »

Would like to hear more on this,black powder is impossible to get here,if you order it you must order 25Lbs. not having that much money to lay out,the idea of having 25LBS. laying around the house is not my idea of a good thing,also if any law inforcement in my area would be knocking down the door in the middle of the nite if they knew.To pick up the nearest is about 150 mi.

murdock · « **Reply #2 on:** March 05, 2010, 09:29:55 AM »

Go to search enter more smoke from powder and your questons will be answered, rock tumbler from harbor freight for $15.00, 50 cal. lead balls, must have scales.(digital), about $20.00, spegette screen $3.00 are your tools, get your chems. and your in business, Oh careful of sparks, tumbler should be plastic coated. Murdock

Terry C. · « **Reply #3 on:** March 05, 2010, 09:42:50 AM »

kitchawan kid, Powder Inc. will ship in lots as small as 5 pounds. Of course, you end up paying more per pound since the hazmat fee is the same for 5 or 25 pounds, and shipping is not that much less. You can mix granulations in an order.

I usually buy in 10 pound lots. At any given time I will have between 10 and 20 pounds of BP on hand. FFFFg, FFFg, FFg, Fg, and Cannon (although I'm currently out of Cannon). So far, no one has kicked in my door or shot my dog.

Wait, I don't have a dog. I have a cat. Nevermind.

Soot · « **Reply #4 on:** March 05, 2010, 02:29:54 PM »

This link says you can make your own: Improvised Munitions Handbook
Google search for kno3 shows lots of stuff.

Double D · « **Reply #5 on:** March 05, 2010, 03:18:47 PM »

We have had several discussions on making black powder here on the board. I don't know the titles, but look up user Evil Dog and his postings. You can also search making black powder.

He has made his own black powder as have several others here. I don't mean to sound discouraging because if you realy want to do it you should, but the consensus of the fellows here who have done, it's not worth the time.

Know that the quality of the black powder you make will depend on the quality of your materials and your skill in manufacturing.

Smokin Joe · « **Reply #6 on:** March 05, 2010, 03:37:06 PM »

Quote

Does anybody know of a fertilizer that has only kno3

You didn't hear it from me, but:

Spectracide Stump Killer used to be 100% KNO3. Check at Wal Mart and Lowe's

http://www.lowes.com/pd_188198-316-188198_0_?newSearch=true&catalogId=10051&productId=3018790&Ntt=spectracide+stump+killer&N=0&langId=-1&y=17&x=14&storeId=10151&Ntk=i_products&ddkey=http:TopCategoriesDisplay

Evil Dog · « **Reply #7 on:** March 05, 2010, 03:43:11 PM »

Quote from: Double D on March 05, 2010, 03:18:47 PM

We have had several discussions on making black powder here on the board. I don't know the titles, but look up user Evil Dog and his postings. You can also search making black powder.

He has made his own black powder as have several others here. I don't mean to sound discouraging because if you realy want to do it you should, but the consensus of the fellows here who have done, it's not worth the time.

Know that the quality of the black powder you make will depend on the quality of your materials and your skill in manufacturing.

Hey Doug.... I think you have me confused with someone else. I have never even considered making black powder. I have rolled my own quills and such but that is nowhere near the same. Will leave making black powder to GOEX and the like.

Double D · « **Reply #8 on:** March 05, 2010, 04:50:20 PM »

Evil Dog, I accept no responsibility for mistaking you for some one else...I am over 62 ans on sociable security. And every one knows us old people just babel on and don't have any idea what we are talking about...must be why when I queried your name I couldn't find a link.

seacoastartillery · « **Reply #9 on:** March 05, 2010, 05:23:56 PM »

Double D, From one seasoned citizen to another, my memory is not perfect, but I do believe it was Will Bison who explained how he made BP in detail in his answers to posts back in the late 2006 and early 2007 time period. He also mentioned the Swiss site below as having a wealth of info on this activity. Neither Mike nor I have ever done this, but from all our reading, the type and method of making the charcoal has everything to do with the quality of your BP. Good luck murdock and please be careful.

http://www.musketeer.ch/blackpowder/homemade_bp.html

Regards,

M&T

murdock · « **Reply #10 on:** March 05, 2010, 05:30:38 PM »

I know that it takes alittle time, but I load the tumbler at night and by morning I have 1/2 pound of powder, then start the process over again that morning. It is kinda cool when you load your cannon,and somebody ask you where you get blackpowder and you say I made it. Kinda like when I made a belt covered and stiched with a rattlesnake skin, and every one wanted to know where I got it. Then I would say I beat it to death, skined it, cured it, made a belt out of it, and had a good meal, it taste just like chicken. It just a man thing I guess, or just big kids and big bang toys. Murdock

murdock · « **Reply #11 on:** March 05, 2010, 05:38:26 PM »

Double D, the post More Smoke From Powder by Max Pearce included all of Bills ideas and his different private links.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #12 on:** March 06, 2010, 01:21:52 AM »

When you do make it, do it right. Well worth the time to keep safe.

I knew a fellow (when I was in HS) who made a 75-100 lb batch. Mixed it with a shovel in the bathtub and used a window screen to get the grain size right.

hmmm.

AtlLaw · « **Reply #13 on:** March 06, 2010, 02:32:27 AM »

Quote from: Cat Whisperer on March 06, 2010, 01:21:52 AM

I knew a fellow (when I was in HS) who made a 75-100 lb batch. Mixed it with a shovel in the bathtub

Whew!

Not me... $:-\$ I just look stupid...

1Southpaw · « **Reply #14 on:** March 06, 2010, 05:55:20 AM »

had it in a spoon , when they blew on it it smoked . It went down the drain with lots of cold water running after a white faced Chem teacher saw what was going on .

Ah , Youth , the wonder of it all ...........

Rickk · « **Reply #15 on:** March 06, 2010, 10:52:57 AM »

Murdock,

My local agricultural fertilizer dealer does not carry KNO3. I have heard that some do, but mine doesn't.

However, I found a pottery supply place near me that sells KNO3 fertilizer in 50 # bags for about 50 bucks. It is used in pottery glazing formulations. Try looking for pottery supply places in your area.

O ya, if they ask any questions just tell them that it is for your wife who make pottery and you have no idea what she does with it. The place I dealt with simply took my cash and told me where in the warehouse the bag was sitting.

Murdock, Where do you live?

Rick

murdock · « **Reply #16 on:** March 06, 2010, 04:10:50 PM »

abilene texas. Murdock

RocklockI · « **Reply #17 on:** March 06, 2010, 06:07:54 PM »

This is something that I am interested in . P-51 IIRC instructed me on how to do it ,but I never got any further than making poplar wood charcole .

I hope this thread gets some legs as I will make some at some point .

Will Bison · « **Reply #18 on:** March 07, 2010, 04:18:31 AM »

Twas me that discussed the topic of BP and its manufacture.

I still churn it out as needed. The KNO3 is available on E-bay if no other source can be found. It is more cost effective to buy in 100 lb lots.

The charcoal is the most important part. I use the native willow that grows wild in my back 40.

Bill

Smokin Joe · « **Reply #19 on:** March 07, 2010, 04:34:50 AM »

Just some info:

Modern Blackpowder has a formula of 75% KNO3, 10% sulphur and 15% carbon.

Blackpowder is a mixture of 76% Potassium Nitrate (Saltpeter, KNO3), 14% Charcoal (Carbon, C), and 10% Sulfur (S). These were roughly the percentages, by weight, used by the U.S. Military in the mid 1800s.

Later formulas for gunpowder increased the potassium nitrate to about 75%, charcoal 15% and the sulphur to 10%, giving more power to the mixture.

The current standard composition for black powder manufactured by pyrotechnicians was adopted as long ago as 1780. Proportions by weight are 75% potassium nitrate, 15% softwood charcoal, and 10% sulfur. These ratios have varied over the centuries and by country, and can be altered somewhat depending on the purpose of the powder. For instance, low power grades of black powder, unsuitable for use in firearms but adequate for blasting rock in quarrying operations, is called blasting powder rather than gunpowder with standard proportions of 70% nitrate, 14% charcoal and 16% sulfur; blasting powder may be made with the cheaper sodium nitrate substituted for potassium nitrate and proportions may be as low as 40% nitrate, 30% charcoal and 30% sulfur.