Homemade Blackpowder

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1- I'm a temporarily unemployed reference librarian. I MUST know!! It's a compulsion.
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As somebody mentioned in a previous post, Brushhippie has a good "how to" video on YouTube. Bear in mind, other methods are also used.

I think the best book I've ever found on the subject was "Black Powder Manufacturing, Testing & Optimizing", written by Ian Von Maltitz.

A few people even make their own percussion caps..... :what:

..... but that's an entirely different topic.
 
Okay... that's just about the dumbest thing I've ever seen. I suppose I understand why you posted it though. Some folks can be REALLY STOOPID!! With reasonable care I don't see why one shouldn't make their own black powder... just not THAT moron.
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You are missing the point I made earlier. This guy was dumb (and no I don't think it was fake, I think it was real), but he at least survived the initial manufacture of his fireworks. He got really dumb when he lit a match to it standing only arms length away.

My point was that powder mills used to blow up regularly. They still do. Goex had a major explosion just a few years ago. And they are the experts, who know what they are doing, they are not some clown who posted a video on you tube. They have many, many years of experience, and powder mills used to blow up regularly and still do on occasion. This is dangerous stuff. I have been using Black Powder since 1968, my Dad was an explosives chemist who taught me a few things, and I would not dream of trying to make my own Black Powder. I will continue to let the experts do it, and let their mills blow up, I will not attempt to do it at home.
 
That blast in the video was so powerful it blew the lights back on, removed his blue shirt with graphics on it and replaced it with a plain black one.
 
Driftwood Johnson said:
You are missing the point I made earlier. This guy was dumb (and no I don't think it was fake, I think it was real), but he at least survived the initial manufacture of his fireworks. He got really dumb when he lit a match to it standing only arms length away. <snip>
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I didn't intend to insinuate anything else. I posted my remark(s) in response to other posts.
 
theotherwaldo said:
1- I'm a temporarily unemployed reference librarian. I MUST know!! It's a compulsion.

2- I have the full set of Foxfire books in my ancient motor home. I've just about worn them out.
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OK, Waldo,

Find a copy of Weingard's "Pyrotechnics" or Tenny's "Chemistry of Powders and Explosives." The former for minor curiosity and the latter for major obsession.
 
Find a copy of Weingard's "Pyrotechnics" or Tenny's "Chemistry of Powders and Explosives." The former for minor curiosity and the latter for major obsession.
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I do have a copy of Tenny's Chemistry of Powders and Explosives. Another reason why I will not attempt to make my own Black Powder. Does that make me obsessive?
 
I made some blackpowder a few months back, and tested it the day before yesterday. I loaded up some .32 S&W Longs with a little under a case full of that stuff and a 90 grain LRN, that load punched through a 2X4, I would say that's a good result! :D
 
Driftwood Johnson said:
I do have a copy of Tenny's Chemistry of Powders and Explosives. Another reason why I will not attempt to make my own Black Powder. Does that make me obsessive?
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Not at all, some have a higher level of acceptable risk than others. Some have differing views of what is a risk. As I mentioned before, the only time I have made powder I was under the supervision of a person with a lot of knowledge and a lot of experience in both manufacture and use. While it was not unheard of for him to manufacture black powder, NC, nitrostarch and PETN, he refused to even consider the possibility of thinking about making fulminate of mercury or NG.

The man that taught him explosives handling used to make NG on site at a coal mines. It's not obsessive, chicken or cowardice... it's risk assessment. You find the risk too far above the reward. More power to you. Just remember the hardest duty of freedom is the necessity of allowing others to do things that you don't particularly approve of.
 
IMHO, I think this is a valuable skill to learn. I personally wouldn't make a long-term habit of it but I would like to know how. I don't even own a BP firearm but hope to get both a rifle and handgun soon. One never knows when factory cartridges will become extremely difficult to find and/or very much unaffordable.
 
Yep

IMHO, I think this is a valuable skill to learn. I personally wouldn't make a long-term habit of it but I would like to know how. I don't even own a BP firearm but hope to get both a rifle and handgun soon. One never knows when factory cartridges will become extremely difficult to find and/or very much unaffordable.
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Yes. +1.
That is why I tried it. Got the ingredients (made my own charcoal), got a ball mill and a loong extension cord. Ended up with a half pound of BP. It works but not as well as Goex or Swiss.
Should I ever have a real need, I know what to do and have the tools. Not now, though.
Pete
 
UplandRifles - I don't have any images of those newspapers.
 
Mike1234567 said:
IMHO, I think this is a valuable skill to learn. I personally wouldn't make a long-term habit of it but I would like to know how. I don't even own a BP firearm but hope to get both a rifle and handgun soon. One never knows when factory cartridges will become extremely difficult to find and/or very much unaffordable.
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While making powder would be useful, knowing how to make your own dependable percussion caps would be the lifesaver.
 
Oh yeah... that too!! :D I meant being able to DIY the whole thing. See? I don't know squat... at least can't remember squat. :(
 
Mike1234567 said:
Oh yeah... that too!! :D I meant being able to DIY the whole thing. See? I don't know squat... at least can't remember squat. :(
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Just remember that caps require a primary explosive. Primary explosives are notoriously unstable. Add to it, the great white father in Washington is just barely tolerant of people making black powder in small quantities. He gets absolutely annoyed when you start making the real stuff.

(Note- cut the tips off "strike anywhere" matches and put them in a home formed cap of thick metal foil. You have to use a nipple pick after every shot but they do work. A chlorate based salt, sulfur and powdered aluminum in brass foil will also work but far more dangerous to manufacture.)
 
While making powder would be useful, knowing how to make your own dependable percussion caps would be the lifesaver.
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Tenney Davis's book, Chemistry of Powder & Explosives, contains a good recipe - potassium chlorate, sulfur, antimony sulfide, shellac binder, and finely ground glass.
As he explains, adding a dab of antacid (eg, 1 or 2% sodium bicarbonate) will greatly improve shelf life.
 
You can use spent small pistol primers to make your own percussion caps. Pop out the anvil, hammer the firing pin dent out with a small punch. Use another diameter punch to open up the inside diameter of the primer cup so that it will fit over the nipple cone, use a 1/8" paper punch to cut out German toy roll caps, insert 2 or 3 caps, into the primer cap, and enjoy. Remember there is potassium perchlorate in these toy caps (in Pyrodex too), so clean after your time at the range.
 
...a home formed cap of thick metal foil
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I tried something similar - first I wrapped aluminum foil around the butt end of a 5/32" drill bit -

primcap001r2_zpsb6fc0215.jpg

Next, I "painted" the outside of the foil with epoxy...... I waited a few hours for the epoxy to harden, and then I cut/trimmed the hull to the proper length -

primcap006r2_zps76dd42a0.jpg

Not as convenient as a Tap-O-Cap, but this would do if needed.
 
Another way is simply to drill a hole in a steel plate then find a flat punch the right diameter and a second plate with a metal stud to fill the hole in the plate two a quarter inch. Put a small square of foil over the hole in the plate, push gently with the punch until you meet the stud. Trim the foil even with the top plate. Lift the top plate off the bottom and push the cap on through. Remove the "cap" of foil from the punch and repeat as many times as necessary.

Although this requires more prep time and initial costs to build the forming die you can "mass produce" the caps and with a bit of turning use thicker foils.

Or use Waldo's methods. Hmmm, may have to "borrow" my brother's reloading press now.
 
Lots of great ideas floating around here! Waldo & OW, can you post photos, showing the methods you describe?
 
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