My first batch of bp! What do you think?

[braddsn]

A vid of my first batch of bp ever. I made 300g. 4% dextrin. Eastern Red Cedar homemade charcoal. Milled for 2 hours (per Mumbles recommendation), then threw dextrin in and milled an additional 30.

[Bobosan]

Looks like a good batch, brad. Congrats!

[jaysgoh]

Pretty fast

[mkn]

^{Looks Great ! My first BP was with commercial coal, I thought that was great, till I started making pine coal !! Maybe I'll try the cedar someday, Matt}

[braddsn]

Thanks for the compliments guys....

[dagabu]

^{Looks Great ! My first BP was with commercial coal, I thought that was great, till I started making pine coal !! Maybe I'll try the cedar someday, Matt}

 

If you want to try ERC let me know, I can stuff some in a box for you to try. It only takes 150g to make a 1000g batch of BP.

 

@Brad, Please post video as a link from a known player source (youtube etc) as there are many nefarious people out there sending encrypted virus in video code that is very difficult to sweep with software. You can also open a ghost account through a proxy if you want to remain anonymous.

[braddsn]

Dagabu, sorry about that, from now on I will. I will just link it to a youtube video.

[Livingston]

Dude great BP... You give me Hope that I can make sum greatness as well!

[Blackthumb]

I use western red cedar, cotton wood and willow here for fast BP.

Have plenty of planer shavings........

[smokeytech]

nice job dude...good batch!

 

http://www.mypixshare.net/files/img/user_uploads/displayimage.php?id=p99k8kcs1zwg9744104.gif

[Blaster5337]

I'm a retired military EOD Technician and after a year of not blowing anything up I'm going through withdrawals!!! I guess I'm an FNG to the pyro thing, but I'm looking to make some black powder. Probably going to get a Ball Mill for the mixing, but looking at just purchasing the ingredients. Any suggestions? Does activated charcoal work ok?

[Jakenbake]

It really depends on what you want to do with your BP. If you are going to the trouble of getting a Ball Mill, why not just do it right by cooking some homemade charcoal? Welcome to the forums BTW!

Edited October 18, 2014 by Jakenbake

[Blaster5337]

It really depends on what you want to do with your BP. If you are going to the trouble of getting a Ball Mill, why not just do it right by cooking some homemade charcoal? Welcome to the forums BTW!

Well, honestly I couldn't tell you. Does cooking your own charcoal produce a high enough grade of charcoal? Was considering if I was able to make good enough BP, to use it in reloading ammunition.

[bubba153]

Black powder is only used in reloading old-style black powder cartridges, such as some cowboy action loads, etc. Most modern ammunition reloading uses smokeless powder, which is a whole 'nother animal. Using black powder in a modern cartridge (in a gun designed for smokeless powder) is a good way to become acquainted with the local EMS personnel, assuming you survive.

 

And yes, home cooked charcoal can produce black powder superior to the standard commercial products, such as Goex, Elephant, Swiss, etc.

[Livingston]

The BP Braddsn made has charcoal cooked and milled by himself...I've made sum pretty easy. Can't get willow so I got sum eastern red cedar as suggested by Braddsn at Walmart in the pet section as it is sold as hamster bedding. Lol and is very effective.

Fast burning bp is very dangerous and would not recommend using it in a pistol. It burns to fast.

 

Good luck.

[Blaster5337]

Dang!! Seems like everyday anymore its proven to me exactly how little I know!! I guess blowing things up with C4, data sheet, and det. cord for 15 of my 20 years in the military doesn't mean I know much of anything about pyrotechnics. Guess I never really got into this aspect of things!

[Blaster5337]

So I just read that its quite the opposite, any modern firearm should be able to shoot black powder without blowing up provided the charge is tamped and not loose?

The article did say that the BP would cause excess buildup and render semi auto useless unless cleaned regularly.

[TSO]

It really depends on what you want to do with your BP. If you are going to the trouble of getting a Ball Mill, why not just do it right by cooking some homemade charcoal? Welcome to the forums BTW!

Made my first batch of charcoal last weekend while making smores...well, lets be honest, the fire pit was for charcoal 1st, smores second.

Nothing fancy, 1 gal paint can retort with nail hole in lid. Packed with small segments of pine fir strips from left over spacers from consumer rack building. Stuck it in the middle of the fire, turning occassionly. Cooked it untill it went from a woosh and very energetic flame to a small noisles yellow orange flame. Took it out of the fire, stuck the nail back in the vent lid, placed a piece of adhesive metal tape to secure the nail and vent, and let it sit out overnight. Put it through an old hand meat grinder and I am now the proud owner of a 1/2lb of my very own made softwood charcoal. Lets face it, I didn't need to make the charcoal...I have plenty of good charcoal. Something just felt right in having to make it myself. Once at least.

[Blaster5337]

Will white oak work for charcoal?

[Bobosan]

Lets face it, I didn't need to make the charcoal...I have plenty of good charcoal. Something just felt right in having to make it myself. Once at least.

 

So true, indeed!

[Bobosan]

So I just read that its quite the opposite, any modern firearm should be able to shoot black powder without blowing up provided the charge is tamped and not loose?

The article did say that the BP would cause excess buildup and render semi auto useless unless cleaned regularly.

 

I'm no expert on this but smokeless powder burns extremely quick with high pressure when confined in a casing. Black powder has a slower burn rate and buildup of pressure. Modern firearm metallurgy can handle nitrocellulous based smokeless powder at high pressures. So yes, you could use BP in these modern arms but you risk the chance of squib loads and rounds that never leave the barrel due to BP's slow buildup of pressure.

 

Much more on this topic can be found with a Google search and would be more informative.

[rogeryermaw]

Will white oak work for charcoal?

yes but hard woods typically do not make powder as fast as soft woods. the kind of wood that is most suitable for you will depend on your usage, ie lift, break, stars, priming, rocket fuel, etc.

[Jakenbake]

 

I'm no expert on this but smokeless powder burns extremely quick with high pressure when confined in a casing. Black powder has a slower burn rate and buildup of pressure. Modern firearm metallurgy can handle nitrocellulous based smokeless powder at high pressures. So yes, you could use BP in these modern arms but you risk the chance of squib loads and rounds that never leave the barrel due to BP's slow buildup of pressure.

 

Much more on this topic can be found with a Google search and would be more informative.

+1

In a totally sealed, unbreakable casing BP will generate approximately 25,000psi. Where smokeless is capable of well over 100,000.

Edited October 18, 2014 by Jakenbake

[gregh]

 

In a totally sealed, unbreakable casing BP will generate approximately 25,000psi. Where smokeless is capable of well over 100,000.

 

Bet that takes a lot of pasting....

[pyrocoyote]

Black powder will not blow up ANY modern weapon no matter how you pack or load the powder. You can fill the case of any caliber weapon with all it can hold and have no problem other than a lot of cleaning and smoke when firing. The pressure that is generated from smokeless powder is not possible with black powder volume for volume, grain for grain. BTDT