Can't get lift!

[Xzanth]

Here is what one looks like. The plugs that are on my harbor freight jars are basically like this. Instead of a knob to twist, I use an alen wrench

 

Edit: the bolt pulls the bottom upwards and the seals out creating an airtight seal.

Edited April 7, 2016 by Xzanth

[carbonhalo]

I don't think there's much point milling your kitty litter.... I just smash mine with a hammer and sift through flywire.

I suspect the grit helps bonding to the case. I've only ever had one nozzle blow out.

[Xzanth]

I don't think there's much point milling your kitty litter.... I just smash mine with a hammer and sift through flywire.

I suspect the grit helps bonding to the case. I've only ever had one nozzle blow out.

Kitty litter should be 140 mesh I believe. Or at least the finest you can get it. I mill mine and it comes out like talcum powder. Works perfect

[lloyd]

I've pressed (actually!) tens of thousands of gerbs commercially (no... not by hand! <G>) and many hundreds of rockets (again commercially, and also in some experiments) using 18-mesh bentonite clay with no additives, and absolutely NO grinding or screening.

 

If compressed to the right pressure, even granulated "kitty litter" consolidates into an homogeneous mass. It will have COLOR variations where the various particles come together, but the nozzle will be seamless and will not be compromised by the fire or the pressure.

 

Lloyd

[Xzanth]

I'll try some clumpier kitty poop cover-er. Saves a few steps. After my 10lb bag of powder is gone. For now the 99 cent bag I got and smashed up works nicely . just finished some charcoal in my 2 can tlud lol. Gonna mill that down and try another batch of BP. Updates coming soon.

 

Edit: any other tips from the master blasters? (Nes game)

Edited April 7, 2016 by Xzanth

[lloyd]

Most (actual) Kitty Litter is coarser than what we used. You might still have to crush it up a bit. But the ball mill seems more work than just rubbing it through a 15-18-mesh screen.

 

We bought commercial "well plugging" Bentonite clay in 50lb sacks at 18-20 mesh right from the bag. No grinding necessary (and never any additives). It was "Wyo-Ben" brand. Most pump and well supply companies have it or can provide it.

 

Lloyd

Edited April 8, 2016 by lloyd

[Xzanth]

Nice thanks.. Or special kitty 99¢ from Walmart. Pure bentonite. Either way. But this one takes work. I'll look into wyo-ben

[Xzanth]

Just finished milling my charcoal that I made in the tlud, and I can already see that it's better. Gonna make a batch of BP to.orrow and see where I'm at. Still using the 2x2s though. In az it's that or mesquite or cactus xD gotta go out in the woods for free wood, and that's illegal. But I might dry up some sycamore and try that out.

[FlaMtnBkr]

Pine or white wood lumber scraps actually make pretty descent BP. And if you take your time to pick through the pile and find the wood that is lighter weight for a given size, it will make even hotter BP. If you have ever picked thru a pile of modern 2x4 for straight ones, you will know the weight of the boards can vary quite a bit. The lighter ones will make hotter BP, but obviously you will get less weight.

[Xzanth]

Nice. Thanks for that tip. I wonder if anyone has tried sycamore. There is alot of it here

[Xzanth]

Also, what is the baseball test. Just read it earlier. No info though.

[schroedinger]

You basically take a 3" mortar, add a distinct ammount of lift (about 25 g, but i would need to look that up) and then you measure the time of flight.

[FlaMtnBkr]

There is also a tester that uses parts from a hardware store and uses a PVC shuttle that weighs a precise amount. It's then launched a few times with 4g of powder and the flight time recorded and averaged. This was supposed to allow people to compare their BP to each other and to commercial Goex which gives a 5 second flight time. But not too many people on the forums are using it that I know of.

 

The article on how to make it is on the skylighter website if interested.

[Xzanth]

Yes please

[lloyd]

Shroe,

We were doing the "golf ball test" with under 2g. And they were sailing out of sight!

 

Lloyd

[Xzanth]

I have golf balls. Lol. Gonna try that.

[Arthur]

Rule number one with pyro is "get the right charcoal" You cannot just pick a nearby tree and use that, use a lumber from a well regarded tree from your neighbourhood, OR spend the money and get a pound or ten of willow or Red Alder or eastern Red Cedar (available as pet bedding so easy to DIY charcoal)

[MadMat]

If you want to pay for the shipping, I can get you all the red cedar you could care for; or with a tlud, you might want to check out prices at various pet/farm supply places for the best price on cedar bedding. Sorry, but I kind of greedy with my willow supply

Edited April 8, 2016 by MadMat

[Xzanth]

Tractor supply over here has all natural red cedar. Does it matter if it's kiln dried or not?

Buuuutt. We do have weeping willow... Same thing?

[carbonhalo]

I am wondering what Americans mean by "willow".

The only willow I can get hold of is weeping willow, which occasionally grows next to streambeds here.

That makes the fastest powder I've tried yet.

 

The local firewood forest just has yellowbox, redbox, greybox and ironbark, all of which make ridiculously slow powder.

also redgum, golden wattle and ghostgum are unacceptable.

I was expecting Tagasaste (Lucerne tree) to do better, being a very light pithy wood, but no... hopeless.

[FlaMtnBkr]

In the US willow is usually black willow for pyro. We have weeping willow as well and I think it's supposed to be similar but a bit slower. Pretty much anywhere there is standing water in the US, you can find black willow close by.

 

In my previously mentioned BP tester, black willow made around 7ish second powder. Goex is supposed to be 5 second but I've never had any to try. That said, I've had quite a few different charcoal be a bit hotter than the BW and my BP king which was 9-9.5 second powder.

 

I will try to find the article later but it's on skylighter.com if you do a search for black powder tester.

[MadMat]

Unless the non-kiln dried wood is really green, it won't matter if the wood is kiln dried or not. Even if the wood is really green, it will just take longer to cook (in a retort anyways) and you will lose considerably more weight when it's done. My willow is black willow. I don't know what weeping willow would be like; it might be worth a try to make a small batch and test it out.

[stix]

I am wondering what Americans mean by "willow".

The only willow I can get hold of is weeping willow, which occasionally grows next to streambeds here.

That makes the fastest powder I've tried yet.

 

The local firewood forest just has yellowbox, redbox, greybox and ironbark, all of which make ridiculously slow powder.

also redgum, golden wattle and ghostgum are unacceptable.

I was expecting Tagasaste (Lucerne tree) to do better, being a very light pithy wood, but no... hopeless.

 

As FlaMtnBkr mentioned, the "willow" that's used for pyro is black willow (salix nigra) which doesn't look anything like the weeping variety. It's actually considered a "weed of national significance" here in Australia. http://www.weeds.org.au/cgi-bin/weedident.cgi?tpl=plant.tpl&card=T04

 

If you live in the eastern states (refer to map) you should easily be able to find some on the banks of your local river or stream (out of the main city centres). Print out the images on the link so you can identify them, grab a pruning saw and go for an afternoon drive - you'll be doing the country a favour

Edited April 8, 2016 by stix

[Xzanth]

 

grab a pruning saw and go for an afternoon drive - you'll be doing the country a favour

Hahahahahaha

[Xzanth]

 

Also, look at my yo yo trick under my video on YouTube lol...

But with my harbor freight one it's at a good rpm i think. a little rough but it works, and the squeeking sound is the bearings I put on there. Need some more oil soon

Edited April 8, 2016 by Xzanth