passgas Posted July 13, 2017 Posted July 13, 2017 I mill my charcoal at the house then I take a 70 mile ride to mill all 3 bp ingredients together. I have read where some people are milling the 3 by themselves and then screen mix the bp ratios they want. I want to try this approach but was wondering can any thing go wrong with milling potassium nitrate and sulfur ingredients together? I know I would have to mill each % ratio together for what ever I was making. Just wanted to keep as much work home with out actual milling the 3 together at home. What could go wrong?
NeighborJ Posted July 14, 2017 Posted July 14, 2017 Gas, Three component milling works and is safe but it can create other issues when milling the KNO3. Nitrate often starts to cake in the drum before reaching a sufficient particle size. A common solution to this caking problem is to mill it with 5% charcoal which is a non-explosive mixture, then mill the 10% charcoal remaining with the 10%sulfer and 5%dex (if used) in a separate drum. They then can be screen mixed together to achieve the 75-15-10 ratio. Jason 1
passgas Posted July 14, 2017 Author Posted July 14, 2017 After doing a little more research I decided to keep doing all 3 together. I will just have to make the 70 mile drive.
OldMarine Posted July 14, 2017 Posted July 14, 2017 I have to drive about 10 miles to my brother's place to mill BP so when I do it,I spend the whole day at it. I take both my mills and mill up as much as I can.
Baldor Posted July 14, 2017 Posted July 14, 2017 After doing a little more research I decided to keep doing all 3 together. I will just have to make the 70 mile drive.Don't give up too soon. Take a look at DavidF posts in the last page of ballmilling FAQ. http://www.amateurpyro.com/forums/topic/3861-ball-milling-faq/page-14 1
dagabu Posted July 14, 2017 Posted July 14, 2017 I have to drive about 10 miles to my brother's place to mill BP so when I do it,I spend the whole day at it. I take both my mills and mill up as much as I can. I let my build-buddy mill all the BP now, that game is done for me forever!
passgas Posted July 19, 2017 Author Posted July 19, 2017 I had to make a trip past where I do my milling. I figure on the way back I do so milling. I had my generator, ball mill and all my stuff for the finish product. Would have been a good day except I forgot to bring the holy three with me. Now I will try doing the separate ball mill way. I need to build a couple of jars and cast some lead. It will be a while but I guess now I will try it.
usapyro Posted July 25, 2017 Posted July 25, 2017 (edited) ... I use to pulse mill 7:3 in a bullet blender in my condo years ago, and your traveling to mill BP? What are you milling, fifty pound batches? I can't figure out why someone would need to travel to mill BP... Edited July 25, 2017 by usapyro
Mumbles Posted July 25, 2017 Posted July 25, 2017 It's probably because he doesn't have a safe/legal place to do it at home, and because he's smart. If you don't have a good place to do it at home, it doesn't mean that it's okay to skip out on safety for convenience. 1
taiwanluthiers Posted July 25, 2017 Posted July 25, 2017 I did 2 component milling, and it works and it's safe. The small amount of charcoal keeps the nitrate from caking.
PeteyPyro Posted July 25, 2017 Posted July 25, 2017 Maybe the charcoal's hygroscopicity may cause it to absorb moisture better than the nitrate, keeping it (KNO3) from caking.
MrB Posted July 25, 2017 Posted July 25, 2017 Those of you guys who travel to ball mill live BP... How do you store, and contain it for the ride back home? Avoiding one problem, creating another, to some extent, i guess.
dagabu Posted July 25, 2017 Posted July 25, 2017 Nothing pyrotechnic ever comes home with me, it all stays at the shop or in the magazine until I'm ready to bring it to the site to shoot the shells Etc. We have a pretty nice house and if I had an incident where the house is damaged or burn down I'm sure the insurance company would not even think about covering it. We have special insurance through CSI for our pyrotechnics shop, it might be a little pricey but it covers Us no matter what happens.
taiwanluthiers Posted July 26, 2017 Posted July 26, 2017 That's the problem with bp though, it's really sensitive. That is also why many gun shops don't carry it (they gotta have an explosive license to carry it). A tiny little spark sets it off. I absolutely won't do any real pyro in an apartment at all... if I do have a real house to do it in, it will be 2 component milling only. I don't think I'll ever have a 2000 acre land with dedicated buildings for everything, because honestly if I got that way I might as well go commercial and get a Type 52.
OldMarine Posted July 26, 2017 Posted July 26, 2017 At least once a month I drive a 1 ton pickup squatting on it's axles loaded with high explosives. In the Corps I disposed of dud rounds, grenades and aerial artillery (rockets) so BP is a pussycat. A vicious big toothed and clawed one but a pussycat nonetheless. My old lawnmower with a steel fuel tank is more of a danger than my powder stash.I won't downplay the dangers in any endeavor you choose to indulge in but I personally evaluate every risk and find BP to be only slightly more dangerous than Bourbon whiskey. Now that I've thought a bit, that damned Bourbon has killed more than pyro.
MrB Posted July 26, 2017 Posted July 26, 2017 I was more thinking about legal risk, then "boom" risk, even tho both, could be an issue.I'm just guessing here, but storing and transporting BP doesn't necessarily require the same container, so to speak.
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