SSHPyro Posted January 15 Posted January 15 (edited) I plan to make some 1lb BP rockets and I'm wondering what the best way to mix my BP is? I don't own a ball mill at the moment (I plan to invest in one eventually). Is it possible to mix these without having multiple mesh screens and just using 1 single screen then throwing the chemicals into a container and shaking? I heard that you don't need a ball mill to mix 75-15-10 for rockets. Any answers are greatly appreciated! Edited January 15 by SSHPyro
Zumber Posted January 15 Posted January 15 Atleast all chemicals should be fine enough to speed up burn rate of bp. Grind kno3 with coffee grinder and pass it through 100 mesh screen. Then mix sulphur and charcoal and sieve it 4 times using 60 mesh or 80 mesh screen.
dagabu Posted January 19 Posted January 19 On 1/14/2024 at 11:35 PM, SSHPyro said: I plan to make some 1lb BP rockets and I'm wondering what the best way to mix my BP is? I don't own a ball mill at the moment (I plan to invest in one eventually). Is it possible to mix these without having multiple mesh screens and just using 1 single screen then throwing the chemicals into a container and shaking? I heard that you don't need a ball mill to mix 75-15-10 for rockets. Any answers are greatly appreciated! Sadly, the chemicals need to be airfloat if a scratch mix is to be used. A ball mill is as simple as a rock polisher from Amazon but you do need to reduce them down if they are not already powdered.
MrCATO Posted April 18 Posted April 18 (edited) I bought some granular kno3 and used a coffee mill to grind it down into powder. It's not like talc but it's fine enough to me to where I can't feel the individual grains. This works fine for me. Before I mix I run the charcoal and kno3 individually through a 100# screen. I don't want to mix everything then later on figure out when I want to screen it again that there are bits of kno3 that won't run through because the mill missed it. I measure out my chemicals after screening. I just granulate with water. Edited April 18 by MrCATO
Zumber Posted April 18 Posted April 18 KNO3 grinds easily if it is dried just before grinding. I keep it in sunshine and let it dry for 3 to 4 hours and immediately grind it it grinds out easily.
MadMat Posted April 23 Posted April 23 (edited) A little tip: hit up the resale shops like GoodWill and look for old kitchen blenders. Make sure to get two of them; one for oxidizers and one for fuels (this is important for safety!) Blenders grind up your chemicals very well and fast too! You can reduce charcoal to airfloat in no time. Even after you get your ball mill, the blenders will still come in handy. Another safety tip; don't put mixtures in a blender!! Only single chemicals! I use mine rather often. By the way, IMHO a ballmill is NOT an option, it is a necessity for this hobby! Edited April 23 by MadMat
MadMat Posted April 23 Posted April 23 (edited) One more thing I forgot to mention in my last post. If you run into problems trying to get fast enough BP without a ball mill, and you just can't wait, try out Rcandy to get your rocket fix. All you need is an old pan and an electric hot plate. An old electric deep fryer like a Fry Baby works even better (once again look at a Good Will or other resale store). If you don't know what Rcandy is; It's 65% KNO3 and 35% sugar. You can dry melt it (which means you have to have finely ground KNO3 and sugar) and pack it into your rocket tube, or you can dissolve it in water and boil it down until the water is gone. I have gotten better results using the water method. Edited April 23 by MadMat
Mumbles Posted September 10 Posted September 10 Just catching up on some older topics. What sort of rockets are you intending to make? End burners typically would use a hotter mix like 75:15:10, as there is minimal core to help build up initial pressure, and a relatively low surface area burning. Core burners typically use a slower fuel, something like 60:30:10, and is often unmilled.
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