Short5 Posted December 16, 2011 Posted December 16, 2011 I have seen reference to binding some compositions with NC lacquer including granulating colored smoke mix then pressing it. I have a few questions. First off how do you mix NC lacquer into a powder? I make my NC out of single base smokeless powder. I keep it kind of syrupy but could add more acetone to get a liquid that would go through a sprayer I would think. The question is how to mix it in? Screen it like other binders? It seems like it would quickly stick to and foul the screen because of the rapid evaporation of NC. I am also wondering about how pressed smoke mix would work. The skylighter toutorial says to keep the mix light and fluffy. Descriptions of military colored smoke grenades seem to imply the mix is pressed. Has anyone granulated and pressed it? How did it work? I will experiment myself but hoped for a few pointers. Thanks.
dan999ification Posted December 16, 2011 Posted December 16, 2011 (edited) not sure about your smoke mix but when i add nc to de comps just pour it in to the desired percentage and stir it in to bring it all together [ i find it starts a cooling reaction ], granulating through a screen as you say will be messy [find a cheap sieve] but it can be done if you let it go off a bit first, whatever is stuck to the sieve can be taken off by simply bending it when dry.i find the binding strength of my nc you would need alot of pressure on it as the grains are extremely hard, maybe different for smoke mixes.mcnc may be worth a try as you can process it and press it dry dan. Edited December 16, 2011 by dan999ification
Short5 Posted December 16, 2011 Author Posted December 16, 2011 (edited) not sure about your smoke mix but when i add nc to de comps just pour it in to the desired percentage and stir it in to bring it all together [ i find it starts a cooling reaction ], granulating through a screen as you say will be messy [find a cheap sieve] but it can be done if you let it go off a bit first, whatever is stuck to the sieve can be taken off by simply bending it when dry.i find the binding of my nc will not enable you to press it as the grains are extremely hard, maybe different for smoke mixes.mcnc may be worth a try as you can process it and press it dry dan. "de comps"? Diatomaceous earth? "mcnc"? Sorry I am not familiar with those terms. Hmmm, use dry nc then add the acetone to activate it, that makes sense. Is that the common way it is used as a binder? I make my own from gun powder so I never thought of using the powdered NC that some places sell. Thanks for the response Edited December 16, 2011 by Short5
dan999ification Posted December 16, 2011 Posted December 16, 2011 sorry de= dragons eggsmcnc= micro crystaline nitro cellulosei believe the mcnc is used dryif you can press why bind at all, is the nc needed as fuel?wether you use the laquer or dry powder and then activate it you still have to process it.why not use a typical smoke mix that can be cast. dan.
Short5 Posted December 16, 2011 Author Posted December 16, 2011 (edited) sorry de= dragons eggsmcnc= micro crystaline nitro cellulosei believe the mcnc is used dryif you can press why bind at all, is the nc needed as fuel?wether you use the laquer or dry powder and then activate it you still have to process it.why not use a typical smoke mix that can be cast. dan. Granulating is supposed to make it dust free and faster burning if it's loose in a device. The dust free granulated powder would be easier to handle and less messy to press if I were to press it. If it works, pressing would allow more mix in a device than just fluffy powdered mix. Yes it still needs to be processed either way but a small amount of acetone added to a mix with NC already in it would allow only a small amount of acetone to be added which would melt the nc. I could have a barely moist mix. If I mix the NC first and try to mix it in I will need to make a much wetter mix if I want to get the NC mixed throughout. The dry NC makes sense because I could just spritz it with a little acetone like making stars with dextrin and water, for example. I am not sure what a "typical smoke mix" is but as I mentioned I am working with colored mix. (potasium clorate, dye, and lactose) Edited December 16, 2011 by Short5
Mumbles Posted December 16, 2011 Posted December 16, 2011 Thick or thin, NC lacquer can still be worked in with a gloved hand. Adding dry NC isn't as efficient as it tends to take quite a while to fully dissolve.
Short5 Posted December 16, 2011 Author Posted December 16, 2011 Thick or thin, NC lacquer can still be worked in with a gloved hand. Adding dry NC isn't as efficient as it tends to take quite a while to fully dissolve.Thank you. I really did not want to go the route of hand mixing it like that if there was a better way.
Recommended Posts