Zinc Lift

[fizeau]

Name of composition: Zinc Lift

Composition Type: Lift

The Composition: (by weight)

KNO3...............17

Willowcharcoal......3

Sulfur...................2

Zinc spray..............6

Any Precautions/Incompatibilities: Don't combine with NH4NO3, self ignition could occur.

Precedure/Preparation:

A good method to make usable lift powder out of "bad" (=not ballmilled) BP

 

First make the bp, then mix it with zinc spray, the kind you can purchase from shops for automobile parts. As PGF said in the competition thread, zinc paint or lacquer (whichever you prefer) is most commonly sold as a corrosion protector for iron and I too use it for extracting zinc powder. But regarding the zinc lift you can spare the extracting part. The more zinc dust in the spray the better - in my country we can buy one with 99% zinc dust, that's the optimum.

Mix zinc lacquer with the bp until you get a crumbly batch. I press that batch per hand into a paper tube which can later easily been removed. After drying - you can judge by the evaporation of the smell - you have a very hard log which can be cut up in little pieces. Use it like corned bp.

You can vary the mix in a wide range and of corse you can also use ballmilled bp. With more zinc laquer you can slow down the burn rate and intensify the heat.

Here's a short video: my first can shell. All components except the delay is made out of zinc lift.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkSg3xLIFXk

[hashashan]

I cant say its too powerful. Your shell didn't go up too high.

[deadman]

I can't say it is a great alternative to milled and pressed black powder. After a few cans I'd bet it would be better to invest your zinc spray money into a ball mill, then eventually a press and powder die.

 

Any fine powdered metal mixed well into BP will make it hotter. So the zinc works, and is a great OTC way of getting a hotter lift. Overall I say good job.

[fizeau]

Oh yes, it wasn´t a great shell...

Sorry, I never said this Zinc lift is a better BP or a good

alternative to it if you own a ballmill. But for me, working with mortar and

pestle, it´s the only way to bring a shell in the air so far.

Hmm. To buy or build a ballmill is not my problem, I have no place for it outside without neighbours asking me: "what does this little machine mill for hours...?" And so I thought to share this stopgap with all the beginners who must work with the smallest "non-hightec" equipment.