My process for super-hot BP!

[dagabu]

My fire? It wasn't an oven or anything we regard as dangerous or risky, I was simply emptying a ball mill and it went up. No investigation was performed and I dont have the best memory of that moment...

 

An oven in a building?!? That's just dumb OMHO.

[ddewees]

Cabin, house, barn, any building at all, electric or gas, it's all the same. If you wish to behave foolishly, it is your prerogative, do so but don't give it a thumbs up and decry it as "Safe" when it is anything but. I know for a fact that you cannot dodge BP or any energetic fuel when it catches and just for the record, BP burns much better when it has dampness, not wet or moist but damp.

 

A good trick is to not do this, ever. Take an oven outside, control the element remotely and never open it when hot and I wouldn't care but to tell others it's safe to do so is libelous.

 

"No worries about spilling BP on the element. It wouldn't throw flame far enough anyway. Electrical!" Rubbish!

I'm still amazed you spelled prerogative correctly... That's probably the most misspelled word.

[taiwanluthiers]

It's not just an oven, but drying bp in the sun on a reflective surface (tin foil). I have heard stories of stainless steel bowl igniting bp in the sun. The chances might be slim but if it happens in the wrong place it could ruin your day.

[MrB]

Just dissolve the KNO3 in boiling water before adding it to the charcoal in the first place... If you want to, you can cold shock it, to make most of the KNO3 crystallize near instantly. Just steal a page from the "CIA method" of making BP.

I wouldn't. But you can. It's a lot safer then stuffing it in to a owen.

 

Flammable stuff shouldn't be left outdoors in, or near anything made from transparent/opaque plastic/glass or reflective materials.

 

Hey, i don't care how, or what you do. Stay alive, preferably safe, and if you can, unhurt. Pyro is risky enough without bad practices, and gets a bad rep regardless. If you wanna take the chance at getting blown sky high, go for it. If you wanna do it in a building, more power to you. Just leave a suicide note to your relatives.

B!

[dagabu]

I'm still amazed you spelled prerogative correctly... That's probably the most misspelled word.

 

Misspell, anonymous, aggressive etc. Thank goodness for spell check!

[User64]

I'd be more inclined to go with Bobsan's near boiling water suggestion. Too many variables using an oven and I get antsy enough as it is negating static discharge possibilities to add flame or red hot heating elements into the equation.

[gregkdc1]

If all you are trying to do is heat the BP, but not dry it out why don't you place it in a bag and then submerge it in a pot of hot water? You could even boil the water in a different location to keep the BP away from an ignition source but you would have to weight the risks of moving a pot of scalding hot water.

[dagabu]

Who ever said anything about bringing anything in the house? I use the oven in the guest cabin. Nobody ever uses it except my sister when she rarely visits in summer...

 

A good trick is to just set the oven off timer and come back after the heating element has cooled. No worries about spilling BP on the element. It wouldn't throw flame far enough anyway. Electrical!

 

OK, maybe I was hard on you but I REALLY don't want you to get burned. I did a little searching and found my notes on "Nitrated Charcoal" which is what you are after? Use an electric skillet, face shield, leather gloves, cotton jacket and do the KNO3 and charcoal in a skillet with water, evaporate the water off, keep the heat low enough to not ignite the mix, cool it all the way to room temp, add the sulfur and mill.

 

According to the author, it will do just want you wanted but there is no danger of burning the house down and minimizes your exposure.

[MrB]

According to the author, it will do just want you wanted but there is no danger of burning the house down and minimizes your exposure.

Dagabu is right, this is a much safer method. Lets just be clear about something tho. While this isn't as hot, and wont go "bang" like BP, it's still plenty energetic. The resulting charcoal lights near instantly with a match, burns fairly violently for a second or so, and is then just a red ember. A lot in the same spot will all burn, and i imagine the heat could accelerate it to quite fast.

 

Just saying, while this is a lot safe then putting BP in a owen, it's still not without it's risks. If you wanna live on the edge, that might be a good thing...

B!

[nater]

I use nitrated charcoal for a few things, but I do not heat it up like Dag describes. The way I was taught, was to pour boiling water into the KNO3 and mix in the charcoal. Let this sit overnight in a sealed mixing bowl and then granulate and dry the mixture the next day.

 

This all seems like too many extra steps for BP with only small gains in performance. I would mill the BP, granulate or corn it as you normally would. If you need a little more for lift, so be it just use a little more to display your shells at a safe height. I do not feel the need to make the fastest powder possible.

[Arthur]

Having just read the Book from Royal Gunpowder Mills -Waltham Abbey, they used big incorporating mills (stone or iron wheels) on damp powder, then the product was pressed into big slabs and corned. All done cold and probably some of the finest powder ever.

 

Use a reliable method, don't skimp on time, expertise and PPE.

 

However look at a youtube vid of ground zero at a firework display, Any one of those puffs of flame would injure you badly if you got in the way, so don't take too many risks

[spitfire]

@dagabu is that really a picture of you? what you told, ''Out doors, emptying a ball mill, spring, 75% humidity, just snowed the day before.''

Reminds me of a friend of a friend, who did the exact same thing 20 years ago... but with 10kg at once. He died there. He emptied his 10kg mill drum (PVC) on a cold winters day freezing 20F below. My standard procedure is to load, run, and empty the ballmill only on days when the rain is pooring out. All conditions as wet as possible. Maximum humidity, only cotton clothing.

I am really curious about the cause. It must be static electricity, don't you think? I would like to talk/investigate this matter further but not in this topic.

 

For the matter on this thread: if you can't get descent (usable, the goal right??) BP from your mill, build a better one! Or check your charcoal. Putting it in the oven, even when soaking wet... sigh... too much room for error.. nuff said.

 

​EDIT: don't forget, BP will burn way much faster when slightly damp (like 7% ideal) than it would completely dry. The hot gasses spread more rapidly. There is a whole scientific story to back this up. Don't go there. I like you guys to be safe, not sorry for not mentioning it. My 2 cents.

Edited May 29, 2014 by spitfire

[dagabu]

Sadly, yes that is me sitting on the couch in our living room the day I got home from the hospital. I picked the nicest of the photos to show. I am totally covered so you cant see the blood and open wounds.

 

Go ahead ans take this to the safety thread on me. We can discuss it more over there.