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  • ars

    Plinker
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    Nov 8, 2016
    53
    8
    Zionsville
    Have any of you made your own black powder? Black powder is simply a combination of salt peter, charcoal, and sulfur. Salt peter and charcoal are easy to make. Do any of you know where you can get sulfur? Better yet, do any of you know how to harvest sulfur from natural sources? I know this is off the wall but I am constantly tinkering and this intrigues me.
     

    K_W

    Grandmaster
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    8   0   0
    Aug 14, 2008
    5,385
    63
    Indy / Carmel
    Have any of you made your own black powder? Black powder is simply a combination of salt peter, charcoal, and sulfur. Salt peter and charcoal are easy to make. Do any of you know where you can get sulfur? Better yet, do any of you know how to harvest sulfur from natural sources? I know this is off the wall but I am constantly tinkering and this intrigues me.

    You can order sulfur right from your PC.
     

    Flinttim

    Marksman
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    0   0   0
    Jul 2, 2011
    255
    18
    You might want to do some research on the numerous powder mills that have blown up thru history and some in recent history. This ain't the stuff to "tinker" with
     

    1911ly

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
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    6   0   0
    Dec 11, 2011
    13,419
    83
    South Bend
    Yep, back when I was dumb numb and young. Probably 13 or 14 years old. Never did anything practical with it. Sulpher and saltpeter we got at the drug store. Carbon was usually robbed from dead d or c cells. The center core bar is or was a carbon rod.
     

    gmcttr

    Grandmaster
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    12   0   0
    May 22, 2013
    8,593
    149
    Columbus
    Didn't every kid with a chemistry set make black powder? I was was doing it when I was about 10 years old....Bang! Another one was potassium permanganate and glycerin quickly mixed in a glass aspirin bottle and thrown just as it started to smoke. :D
     

    Sniper 79

    Master
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    19   0   0
    Oct 7, 2012
    2,939
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    Didn't every kid with a chemistry set make black powder? I was was doing it when I was about 10 years old....Bang! Another one was potassium permanganate and glycerin quickly mixed in a glass aspirin bottle and thrown just as it started to smoke. :D

    Ahhh the good old days! I think you just dated yourself though. Kids are not allowed anything fun these days. When was the last time aspirin came in a glass bottle?
     

    ars

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Nov 8, 2016
    53
    8
    Zionsville
    I agree that this is nothing to take lightly. I like to learn and develop random skills is why I am interested in natural sources of sulfur.
     

    oldpink

    Grandmaster
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    0   0   0
    Apr 7, 2009
    6,660
    63
    Farmland
    I agree that this is nothing to take lightly. I like to learn and develop random skills is why I am interested in natural sources of sulfur.

    It might be fun and instructive to formulate your own black powder and make up some flashbangs with it, but I wouldn't advise actually using it in a muzzle loader.
    You wouldn't be able to control for burn rates and pressure levels.
    If you value your body parts and muzzle loader, you'll take heed.
     

    Mgderf

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
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    43   0   0
    May 30, 2009
    17,878
    113
    Lafayette
    There's a lot of discussion over on cast boolits.com about making your own black powder.
    It is my understanding that once mixed, the screening process is what takes so much time and effort.
    You MUST screen black powder to the proper size granules for your intended purpose. Failure to correctly screen can end up being a very bad day at the range or in the field.

    The granule size has a lot to do with the burn rate evidently.
     

    ars

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Nov 8, 2016
    53
    8
    Zionsville
    Thank you all very much for the info and advice. I have no intentions of making any destructive devices or stuffing some homemade bang powder into the end of my muzzleloader. I am simply looking for any who have had practical experience with making black powder. This is purely academic and something I have thought would be interesting to learn how those a century ago accomplished this. Thank you very much for your answers.
     

    oldpink

    Grandmaster
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    0   0   0
    Apr 7, 2009
    6,660
    63
    Farmland
    Thank you all very much for the info and advice. I have no intentions of making any destructive devices or stuffing some homemade bang powder into the end of my muzzleloader. I am simply looking for any who have had practical experience with making black powder. This is purely academic and something I have thought would be interesting to learn how those a century ago accomplished this. Thank you very much for your answers.

    Get yourself a bamboo stalk, some diamonds, and your homemade black powder, and you could bag one of these, just as Captain Kirk did so many years ago:
    StarTrek-Gorn.jpg
     
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